Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Francesco left the ward with a final glance at the injured warriors, their groans still echoing in the back of his mind.
The urgency to act was clear—Lira was needed, and quickly.
The hall outside was quiet, but not in a comfortable way. The kind of quiet that pressed in on the ears, making every step sound too loud. His boots struck the polished stone floor with steady rhythm, though his mind was already moving ahead–calculating how to approach Ellaine’s chamber without alarming her.
Halfway down the west wing, a faint shift in the air made him slow. It was subtle–just a change in temperature, a hint of warmth rolling toward him from the direction of her room. Odd. The corridors here were always cool at night.
Two guards were posted outside her chamber. They straightened instantly when they saw him.
Without another word, he pushed the door open.
The scent inside was different from when he’d left–warmer, tinged with something faintly metallic. Ellaine was still resting on the bed, undisturbed, her breathing slow. But Lira stood near the far wall, her back partially turned, hands loosely clasped as if she’d paused mid–action.
When she looked up at him, there was no panic in her eyes, but there was… caution.
“Alpha,” she said quietly, “is something wrong?”
“Yes,” he replied, his voice clipped. “We have injured warriors from the last search. I need you in the healing ward–now.”
Lira’s gaze flicked to Ellaine briefly before she nodded. “Understood.”
Francesco stepped aside to let her pass, but his eyes lingered on the room for a heartbeat longer, he nodded his head toward Audrey, who never left her while he’s gone.
He shut the door behind them and quickened his pace back toward the ward, the unsettled feeling following him down the corridor.
The walk back to the ward was brisk but silent.
Lira didn’t ask questions, and Francesco didn’t offer explanations./
When they arrived, the low groans of the injured greeted them first.
The warriors guarding the entrance straightened, bowing as Francesco passed. Inside, the smell of herbs and antiseptic mixed with something harsher- burnt, almost acrid.
Lira’s steps faltered the moment they crossed the threshold. Her nostrils flared slightly, eyes narrowing.
“Where are they?” she asked.
Alfonso led them past the first row of cots into the far section of the ward. Four warriors lay there–two curled in pain, one breathing shallowly, and another clenching his jaw against the tremors racking his body. Faint reddish streaks trailed along the veins of their necks and arms, pulsing like slow embers under the skin.
“They check something from the city and get hurt in front of the caves this morning,” Alfonso explained. “I guess one of them got too close to a sealed chamber? He collapsed, screaming. The others tried to carry him out, and now they’re all the same.”
Lira knelt beside the nearest man, her hands hovering over him without touching.
Her brow furrowed in wonder.
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08:55 Sat, 9 Aug
Chapter 133
“Don’t touch them,” Marlow warned sharply. “When we tried earlier, it burned through the gloves.”
Francesco moved closer, scanning the warriors.
The scent was stronger here–sharp enough to sting the back of his throat. This isn’t natural, his instincts whispered.
Lira exhaled slowly. “It’s not a poison I recognize. And it’s not purely magic either…” Her voice measuring what to say next.
trailed off as her eyes flicked briefly to Francesco, as if
“Can you help them?” he pressed.
“I’ll try. But whatever this is… it’s still active inside them.” She glanced at the faint glow tracing the injured men’s veins. “If I disrupt it wrong, it could finish the job.”
The room fell silent except for the strained breathing of the warriors.
–
Outside the drawn curtain, the sound of boots shifting restlessly told Francesco his guards
were
listening–and waiting for orders.
“No one touches them,” Francesco said finally, his voice carrying an edge of command. “No one enters this ward without my permission. Lira, you stay with them until you know exactly what this is. Alfonso–triple the guards.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
As he turned to leave, the acrid scent clung to him, lodging itself in memory.
Something about it reminded him faintly of… heat. Not fire exactly, but the burn of something alive and angry under the skin.
And for the first time in a long while, Francesco felt a flicker of unease crawl down his spine–not from the thought of rogues or rival Alphas…but from the knowledge that this was a weapon he had never seen before.
But Luca is dead…
How?
A thought struck him, sharp and unwelcome. Could it be truly… Marsen?
He raised his head, his gaze cutting toward his Beta and head warrior, Alfonso and Marlow, both watching him closely – waiting for his command.
“Let’s go and check the cave… something’s hiding there.”
They nodded sharply and moved at once, summoning the best knights and warriors to accompany them.
“My King Alpha, wait.”
Lira’s voice stopped him mid–step. He turned, brows drawing together. “What’s wrong, Lira?”
She came forward, holding something in her hand. When she pressed it into his palm, his eyes narrowed in recognition.
A charm.
“Something the Luna made long ago for protection,” Lira explained. “It was only completed a week ago, so I believe this is her way of telling me to give it to you. We don’t know what we face since Luca’s death… but protection is needed. Especially for you, my King Alpha.”
Francesco stared at the small charm for a moment, feeling the faint hum of magic within it. He knew Ellaine’s heart–but the knowledge that she had crafted this specifically for him struck deeper than he expected.
“Thank you,” he said quietly, tucking it close to him before turning back toward the awaiting warriors.
With the charm against his chest and a storm brewing in his mind, he strode out to face whatever lay in the shadows of that dangerous place.
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