Chapter 197: There is no secrecy

Dorian was on his way back home from the meeting with the regional Alphas when he suddenly became restless.

His right hand twitched uncontrollably against his knee, fingers flexing against the seat. Inside his head, Shadow paced restlessly, growling and slamming his claws against the mental barrier between them.

Jake, who was behind the wheel, glanced at him through the rearview mirror and frowned in concern.

"Is everything alright, Alpha?"

Dorian’s gaze locked with Jake’s in the mirror for a brief second before he looked out the tinted side window.

"Yeah," he muttered.

Jake didn’t believe him for a second. He could feel the tension radiating off him. He knew Dorian wasn’t a man easily rattled by anything, or anyone. And the only two people capable of putting him in this state of anxiety were the Luna and Pandora.

He opened his mouth to pry further, but thought better of it and focused his attention on the highway.

Meanwhile, the feeling in Dorian’s gut worsened with every passing mile. He pulled out his phone, the harsh light illuminating his handsome face. According to Alyssa’s class schedule, she was supposed to be in her afternoon lecture right now.

His frown deepened. Was he feeling this way because of her? Was she in danger? Was he being paranoid?

"Fuck it," he growled under his breath and slid his thumb across the screen to call Zed. But before the call could connect, another incoming call intercepted it. It was Zed.

He swiped the answer bar instantly, pressing the phone to his ear. "Zed? Is Alyssa okay?"

He listened in dead silence as Zed’s frantic voice cut through the receiver. In the next instant, his expression darkened. His jaw clenched hard as his face transformed into a mask of terror.

"Don’t take her home!" he roared into the phone. "Take her to Nina’s place. I’ll meet you there!"

He hung up and glared at Jake who was already staring at him in the mirror, his face pale.

"Turn the car around!" he commanded sharply. "Drive to Nina’s place. Now!"

"Yes, Alpha," Jake answered curtly. He slammed on the brakes, engaged the gear shift, and spun the Rolls Royce into a sharp U-turn before speeding back the way they had come. No questions asked. No hesitation.

Dorian was on the verge of shifting. He should have known. The moment he felt that restlessness, he should have known it was connected to Alyssa.

"What happened, Alpha?" Jake asked tentatively, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel as he pressed down on the accelerator.

"Alyssa had a seizure," Dorian ground out. "She stepped into the restroom at the Academy, and Zed found her on the floor, convulsing and foaming at the mouth."

"Goddess!" Jake gasped. He cast a horrified glance over his shoulder before snapping his focus back to the road. "What caused it? Did Zed give any details?"

"Zed doesn’t know anything. From what he told me, nothing out of the ordinary happened. He just found her convulsing."

"You think it’s her powers, don’t you?"

"I don’t think," Dorian replied in a voice filled with frustration. "I know it is. It’s getting frequent and it’s spiraling out of control."

"What exactly can we do about it, Alpha?" Jake asked worriedly as he switched lanes and sped down the road towards Nina’s cottage. "What can we do? I mean, we don’t even know what she truly is. I understand she’s a Hybrid, and part Lycan. But if we don’t know what her other half is, we can’t help her."

Dorian shut his eyes as frustration and helplessness warred inside him. The truth was that he already suspected what Alyssa was, even though he wasn’t ready to say it out.

It was one thing to have speculations and theories, but to openly declare that the Luna Queen of Wintercrest carried the blood of the Onyx? It would be a disaster.

Even after the war ended years ago, the people of Wintercrest hadn’t really recovered from the loss. The trauma, the pain, the agony; it was something they would never forget.

And the last thing he wanted right now was for everyone to turn against his wife.

The only way to get the truth was to find the mysterious woman who claimed to be Alyssa’s biological mother. But where could they even begin to find her?

Questions flooded his mind as Jake finally drove into Nina’s fenced cottage. An old, rusting bicycle leaned against the fence, and the walls were covered with creeping vines and strange flowers.

At the same time, the limo that had driven Alyssa to the Academy arrived. Because of the cramped courtyard, Zed had to stop the vehicle halfway through the open gates.

Dorian didn’t wait for Jake to fully stop the car. He rushed out, bolted straight toward the back of the limo, and yanked the door open. Alyssa was lying motionless across the leather seat.

"Alyssa? My love, can you hear me?" he rasped, his voice cracking as he slid his arms beneath her knees and upper back, lifting her into his chest.

The seizure had subsided, and she was no longer foaming in the mouth. But her eyes remained closed, her body completely limp and unconscious.

Nina rushed out through the front door just as Dorian turned around with Alyssa held against his chest. One look at her pale face told the healer everything she needed to know.

"Bring her this way, Alpha!" she instructed, already turning toward another door built into the side of the cottage.

As Dorian rushed past with Alyssa, Zed stepped out of the limo and attempted to follow them. But Jake stopped him, planting a hand against his chest.

"You can return home, Zed. You did well bringing the Luna here as fast as you did."

Zed’s brow furrowed with concern. "But... Beta Jake..."

"Nina will take care of the Luna," Jake cut in, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You don’t need to worry. Take the car back to the estate immediately. That’s an order."

Zed looked like he wanted to protest. But in the end, he sighed and nodded.

"Understood."

"And if anyone at home asks," Jake added. "Tell them that the Luna felt under the weather during her classes, and you brought her to see Nina. Tell them the Alpha is with her so they wouldn’t worry. Don’t talk about the seizure."

Zed blinked, his eyes searching Jake’s stoic face. "Is there a reason for all this secrecy, Beta Jake?"

"There is no secrecy," Jake snapped, leaning in slightly to project his authority. "No one needs to be around the Alpha in this state, especially when the Luna is ill. I am trying to maintain order and keep things peaceful. Do you understand me?"

Zed easily believed the explanation and nodded. "Of course, Beta. You’re right. I’ll head back right now and keep quiet."

Jake waited in the courtyard, watching Zed back the limo out of the gates before driving off.

The only reason he sent Zed away was because he had no idea what Alyssa truly was. If her powers went out of control while she was unconscious and he witnessed it, it would make everything worse than it already was.

Satisfied that Zed was gone, he turned and hurried towards the door Nina and Dorian just went through.

There was a flight of stairs leading into an underground chamber. It was the place Nina practiced her healing gifts, produced herbal remedies, and conducted all her crafts.

The room was the size of a basement, with several bunk beds attached to the walls. Potted plants and flowers covered the floor, while creeping moss crawled across the stone walls.

Cool air circulated through unseen vents in the rock, and a light bulb hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over the room.

The door burst open, and Nina rushed inside with Dorian right behind her. She dragged one of the bunks into the center of the room and pointed at the bed on it.

"Put her on the bed, Alpha!"

Dorian carefully lowered Alyssa onto the bed. He stayed by her side, calling her name repeatedly and stroking her face. Her skin burned with a high fever, and red splotches had gradually appeared on her cheeks.

"Nina!" he yelled, his fear and frustration breaking through his composure. He turned to glare at the healer who was darting frantically between her shelves, gathering the things she would need.

"We need to bring her fever down first," Nina shouted back over her shoulder. She glanced back as Jake hurried in. "Jake! Take that cloth, soak it in cold water, and hold it over Luna Alyssa’s forehead!"

Jake moved instantly. He grabbed the linen cloth Nina indicated and held it under the faucet in the corner of the room until it was thoroughly soaked through.

As he hurried back to the bed to place it on Alyssa’s head, her back suddenly arched off the bed.

A deep, inhuman growl tore from her throat as her joints cracked and stretched painfully.

Her limbs locked, her spine bowing at an impossible angle, and beneath her fever-flushed skin, her bones began to shift, contort, and transform.