Chapter 47

Alpha Kelvin’s POV

My chest tightened in panic as I watched her drift out of consciousness.

Before I could even think, I was crouching down beside her.

“What's going to happen now?” I asked the Pack nurse who looked like she desperately wanted to be anywhere but right there at that moment.

“She has passed out from so much pain,” she replied, bending to check Claire’s pulse.

“But she is certainly going to be fine.”

“But who passes out from shifting and how is she even doing it without meaning to?” I queried, looking from the nurse to Lora whom I had noticed was quite close with Claire.

It didn't escape my notice that the guards who were supposed to be training had now stopped to watch the scene.

Wordlessly, I turned my head to glare at them and they quickly resumed their training.

My gaze returned to Lora who looked quite uneasy and was twiddling her fingers.

I knew instantly that she was hiding something.

“Is this the first time this has happened?” I asked without taking my eyes off her.

Panic flitted across her features but she still didn't answer my question.

“We need to take her to the woods now.”

Just as I was about to snap at her for evading the question, a shocked gasp slipped from the Nurse’s lips.

My eyes turned sharply to her and noticed that her gaze was firmly fixed on a still-unconscious Claire.

Quickly, I looked to see if something was going on with Claire and I understood the Nurse’s shock.

My eyes widened and for a moment I was at a loss for what to say.

“We must hurry,” Lora pressed. “She needs to be in the woods now.”

“Listen to her,” my wolf practically shouted in my mind, spurring me to action.

“Alex, make sure no one follows,” I ordered as I scooped Claire into my arms and noticed with sickening dread that her breathing had become really shallow.

I wondered if the Nurse knew what she was saying when she said that Claire was going to be fine. In my opinion, she was dying.

“She’s not dying!” my wolf growled.

Lora led the way as we tore across the training field which opened directly into a wide walkway that led into the woods.

As soon as we reached the deepest parts and I placed Claire carefully beneath a very large tree, a scream tore from her lips.

Not knowing what to do, I clasped one of her hands in mine and couldn't help but notice how fragile it was.

Despite her ear-splitting screams, her eyes were still shut tight.

At least, she was awake but that didn't lessen the emotional agony I was feeling at her obvious suffering.

I looked up at Lora who seemed to know about what was happening even more than the Nurse.

“How long is this going to last?”

“It will be over soon,” she murmured but her eyes were troubled.

She knelt close to Claire and placed her hands on her cheeks.

“You have to fight, baby. You are way stronger than this,” she said.

Suddenly, I was pushed back with so much force that my back slammed against the nearest tree in my path.

Shock at the unexpected event gave way to astonishment as I watched my mate who was already on all fours.

Claire was still in her human form but it was clear that she was just a few seconds from turning into her wolf.

The pitiful material of her work clothes ripped in several places as her bones tried to align themselves with the transformation process.

It was painful to watch and my heart bled. Thankfully, it was over within seconds and my eyes widened at the sight in front of me.

Even Lora who had also been pushed back earlier let out a gasp of surprise.

As astonishing as the whole thing was, it was also deeply confusing.

Now, I understood why the old scars on her face had vanished while we were still on the field, and her newly acquired wound had also healed.

The large white wolf with streaks of silver in its fur fixed its ethereal blue gaze on me for a few seconds before dashing off even further into the woods.

I recovered from my shock and made to go after her but was stopped by Lora’s stern voice.

“Leave her be. You shouldn't go after her just yet.”

So confusing was the whole event that I wasn't even surprised or angry at the tone with which she spoke to me.

“Can you please tell me what the hell just happened?” I queried, walking closer to her.

It wasn't as though I was not aware of what a large white wolf but I desperately needed someone to spell it out for me.

I wasn't surprised that even my wolf had suddenly gone silent with shock.

“Isn’t she supposed to be an omega?” the Pack Nurse wondered in a voice filled with awe.

Her voice slightly startled me. I had almost forgotten that she was right there with us.

“It seems you have another Alpha in your Pack, Your Majesty,” Lora replied, her tone both shocked and proud.

The weight of those words was enough to make me stagger backwards.

“This is impressive,” she said more to herself than any of us. “Her fur was black the last time. Never would I have thought….”

“What does this mean?” I asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

“How is this even possible?”

“Only the Moon Goddess can give you that answer. Or perhaps, Claire herself,” Lora answered. Then after a beat, she added, “You should head back to the Palace now before your Luna starts getting worried.”

My wolf bristled in irritation at Sophie being called his Luna.

“I’m going to make sure she’s fine, not that she needs my help anyway,” Lora added.

Suddenly, every fibre of my being wanted to go in search of Claire but I knew Lora was right.

I had to return to the Palace.

“Please make sure she returns to the house,” I said to her and practically fled the woods before I changed my mind.

Not in the mood to talk to anyone yet, most especially Sophie, I headed straight for my Study and locked the door when I got in so that no one could come in.

Pacing the room, I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

In all the months that Claire had been serving me, she had not shown any signs of being an Alpha.

Her level of strength, slow healing and the like had been proof that she was an Omega through and through.

There was no way anyone could fake that.

A thought suddenly occurred to me and I stood still.

Was this some grand plan of hers? Perhaps, it was related to why she had accused someone else of trying to poison me when even she herself had been part of the plan to get me killed.

“Oh, please, don't be ridiculous,” my wolf snapped. “Our mate has no such intentions. You really should be careful of whom you listen to.”

Anger surged through me. Claire really had some explaining to do.