Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Chapter 84

Kael had never wanted to kill anyone as badly as he wanted to kill the person who had robbed Sophia.

Five million silvers was gone. Just like that.

He stood in his office, staring at Sophia, who sat on the edge of a chair with her head bowed and tears streaming down her face. Her arms filled with bruises, dress torn to filth.

Pure rage filled him from within, he was angry at everything. At Sophia, at the robbers, at himself. Most especially, himself. He had been stupid enough to give her five million silvers to bring an healer in....without guards.

"F-forgive me." She hiccuped, "I am such a bad mother. I can never get things done right." She wailed.

Kael dragged a hand down his face, forcing the rage back enough to think. "This isn’t your fault."

The lie came easier than he expected, the words leaving his mouth before he could question why some small, cold part of him didn’t believe them.

"It is." Sophia’s shoulders shook. "I should have taken guards. I should have been more careful. Lily needed that money and I—I failed her."

"I told you to bring the healer," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "You-" he paused trying to control his anger.

Sophia cried even harder, "I knew you’d blame me but what do I do, Kael? I was robbed, Kael!" Sophia cried. "What do you want me to say? They attacked me on the road. I tried to protect the money, but there were too many of them."

"And the healer?" He asked

"I never got to meet him."

Kael turned away, dragging a hand down his face. He had barely slept in two days. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Lily lying motionless in her bed. Her breathing had grown weaker, and the healers still couldn’t explain what was happening to her.

Now, the one person Sophia claimed could save their daughter had disappeared along with five million silvers.

He wanted to believe Sophia. He wanted to believe she had done everything possible to save Lily. But something about the situation wasn’t sitting right with him.

"Did you see their faces?" he asked and she shook her head, wailing even more. "They wore masks, concealing their identities"

Kael stared at her. "How many were there?"

"Four. I think." She wiped her cheeks with trembling fingers. "Everything happened so quickly. They came out of nowhere, dragged me, and demanded the money. I tried to fight them, but they beat me."

She held out her bruised arms as though showing him the injuries would make him understand. "I thought they were going to kill me."

Kael looked at the bruises, he should have felt sympathy. Sophia was his mate, and she was the mother of his child. Seeing her hurt should have troubled him.

But all he could think about was the money.

Five million silvers and Lily was still dying.

"I tried, Kael. I swear I tried to fight them off." Sophia wiped at her face with the back of her hand, her breath catching in hiccups.

He wanted to believe her. He needed to believe her, because the alternative, that his wife had somehow failed their daughter through carelessness or worse, was a thought he didn’t have room for on top of everything else collapsing around him.

"Leave me."

Sophia’s head snapped up, shocked. Had she pushed too far? "Kael?" She croaked out.

"I said leave me, Sophia. I need to think."

She hesitated, perhaps expecting him to comfort her, but he offered nothing more. Eventually, she stood up from the chair and walked toward the door. Just before she stepped outside, she turned back.

"You’re not angry with me, are you?"

Kael closed his eyes briefly. "Go and rest, Sophia." It wasn’t an answer, and she knew it. Still, she left without another word.

The moment the door closed, Kael slammed his fist against the desk. "Damn it!" Pain shot through his knuckles, but he barely noticed.

He had lost five million silvers in a single afternoon. His pack was still nowhere near being stable. Part of the money from the new investors had just been stolen and still, his daughter was lying unconscious while every healer in Silver Creek stood helpless.

He had never felt so powerless.

A knock sounded at the door, piercing through the silence. "Get out!" he barked.

"Alpha, it’s Healer Marcus. I need to speak with you about Lady Lily."

Kael straightened immediately, thinking perhaps something had happened to Lily. "Come in."

The door opened, and a young healer stepped inside. Marcus had been assisting the senior healers with Lily’s treatment since she collapsed. He looked exhausted, his face pale beneath the dark circles around his eyes.

"Have you found something?" Kael demanded.

Marcus hesitated.We’ve tried every remedy available to us. We’ve examined her blood, checked her pulse, and performed several healing rituals. Nothing has worked."

"Then try something else!" He growled out impatiently.

"We have, Alpha."

"Then try harder!" Kael gripped the edge of his desk, struggling to contain his fury. He knew the healers were trying. He could see it in their exhausted faces whenever he entered Lily’s room.

But trying wasn’t enough, his daughter was dying, and nobody could tell him why.

"Is there anything else you can do?" he asked, his voice lower now.

Marcus hesitated again, now looking conflicted. "There is someone who might be able to help."

Kael looked up, "Who?"

"Lady Evelyn." Marcus repeated.

For a moment, Kael didn’t move. He stared at the young healer, wondering if he had heard correctly.

"Evelyn?"

"Yes, Alpha."

Kael released the edge of the desk slowly. He had spent weeks trying not to think about her. Every report of Silver Creek’s declining fortunes, every failed negotiation, every unexpected setback was all because of her.

He had pushed those thoughts aside, insisting that the pack would recover but now, even the healers were telling him he needed her.

"Lady Evelyn’s healing abilities were unlike anything we’ve encountered. You remember how she used to treat Lady Lily whenever she fell ill? Her blood once helped stabilize Lily during a severe fever. We have tried everything available to us, but this condition is beyond our understanding."

Kael’s jaw tightened, he remembered how Evelyn would sit beside Lily’s bed through the night whenever the child fell ill. How she would prepare medicines herself, refusing to leave until Lily’s fever subsided. He remembered the relief he had felt whenever Evelyn assured him that their daughter would be fine.

Back then, he had never questioned her abilities. He had never needed to. He had simply expected her to be there.

"Are you telling me none of you can treat a child who has been under your care since birth?" he asked coldly.

Marcus lowered his head. "We’re doing everything we can, Alpha. But whatever is happening to Lady Lily isn’t responding to conventional treatment. Her condition continues to deteriorate, and we don’t know why."

"Then find out why!"

"We’re trying."

"Trying?" Kael slammed his palm against the desk. "My daughter has been unconscious for days, and all you people can tell me is that you’re trying!"

Marcus flinched but remained where he stood. "I understand your frustration, Alpha. But Lady Evelyn’s gift was extraordinary. She could do things that none of us could explain. If anyone can identify what’s happening to Lady Lily, it may be her."

Kael turned away, of all the people he could have named, why did it have to be Evelyn?

He could already imagine the look on her face when he appeared at her door. The satisfaction she might feel knowing that Silver Creek needed her.

Worse, he could imagine her refusing.

She had made her position clear at the summit. She wanted nothing to do with him or Silver Creek. And now he was expected to go to her and ask for help.

"Is there anyone else?" he asked.

"Anyone with a similar gift? Someone from another territory? Surely there are healers who can handle a condition like this."

"There are gifted healers, Alpha, but Lady Evelyn’s bloodline is exceptionally rare. We’ve contacted healers from three neighboring packs, and none of them recognize the symptoms. Even if we brought someone else here, I cannot promise they would be able to help."

Kael stared at him. "So your solution is to send me to Evelyn."

The goddess had a way of mocking him. Making him go to Evelyn again and again like a stray dog seeking for attention.

A bitter taste filled his mouth, he reached for the bell on his desk and rang it.

A few moments later, a guard entered and bowed. "Alpha."

"Prepare my carriage."

The guard glanced at him. "Where are we going, Alpha?"

Kael hesitated, the answer felt like a humiliation he wasn’t ready to admit aloud, not after everything they’ve all seen and heard Evelyn do to him, to silver creek.

"To see Lady Evelyn."