Chapter 105 A PRINCE
A Prince
(Adam's POV)
I stayed exactly where I was after Vance left.
The room felt too quiet, I couldn't dare stand up to find means of escape. I know if I jump out the window I'll die and if I don't die, they'll catch me and drag me back in.
The food they brought in sat untouched on the small table beside the bed. Steam had stopped rising from it long ago. The smell of it still lingered in the room, warm and savory, but my stomach twisted instead of growling.
I didn’t trust it.
I didn’t trust anything here.
I sat with my back against the pillows, both hands resting over my lower abdomen without even realizing it. The dull ache there had not gone away completely. It came and went like a quiet warning.
My baby.
The thought still felt strange in my head.
I had spent so many weeks wishing I wasn’t pregnant. Crying over it. Feeling trapped by it.
But now, after hearing those men talk about getting rid of it, something had changed inside me.
Now every small ache made me nervous.
Now my hand kept drifting to my stomach like I needed to protect it.
Time passed slowly. I didn’t know how long.
Eventually the door opened again.
My head snapped toward it immediately.
Vance walked in.
His eyes went straight to the table, at the untouched food.
He paused for a moment.
“You didn’t eat,” he said quietly.
I didn’t answer.
He walked closer to the table and touched the plate lightly.
His fingers brushed the edge of the bowl.
“Is it cold?” he asked.
I hesitated before answering.
“…No.”
He looked at me.
“If it is, I can have them bring fresh food.”
“It’s not cold,” I repeated.
My voice came out softer than I meant it to.
He stared at me for a moment.
Then he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed again.
“You need to eat,” he said gently.
I stayed quiet.
My eyes dropped to the blanket.
“I know you don’t trust us yet,” he continued. “That’s understandable.”
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees.
“But starving yourself won’t help your body recover.”
Recover…
That word made something uncomfortable stir in my chest.
“You said I was dying,” I said slowly.
Vance nodded.
“You were.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
Silence filled the space between us again.
Then he stood up.
He walked to the table and picked up the tray.
Instead of leaving with it, he carried it back to the bed and placed it on the small side table beside me.
“You should try a little,” he said.
I stared at the bowl.
My stomach gave a small twist.
I hated that part of me was actually hungry.
Vance must have noticed because his voice softened further.
“It’s just soup, and good meat.” He said. “Nothing heavy.”
My hand slowly moved from my stomach to the blanket.
Still I didn’t move.
Vance sighed quietly.
“If you want,” he said, “I can taste it first.”
My head snapped up.
He gave a small shrug. “So you know it isn’t poisoned.”
I watched him carefully as he picked up the spoon, dipped it into the soup, and drank it. Then he set the spoon down again.
“See?” he said.
I didn’t know why, but something about that small action made the tight knot in my chest loosen slightly.
Maybe it was the way he wasn’t rushing me.
Maybe it was the way his voice stayed calm.
My hand slowly reached for the spoon.
Vance didn’t react. He just watched quietly.
I scooped a small amount of soup.
My heart pounded a little as I brought it to my mouth.
Then I swallowed.
Nothing happened. No burning, no strange taste, just warm soup.
Vance’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Good,” he murmured.
I took another spoonful.
And another.
The warmth spreading through my stomach made my body feel a little less tense.
Vance leaned back slightly, giving me space.
“Why are you and your people so insistent on bringing me to your pack?” I asked suddenly.
The question had been sitting in my chest since he first said it.
He looked at me calmly.
“Even if I do originally come from your pack,” I continued, “I’m an adult now. It shouldn’t matter where I am.”
The spoon paused halfway to my mouth.
“Why did you guys have to kidnap me and force me here?”
Vance was quiet for a moment.
Then he answered softly.
“Because we couldn’t watch you fade away.”
I frowned slightly.
“You were dying in Kael’s hands,” he said.
The words made my chest tighten.
“And Kael should be your enemy,” Vance continued, “not your mate.”
My fingers tightened around the spoon.
“That’s not true,” I said quietly.
He didn’t argue immediately.
Instead he reached into his coat.
When his hand came back out, he was holding a photograph.
He held it out toward me.
“Look at this,” he said.
I hesitated before taking it.
The picture was a bit old.
A small boy stood in the center of it, maybe five or six years old. Dark hair. Bright eyes.
My breath caught.
The boy looked exactly like me, or at least, exactly like the boy in the photo Sara showed me when she claimed to be my mother.
I flipped the photo over slowly.
Another picture slipped out.
This one showed a baby in someone’s arms.
A woman held the baby close, smiling softly. A man stood beside her, his hand resting protectively over the baby’s tiny body.
The baby looked exactly like the little boy in the other photo.
And exactly like me.
My chest tightened.
“He looks exactly like his mother,” Vance said quietly.
My eyes moved back to the woman in the picture.
“But he inherited his father’s eyes.” He added.
I swallowed.
“So Sara lied about being my mother,” I said slowly.
Vance nodded. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“To get close to you.” He leaned forward slightly. “There was no other way to get you out of Kael’s hold.”
My hands trembled slightly as I stared at the photo.
“Kael’s pack security tightened after we asked him to return you,” Vance added.
I looked up at him.
“Return me?”
“Yes.”
The room suddenly felt smaller.
“Why don’t I remember anyone from this pack, why don't I remember my own parents?” I asked.
My voice sounded small even to my own ears.
“Not even a tiny piece of identity.”
Vance’s expression softened.
“Because we removed those memories.”
My heart skipped.
“When you were young,” he said gently. “To protect you.”
“Protect me from what?”
“You are the son of a very important family in Star Moon pack.”
He paused.
“And Kael’s pack Army killed your parents.”
The words hit me like ice water.
“Under Kael’s father’s rule.”
My fingers tightened around the photograph.
“They would have killed you too,” Vance continued quietly, “if we hadn’t hidden you away.”
I shook my head slowly.
“No…”
Vance’s gaze stayed steady.
“Kael knows everything about your past,” he said.
My heart skipped again.
“And your real identity.”
My chest tightened painfully.
“But he chose to hide it from you.”
My mind immediately rejected the idea. Kael would never lie to me.
He saved me from Marcus and his wife.
He protected me.
He loves me.
He wouldn’t hide something like this.
But Vance’s voice was calm and soft. Too soft.
“You have no idea how special you are,” he said.
My head lifted slowly.
“Having his mark on you is something any Alpha would die for.”
His eyes moved to my neck briefly.
“That’s why he’s willing to risk your health just to keep you by his side.”
My stomach twisted.
“You think Kael chose you because he loved you?” Vance asked quietly.
The question made my chest tighten.
“No, Archie.” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“He chose you because you are valuable.”
A sudden ache spread through my lower abdomen.
I shifted slightly on the bed, trying to ignore it.
But the discomfort deepened.
Vance noticed immediately.
“Are you in pain?” he asked.
I hesitated before nodding.
“Where?”
My hand moved slowly to my stomach.
He followed the movement with his eyes.
Then he nodded.
“I’ll be right back.”
He stood and walked out.
A few minutes later he returned with another man.
The man carried a small case.
When he opened it and pulled out a syringe, my body instantly tensed.
I backed away.
“Wait—”
“It’s alright,” Vance said calmly. “They’re not trying to hurt you.”
My heart pounded.
The man prepared the syringe.
“Just a small blood test,” Vance added.
I hesitated. But the ache in my stomach was getting worse.
Slowly I held out my arm.
The needle pierced my skin, I winced but remained still.
The syringe filled quickly.
But the man’s expression changed slightly as he looked at it.
The blood inside looked too dark. Almost black.
Fear rushed through my chest.
“Why… is my blood like that?” I asked.
Vance looked at the syringe.
Then back at me.
“I told you,” he said quietly. “That arrogant Alpha was killing you.”
The man handed me a small unlabeled bottle.
“Drink it all,” he said.
I stared at it.
“How am I sure it’s not poison?”
“No one can poison you here.” Vance calmly replied.
His eyes held mine.
“You are of great importance.”
I didn’t move.
“We’re just trying to help your health,” he added.
“Drink up.”
My fingers tightened around the bottle, and against my better judgment, I opened it.
The liquid inside was clear.
I drank it.
It had no taste at all.
Vance walked the man to the door. He whispered something to him, the man nodded and left.
Then Vance came back and sat beside me again.
His hand lifted slowly toward my face.
I flinched away.
His hand stopped in the air, for a mo
ment he just looked at me. Then he spoke softly.
“I’m not trying to hurt you, Archie.”
His voice sounded almost sad.
“You’re my Prince.” His hand finally touched my cheek, his palm was rough but the touch was gentle.
“I’d give my life to protect you.”
His thumb brushed lightly against my skin.
“Welcome back.”
His eyes softened in a way that made my chest feel strangely tight.
“My heart was bleeding for you.”