Lance POV

“Guys, I need to step out for a moment.” I down the last of my beer, stand, and say, “Order me another one. I’ll be right back.”

I nod at the table full of friends, then head towards the back door. My phone has been buzzing non-stop in my pocket, and with every step away from the noise and laughter inside, my frustration builds.

Why can’t I ever be left alone?

My father had promised to keep me out of all the political mess. He said he would let me live my life in peace for a while, and only after a few years of enjoying my youth would I be called back to fulfill my role. But apparently, even that promise can’t be kept.

I push open the back door and yank my phone out of my pocket. “What do you want?”

“Is that the way you greet your father?” His voice is as coarse as ever.

I roll my eyes and kick an empty bottle down the alley. “It is when you’re breaking your end of the deal. Now, what do you want?”

His sigh grates on me. “Things aren’t going smoothly. A few werewolf packs are causing problems, and I need—”

“No.” I cut him off, snorting. “You always have some werewolf pack causing trouble. This isn’t anything new. I’m not dropping everything for this. Now, if we’re facing some massive war between the lycans and werewolves, then I’d consider it. But not for this.”

I end the call before he can reply, kicking another bottle. It bounces off the back wall and lands behind a dumpster. Something’s off, though—no clink of metal from the bottle hitting the dumpster.

I narrow my eyes at it. Odd.

A faint scent catches my attention, tickling my nose. I glance over my shoulder at the bar’s back door. The music and the smells of alcohol drift out, but something else pulls me away.

What is that?

I turn back to the dumpster and walk towards it slowly. The scent grows stronger, and halfway there, I freeze. My eyes widen. Blood.

I rush forward and skid to a halt around the side of the dumpster.

A blonde wolf, with fur tipped in brown, lies crumpled on the ground, covered in blood.

What the hell?

A noise behind me makes me turn. At the far end of the alley, a group of wolves appears. Instinct kicks in, and an overwhelming need to protect this injured wolf surges through me.

I move quickly, grabbing the wolf and dragging her behind the dumpster. My heart races, but I force myself to breathe evenly, covering her with my body as I lean against the wall. With a casual motion, I pull out a cigarette and light it, using the smoke to mask the mingling scents of blood and wolf. I exhale slowly, feigning nonchalance as the werewolves approach.

They stop a few feet away, eyeing me suspiciously. I smirk, blowing out a stream of smoke. “What? Can’t a guy get a moment alone to smoke?”

Their eyes flick between me and the dumpster, but they don’t move closer. I’ve hidden the wolf well enough, and my scent is strong enough to cover hers. After a tense few seconds, they seem to decide I’m not worth the trouble and turn to leave.

Once I’m sure they’re gone, I spin around and scoop the injured wolf into my arms. Her body is limp, but I can feel the faint thrum of life still pulsing through her.

I don’t waste time. I dash to my car, cradling her carefully to avoid aggravating her wounds. On the way, I send a quick message to my friends through the mind-link, telling them I’m leaving without explaining why. I block the link immediately after, not wanting any questions.

The drive home feels longer than ever. My father’s pack hospital is the only place I trust with her care, but the seconds drag by like hours. I weave in and out of traffic, barely paying attention, my mind focused on the blood-soaked wolf in the passenger seat.

I notify the doctors on the way, and by the time I screech to a halt in front of the hospital, they’re already waiting outside. They rush to the car and pull her out, handling her with the same urgency I feel in my chest.

“She’s barely alive,” I tell them, my voice tight. “Some werewolves were chasing her. Don’t let anyone know she’s here.”

I can’t explain it, but a fierce protectiveness grips me. I usually don’t care about werewolves killing each other. But this one—this one matters.

As they rush her inside, I follow, my mind racing. “Be careful,” I add as they transfer her to a stretcher. “She’s losing blood fast. I should’ve taken her to a closer hospital, but I don’t trust anyone but you.”

The doctor nods as they wheel her inside. “We’ll do our best to save her, Prince. Don’t worry.”

I know they’re the best. If anyone can save her, they can. But that doesn’t stop the knot of anxiety in my gut.

Just before he leaves, I grab the doctor’s arm. “She has a strange smell. I can’t place it. Maybe they did something to her before the fight.”

He nods. “We’ll run every test we can. Go sit in the waiting room. We’ll let you know when we’ve figured things out.”

I stand there, watching as they disappear down the hallway with her. The bloodstained stretcher, the sterile smell of the hospital, and the metallic tang of blood hang in the air, making me feel helpless.

My feet move on their own as I follow their instructions and find a seat in the waiting room. But I can’t sit. I stand up and begin pacing, my thoughts a whirlwind of questions and anger. Why were those werewolves after her? Who is she? Why do I even care?

The minutes tick by painfully slow. I glance at the clock—only five minutes have passed. Time feels like it’s crawling.

Finally, the doctor returns. “Prince, you can see her now. She’s stable, but still critical.”

I follow him into the exam room. The wolf, now clean of blood, lies on the bed, her fur glistening under the lights. Even in this state, she looks... regal.

I step closer. “What happened to her? How did she survive?”

The doctor looks at me grimly. “She has strong alpha blood. That’s the only reason she’s still alive. But there’s more.” He hesitates. “She was poisoned. A rare kind.”

My heart jolts. “Poison?”

He nods. “The poison weakened her. If not for her alpha blood, she’d be dead. Whoever attacked her was trying to make sure she couldn’t fight back. This was a deliberate attempt on her life.”

Rage bubbles up inside me. Someone wanted her dead. But why?

He sighs. “We are going to have to wait until she changes back to her human form and regains consciousness to figure out who she is. We don’t have thorough enough records for us to use her wolf form to positively identify her. I’m hoping she can help us when she wakes up. Before you ask, we don’t know when she will wake up. Between the injuries which are healing slowly because of the poison and the poison itself, she could be out for quite some time. In the meantime, we will do whatever we can to heal her as fast as we can, but it will take time.”

His words weigh down on me, especially the part about not knowing when she will wake up.

He looks back down at the wolf. “We have documented everything, including all her injuries. This appears to be an attempt on her life. I can only speculate why, but we are doing this by the book in case your father and the council decide to hold someone accountable for what has happened. I can only assume she is someone very important, since she has alpha blood. She will be safe here. Her file has been flagged and security has been alerted. No one but you and your father are to come near her.”

I pat the top of the wolf’s head. “Thanks. I want her moved to a private room as soon as you can. She can use my family’s room. We have no need for it right now.”

The doctor nods. “We will get her moved up there right away. Also, your father wants to talk to you. I had to notify him of the situation right away. He said to send you over there as soon as I fill you in on her condition.”

My stomach instantly sinks. What does he want?

I stare down at the dazzling wolf. Every part of me wants to stay by her side for some strange reason, but I can’t ignore my father’s command, and that is exactly what it is. A command.

I slowly exhale. “Okay. I’ll go in a few minutes. Is there anything else you discovered when you were examining her? Anything I should be made aware of?”

The doctor pauses and stares at me.

A tension builds in the room and sets me on edge.

After a few moments, the doctor presses his lips together and shakes his head. “We are still running more tests. I’m sure there will be more to tell you after all the test results come back, but I would hate to make an assumption and it be wrong. Shouldn’t you go see what your father, the king, wants?”