Everett's POV

　　I slowly walked up to the hospital bed where Amber lay, her delicate form looked so fragile beneath the crisp white sheets. I looked over to the doctor who was going through his notepad and peening down a few things. He had just examined her, and he had a grave look on his face as he briefed me on her condition.

　　"How is she?" I was tense and despite the fact that I was trying so hard not to show it, it was useless. The bandages on her body was what worried me the most.

　　I remembered how bad her condition was when I had brought her to the hospital, but with her self-healing abilities and the quick yet effective approach the doctor had exploited once I had brought her in, I knew she would be soon. I traced my hand across her wounds, shaking my head before turning towards the doctor. He didn't look any hopeful.

　　"She's going to need some time to heal. The wounds are deep but I assure you, with proper care, she should recover. So far, her recovery has been good but you won't notice it because of how bad her injuries are."

　　One thing I liked about this man was the fact that he didn't try to hide anything. He was plain and showed you the way things really were. I nodded before glancing back at her.

　　"Please, do everything you can to make sure she's okay. And if you need any assistance I can provide, don't hesitate to call on me." I said. He gave me a reassuring smile before he turned to leave the room.

　　As soon as he was gone, I turned my attention back to Amber. Was it an accident, or did she really want to end her life?

　　We were patrolling the borders last night and watching out for rogues when one of my men alerted me of a sighting on a cliff. I had quickly deployed one of them to go and find out what she was doing out here, but things didn't go as planned because the next thing we saw was her falling from the cliff.

　　Thankfully, some of my men had been stationed at the foot of the cliff but she had hit some rocks on her way down, thus, the gashes. It was very surprising that my brother hadn't come to see her even after hearing about what had happened to her. This had me asking a lot of questions. I wondered what had led her to this point.

　　As Nash's twin brother, I held a position of equal prestige within the Luparian kingdom, but in reality, I was little more than a puppet since Nash has always forced me to dance to his tune while he pulled the strings from behind the scenes. He was autocratic and ruthless, and I knew better than interfering in his affairs. Yet, despite my reservations about my brother's actions, I had no choice but to do what he said, like when it meant advocating for aggression and violence to secure our territory when there were other reasonable options that wouldn't involve bloodshed.

　　It was a cruel reality, but I've come to live with it. But that wasn't all about him, he slept around often, and I wondered if that factored in Amber's near death experience.

　　Many people admired her for her beauty, which was one of the reasons my brother married her in the first place, but I did not. I had always felt something for her, especially with the way my brother treated her like trash.

　　But as the prince of the Luparian Kingdom. I had been taught from a very young age to prioritize duty and loyalty above all else, so I have never allowed myself to become entangled in matters of love. But it all changed after I met Amber.

　　I had returned from battle that day, and every single part of me was crushed with despair. My spirit was utterly broken because of the disappointment of defeat. We had lost the battle, and a lot of men as well. We had been outwitted by rogues in the battle and before our troops could retreat, they had already surrounded us. They cut us down mercilessly but a few of us were lucky enough to survive. I could swear that was the darkest moment of my life, having to face the humiliation and live with it.

　　I had decided to go check on my wounded men who had been rushed to the Pack hospital. There were a lot of people rushing in and out of the hospital passageway. Paramedics rushed out with stretchers while warriors kept bringing in the wounded. That was when I bumped into her.

　　"Watch where you're going!" I snapped, frustrated as hell.

　　But as soon as I caught sight of the scared lady, my anger softened. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, are you hurt?"

　　Her eyes flickered to my uniform, then back to my face before she cowered. "You're wounded." She sounded worried.

　　My body stiffened as I scowled at her. "It's nothing."

　　I turned to walk away but she voiced out. "It could fester, and if it's not treated properly, you could... die!"

　　"And how do you know that?" I growled.

　　She stammered. "W-wolfsbane! The blood is starting to darken. "Many of your men here are-"

　　"Fine! But make it quick. I-I have men to look after."

　　She led me into a ward. I could hear the screams of my men as they were being treated.

　　"Here, bite on this." She handed me a piece of wood. "It will hurt, but not much."

　　I felt a sting as she poured antiseptic over the cut, making me wince. Then she took some tweezers and began digging out debris. Each movement sent a sharp jolt of pain through my body. I gripped the wood harder, trying not to scream.

　　Then, something unexpected happened. Dark, foul-smelling liquid started oozing out of the wound. The pain suddenly increased tenfold.

　　I couldn't hold back the scream that tore out of my throat. It took a moment before I finally got hold of myself. My hand felt a bit paralyzed.

　　"What the hell was that?!" I asked, watching her clean up the cut.

　　"Your men would be embarrassed if they saw you screaming like a baby. That was the poison, and if I didn't see that, you would have been a goner." she teased.

　　Despite the pain, I couldn't help but chuckle. "What's your name?"

　　She scoffed. "Amber."

　　"Thank you, I owe you my life."

　　"I strongly suggest you rest so your body can recover from the stress. I know you're hurt, but there's nothing you can do right now. We will attend to your men and try our best. Stay strong, soldier."

　　Our eyes locked for a moment. There was just something about her that radiate positivity. I was particularly struck by the fact that moments ago, I felt like a complete failure, but right now, I felt a thousand times better.

　　Someone yelled at her from the crowd behind us.

　　"I'm sorry I have to go now." She said before snaking her way out. I watched until she was gone.

　　I had been drawn to her ever since, and despite the fact that she belonged to my brother, I still felt something for her and it was that thing that I have been hiding for years because it was never going to happen. That didn't stop me from doing anything I could to help her. I assisted her whenever she had anything bothering her and sometimes secretly in any way that I could without her knowledge.

　　I discovered later on that she saw these gestures as acts of kindness from Nash, but it didn't matter to me. All that mattered was her safety and protection. But lately, Nash's narcissistic and sadistic behavior had become increasingly excessive. I was finding it really hard to hold back.

　　I was forced to confront him, but he sternly warned me. I still remembered his words.

　　“You dare not bring this up ever or I will take it that you're challenging my power, Everett! And I hope you know what I do to traitors. If you're tired of being here, you're free to leave but I will not have you questioning my authority. Get out!”

　　I was shocked, but I didn't react. I just left. Since then, we barely spoke and things have been really awkward between us.

　　I was still thinking when I caught a movement from the corner of my eyes.

　　AMBER!

　　I was startled when she began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes that were filled with confusion and fear as they met mine.

　　"Everett?" She croaked, staring at me like she had seen a ghost. I nodded.

　　"Yes, it's me." I replied softly.

　　"You're safe now. How did you feel?" I asked. "I'm alive?" She asked again, getting me more and more confused.

　　"Of course. What do you mean by that?" I asked.

　　"But... but how?" She stammered as her words came out in a rush of breathless urgency. I instantly reached out to comfort her. Seeing her in pain made my heart ache.

　　"We rescued you just before you fell. You were unconscious but we got you to safety immediately." A defeated sigh left her after I said that. I thought she was going to be grateful, but she was sad instead.

　　"You shouldn't have bothered. You should have just let me die." She choked out. Her voice was thick with emotion. She must be in an unimaginable pain to wish for such a thing.

　　"Why would you say that? Don't tell you really wanted to kill yourself?!" She scoffed.

　　"I no longer care. I'd rather die than face the things I face here." She was already sobbing.

　　"Please don't cry. We can sort this whole thing out. I'm here for you." I tried to reassure her but she shook her head.

　　"There is nothing you can do."

　　"There is, actually." I replied, knowing that this was my opportunity. If I left her to my brother, she would be dead before the week ended. Her eyes rolled back and landed on me.

　　"It's a crazy idea, Amber, and I doubt you'll agree. But I'll help you do this if you really want it. I'm tired of watching my brother treat you like that.

　　She sighed, locked on me. "What is the idea?"

　　"Will you agree to escape the Pack with me?"