Chapter 11: After the Storm
1628 Words
The aftermath of the battle was chaos.
Wounded wolves everywhere. Bodies being carried away. Buildings burning. The smell of blood and smoke and death hung thick in the air.
But Elara didn't care about any of that.
She only cared about Kairos.
He was holding her, his arms tight around her, his heart beating strong and steady against her cheek. He was alive. He was okay.
They'd won.
But Valerius's words echoed in her head.
Worse things coming. Much worse.
Death is mercy compared to what's coming.
What did he mean? What was worse than the curse? What was worse than death?
Elara didn't know. But she had a feeling she was going to find out.
Soon.
"Hey." Kairos's voice was soft, gentle. He tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "You okay?"
Elara nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just... thinking about what Valerius said."
"Don't." Kairos's jaw tightened. "He's dead. He can't hurt us anymore. It's over."
"Is it?" Elara looked up at him, her silver eyes serious. "He said worse things are coming. What if he's telling the truth?"
Kairos was quiet for a long moment.
"Then we'll face them," he said finally. "Together. Like we always do."
He kissed her forehead. Soft. Gentle. Loving.
Elara's heart skipped a beat.
This was real.
He was real.
They were real.
And it was terrifying.
Because the more she loved him, the more it would hurt when the curse took him. Or when it took her.
But she couldn't stop. She didn't want to stop.
Not when it felt this good.
Not when he felt like home.
"Come on," Kairos said, pulling her closer. "Let's get you inside. You need to rest. You've been through a lot today."
Elara nodded. She was tired. So tired. Her whole body ached. Her power was drained.
She leaned into him, letting him support her weight as they walked back toward the palace.
The warriors bowed their heads as they passed. Respectful. Awed.
They knew now.
Everyone knew.
She was the Blessed Healer.
And she'd just saved their king.
Again.
Word would spread. Fast.
There would be more people coming. More healers. More alphas. More packs. All wanting to see her. All wanting her help.
Elara wasn't sure she was ready for that.
But she didn't have a choice.
The secret was out.
And her life would never be the same again.
* * *
They got back to the palace an hour later.
Kairos carried her up to her suite—princess carry, like she weighed nothing. He laid her on the bed and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Rest," he said, soft. "I'll have someone bring you food."
"Wait." Elara grabbed his hand before he could leave. "Don't go. Stay. Please."
Kairos hesitated. His golden eyes were dark with conflict.
"Elara..." he said, quiet. "I don't know if that's a good idea. The curse—"
"Hasn't hurt me yet." She squeezed his hand. "Please, Kairos. I don't want to be alone right now. Not after everything that happened."
He stared at her for a long moment. And then he sighed.
"Fine," he said. "But just sleeping. Nothing else. I don't want to risk it."
"Deal."
Elara scooted over on the bed, making room for him. Kairos sat down and then lay down next to her, careful to keep a little space between them.
But Elara didn't want space.
She rolled over and curled up against his chest, her head on his shoulder, her arm around his waist.
Kairos tensed. Like he was afraid to touch her. Like he thought he might break her.
But then he relaxed. Slowly. Carefully. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.
"Is this okay?" he whispered.
Elara smiled, her eyes closed. "More than okay."
They lay there like that for a long time, just holding each other, listening to each other breathe.
Elara had never felt so safe. So peaceful. So... loved.
It was perfect.
Too perfect.
And then the pain started.
At first, it was just a twinge. A little ache in her chest. Nothing big. Nothing to worry about.
But then it got worse.
Sharper. Stronger. Like something was squeezing her heart. Like something was trying to kill her from the inside out.
Elara gasped. Her body tensed. Her hand flew to her chest.
"Elara?" Kairos sat up, his voice sharp with worry. "What's wrong? What is it?"
"Nothing," she said, forcing a smile. "Just... just a little pain. Probably from the battle. I'm fine."
But she wasn't fine.
She knew she wasn't fine.
This wasn't normal pain. This was different. Darker. Colder.
This felt like... the curse.
But that was impossible. The curse was Kairos's. Not hers.
Right?
Right.
It had to be.
She was just tired. That's all. Tired and sore and stressed out from the battle.
That's all it was.
"Are you sure?" Kairos's voice was tight with concern. "I can call the healers—"
"No." Elara shook her head quickly. "No healers. I'm fine. Really. Let's just go to sleep. Okay?"
Kairos hesitated. But then he nodded.
"Okay," he said. "But if you need anything—anything at all—you wake me up. Promise?"
"Promise."
Elara curled back up against his chest, trying to ignore the pain. Trying to pretend everything was okay.
But it wasn't.
She could feel it. Something was wrong. Something was changing.
Inside her.
The curse.
It was spreading.
To her.
But that was impossible.
Wasn't it?
Elara didn't know. But she was scared.
So scared.
She closed her eyes, trying to sleep. Trying to forget.
But the pain kept getting worse.
And she had a terrible feeling this was just the beginning.
That the worst was yet to come.
And she had no idea how to stop it.
* * *
Elara woke up the next morning to an empty bed.
Kairos was gone.
She sat up, her heart sinking a little. She'd hoped... well, she'd hoped he'd still be there when she woke up.
But of course he wasn't.
He was the king. He had responsibilities. A kingdom to run. A rebellion to clean up.
And besides, he was probably scared. Scared of getting too close. Scared of the curse.
Scared of hurting her.
Elara sighed and got out of bed. Her body still ached. The pain in her chest was still there, dull and constant. But it was better than last night. Not as sharp. Not as scary.
Maybe she'd just been overreacting. Maybe it was just stress. Maybe—
A knock on the door.
"Come in," Elara called.
It was Mara.
Her best friend walked in, her eyes wide with excitement and worry and about a hundred other emotions.
"Okay," Mara said, dropping onto the bed. "Spill. Everything. Now. I just heard the most insane rumors. Something about you being the Blessed Healer? And saving the king? And fighting a rebellion? And—"
"Mara." Elara laughed, sitting down next to her. "Slow down. One question at a time."
"Fine." Mara took a deep breath. "First question: Are you really the Blessed Healer?"
Elara hesitated. Then she nodded.
"I think so," she said. "I mean... I don't know for sure. But everyone seems to think so."
"Wow." Mara stared at her. "Just... wow. I always knew you were special, but... Blessed Healer? That's next level."
Elara smiled, small. "Thanks."
"Second question." Mara leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "Are you and the king... you know... a thing?"
Elara's face burned.
"We're... taking it slow," she said. "He's my mate. Second chance mate. But there's... complications."
"Complications?"
"The curse." Elara's voice got quieter. "You know, the one where every woman he loves dies? Yeah. That one."
Mara's smile faded. "Oh. Right. That's... that's not good."
"Tell me about it." Elara sighed, falling back on the bed. "I like him. A lot. More than I've ever liked anyone. But if we're together... it could kill me. And I don't know what to do."
Mara was quiet for a long moment. Then she lay down next to Elara.
"Well," she said. "If anyone can break a curse, it's you. You're the Blessed Healer, remember? You can do anything."
Elara smiled, small. "Thanks, Mara."
"Anytime." Mara nudged her with her elbow. "Now come on. Get up. We have a lot to talk about. And I want to hear every single detail. Starting with how hot the king is. Be honest. Is he as hot in person as he is in the stories?"
Elara laughed. "Oh, he's hotter. Way hotter."
"YES." Mara pumped her fist. "I knew it. Okay, tell me everything. From the beginning. Don't leave anything out."
And so Elara did.
She told her everything. About the night in the ER. About Kairos showing up at her apartment. About coming to Vossgaard. About the battle. About the kiss.
Everything.
And Mara listened. She gasped. She laughed. She made appropriate "ooh" and "aah" sounds.
It was good. It felt normal. Like old times.
Like nothing had changed.
But everything had changed.
And Elara knew it.
The secret was out. She was the Blessed Healer. And her life would never be the same again.
But for now, she was just Elara. A girl talking to her best friend about a boy.
And that was enough.
For now.
But it wouldn't last.
It never did.
Because there was a knock on the door.
And when Elara opened it, it was Rook.
And he looked serious.
"Elara," he said, bowing his head. "The Council of Elders is here. They want to see you. Again."
Elara's stomach dropped.
The council.
Again.
What did they want now?
She had a feeling she wasn't going to like it.
Not one bit.
- Writer
