Chapter 377: Six Months Apart

Kaden’s POV

?I had barely returned to my office after meeting with the pack elders when Logan knocked on my door. I told him to come in, but the moment he stepped inside, I knew something was wrong. He was carrying a stack of files, yet instead of placing them on my desk as usual, he stood there looking as though he had something difficult to tell me.

?"Alpha, there’s something you need to know," he finally said.

?I frowned and leaned back in my chair. "What is it?"

?"It’s about Princess Rola."

?I immediately straightened. "What about her?"

?Logan hesitated before answering. "She’s been seriously ill, Alpha. I received news from the Lycan Kingdom this morning. Apparently, the Dark Fire she was exposed to during the war left some energy inside her body, and her condition became worse last week."

?"What do you mean, seriously ill?" I demanded, already rising from my chair.

?"She was unconscious for four days, Alpha. The royal healers weren’t even sure she would survive."

?For a moment, I couldn’t speak. "Four days?" I repeated, staring at him. "Is she awake now?"

?"Yes, Alpha. She woke up three days ago. The healers have managed to remove most of the dark energy, but she’s still very weak and needs time to recover."

?I ran a hand through my hair. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"

?"Her family kept everything private. Only a few people knew how serious her condition was."

?I turned away from him, trying to understand what I’d just heard. It had been six months since I’d last spoken to Rola. Six months since she’d returned to the Lycan Kingdom, and neither of us had made any effort to contact the other.

?After my final conversation with Rebecca, I’d thrown myself into my duties as Alpha King. I’d finally accepted that whatever existed between us was over. Rebecca had once been my mate, and although I would always care about her, I knew we were better off living separate lives.

?As for Rola, I’d thought about calling her more times than I could count, but each time, I’d convinced myself that she needed space. She had been nothing but good to me, and after everything I’d put her through, I’d believed leaving her alone was the right thing to do.

?Now, hearing that she had nearly died without me knowing anything about it made me regret that decision.

?"Prepare my private jet," I ordered, turning back toward Logan.

?He looked surprised. "Alpha, are you traveling?"

?"Yes. I’m going to the Lycan Kingdom, and I want to leave as soon as possible. Inform the palace that I’m coming."

?"Understood, Alpha." Logan bowed before hurrying out of my office.

?Once he was gone, I picked up my phone and opened Rola’s contact. For several seconds, I stared at her number, wondering whether I should call her. But what would I even say after six months of silence? Besides, I wanted to see her myself and make sure she was truly alright.

?I put my phone away and hurried out of the office.

?Hours later, my private jet landed at the royal airport in the Lycan Kingdom. A car was already waiting to take me to the palace, and throughout the journey, I barely spoke to the driver. My thoughts kept returning to what Logan had told me.

?Rola had been unconscious for four days. Four days when her family hadn’t even known whether she would survive. The thought that something could have happened to her without me ever getting the chance to see her again made my chest tighten.

?By the time we arrived at the palace, I was already impatient to see her.

?King Adrian and Queen Eleanor were waiting at the entrance. Both looked surprised by my visit, although they welcomed me politely.

?"Alpha King Kaden," King Adrian greeted, extending his hand. "It’s been quite some time. We weren’t expecting you."

?"Your Majesty." I shook his hand before turning toward the queen. "Queen Eleanor, I came as soon as I heard about Rola. How is she?"

?"She’s doing much better, thankfully," the queen replied with a tired smile. "But we were terribly frightened. There was a time when even the healers weren’t sure she would wake up."

?I frowned. "What exactly happened?"

?As we walked inside, King Adrian explained that the Dark Fire had left some energy inside Rola’s body. At first, she’d only complained about headaches and feeling weak, but she’d insisted it was nothing serious. Unfortunately, her condition continued to get worse until she finally collapsed.

?"The healers have managed to remove most of the dark energy," he continued. "She’s no longer in danger, but it’ll take some time before she fully recovers."

?I finally felt a little relieved. "Can I see her?"

?"Of course," Queen Eleanor replied. "I’ll take you to her."

?She led me upstairs toward Rola’s bedroom. When we reached the door, she knocked gently before opening it.

?"Sweetheart, you have a visitor."

?I stepped inside, but immediately stopped when I saw Rola.

?She was sitting upright in bed, wearing a pale blue silk robe. Her silver-blonde hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and although she looked thinner and paler than I remembered, she appeared to be in much better condition than I’d feared.

?However, what caught my attention wasn’t her appearance. It was the man sitting beside her.

?He was tall and handsome, with dark hair and blue eyes. He was sitting close to Rola, holding a glass of medicine while saying something that made her laugh.

?I frowned slightly.

?Who the hell was he, and why was he sitting so close to her?

?Before I could think further, Rola looked toward the door. The smile on her face disappeared the moment she saw me.

?"Kaden?" she asked, clearly surprised.

?"Hello, Rola." I forced myself to look away from the stranger. "I heard what happened, so I came to see how you’re doing."

?She stared at me for several seconds before answering. "You didn’t need to come all the way here just to check on me."

?Before I could respond, the man beside her stood up and approached me with a friendly smile.

?"Your Highness," he greeted, extending his hand. "I’m Prince Alexander of the Northern Lycan Kingdom."

?I glanced at his offered hand before taking it. "Alpha King Kaden," I replied, tightening my grip a little more than necessary.

?Alexander’s smile changed slightly as he returned the handshake with equal strength. Neither of us released the other’s hand immediately.

?"Ah, the famous Alpha King," he said pleasantly. "I’ve heard quite a lot about you."

?I gave him a small smile. "Really? I’ve heard about you too."

?Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I hope you’ve heard good things."

?"That depends," I replied calmly.

?For a brief moment, we stared at each other before Alexander chuckled and finally released my hand.

?"Well, it’s a pleasure meeting you."

?"Likewise," I answered, although I wasn’t particularly pleased to meet him.

?Alexander turned toward Rola and picked up the glass of medicine from the bedside table.

?"Now, where were we?" he asked with a smile. "Oh, yes. You were trying to convince me that you don’t need to take this."

?Rola rolled her eyes. "Because it tastes horrible, Alexander. You should try drinking it yourself."

?Alexander laughed. "Unfortunately, I’m not the patient here."

?I watched their exchange, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. They seemed very close, and I couldn’t help wondering how long they’d been spending time together.

?I hadn’t seen Rola in six months, yet here was another man who clearly knew more about her life than I did.

?Alexander eventually placed the medicine on the table before turning toward the queen.

?"I should probably leave her to rest now, Your Majesty."

?"That’s very thoughtful of you, Alexander," Queen Eleanor replied warmly.

?Alexander smiled before turning back toward Rola. He reached for her hand and gently kissed her knuckles.

?"I’ll see you at dinner, alright? And please don’t give the healers any more trouble."

?Rola laughed softly. "I’ll try."

?Alexander chuckled before finally stepping away.

?I watched him with a clenched jaw. I didn’t particularly like the way he kept touching Rola, but I knew I had no right to say anything. After all, I was the one who had stayed away for six months.

?Alexander bowed respectfully to Queen Eleanor before turning toward me.

?"It was a pleasure meeting you, Alpha King. I hope we get another chance to talk."

?"I’m sure we will," I replied.

?Something in my tone made him look at me for a moment longer before he smiled and left the room.

?Once the door closed, Queen Eleanor approached Rola’s bed and adjusted the blanket covering her legs.

?"Alexander has been so wonderful throughout all of this," she said fondly. "He’s barely left your side since you fell ill."

?"Mother," Rola murmured, looking slightly embarrassed.

?"What? I’m only telling the truth. He’s a wonderful young man, and his parents have been our friends for years." The queen smiled before adding, "Besides, considering the marriage arrangements we’ve been discussing with his family, it’s lovely to see how well you two are getting along."

?I immediately looked at her.

?"Marriage arrangements?"

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I’ve seen some comments about the story being dragged out and certain plotlines still being unanswered, and I completely understand your concerns.

I just want to reassure you all that I have a clear plan for this story, and every unanswered question will be addressed at the right time. Everything I write is connected in one way or another, and every plotline has a purpose. Some things might not make sense now, but they will as the story unfolds.

And don’t worry, I have no intention of dragging the story out unnecessarily. I value your time and patience, and I want every Chapter to be worth reading.

Trust me, there’s still so much more to come! More twists, shocking revelations, and moments you definitely won’t want to miss.

So please, hold on a little longer, my loves. Everything will come together at the right time. Thank you for trusting me and sticking with me on this journey!