Leah's POV
I reached for the phone on my nightstand and dialed Darren's number. It rang for a while before going to voicemail. I paused, formulating my thoughts, then said, "Darren, it's me..."
Suddenly, the phone was answered. "Leah?" Darren's voice sounded shaky.
"Yes, Darren. It's me."
He let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Where have you been? I was so worried..."
"What's going on...?" I asked, bewildered. "I was in a coma."
"Leah, where are you now?" he asked urgently.
"I'm at the Royal Clinic. Lucas and Lucian are here with me, so don't worry," I said, trying to appease him.
"No, you don't understand," Darren interrupted quickly. "I'll be there in half an hour. Stay put. Don't move."
Then, the line went dead.
Confusion clouded my mind. Why was everyone so insistent on me staying put? My head still felt heavy, and sleep would have been a welcome escape, but I couldn't succumb to it. Something was brewing behind my back, and I didn't like it one bit. I was used to being three steps ahead of everyone.
My mind raced, each thought pounding against my skull. I pressed the bell to call for the nurse.
"What may I help you with, Your Highness?" she asked as she entered.
"How long have I been sleeping?" I asked.
The nurse looked uneasy. "Ten days, Your Highness."
Ten days? I had been unconscious for ten days?
"What happened in the Court over these past ten days?" I demanded. "Quickly, fill me in."
The nurse looked increasingly panicked. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Ah... Your Highness... I really don't think we should discuss this now. You need to rest. Should I give you another tranquilizer?"
"Do not inject anything into my system," I said firmly, my voice low and threatening.
The nurse looked on the verge of tears. "Yes, Your Highness. I'm terribly sorry..."
"Tell me what happened. Now," I ordered.
"Well, I've been here at the hospital with you, so I haven't heard much. But there have been rumors... about you..."
"What are they saying?" I demanded, frowning.
In a quiet voice, the nurse said, "Well... Apparently, most people in the kingdom believe you killed the old king..."
"What?!" I clenched my fists, eyes widening in shock.
The nurse stepped back in fear. "Please don't hurt me, Your Highness! It's just a stupid rumor... I don't think you could kill anyone... I mean, you could kill everyone if you wanted, but you wouldn't, because you're such a nice person..."
"Okay, stop talking." I rubbed my temples, trying to process everything.
Pain throbbed in my head, making it feel like it was about to explode. The nurse immediately fell silent.
"Do His Majesty and my husband know about this rumor?" I asked, my voice barely steady.
The nurse, clearly terrified, only nodded slightly.
"Can I go now, Your Highness?" she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes.
"One more thing," I said. "Have they buried the old king yet?"
The nurse shook her head. "Not yet. There will be a grand ceremony for His Majesty's funeral. At the same time, His Highness Lucian will be crowned the new Lycan King. All the Alphas will gather for the service. That's all I know. Now, please, may I go, Your Highness?"
I waved dismissively, and she hurried out of the room.
My world seemed to collapse around me. Everything in the room blurred and swirled as I tried to process the betrayal. My own father and husband spreading the rumor that I killed the old king? What were they thinking?
A horrifying thought crept into my mind—every time a king dies, there's bloodshed. Would there be bloodshed at the old king’s funeral, neatly combined with my father's crowning ceremony? Would they sacrifice me, the supposed murderer, during the ceremony?
Fear and paranoia gnawed at my sanity. I pinched my thigh, trying to reassure myself that this wasn't a nightmare. I needed to stay calm. I had faced many twists and turns in my life; this was just another one. Yet, deep down, I sensed this was different, more dangerous, and it left me utterly exhausted.
As I was about to succumb to sleep, I heard voices outside the door.
"No, Sir. You can't go inside. Her Highness' condition is worsening. She is under strict observation," the nurse protested.
"I understand you have a job to do. So I'm going to knock you out, and you can explain later," a familiar voice replied.
It was Darren.
Summoning all my strength, I slid off the bed. The moment my feet touched the floor, I collapsed, my legs numb.
"What was in the injection? What did they put in the injection?" I demanded, my voice trembling with frustration and fear.
I looked around, my eyes darting across the room, but there was no one in sight. To my growing desperation, all the windows were barred, trapping me inside. My heart pounded in my chest, and a sense of panic started to take hold.
I crawled towards the door as the door was pushed open.
Darren's flawless handsome face emerged from behind the door.
"Leah!" He instantly rushed forward to lift me up as he saw me crawling on the floor. "What have they done to you?!"
"Nothing... I just had some injections... Some tranquilizers... Something's going on, but I... I couldn't concentrate and think, Darren. I don't know..." my voice sounded slurred.
"I'm here, Leah. I will protect you from them." Darren held me tight in his arms.
"From... whom?" I frowned and looked up.
"Lucian and Lucas," Darren replied.
I could see death in his eyes.
"Darren, you have to tell me. What is going on?" I said, my voice rising as I clung to him.
Darren's grip tightened around me, his eyes dark and serious. "I don't know exactly, Leah. But we need to get you out of here right now."
"How? The windows are barred, and I can't walk properly," I said, my voice shaking.
"We'll find a way," Darren said, determination etched on his face. "I won't let them do this to you."
I freaked out.
My own husband and my own father, who just swore to me that they would never hurt me, wanted to sedate me.
Was there anything on earth that could be more scary than this?
All of a sudden, I grabbed Darren's arms.
"You need to run!" I said. "It was Lucas who asked me to give you a call!"