She knelt beside him, the poison was spreading fast and he was growing worse every passing second.

She mixed the remaining herbs she had left and rested his pale face on her breast.

“You better not die. I've risked enough already.” She grumbled, stroking his hair softly.

“This is going to hurt…”

She applied the mixture she had prepared from the herbs on the wound. He winced but she smiled warmly at him.

“Stay still. Can you do that for me?”

She was still prepping the thread and needle to stitch him up.

“I'll try.” He groaned.

“Look away…”

Slow and steady, she patched the wound on his side. His impeccable strength seemed like a myth to her as he didn't even move all through the process, just soft growls.

Thereafter, she brought out the medicine for him to drink.

“Drink up. It's nice…”

He knew she was lying. The smell alone made his stomach churn.

“That's not wine… and I'm not drinking anything apart from wine,” he protested.

She just looked at him like a silly old man, wondering if he thought he was in his palace or something. She raised an eyebrow at him and forced it into his mouth as he gulped angrily.

“If you know where you are, you'll shut your mouth and drink up.”

Finally, she covered the wounds in cloth and held him close like a child, allowing him to peacefully relax on her chest.

All these while, she's been busy tending to him, and totally forgot about herself, but that was too late now. The King was fast asleep.

He started healing slowly, but still faster than normal. She carefully studied his bare chest slowly, having her fingers dance around it.

The scars he had littered all over his body remained a mystery to her as she couldn't understand why the Alpha King would have such an amount of injury marks.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching.

Her heart skipped a beat and immediately, she rose to her feet and dragged him to a corner, trying not to wake him up and unsheathed her dagger.

Five wolves entered the cave, all rugged and brutal, their weapons out.

Black uniforms, red crests, she closely observed all of them.

She was trembling but had her dagger ready for anything. The look on her face meant nothing but death, she was ready for it now.

“Who the hell are you?” One growled.

Immediately, she grabbed Theron's neck and pinned her dagger. To her, that was the only way to save herself as she felt they were his men.

“Hey! Easy!!” Theron intervened.

“Aldridge, come on, she's got a knife on him. Step away!” Another cried.

They still didn't listen, circling around her. However, she was more than happy it wasn't Evander's men.

“Now y'all listen carefully. You know he'd be dead if I hadn't touched him right, genius?”

They were still not listening. And one of them finally dived at her, but she was fast and had anticipated it. She had been noticing his movements since and immediately, she slashed his cheek and he fell back in pain, wanting to come back at her with full force when Theron's voice echoed across the walls.

“Enough!!”

They all froze. The madness ended. All weapons dropped and resounding echoes sent shivers down their spines. The area went silent immediately and they all dropped to one knee.

“Sire… she…”

“She saved me. She lives. Is that clear?”

They exchanged glances in confusion and nodded in affirmation.

She put back her dagger in its sheath, but didn't let go of it, hoping she might use it anytime soon.

They took them back to his pack and he was taken to the hospital, although he ordered she must be taken care of well.

Later that night, she was given a small guest room in an old lodge by the edge of Theron's house and she only retired to sleep when she was sure he was okay.

However, she couldn't sleep. Her skin itched, her heartbeat wouldn't let her rest, her mind was not at rest. The haunting fear, it never left her.

She got up and looked through the window, smiling at the stars. She had always wished she was like them, far away, but can always be seen, always be felt.

“I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have helped him. I should've run further.” She cried and dropped to the ground.

In her dilemma, she felt something stir inside her. She felt her heart tremble. A soft hum breathed beneath her ribs, her eyes widened.

Fear enveloped her as she whispered.

“No…”

She held her chest softly as she knelt. She knew it, she felt it. Mate bond, it was real, she just wouldn't accept it.

‘No, definitely not him. No. I'm not… in fact, I don't care.’

The door creaked open softly. She knew he was near, and immediately, she rose up and wiped her tears.

He stood there, wrapped in sheets, his eyes tired and needed sleep, but clear.

“You felt it.”

He wasn't asking, he was stating, but she wasn't ready to accept it, she still didn't care.

“Felt what?”

“You know.”

“I'll leave tomorrow morning,” she declared.

“What?! No! I won't allow it.”

She rolled her eyes at him and shrugged, tapping her feet softly on the wooden floor.

“You're not safe out there. You were running from something, those men, they're still out there,” he recalled. “Please, don't go out into those woods again.”

“And you want what? Gratitude? I should clap for you for helping me right? If that's it, you won't get it,” she slammed. She still had her habit of being sassy, the same reason she always got it hot from Evander.

She felt she deserved a thank you, and not protection, after all, she protected him out there.

He shook his head in frustration, remained quiet for some seconds while she breathed with anger and paced around endlessly and he finally spoke.

“Thank you…”

Her eyes shone in shock, she wanted it, she just never expected it.

“You saved my life out there. I owe you. Just let me protect you. It's the least I can do.”

His voice was more than beautiful and it cracked her stony heart, just as if that ‘thank you’ opened her heart.

“Okay. I'll stay. But just so you know, it's not because of some bond. I'm staying because it's the only way I can survive.”

“Good. Then we understand each other.” He smiled gracefully.

“Good night then.”

She watched him limp away and shut the door softly behind him and dropped to the ground there.

“I'm in love, I can't deny. But love is not real. I'll use him, just the same way Evander used me.”

While she sat there plotting evil, the door flung open and pushed her away to the corner. Her heart left her soul already. All she saw was Evander, but the moment she heard his voice, she took a deep breath and almost dived at him.

“You scared me!!”

He was breathing heavily, “I'm sorry. I just wanted to ask for your name?”

She was pissed but couldn't help it.

“So that's why you had to push the door that way?” She frowned.

“I'm sorry. Just tell me your name. I already told you mine.”

“Nyx… Nyx Knight.”

He smiled warmly at her. His body itched him to hug her, he just couldn't say the word.

“Okay. Sleep tight, Nyx Knight,” he winked and left.

“Don't come back here again, silly…”

She looked into the skies, a black raven was watching from the dark shadows, its dark eyes glowing with mischief, but the moment it saw her, it flew away.

He never let go, Evander was watching, she knew it.