Alpha lycan mate

CHAPTER 3: UNEXPECTED NEWS

Amara’s POV

I was so tense that my muscles ached unbearably. My heartbeat deafening in my ears sounded like the rolling thunder. I hid myself in the warm water that hardly masked the smell of burning flesh from the terrible second-degree burns. I was curled up there, trying to make myself as small as possible and protect my vulnerable skin from prying eyes when loud voices suddenly interrupted the tense silence.

“What in the world is going on here?!”

I jumped at the sound of the booming voice, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. The room fell deathly silent as the newcomers took their places at the end of the room. My eyes grew wide as Alpha Caspian strode into the chamber. His imposing figure almost seemed to block out the light from the hallway, and the air in the room grew colder as he entered. His mere presence caused Helena and Brynne to bow their heads in deference. Their shoulders trembled as they avoided his piercing gaze. Caspian moved with feline grace and predatory power, stopping just a few inches from me with a look of barely contained fury on his face.

“What were you about to allow the guards to do in here?” His voice was quiet, but there was a warning edge to it that sent shivers of unease down my spine. His beautiful grey eyes narrowed dangerously as he took in the sight of the overturned basin, the guards, and me, curled up and hurting in the tub.

He did not need further explanation. Even as he was taking in the details of the scene before him, he already understood the gravity of the situation. The Luna’s quarters were considered sacred, and it was against the pack laws to enter without the express permission of the Luna or the Alpha himself. The mere idea of men in here, in such a vulnerable position, was anathema to him. The realization of what almost happened made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, and he shot a murderous glare at the guards. The sight of the guards being so disrespectful and so blatantly close to the Luna’s private chamber without any consequences had the other men shrinking back in fear.

“Alpha… we are so very sorry,” said Helena’s voice, barely louder than a whisper, as she took a step back from his towering form. “The water was boiling when we arrived to check on you, and we tried to lift you up, but you were injured and too heavy for us to carry alone. We called for help because we simply could not handle you on our own.”

Both women sank to their knees on the wet floor, their brows furrowed in deep anguish as they stared at the floor. They were apologizing to Caspian for their insolence, not me, the one who was injured, humiliated, and nearly stripped. Caspian’s eyes narrowed further as he regarded the pair of them with thinly veiled distaste and the guards shot them a withering look.

“Leave. Summon the healer. Then come back, but do not come back without the explicit permission of the Luna,” he growled, his voice like thunder. “You may return to your duties only when the Luna tells you to, understood?”

The guards practically fled as they exited the room, giving the maids a contemptuous glare over their shoulders before disappearing behind the door. It clicked shut behind them, leaving the heavy silence to fill the room.

Caspian turned to me then, and instinctively I curled in on myself, pushing my knees against my chest to cover my blistering skin. My heart pounded painfully in my chest at the thought of his disappointment. I braced myself for a tongue lashing for my insolence or perhaps further humiliation for nearly exposing myself before the guards. His dark eyes searched my face, and I looked away, too ashamed to meet his gaze.

“Go away… leave me alone,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. The words came out as a broken plea, and I hated myself for feeling so childish and petulant in this moment. I wanted him to leave me be. To give me some privacy after this horrible incident. But instead of walking away, he stepped closer to the side of the tub. Slowly and deliberately, he picked up a soft white towel that was hanging from a rack right next to me and peered at me with an unreadable expression.

“I am Caspian,” he said quietly, his voice almost gentle as he stepped closer. I looked at him then, his handsome features carved from stone as he peered down at me with unreadable eyes. “It is I, Amara.”

I wanted to protest, to argue, to tell him to get away, but the words died in my throat. He took a steadying breath before moving closer, his gaze fixed on the towel in his hands the whole time. I flinched as he reached out, but he stopped just short of touching me.

He ran his fingers over my arm, feeling for the burn before he slowly pushed me up and off the side of the tub. He lifted me up, and I winced as the warm water cascaded down my back, sending fresh pain signals flying through my nerves. My face burned with embarrassment as I realized what had just happened. I felt exposed and vulnerable, but Caspian did not seem to mind.

He wrapped the thick white towel around my shoulders, letting it soak up the warm water before he took another small towel and began gently dabbing the other parts of my body that were not blistering. He was careful not to touch the sensitive area, instead focusing on my sides and the rest of my body. He worked with slow, precise movements, not lingering anywhere for too long before moving on to the next spot. I couldn’t believe how gentle he was being, how careful. He had such a focused look on his face as if he was really trying to pay attention to how I was feeling.

He pulled the other towel from my shoulders and, instead of putting it down, he used another soft one to finish drying me off before wrapping me up again. He gently helped me into the plush robe that he somehow managed to find nearby, tying it at my waist as I put my hands behind my back.

“Why are you here?” I murmured, staring at his hands as he tied the sash of the robe with slow, steady movements. “You are a busy man, Caspian. You have more important matters to attend to than a simple case of burns.”

He looked up at me, dark eyes searching mine for a long moment before he spoke. “This is my home,” he said after a moment, shrugging lightly. “And you are here.”

Before I could respond, the heavy door to the chamber was thrown open again, and once again, Helena and Brynne entered the room with their heads bowed in deference. This time, however, they led the way for the young healer named Liora. The girl had a certain grace to her movements, and her presence seemed to soothe the tension in the room.

She moved to where I was, helping me off the side of the tub while the other two maidens fell to their knees not more than two feet away from me. They whispered their apologies, but their gazes remained fixed on me the entire time.

“We are very sorry, Luna,” said Helena in a voice that could barely be called sincere.

“I am sure it was an honest mistake,” I said icily as I met her gaze. I did not trust these women, and nothing they did or said made me any less suspicious of their intentions. Caspian watched them all with narrowed eyes, looking as if he sensed the same insincerity I did.

Liora pulled up a small chair and sat on it, examining the bandages around my shoulders. “Let me take a look at those burns,” she said lightly. “Are they bothering you at all, my Lady?”

Liora began unwrapping the bandages around my shoulders while I shook my head. The moment the cool air touched the sensitive skin, I winced at the sting that shot through my nerves. She carefully turned my head from side to side, inspecting the burns. “The skin is angry,” she muttered mostly to herself. “But it is not deep, my Lady. With the right salve, it should heal quickly and without much pain.”

Liora got a small vial of pale-green liquid from her bag, and the moment she began rubbing it on my skin, her fingers gently kneading the irritated patch of skin from side to side, the unpleasant burning sensation was gone.

Her hands moved lower, over my ribs, brushing against my stomach when suddenly her brows furrowed. She stopped, looking as if something had shocked her, her fingers hovering in the air. Then, as if she was trying to reassure herself, she returned to my stomach, her fingers pressing gently. “Is something wrong?” I asked in alarm. “Does something feel wrong to you?”

“No, no, nothing is wrong, my Lady,” the healer said, looking stunned. “In fact, perhaps I should double-check. Just to be certain.”

Liora’s healer abilities were just as remarkable as her powers of observation. With an almost mystical grace, she was able to feel every heartbeat in my chest, every pulse in my veins. And when she finally withdrew her hands, her eyes were wide with astonishment.

By the light of the moon, she squealed dramatically, clasping her hands together in delight. “Congratulations, Alpha! Congratulations, Luna!”

She looked from my stricken face to Caspian’s unreadable one before her eyes softened with understanding.

“You are with child, my Lady,” she finally said, her voice thick with emotion. “There is no doubt about it.”