Chapter 19 Never Felt Save
The corridor outside the council chamber still carried the echo of Benetta’s voice when Liam stepped into it, though she had already ended the call. The air felt different now—thinner, sharper—like something had been exposed that could not be folded back into silence.
Benetta turned before he spoke, as if she had felt him there, her composure already settling into place by the time their eyes met. She held herself as she always did—upright, unshaken, every line of her posture carefully measured. But something in Liam’s expression made her pause.
“Alpha,” she said, her tone smooth, controlled. “I didn’t expect you here so soon. What are you doing around here?”
“What Am I doing? This is my palace, my territory.”
He walked toward her instead, each step deliberate, unhurried, the quiet rhythm of it pressing heavier than any raised voice ever could. The distance between them closed quickly, but Liam didn't stop until he stood directly in front of her.
Benetta’s chin lifted slightly, a reflex more than a decision, but it did not fully disguise the tension that tightened along her jaw.
“Who were you speaking to?” Liam asked.
Benetta held his gaze. “A matter concerning the council.”
“Don’t lie to me.” There was no edge to his voice, no visible anger—but the words landed harder than if he had shouted them. Benetta’s breath stilled for half a second.
Liam didn't give her time to recover. “Who,” he repeated, more quietly now, “were you talking about?”
Benetta studied his face, searching for something—an opening, perhaps, or a weakness she could still use. But whatever she found there, it wasn’t enough.
The confirmation settled in the space between them without a single word spoken. Liam’s expression hardened over the realization. Something that had been held back for days—carefully restrained—finally slipped.
“Where. is. Skylar?”
The words came out low, each one cut clean, leaving no space for deflection, no room for delay. For the first time, Benetta felt it. Not the authority, bt the presence behind it. The weight of what he could become when pushed too far.
It pressed against her chest, subtle but undeniable, a pressure that made her pulse shift, her instincts react before her mind could steady them.
She didn’t like it But she also understood it. And for now—she chose not to challenge it. Benetta lowered her gaze slightly, just enough to acknowledge what stood in front of her without surrendering entirely.
“She’s been in Las Vegas,” she said, “All this time.”
Liam didn’t move. For a second, it seemed as though he might ask more. But then his jaw tightened, and whatever else he might have said disappeared behind decision. He turned without another word.
Benetta watched him go, her expression unreadable now, though her fingers curled faintly at her sides. The moment he disappeared down the corridor, the tension she had been holding slipped—not gone, but redirected, reshaped into something quieter.
The car engine roared to life before the palace gates had fully opened, the vehicle surging forward with a force that left no room for hesitation. Every formal obligation he carried—every expectation, every demand placed on him as Alpha—fell away in that moment.
There was only one destination left; Las Vegas.
Skylar woke to pain. it wasn’t sudden. It came in layers, seeping back into her body as consciousness returned, each sensation settling heavier than the last until she could no longer ignore it. Her limbs felt foreign. Even breathing carried a faint ache that stretched across her chest. She didn’t open her eyes immediately.
For a moment, she stayed where she was, suspended between awareness and memory, as if delaying it might change what came next. When she finally blinked her eyes open, the ceiling above her was unfamiliar—white, sterile, too clean compared to the last place she had been.
The smell confirmed it.The realization settled slowly, then everything else followed.
Skylar’s breath caught, her chest tightening as the memory surfaced in full, dragging with it the weight of everything that had happened before.
Her gaze shifted slightly, taking in the room around her—machines, a chair near the bed, a window partially covered by thin curtains.
One face came to mind, and the thought struck deeper than she expected. Her fingers curled weakly against the sheets. She didn’t want to admit it. idn’t want to give shape to something that felt too close to surrender.
But the truth pressed in anyway. She wanted to see hi, even after everything. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, quiet and unrestrained. She turned her head slightly, as if that could hide it from no one.
The door opened, and Skylar stiffened instinctively, her breath catching as a nurse stepped inside, her expression shifting quickly from routine to mild surprise.
“Oh—you’re awake,” the nurse said, moving closer. Skylar didn’t answer immediately, she watched her. “How are you feeling?” the nurse asked, adjusting something at the side of the bed.
“Sore,” she said.
The nurse nodded, making a note on the chart.
“You’re lucky,” she said. “You were found near the riverbank. A few locals brought you in.”
Skylar’s chest tightened slightly.
“We couldn’t find any identification on you,” the nurse continued. “Do you have any family we can contact?”
Skylar’s gaze shifted. “Would they come?” she asked quietly. The nurse paused, then gave a small, reassuring smile.
“If they know you’re here, of course,” she said. “There are people waiting downstairs now, hoping to find someone they’re looking for. You might be one of who they looking fr.”
Skylar’s blood ran coldd. Her mind moved quickly, piecing together the possibilities. The thought alone was enough to drain what little color remained in her face. The question she had asked—it had only been a test, and now she had her answer.
“I…” Skylar hesitated, then shook her head slightly. “I’ll tell you later. I want to speak to a doctor first.”
The nurse studied her for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright. I’ll call the doctor for you, wait.”
She turned and left the room without suspicion. The moment the sound faded, she pushed herself upright, a sharp pain shooting through her body as she moved. Her vision blurred for a second, her balance unsteady, but she forced herself to keep going.
Skylar steadied herself against the bed, her breath uneven as she took her first step forward. each movement felt like a risk. And so, despite the weakness dragging at her body, dspite the fear tightening in her chest—Skylar walked out of the room.