Hybrid Lena

Chapter 10

-Kane-

I lay beside her, focusing on healing the wound she had reopened by running. She never should have been up. Certainly not trying to escape. And yet….her welfare had risen to the top of my priorities in a way that unsettled me.

This pull toward her, this instinct to protect was stronger than anything I had felt before. It demanded proximity, control and even claiming her. I shouldn’t feel this.

And yet, I did.

I needed distance from her. Unfortunately, tonight required the opposite. The smaller cuts and bruises she’d sustained earlier had healed with time, but the gash across her stomach refused to close properly. Apollo could sense her wolf faintly.

But he couldn’t reach her.

Why wasn’t her wolf healing her? Was her wolf suppressed? Or blocked somehow? I'm not sure what it is but know for a fact that something wasn’t right.

When I found her unconscious again in the courtyard, fury had surged through me. Someone had let her out. I carried her straight back to her room and laid her on the bed before beginning the healing again.

When Alex reported that she had woken and proven ‘ a bit feisty’ I had almost smiled. There was fire in her and I respected that. Approved it even.

As I watched her sleep while the healing worked beneath my hands, there was a soft knock at the door.

“Prince Snyder, may I come in?”

It was Nurse Sara.

“Of course.”

She entered quietly, carefully trying not to meet my eyes at first. She moved to the bedside and examined the wound, studying it longer than necessary, I could feel she was uncomfortable.

I didn’t like it.

“Nurse Sara,” I said evenly, “tell me what is wrong. Is she going to be alright?”

“Oh, yes, Your highness. She will be fine. Your healing with her is remarkable. I still cannot fully understand how you are able to connect to her this way.” She hesitated.

“I’m sorry you had to heal her again.”

“It’s not your fault.”

She looked down. “But it was.”

I raised a brow.

“General Stone asked me to check on her earlier after his visit. He informed me she was awake and moving about. I intended to go immediately, but he instructed me to wait for an escort as a precaution.” Guilt tightened her voice.

“I didn’t want to risk her reopening the wound, so I went without waiting. When I unlocked the door, she forced her way out and knocked me to the floor. I tried to warn her as she ran, but she didn’t listen. I accept whatever punishment you see fit, Prince Snyder.”

I studied her carefully. Sara rarely made mistakes.

The last time had been years ago, when she was only thirteen and newly arrived with Alex. She had wanted to help. To save people. My father had offered her placement at the finest private nursing academy in Athas.

She had tried to refuse, unsure how she could repay him. He had told her excellence would be repayment enough.

When she qualified and joined us here, she proved herself again and again. She worked tirelessly, sometimes beyond reason, and healed more soldiers than most seasoned physicians. Once, under immense pressure, she administered the wrong medication to a soldier.

A minor error. That was all it was. But then that was all it took.

To my father, it had been unforgivable. He made her resit her examinations. She passed, with distinction. I never doubted her.

Since then, she had been meticulous. Sara was my top nurse. And I trusted her with our lives. I softened my tone.

“Thank you for coming forward. Let this serve as a lesson, unpredictable guests require stricter precaution.”

“Yes, Prince Snyder.”

“Stay and rewrap her bandages once the wound finishes closing. I expect regular updates. A guard will remain stationed here.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

I rose from the bed once the skin had sealed once more. Without a word, I left.

Later

There was a firm knock on my father’s office door.

“Enter.”

I was seated in one of the chairs, leaning back, staring at the ceiling when General Stone walked in.

“What is your next step, Kane?”

He kept his face neutral. Alex always did.

“I am not my father Alex,” I said quietly. “You do not need to hide your concerns from me.” He said nothing, but I could see it.

“You’ve heard what happened. Sara will not be punished. She came forward immediately. The matter is closed.”

He inclined his head.

“What do we do with the woman?”

I exhaled slowly.

“For now? Nothing. We wait for her to wake. We assess whether she is cooperative.”

“And if she runs again?”

“Then we adapt.” I stood and moved toward the door.

“If my mother asks for me, inform her I’ve gone to the forest.” He followed me into the corridor.

“I know what you’re doing in the forest with Bella,” he said quietly. “Just be careful.” I allowed myself a faint smirk.

“I know my limits.”

Then we both went our separate ways.

Later That Night

As I approached her door again, her scent wrapped around me. Apollo stirred instantly. He couldn't wait to see her. I forced him back, just enough.

I need to be in control.

She needed calm when she woke, not a predator crowding her space. I knocked lightly. From the inside, Nurse Sara’s voice answered, “It’s clear.” I stepped inside.

“How is she?”

“She’s healing much better now,” Sara said, adjusting the blankets. “Still unconscious, but more stable.” She placed a chair beside the bed before moving to her trolley.

It was an unspoken invitation.

I took the seat. Apollo purred low in my mind as I looked at the woman sleeping before me. Her scent was intoxicating.

“I’ll leave you and return shortly to check her observations,” Sara said.

“Thank you.”

She paused at the door, glancing back at me once before stepping out. The door clicked shut. I looked down at her.

“What am I going to do with you?” I whispered quietly.