Chapter 6

Molly POV

Alpha King Theo pulled away from me, his breath coming in rapid, uneven gasps. His gaze darted around the room as if searching for something, but he refused to meet my eyes.

I lifted my head, panting hard as I struggled to steady my breath. My body trembled, and I instinctively pulled the blankets around me in a desperate attempt to cover myself.

He staggered toward his dresser and suddenly froze. Slowly, his head turned, and our eyes met.

His irises burned a deep scarlet, the same shade as the blood staining his sheets. His lip curled in a silent snarl, his expression predatory as if he might pounce on me again at any second. My body tensed, bracing for the inevitable impact. I raised my arms to shield my face, but the fear in my tear-filled eyes betrayed me.

The attack never came.

Instead, a gut-wrenching scream of agony tore through the room.

I turned toward the sound just in time to see blood gushing from his hand. He had stabbed himself with a fork left on his dresser. A strangled cry escaped his lips as he clutched his wrist, wrenching the utensil from his flesh. His breathing was ragged, and sweat beaded along his forehead.

But his eyes… they were no longer red.

I sat up cautiously as he moved back toward the bed, reaching for the shirt that lay beside me. For the first time, he met my gaze—no anger, no hostility. Just something unreadable, something that lingered between us.

His irises flickered, shifting from blue to crimson and back again, as if his wolf was fighting to regain control. With a sharp inhale, he tore his gaze away and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The night air drifted through the open window, its icy fingers sending a shiver through my exposed skin.

Then, a strange warmth spread across my palms.

I looked down, my breath hitching as I realized his blood had dripped onto me when he grabbed his shirt. Under the moonlight, my fingertips gleamed with his crimson stain.

A single, chilling thought echoed in my mind.

Did he hurt himself to stop himself from killing me?

It was a restless night. Theo never returned to his room, and though I had no idea where he went, a small part of me couldn’t help but worry about him. I knew exactly what kind of man he was, yet there was something about him that still intrigued Ollie.

His scent—that was what drew her in the most. She longed to be near him, even after everything he had done to me, even after he had tried to force himself upon me.

Fear still gripped me whenever I thought of him, but beneath that fear lingered an unsettling curiosity.

Shaking off the thought, I climbed out of bed and made my way over to the small suitcase that had been left for me the night before. Inside were some of my clothes, a reminder that I still needed to return home to gather the rest of my belongings.

I pulled out an old pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. It wasn’t exactly appropriate palace attire, but until I was provided with something else, it would have to do.

A small wave of relief washed over me when I spotted my phone tucked inside the suitcase. As soon as I powered it on, I saw a new message from Wyatt. A groan nearly escaped my lips as I hesitantly opened it.

Hey, I’m sorry you had to find out about your sister and me that way. It wasn’t personal.

I rolled my eyes before tossing the phone onto the bed. Not even worth a response.

Reaching for the door, I pulled it open, only to be startled by the presence of a young woman standing in the doorway. She appeared to be a few years older than me, dressed in a dark blouse and a matching skirt—an outfit that closely resembled a uniform.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Highness,” she said with a shy smile. “I’m Dana, your assigned handmaiden.”

A handmaiden? I never imagined I’d be someone who had one. The idea seemed almost absurd.

She cleared her throat awkwardly when I didn’t immediately respond.

“I’ve prepared your breakfast in the dining hall, Your Highness,” she added softly.

I gave her a polite smile as I followed her out of the bedroom.

“Thank you,” I replied, “But please, just call me Molly.”

She let out a nervous laugh as we walked down the hallway.

“That’s against the rules of the palace,” Dana explained, as though I should have already known.

I raised an eyebrow and frowned slightly.

I hadn’t asked about the rules, but something about Theo lingered in my mind. He hadn’t returned to his room the entire night.

“Have you seen the Alpha King?” I asked as we made our way toward the stairs.

Dana gave me a quick glance before answering.

“The last I saw, Beta Travis was dragging him to the dungeon to chain him for the night. It’s for his safety and ours. The Beta is the only one the Alpha King allows to chain him,” Dana explained.

Before I could ask anything else, I heard murmurs coming from one of the rooms as we passed through the downstairs foyer.

The door cracked open, and I caught a glimpse of Queen Goldie. She was surrounded by a few other maids in uniforms like Dana’s and taller men I didn’t recognize.