Chapter 35
XANDER’S POV:
She was choking. And I believed she was faking it.
Shock zapped through me, reducing the sound around me to a high pitched ringing noise.
She wasn’t faking it. And get I stood by, unable to do anything.
The memories came rushing in, before I could have the chance to control them or keep them at bay. Images of Katherine filled my mind. The same thing had happened to Katherine. She was in danger, and I…
Guilt consumed me. I watched Caldan lift Sabrina up, he didn’t bother to hide the biting remark in his tone as he said: Your majesty, how can you she’s choking. And you think she’s pretending.
My lips moved, and I was unaware of the words I said.
That was uncalled for.
Really? That was all I had to say?
I was unable to help Katherine. And now with Sabrina, I completely froze up. Heartless? That can’t be farther from the truth. It was all too familiar.
Katherine died because of me. And the same was about to happen to Sabrina had Caldan not stepped in.
I turned on my heel and walked out of the room, unable to remain there any second longer. Guilt. Helplessness. Shame. The emotions rose inside of me, mixing together in an uncomfortable concoction.
Katherine
She was my mate, and I began to recall, all the memories came rushing like a heavy flood. No matter how many decades it had. been, I’m yet to recover from the loss of her. I loved her, more than I loved my own life.
The guilt grabbed my heart in its cold claws and squeezed. Time has yet to dull the pain of her passing. The pain of knowing that I was the reason she died.
I could vividly remember how it had happened. She was choking, her eyes watering and turning red. She grabbed onto my arm, unable to breathe, unable to say a single word. As my mate, my bite was supposed to heal her. It was supposed to make everything okay.
1 bit her, and to my dismay, it ended up killing her.
I couldn’t ever forgive myself for that. Watching the life drain from her eyes. Her veins turn black from her neck down to her arms, till all the veins in her body were a pitch black. My name the last word on her lips before I lost her forever. My bite was lethal, I had come to learn. Due to my unusual nature, I was both a placebo and a poison.
For that reason. I lost every interest in finding a mate again.
The mere thought that I would be responsible for killing another woman I care about scares me. My deepest rooted fear that not even Nifra is aware of.
1 walked into the pink gardens with their soft fragrant blooms. The scent helped calm down my nerves, but just a little bit.
Sabrina’s face flashed through my mind. I don’t know how this ended up happening. I couldn’t deny the tiny voice at the back of my mind that asked if I have started to care for her. To the point of calling her someone dear to me.
I said no. That’s not the case,
After Katherine died, I sought a cure to my lethal bite. The last thing I would want is to kill anyone again. The search didn’t last long. At the end of the day. I will not be mated again, or so I had convinced myself those decades ago. What’s the point in searching for a cure if I will never have to use my bite on a mate ever again? I abandoned the search and resigned myself to the long years of ruling my pack from the shadows.
The wind picked up, carrying with it petals of cherry blossom and the sweet perfume of roses. I closed my eyes, and Sabrina’s
Chapter 35
face flashed before my closed eyes. The fear and panic that was permanently etched into her gaze. The sight of her choking. scared and crying.
Perhaps it’s time to start searching for a cure again.
After a few minutes spent in the garden to calm myself down, I decided it was time to head back inside the palace. I wondered how Sabrina was doing. Although I knew she’d be fine. At least.
“Your majesty!” Nifra called from behind me.
I turned to face her. She ran up to me and paused a few feet away. “What’s the matter?” I asked, my tone morose.
She pointed to my hair. I brushed it off and a few flower petals fell to the floor. “The slave, Sabrina,” she said.
“What h
happened to her?” I asked. She should be fine how, Caldan took care of her. “Is she…dead?”
Nifra’s eyes widened. “No, no she’s not. She’s receiving care right now,” I could hear the silent “with Caldan” at the end of her sentence. I grit my teeth and shoved down my irritation.
She’s fine, She’s not dead. Thank the goddess. That’s all that matters.
“Is there anything else?”
“Yes. She was…she was poisoned, your majesty.”
My anger flared. “Poisoned?!”
“Yes.” Nifra took a step back, as she always did when she noticed a change in my aura. The poison was…lethal. but thankfully. she’s still alive. I speculate it has to do with her fast healing, or perhaps the fact that she got the antidote early
“Nifra,” I called, making her purse her lips and meet my eyes. “Find out who is behind this. Now.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
I headed to my study, and yet I was unable to concentrate on my work. Sabrina had been poisoned. Who would dare poison the King’s slave? Such a person must be very foolish indeed.
An hour later, Nifra returned with the results of her findings.
“It was one of the kitchen girls.” She said, her tone right.
“Send for her.”
“No, not her, your majesty.” Nifra had a worried look on her face. “The girl left her duty post to meet with Blair, a few minutes before Sabrina took her dinner.”
“Blair?” I asked with a calm voice that shocked me. “Blair is behind this?”
Nifra nodded. “The girl says so.”
Oh.
Blair.
Why am I not surprised? After all the warnings I have her, she went ahead to continue to attack Sabrina. I’ve been too kind to her. I let her position get to her head.
“Send for Blair.” I said, a half smile on my lips.
Nifra paused, her eyes widened a fraction. Then she bowed. “Of course.”
