Lily
The palace pulsed with life. Laughter. And drums. The scent of roasted meat and burning torches drifted through my open window, carried on a warm night breeze. The Alpha king and his warriors had returned. The packs celebrated. The warriors sang their victory. And the kingdom rejoiced. But in my room, I trimmed the edges of a rare herb, the rhythm of the celebration far from my mind. I should've felt relief. Maybe even pride. But instead, I felt restless and neasy.
Then came the knock. I turned, spotting the palace guard at my door. "The king has summoned you, healer. He requires your care."
My hands stilled mid-trim. The sound of his name and the weight of it, slammed into my chest like a gust of wind. Elis. I had known this moment would come. Still, I wasn't ready. Not for the look in his eyes. Not for the way the air would thicken between us. Not for the ghosts of what we once were.
I could've said no. Claimed exhaustion. Let another healer go. But the thought of him bleeding alone tugged at something deep inside me. Something I wish I could sever. I rose quietly and gathered my healing kit. "Lead the way."
As we walked through the corridors, I kept my eyes forward. But I could feel the eyes on me; servants pausing, nobles whispering. And then I felt her gaze. Zeena. She stood on a balcony above, draped in gold and sipping from a crystal goblet like she owned the night. Her eyes followed me like daggers as I passed below. But I barely spared her a glance.
She must've noticed the silk I wore; deep violet, soft and flowing, cinched at my waist. I wasn't the same girl she remembered. The girl who used to shrink into corners and keep her eyes down. That Lily was gone. Her stare burned into my back. I didn't need to hear her thoughts to know what they screamed. Why her? Why did he call for her? I wondered the same thing.
By the time we reached his chambers, my palms were damp, my chest tight. Eunice met me at the door with a short nod, her gaze unreadable as she led me inside before slipping away, leaving us alone. And suddenly… Everything was too quiet. The room was thick with heat, his scent and incense. Shadows danced on the walls from flickering torchlight. And there he was. Elis. Lying half-upright on the massive bed, bare from the waist up. Blood streaked across his shoulder and chest, some dried, some fresh. Muscles tensed beneath skin etched with scars and wounds. His face was weary, too weary but his eyes burned when they found mine. Gold, sharp as ever. Seeing him like that… It was like being punched in the heart.
I swallowed hard, willing my hands to stay steady as I moved toward him. "Let's get this over with," I muttered to myself. I knelt beside him and opened my healing bag. My fingers found the salve easily, muscle memory guiding me. The scent of crushed herbs filled the room as I dipped my fingers into the mixture.
Then I touched him. He inhaled sharply at the contact. My fingertips moved slowly, gently, over the worst of the cuts. My hands should've moved quicker, more professionally but every pass of my skin over his sent ripples of heat through me. I hated myself for noticing. Hated the way he watched me as if he could see every thought flashing behind my eyes. He wasn't saying anything. But his silence was deafening.
"Lily…" he said finally, low and rough.
I flinched at the sound of his voice, the way it scraped across my skin. I didn't look at him. "Hold still," I whispered. Though honestly, the words were for me. My hands trembled slightly. Then I felt it. The shift. It wasn't just tension…it was pressure, thick and raw, like something primal pressed just beneath the surface. I felt his energy darken, his aura sharpened, and his wolf stir. I froze.
A vibration moved through him, wild and hungry. He was barely holding it back. I could feel the beast inside him pacing, snarling. "She's ours. Take her now." That wasn't Elis. That was Tika, his wolf. I clenched the salve jar tighter. He was fighting himself. And I… I didn't know what I would do if he lost. I forced myself to continue. My hands skimmed over the curve of his chest, to the gash along his ribs. So close. His breathing deepened. He hadn't touched me, but it felt like he had. Every brush of my fingers pulled a thread that I had fought hard to cut.
Years ago, I had given myself to this man. I'd loved him. And now? Now he belonged to another. I reached for the bandages, trying to put space between us; physical and emotional. "You should rest," I said quietly, refusing to meet his eyes.
He was silent for a while. Then he exhaled hard, as though he'd been holding in something sharp. And then he said it. "I felt you, Lily." I paused, hands mid-wrap. "I wasn't alone," he continued, voice rough. "When I was fighting… you were there. With me." My throat tightened. "You fought with me, didn't you?"
I hesitated, then gave a small nod. "I don't know how… but I did." I looked up, and our eyes met…truly met…for the first time that night. "I saw what you saw," I whispered. "Felt what you felt. Every cry. Every wound."
His gaze darkened, filled with something I didn't have a name for. "You saved me," he said. "You always do."
I wanted to scream. Or cry. Or lean into his chest and let all the pain of what we'd lost flood out. But I didn't. Because I couldn't forget what came next. "You belong to another woman now," I said softly. And with those words, the silence stretched between us like a wall. Uncrossable. Unforgivable. His eyes dropped slightly, but I held mine steady. Because no matter what tethered us…Fate. Power. Love….He wasn't mine anymore. And I would not be conquered by a man who didn't choose me in the daylight. Not again.