Chapter 111

Chapter 111
Amara’s POV.

“How is he?”

I removed my gaze from the book I was reading and looked up at Dianne. She stood on the other side of the bed, staring at her brother.

I answered as she came towards our spot, “He’s all good. Just taking a nap, looks like he’s very tired.”

She let out a sigh. “Lately, he seems so worn out. If only there was something I could do to help him,” she said sadly.

I glanced away from her and directed my attention towards my unconscious husband.

“Do you think we’ll win?” she asked, and I could hear the fear in her voice.

I could tell that this entire situation was taking a toll on her. She had just given birth and must have been feeling stressed.

I put my hands on her shoulders. “Of course, we have the support of the Prime, your husband, and the Reprobatus Clan. Let’s not forget about Apollo, a powerful elementum.”

She looked me in the eyes. “Do you ever feel guilty for something even when you know it’s not your fault? Because that’s how I feel. I feel guilty because I can’t contribute much to this fight.”

I stared at her, my heart aching. I wanted to tell her that I understood, that I had experienced similar emotions countless times in my own life. But I didn’t want to add to her worries or burden her further.

Though, the truth remained that I, too, grappled with the feeling that I was somehow to blame for Axel’s current state. They would always tell me it wasn’t my fault, that I wasn’t responsible for his transformation or his monstrous behavior. Logically, I knew this to be true. Yet, when it came to his emotions, at times I couldn’t help but feel accountable.

I stood up and turned towards the bed to embrace her. I knew she needed comfort during such trying times. I had felt the same way before. After giving birth, I just wanted to feel safe or have someone make me feel safe.

She was now a mother herself.

“No matter what, you know that Damien wants the safety of all of you. You can help him by giving him the assurance that in every battle, he has a family to come home to. That’s more than enough for him, Dianne,” I explained, hoping to alleviate some of her guilt.

She clung to me tightly, her embrace accompanied by heartfelt sobs.

“Thank you,” she managed to say through tears.

Smiling, I gently stroked her head, offering what comfort I could. When I glanced over at Damien, I noticed he was awake and watching us. His expression softened, and he closed his eyes upon hearing his younger sister cry.

“When I see Ryder, I’m going to punch him. He couldn’t even offer you any comfort.”

Dianne released herself from the hug and moved closer to her brother. Her relief at seeing him awake was more evident.

“You always pick on my husband, brother. It’s like you two aren’t even friends.”

Damien sighed. “That’s not true!” he denied.

We all laughed at their banter. Then, I watched as Damien reached for his sister’s hand, holding on tightly while he remained lying down.

“My wife is right. Just focus on staying safe and waiting for me to return. You don’t need to worry about me. This war won’t bring me down,” he declared.

His eyes locked onto mine, his brow raised in playful challenge, which caused my brow to furrow in confusion.

“Only my wife has the power to make me fall for her,” he teased and winked at me.

I glared at him. How cheesy. It was as if he had conveniently forgotten about the danger he had put himself in and the worry he had caused me earlier.

Dianne swatted her brother’s arm. “Your pick-up lines have no class,” she teased.

Damien chuckled and patted his shoulder. “Hey, it’s my best line,” he replied, amused by his own antics.

Dianne and I both rolled our eyes. Shortly after, she stood up and excused herself, explaining that her husband had contacted her through their mind link. Their child was looking for her. I nodded understandingly and smiled before she left the room.

Alone together now, we exchanged glances. Damien tapped the empty space on our bed, inviting me to lie beside him. I took a deep breath and shifted to the other side, settling down there next to him. He cradled my head in his arm, pulling me close and embracing me.

“Are you feeling better now? Is anything hurting?” I asked.

I needed to know if he was okay now, regardless of his teasing because no matter how hard I tried to push away my worries, I couldn’t help but feel a deep concern for his well-being. He was my other half, and losing him would mean losing a part of myself that I couldn’t bear to let go of.

“Yes, I’m fine, honey. Thank you for that,” he expressed his gratitude, referring to my comfort towards his sister.

I smiled, closing my eyes as I held him close. "I don’t want you to worry anymore, and I understand what she’s going through. It’s natural for a new mother. You must be proud of her. She has grown into a good woman and now a mother,” I said.

Because truthfully, I was so proud of my sister, Amelia. Every time I saw her happy, I knew she felt the same way about me.

“I am, but I am not affectionate. I rarely show them how much I care as their older brother. Dane is much closer to her,” he admitted.

I nodded. It was true that he tended to be a bit reserved, but I could tell he was starting to come out of his shell. He had warmed up a bit. He wasn’t as cold as before, and I was glad to see it.

“Speaking of Dane, I hope he returns home soon. He’s been doing his experiments in a faraway pack. Hasn’t he drowned in chemicals in his laboratory yet? Tsk.”

I laughed at what he said. “Well, that might work in our favor, won’t it? Let him be for now.”

I had heard that Dane was working on formulating a vaccine to make werewolves immune to metal blades for at least a couple of hours upon injection. If he succeeded, it would be a huge advantage for our kind.

“That’s probably why it took him so long to find a mate. Fortunately, he found his mate,” he remarked.

I teasingly narrowed my eyes at him. “Just like you?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You seemed to have loved that jerk Axel too much. It took you ages to accept his rejection. You made me wait for a century.”

I grinned at him and crossed my arms. “How was I supposed to know?” I retorted.

He shook his head. “But at least you’re here now. It’s worth every moment of suffering and every century I’ve waited. None of it matters anymore because you’re here with me.”

I couldn’t help but smile. This was one of the many reasons why I loved him so deeply — the romantic side of the Alpha King shining through.

“Amara!” someone suddenly shouted and barged into our bedroom.

I squinted my eyes upon recognizing the voice. I reluctantly let go of my embrace with Damien and turned to face the intruder. Behind her stood Astra, Max, Masha, and Remi.

“Don’t you miss me? You’re making me feel left out. Why did you only invite Max and Astra?” she pouted, pretending to be offended.

I rolled my eyes at her. If she wasn’t wearing a lab gown, no one would mistake her for a doctor. They might even assume she escaped from a mental hospital.

“Oh, is war some kind of exclusive party now for you to be invited?” I retorted sarcastically.

She cleared her throat and glanced at the four behind her.

“You guys are so mean. I’m the one who’s going to help you, after all,” she grumbled, unable to hide the look of annoyance directed at me. “There are so many wounded outside.”

“Good thing your father allowed you to come here.”

She grinned at me. “I threatened him a little.”

What a handful.

I sighed. As far as I knew, Layla’s father was the Duke of Spain. But she herself was not entirely human or wolf. She was a half-elemental, her mother hailing from Salem. We had actually met her when she used to visit her mother’s town once a year, but those visits had ceased once she went off to college.

“Is he your husband?” she asked, pointing at Damien.

I nodded. “Yes, he is.”

She smiled. “Hi, I’m Layla, Amara’s childhood friend too. Nice to meet you.”

Damien glanced at me before nodding politely and introducing himself. “Nice to meet you. I’m Damien, Amara’s husband. Welcome to our pack."

Layla nodded and then turned her attention back to me. “Masha mentioned that you’re not feeling well,” she stated, causing me to look at Remi.

I lightly shook my head. “It’s not that severe.”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “That’s what my patients often say when they don’t want to seek treatment,” she sighed and placed her hands on her sides.

She was looking at me as if I were a child who needed to obey her parents.

“I don’t accept ‘no’ as an answer. You need a check-up. I’ll be waiting for you downstairs, okay?” she said sternly before turning around and leaving the room without saying goodbye.

The five of us exchanged glances. They shrugged at me, while I shook my head and rubbed my temples. I had a feeling that my headache would worsen because of Layla.

Remi’s eyes widened as she looked at me. “Just follow her downstairs later. You know her, I don’t want to hear that woman’s shrill complaints. It’s painful to the ears,” she said with a sigh, walking away followed by Masha.

“We’ll go outside for a bit. We’ll keep an eye on that woman. The children might get scared of her blabbering,” Max joked.

“Maybe we should find a man to handle her and put an end to her spoiled brat behavior,” Astra suggested before leaving the room.

I shook my head at their comments, but deep down, I agreed. I wondered who would have the audacity to tame that spoiled brat.

“You do seem to know a lot of people, honey,” Damien commented.

I smiled faintly at him and scratched my head. “They’re all a bit… crazy.”

“Like you?” he jeered, suppressing a laugh.

My smile disappeared from my lips as I glared at him. “Say that again,” I warned with a sharp tone.

He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not that brave.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Good,” I said, rolling my eyes.

I adjusted my seat to face him. He was also seated, and our faces now in close proximity. 

“By the way, you haven’t told me about Natasha. How did you find out she’s using black magic?” I asked.

He smirked knowingly. “Oh, come on, honey. As if you don’t have an idea. You have Astra to keep you informed,” he had me cornered.

He got me.

I proudly rolled my eyes at him, sticking out my forehead. “Of course!” I bragged, causing him to laugh. “But I still want to hear it from you. I actually saw her in the forest. I didn’t know she could cast some intense arcane magic. She must be quite the powerful witch.”

He paused, lost in thought, before finally exhaling. “Honestly, even I had no idea at first. But I’ll tell you the whole story.”

I fixed my gaze on him and prepared myself to listen carefully to everything he was about to share.

“It all started when the fire broke out…”