Kael's POV
I couldn't stay still.
The clinic lights were too bright, the air too sharp with antiseptic and blood. Every movement the healers made around her felt like it scraped against my nerves.
The door opened behind me.
I turned fast, a warning rumble already in my chest before I recognized who it was.
Darius.
He stopped just inside the room, palms half-raised. "Easy. It's me."
I forced the sound back down, but River remained restless under my skin.
Darius came to stand beside me, lowering his voice. "Anyone give you trouble out there?"
"The Alpha's daughter," I muttered. "She threw a tantrum. Something about her birthday being ruined. I had to command her back to her room before she caused a scene."
He snorted softly. "Spoiled."
I didn't answer. My focus stayed on the healers as they carefully turned Aelara onto her stomach.
It took every shred of control I had not to step forward and stop them. River surged with violent intent, and I had to clamp down hard.
Darius shifted closer. "I've got information."
"Talk," I said, not looking at him.
"One of the Gamma's men approached me. Quietly. Says he knows what's been happening to her. He wants to meet you, but not here. He's scared. Wants protection for his mate and kids before he says anything."
I finally glanced at him. "That serious?"
He nodded. "He looked like a man already digging his own grave."
"Fine. We'll hear him out. After she's stable."
Darius studied me for a second, then smirked faintly. "You realize a few hours ago you swore you didn't want a mate."
I didn't even bother turning. "Say another word, and I'll put you through that wall."
He chuckled under his breath. "Already called your father Reinforcements are coming."
"You didn't tell him about her."
"Nope. That's yours to share."
Good.
The nurses stepped away from the bed.
I saw my back fully for the first time.
The world narrowed.
Marks crisscrossed my skin — old, new, layered over each other like someone had made a habit of hurting her.
My control slipped.
The air in the room thickened as River pushed forward, furious and territorial. Instruments clattered as the healers froze.
I closed my eyes, dragged in a slow breath, and forced the power back down.
"Finish," I said, voice rough.
Darius touched my shoulder. "Let's step outside. They'll work faster without you about to explode."
I gave a single nod and followed him into the hallway.
I leaned against the wall, scrubbing a hand down my face. My pulse wouldn't slow.
"What now?" Darius asked quietly.
"We tear this place apart," I said. "Every law they've broken. Every person who knew."
"And the Gamma?"
"We hear him. If he's telling the truth, we move his family under royal protection."
The clinic door opened and several nurses exited, bowing their heads as they passed.
The head healer stepped into the doorway. "My Prince."
"How is she?"
"She's stable. We cleaned and stitched what we could. She required blood. Severe blood loss."
I nodded once, then noticed my hesitation.
"There's something else," she added. "Her healing will be slow."
"Why?"
She met my eyes. "She doesn't have a wolf."
The words didn't make sense.
"She's of age," she continued. "But I felt nothing. No presence. No trace. Either she never awakened one… or it's completely dormant."
Darius looked at me, but I couldn't respond right away.
River stirred — not rejecting, not confused — just tense.
"Her condition?" Darius prompted gently.
"Malnutrition. Prolonged abuse. Two fractured ribs. Bruising on her throat consistent with a boot. Scars across her entire body, some years old."
I swallowed the surge of rage.
"Her back will scar," the healer said softly. "There's no preventing it."
"How old is she?"
"Eighteen. Perhaps nineteen."
Too young.
I stepped back into the room, drawn to her bedside like gravity.
Machines hummed softly. A blood line fed into her arm.
I took her hand carefully, afraid to apply too much pressure.
The healer cleared her throat. "I've worked in this pack for nearly a decade. I have never seen this girl before tonight."
I looked at Darius.
He looked back at me.
Something was very wrong here.
And I was going to uncover every piece of it.