Selena could hear Cayden yelling at people and loud crashes coming from all over the mansion as he broke and smashed things. She alternated between being awake and asleep. She lacked the energy to do anything, so all she could manage was to curl up in bed.
She was too physically worn out to stay awake for very long. She occasionally experienced nightmares, and she sometimes felt Cayden breathing next to her. She would be awakened by the sound, which would also help her body become sufficiently relaxed to go back to sleep. She could eat nothing. After Millie tried to force-feed her, she threw up everything. That happened every time she tried to eat.
Cayden yelled, "Selena," his voice sounded frightened and desperate.
She snapped her eyes open. "Hmmm?" She murmured drowsily.
He pressed her so tightly against him it hurt, saying, "You had stopped breathing."
"Those Damm witches are searching for a remedy. You will be fine soon. Just hang in there until then."
She had previously experienced arousal and desire for him, but this was the first time her heart had raced. The idea seemed pointless. How on earth could she possibly be considering something like that? Perhaps it was because she was currently wrapped around him and felt his warmth, smell, and sensation in some parts of her body. He hated her, though, and he was a monster. His only concern was keeping her alive so he wouldn't miss his toy. He didn't care about her.
She was suddenly struck by a terrifying cough. She thought she was throwing up again when a hot liquid spurted from her mouth, the crimson liquid spread out in front of her. It was blood.
Cayden said anxiously, "That's not good," and began wiping the blood from her face with a wet cloth. However, it was ineffective because when she coughed again, more blood spilled all over the cloth he was holding.
Cayden made a sound that resembled a groan but was tinged with pain instead.
He brushed her hair away from her face and mumbled, "everything will be fine." A mixture of warmth and pain coursed through her. Except for her mother, she had never felt so loved. Cayden, her tormentor, was now being kind to her. What an irony.
"Where the hell is that healer?" He yelled into his phone, which she overheard.
His body trembled, and when he turned around, his eyes were filled with so much emotion that it made her breathless.
When he noticed her looking at him, he questioned, "What?"
"It's strange that you are taking care of me." She shrugged.
"You don't understand?" He whispered, "I care about you."
She wanted to give a sarcastic reply and roll her eyes at the irony, but she couldn't as she was coughing up blood again until she passed out.
* * * *****************
Cayden was gazing at the old woman who had just arrived. When Max informed him that a senior healer had arrived, he left Selena, who was unconscious, with some omegas, and hurried to his office. She was powerful; even from a short distance away, he could sense her radiance. She was a tiny thing, only reaching up to Max's chest, so it was a hell of a lot of power. She had bright violet eyes and black hair that was liberally streaked with grey.
"Tell me you can heal her, please." It was a command, not a question.
"Only after I have seen her can I respond to that. Assuming she's still alive. And payment has been agreed upon."
Cayden didn't trust her or like her.
"How much money do you want?"
"I don't need your cash." She spoke.
"So, what do you want?" Cayden enquired. He took a brief pause before moving on. "Suggest a price."
She exclaimed joyfully, "I want a werewolf pelt, the one that belongs to an alpha, and a few drops of your blood."
Cayden worked hard not to appear angry. Blood from an Alpha was valuable because it was endowed with power by the Moon Goddess. Add to that the fact that she also desired wolf skin. Since he would have to kill an Alpha, getting that was even more difficult.
Cayden grit his teeth and replies, "Very well," without even pausing for a second.
"I don't have a pelt, but you can have my blood. We are not savages like the cats; we do not skin and keep the pelts of our enemies."
"That is fine. I am prepared to wait."
"But you need to heal Selena right away; she can't wait." His voice had a hint of desperation in it.
"After your next kill, which will probably be soon, you can give me a pelt." She grinned. "But I need your blood right away; without it, I can't heal her."
Cayden answered without hesitation, "Okay, you can take my blood, but heal her now." He ordered.
Her eyes glowed, and she rushed over to him, holding a tiny glass vial. The witch began repeatedly chanting something in a foreign tongue. He had his finger poked after she took a needle out of her purse. As soon as a few drops entered her vial, the witch abruptly stopped chanting and sealed the lid. Cayden dropped his hand and clenched his fists before stepping away from her.
His eyes glowed with impatience. "Now help her."
They walked closer to the unconscious Selena. The woman knelt and watched Selena with her lips pursed.
"The collars that stop her from shifting causes her illness."
"Yes, I understand; remove that damn thing!"
She said distractedly, "Easy pups," while surveying the collar. Selena writhed as the witch muttered a few words in an unknown language. This time, instead of just feeling a single shot of pain, Selena experienced a torrent of pain.
The witch muttered, sounding amused, "Well, that didn't work."
"So you can't do it?" Cayden became furious.
She snapped back at him, sounding irritated. "Just be quiet and let me work."
"I've never seen this kind of magic from any pack before."
Selena opened her eyes and peered at Cayden, who looked extremely pale, and a strange woman. The witch murmured incantations, sweat trickling down her face.
"What... what is happening?" Selena questioned, trembling.
"Girl, please be still while I treat you." The older woman admonished her.
Suddenly, Selena's eyes, mouth, ears, and every other orifice on her body sputtered blood. She cried out in pain.
"What in the world? Are you trying to kill her?" Cayden cried out.
The witch gave him a stern look. Selena felt like she was completely paralyzed. She could not even move her fingers. She felt as though her skull would crush as the air pressed down around her harder and harder. Her collar disintegrated into dust as the air became clear. For the first time in over five years, Selena's neck was free of silver.
Her wolf rushed forwards in her mind without the silver holding it back, and she was ANGRY. Selena could feel her power finally being released as it surged into her body to strengthen and heal. Her body recovered. Her wolf was ready to leave; it was like a sonic boom of dominance. Her beast charged forwards, finally freed from the restraints that had kept her buried deep inside, helpless and mute. Incapable of being herself. The transition was over in a split second. She was now free after being healed. With her razor-sharp vision, the white wolf peered around her, taking in the sounds and smells.
"Little wolf, are you all right?" Cayden questioned, while admiring the stunning white wolf. He did not know she would be so.... magnificent. His wolf was on guard, trying to escape.
She approached him and growled subtly.
"Fuck! I knew you were beautiful, but I didn't realise how much." He muttered. His senses were assaulted by a potent rose scent mixed with some spices. She had a pleasant scent before, but now that her wolf was free. It was much more intense.
"MATE," his wolf cried.
Cayden watched in awe as the white wolf shot him a hateful glance before suddenly leaping out of the French window.