Bound To The Cursed Lycan Alpha

CHAPTER 8

ZEPHRY

My heart gave an unfamiliar jolt at the word, but I ignored it. “Speak.”

“She fainted and Miss Velyana rushed her to the hospital.”

Without another word, I stormed down the corridors. “Did she try to kill herself? Tch. She will pay for this.”

The thought of her trying to take her own life sent a cold fury through me.

I pushed open the infirmary doors hard, and they hit the walls. The room smelled like medicine and a little bit like blood. Veylana stood over Athena, who wasn't moving. Veylana's face was grim as she put a wet cloth on Athena's forehead. "Tell me what's wrong," I demanded.

Veylana did not look up. "You are impatient as always," she muttered. But her voice was not as sharp as usual. When she finally turned to face me, her expression was close to sadness.

“She’s weak, Zephyr. Dangerously so.”

Athena looked tiny and weak, her dark eyelashes resting on her pale skin. Something inside me twisted.

I stepped closer, looking down at her. She was breathing weakly, and her face was pale against the white sheets. The bruises on her arms and neck, which I hadn't seen before, stood out clearly on her delicate skin. My fingers curled into fists at my sides.

“She’s malnourished,” Veylana continued. "Very dehydrated. And..." Veylana paused, looking at Athena before turning back to me.

I didn’t like that hesitation.

“And?” I pressed.

Her lips tightened into a thin line. “She has a dead child in her womb.”

The world stilled.

Silence. A cold, deafening silence.

“What?”

“The baby has been dead for some time. It needs to be removed immediately.”

I turned my gaze back to Athena. My mate. She was barely breathing, yet carrying death inside her.

Something dark and furious stirred inside me. “What kind of hardship did she endure to kill her own child?”

Veylana’s expression hardened. “Do not jump to conclusions.” She stepped closer, her voice firm. “Whoever had her before did not treat her well, Zephyr. They treated her as something disposable.”

My vision blurred with rage. A growl rumbled deep in my chest, shaking the room. Who?

“The baby must be removed now, but…” She hesitated, looking at Athena as if debating whether to say the rest.

“But what?”

“There will be consequences,” she exhaled, her eyes locked onto mine. “Her womb will not survive the procedure. She won’t be able to carry another child.”

The words hit me harder than they should have. It shouldn’t matter to me. As long as she can revoke the curse. But why do I still feel some kind of remorse for her?

Athena moved a little, making a soft whimpering sound. The wolf inside me growled, angry and demanding justice for what happened to our mate. I turned back to my sister. "Do what you need to do."

Veylana nodded. “I’ll need your blood to help with her healing. Your mark has already tied her to you—your blood may be the only thing that keeps her alive through this.”

Without hesitation, I extended my wrist. “Take whatever is needed.”

As Veylana got ready to help Athena, I stood beside her, keeping watch. Something inside me had changed, and I didn't know when it happened. Whoever hurt her would pay for it.

The treatment felt like it took forever. I stood there, arms crossed, watching as Veylana worked.

I stood still and quiet, listening to the sound of Athena's weak breathing and the clinking of metal tools. How long is this going to take?

Veylana finally stepped back, wiping her hands. She looked at me, her face showing how tired she was. "It's done," she said.

I breathed out slowly.“How is she?”

“She’s weak,” Veylana admitted. “It will take time for her body to recover. She needs rest, proper care, and nourishment. She should survive, but…” She hesitated.

I knew what she was about to say. I had already accepted it. "She won't be able to have children again."

A sad look crossed Veylana's eyes before she nodded. "The damage was too severe."

I looked at Athena’s unconscious form. Even in her sleep, she looked haunted. Broken. Part of me felt bad seeing her hurt. But the darker and more brutal side wanted revenge.

Veylana must have sensed my mood because she spoke again, quieter this time. “She doesn’t have to know you helped her.”

My gaze snapped at her.

She lifted a brow. “You were going to say it yourself, weren’t you? That she shouldn’t know.”

I stayed silent for a moment, then nodded briefly.

Veylana looked confused, like she was trying to figure out what I was thinking.I didn’t have an answer. I only knew that I didn’t want Athena to look at me with anything close to gratitude.

I turned on my heel. “Make sure she gets better.”

I left the infirmary without waiting for her reply. The smell of blood and medicine faded as I walked back to the pack house. As I entered the main hall, I sensed someone's presence before I saw him.

Thane.

My stepfather.

He was waiting for me, standing near the large windows overlooking the training grounds.

“I heard the news,” he said, his voice even. “About the assassin.”

I met his gaze without a word.

“The one that bears your mark,” he added.

My expression remained cold. “And?”

Thane turned fully toward me, arms crossed over his chest. “Reject her.”

Silence settled between us.

Then I chuckled. It was low, humorless. “You forget yourself, Thane.”

His expression darkened, but I continued before he could speak.

"I don't take orders," I said, stepping closer. My voice was calm but had a clear warning. “And I don’t need your opinions on things that do not concern you.”

His jaw tightened. “You would keep a woman who came into your territory with the intent to kill you?”

I tilted my head. “Who said she came to kill me?”

Thane’s eyes narrowed.

“She was sent here to die,” I said, my voice carrying an edge of finality. "Someone wanted her out of the way. And instead of questioning why, you tell me to reject her?"

“She is a weakness,” Thane said sharply. “And if you allow her to stay—”

“Watch your tone.”

My voice was a low, rumbling growl that filled the space between us. The room felt colder, and for a moment, Thane froze. Then, he nodded his head slightly. A forced submission. Good.

“Know your place, Thane,” I murmured.

Then I walked past him, leaving him standing there with his thoughts.

Athena wasn’t going anywhere. Not yet. And whoever had sent her here, thinking she wouldn’t survive, they would learn just how grave their mistake had been.