Chapter 131

[ 1,128 words ]

Arabella:

I was heading back to my room when I spotted Maya and Toby standing in the hallway. The moment Maya saw me, she hurried over.

“Where were you? You left us out there, and we thought you’d come back after meeting the king. When you didn’t, we came inside.” Her brows pulled together as she looked at my face carefully. “Are you all right?”

Apparently, my face answered that question for me. Her expression changed immediately. “What happened, Arabella?”

I shook my head and reached for her hands. “I’m sorry, guys. I just… can’t talk about it right now.” Her fingers tightened around mine.

My gaze moved from her to Toby. He wasn’t asking questions, but the concern on his face was obvious.

“Can I have a little time alone? Please? I promise I’ll tell you both everything later.”

Neither of them answered immediately. Maya kept studying my face, trying to figure out something.

Toby nodded with a sigh. “Fine. If you need us, you know where to find us. Or come join us when you feel better.” He glanced around the enormous hallway. “Until then, I guess we can explore the palace.”

I struggled to manage a small nod. “Okay.”

Toby turned and started walking away, but Maya remained exactly where she was. I knew that look.

She was waiting for me to change my mind. To open my bedroom door, pull her inside, and tell her everything like I normally would.

But this time, I couldn’t. For Goddess’s sake. I was a murderer. I killed an innocent beast. After a few seconds, disappointment flickered across Maya’s face.

Toby had already made it halfway down the hallway before he noticed she wasn’t following. He turned around and came back.

“Come on.” He held her wrist and gave it a small tug. Maya looked at him, then back at me.

“She said she needs space, Maya, okay?” Toby tried to explain her, trying to gently pull her along. “We’ll give her that. Let’s go.”

This time, Maya finally went with him, though she glanced back at me once before they disappeared down the hallway.

I waited until they were gone before opening the door to my room. I loved them both, but right now, I didn’t want questions or comforting words. I wanted to lock the door, bury my face in my pillow, and cry my heart out for the friend I had lost.

***

Someone was shaking me in my sleep. “Arabella? Arabella, can you hear me?”

I wanted to tell them to stop. My head hurt, and even that small movement made everything inside it throb. A hand was pressed against my forehead.

“Oh my God, she’s burning with fever.”

The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t hold on to it long enough to figure out who it belonged to. Then I heard another voice.

“Arabella.” It was Lucien. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt too heavy. Even moving my fingers seemed like more effort than I could manage.

“Get the physician. NOW!”

His voice became louder as he started barking orders at someone. Footsteps hurried across the room. Another hand touched my face, then moved to my neck as someone checked on me.

“Arabella, can you hear me?” I wanted to answer, but nothing came out of my mouth. Maya’s frightened voice reached me from somewhere nearby.

“Oh, Goddess. I thought she just wanted some time alone. I had no idea she was unwell.”

More voices followed. Toby. Someone else. The physician, maybe. I couldn’t tell anymore. They all seemed to mix together until I could no longer understand what anyone was saying.

All I could feel was heat.

My skin felt like it was burning, yet every now and then a shiver ran through my body. Something cool touched my forehead, but even that relief lasted only a few seconds before I began drifting away again, back into the forest.

Back to him.

Zorro stood beneath the trees, enormous and dark. His golden eyes were fixed on me. Then the scenes began changing one after another.

Zorro stepped forward. He lowered his huge body beside me so I could climb onto him. My arms disappeared into his thick fur as I hugged him.

His enormous head rubbed gently against my face until I laughed and pushed at his muzzle. Then I was lying across his warm body again, exactly as I had done three years ago. My face was buried in his fur while one of his massive paws rested close to me.

Safe. I had always felt safe with him.

“Zorro…” I tried to whisper. Somewhere beyond the dream, someone suddenly gripped my hand.

“Arabella?” Lucien’s voice followed me into the darkness, but I couldn’t wake up. I only curled closer to Zorro in my dream.

***

Familiar voices pulled at me from somewhere far away. My lashes fluttered as I struggled to open my eyes. They felt heavy, and when I managed to lift them even slightly, the light made me close them again.

“Look! She’s waking up.” Maya’s voice came from far away.

“Oh, thank the Goddess.”

Someone moved closer to the bed, and then Lucien’s voice cut through everything else. “Call the physician, Bradley. Tell him she’s awake.”

I heard footsteps hurrying away.

I felt cool fingers against my forehead, then someone touched the side of my neck. A woman said something about my temperature coming down, but I could barely make sense of the words.

I tried again to open my eyes. Everything was blurry at first. I blinked through the blur, only to find a face hovering inches from mine.

Lucien.

He was leaning over me, his face so close that his golden eyes were the first thing I saw clearly. His hair was messy, and the worry on his face made him look nothing like the composed ruler I was used to seeing.

Because you were our mate. His words from earlier came rushing back to me.

“Princess.” His hand immediately came to my cheek. “Sweetheart, you’re awake.”

I blinked at him, still trying to understand what was happening. He let out a long breath and lowered his forehead briefly against mine.

“You gave me a heart attack.”

My lips felt painfully dry. “Wh… what… happened?” I swallowed hard.

“You decided to scare me half to death.” His thumb moved gently across my cheek as if he still needed to make sure I was really awake.

Behind him, Maya appeared with red, worried eyes. “How long was I asleep?”

“Three days,” Lucien said quietly. Before I could react, he leaned down and pressed a long kiss to my forehead. “But that doesn’t matter right now. You’re awake. That’s all I care about.”

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