Chapter 176

Chapter 176 Accidental injury

ASHER

Much to our shock and concern, Ector Felix’s condition worsened upon reaching the military base.

It had been a difficult journey back to the compound. Ector had been reluctant to leave his home, so a mild sedative had to be administered to transport him.

Upon arrival, Silas and I carried him inside, where a host of military personnel were awaiting our return. A gurney was procured immediately, and the Beta and I carefully set him on the cart.

I was grateful that no one seemed to question the identity of the poor, frail man that the Alpha King and Beta had brought into the facility. It was one of the perks of being the ruler of Wegalla- discretion was the name of the game. I couldn’t be questioned by anyone, no matter their rank, for fear of punishment. Of course, I wasn’t that type of ruler by any means, but when it came to Ector Felix, I wasn’t going to risk his safety by someone asking questions.

The gurney was wheeled into a private room, and once the doors were closed behind us to grant some privacy, we eased him into the bed provided.

Though he was somewhere between conscious and asleep, he was shivering like crazy, so one of the female healers tucked him into a swath of thick blankets. Ector’s breath was labored and his chest rose and fell with what seemed to be quite

a bit of effort.

He awoke every so often, though his green eyes were glazed over and a sheen. of sweat covered his brow. He didn’t seem all that aware of his surroundings, but he began to panic a few times over the course of an hour. Each time, he would look around in fear, but the moment he noticed me, his temperament shifted and he seemed to relax. I was grateful my presence was comforting, considering that he had been banished by the royal family.

0

1/4

However, when Ector was alone with the base’s resident healer, he would panic again and attempt to flee. After a while, the healer was forced to administer another round of sedatives.

After a brief and hasty examination, the healer, a woman named Marya, emerged from the infirmary and joined us out in the waiting room.

“Your Majesty?” the curly-haired woman prompted me, and when I rose from my stiff chair and approached her, she offered me a polite bow of respect. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” I a*sured her and then I took a short breath. “How is he?”

“Not as well as we wish he was,” Marya sighed, and she pushed her gla*ses her nose. “Your Majesty, the patient needs urgent medical attention and a thoroug diagnosis. The root cause of his fever is unknown and given his fragile m ental state, there’s a high risk of self-harm, or worse, if he doesn’t get some real help. His condition is weak and we’re worried about what he might do without further intervention. We have great facilities here, but he needs the kind of care that only the capital can provide.”

As her words entered my mind, I realized we had only one option.

We had to bring Ector back to Anemond immediately.

Leaving him here at the military base was too dangerous. Without my presence, he could hurt himself, and if we didn’t get him the type of medical intervention that only the capital was capable of, he could die.

I nodded at Marya. “Thank you for a*sessing him. I’ll make the arrangements at

once.”

The healer nodded at me and then offered me a small bow. “Of course, Your

Majesty.”

As I exited Ector’s room and stepped out into the hall, my head swam with a million thoughts. I had to arrange discreet transportation at once. I couldn’t risk anyone recognizing Ector, at least not yet.

2/4

Just as I considered Lancel as a possible driver, I caught sight of Silas. The Beta’s already serious face appeared even more grave than usual, and there was a strange lack of light in his golden eyes.

I was about to open my mouth to ask my brother-in-law what was wrong when suddenly, a familiar cry pierced through the air. The terrible sound made the hairs on the back of my n*eck stand up, and when I turned around quickly to determine the source of the noise, I caught sight of Lancel, who held a sobbing Marco in his

arms.

“Daddy!” my son cried out, and he reached his small arms out toward me. He tugged and pulled at Lancel, but my most trusted guard held him steady.

“Marco?” I asked in surprise. “What are you-”

My voice suddenly caught in my throat as my eyes trailed down to the young prince’s left leg. It was heavily bandaged but still, dark red blood seeped through the dressing.

I could feel myself grow pale as my own blood chilled in shock. Concern bloomed within me and I began to shake with worry as I approached him.

But before I could reach my injured son, Adalyn appeared and I stopped in my

tracks.

“This is my fault!” the sobbing woman wailed, her gold eyes full of anger and tears. “Oh, Asher, it’s all my fault!”

“What’s going on?” I asked as a lump formed in my throat. I glanced over at Silas, who looked equally alarmed, and then turned back to Lancel. My guard’s face was solemn, but his eyes were weary with despair.

“The fault is mine, Alpha,” he blurted out as he continued to restrain the poor boy. “The mishap is my doing.”

I noticed that just beyond us, a small group of people had formed just down the hall. A handful of military personnel studied the strange scene, and I could hear a few of them whispering about the royal family.

III

O

3/4

I wasn’t a fan of scenes, and this display was definitely terrible.

“Okay, let’s go somewhere else to discuss this,” I suggested gently in ant attempt to diffuse the situation. “Somewhere more private.”

Marco continued to cry, but Silas, Lancel, and Adalyn simultaneously nodded in agreement. Without another moment of hesitation, I guided them down another corridor and down the stairs. I led us into the nearest meeting room and then locked

the door behind us.

Everyone sat down in the chairs, with the exception of Marco, who remained in Adalyn’s lap. Adalyn stroked his dark curls in an attempt to soothe the boy, and it somewhat worked.

Once everyone was situated, I turned to Lancel.

“Lancel, speak first,” I demanded. “What happened? What’s going on here?”

“Alpha, I was accompanying Prince Marco on a forest run,” he explained. “He tried crossing over a branch, but it was too large and it snagged on his leg and caused an injury.”

“Why was Marco even allowed in the forest in the first place?” I asked sternly. “He’s far too young to go out there.”

“He insisted on playing out in the woods after missing out on the Hunting Festival,” Adalyn spoke up. “He’d received that viper bite, remember? So he wanted to go out there and see the forest.”

I felt my gaze turn icy as I focused it on my wife. I stared at her for a moment and then practically growled.

“Why are you even here at the military base, Adalyn?”

4/4