Dangerous Lycan: Claim Betrayed Luna’s Second Chance Mate

I found myself in a void of light and muffled sound. Every breath was a struggle, each inhale only reminded me of what had happened to me.

Through the haze, I heard a voice.

“Clara! No!”

Kieran. My heart lurched at the sound of his voice. It was a lifeline, like a fragile thread that linked me to the world of the living.

Groaning, I tried to open my eyes, but my lid felt glued shut. I panicked in my consciousness. Was it over? Was I… dead?

Then, I felt a warm gentle hand brushing against my cheek. “Clara, stay with me,” Kieran pleaded, “Don’t you dare close your eyes.”

The urgency in his voice kept me on.? I pried my eyes open, the harsh glare of torches rested on my eyes. I groaned at the pain going through my head. Kieran’s face was masked with worry and something deeper I couldn’t decipher.

“Kieran,” I said my voice barely above a whisper. My throat felt raw. It was tightened.

He smiled. “Clara,” he breathed, “Thank goodness. You’re alive.”

He cradled my head gently; his touch was warm and comfortable in the cold. I tried to move, to sit up, but I felt dizziness washing over me, forcing me back down.

“Don’t move, you’re hurt,” Kieran said.

Hurt. The word echoed within me, which reminded me of the vampire king’s attack. My hand went to my neck, feeling the tender flesh and raw pain radiating from the bite wound.

Fear gripped me.

Was I turning? Was I becoming one of those… things?

Kieran seemed to sense my fear. “It’s alright, love,” he murmured, squeezing my hand. “The healers are on their way. They’ll take care of you.”

Love. The word hung in the air, heavy and unexpected. Had Kieran called me love? Or was it the heat of the moment, the relief at seeing me alive?

My mind was filled with questions, but when I tried to think, it only intensified the throbbing pain in my head. My eyelids drooped, the exhaustion finally overwhelming me.

“Don’t sleep,” Kieran pleaded. “Stay with me, Clara. Please.”

But the pull of sleep was too strong. The last thing I heard was the murmur of his voice before I was finally lost in the darkness that claimed me once more.

The air smelled of blood and the acrid scent of burnt flesh. Groaning, I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy. A dull throbbing continued in my head; it wasn’t easy to take the memory of the brutal attack off my mind.

A blurry figure came beside me.

“Clara?” Kieran’s voice, gruff with worry, cut through the thoughts that clouded my mind.

I tried to speak, but my throat felt raw and scraped. He must have understood my unspoken plea because he brought a cool cup to my lips, helping me take a small sip of water.

“Easy there,” he murmured, his touch was gentle as he cradled my head. “The doctors are working on you. You’ll be alright.”

Doctor? When did we get to the hospital?

But that wasn’t the issue. Kieran’s words did not sound certain. Was I alright? Or was he just trying to reassure himself?

The question died on my lips as exhaustion dragged me back into sleep.

The next time I woke, the sterile white walls of the hospital greeted my blurry vision. The rhythmic beeping of a nearby machine filled the room. I was indeed in a fragile state. My body felt heavy, a dull ache radiating from every limb.

A movement by the window caught my attention. Kieran sat there, his head buried in his hands, his broad shoulders slumped. The sight of him, so vulnerable, so unlike the warrior I knew, made me worry more.

As if sensing my gaze, he lifted his head, his eyes searching mine.

“Clara,” he breathed, “You’re awake.”

I tried to speak, but my throat felt parched. He seemed to understand, his lips curving into a small, tired smile.

“Don’t worry about talking,” he said, his voice was gentle. “Just rest. You need your strength.”

I managed a smile. We said nothing to each other. The room felt quiet except for the rhythmic beeping of the machine. My mind, sluggish but slowly awakening, drifted back to the battle, to the pain of the vampire king’s bite.

“What happened to him?” I croaked.

Kieran’s jaw clenched, his eyes hardening with a cold gaze I had never seen before. “He’s alive,” he said, “But not for long. He’ll be executed at sunrise.”

Even the thought of him, the monster who had inflicted this pain on me, filled me with dread.

“Clara,” Kieran said, his voice softer now. “There’s something you need to know.”

He hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “While you were unconscious… I…”

He trailed off, his eyes searching mine. My heart lurched, trapping in my chest. What was he trying to say?

“I tortured him,” he said finally, “Every ounce of pain he inflicted on you, I made him pay tenfold.”

The raw emotion in his voice, and the fierce possessiveness in his eyes, made me a bit

It wasn’t just anger, it was something deeper, something I couldn’t quite define.

“But why?” I asked.

He took a deep breath, “Because he hurt you, Clara. Because the thought of you… of losing you…”

He stopped again. Then, in a voice so quiet I almost missed it, he finished, “Because I love you.”

I froze.

Love? From Kieran?? I could not believe that.? I stared at him, speechless, my mind spinning from the confession.

Before I could respond, a sound from the doorway drew our attention. It was Alex with a grim expression on his face, who rushed towards Kieran.

“Your Majesty,” he said, his voice urgent. “The prisoner… he’s requesting an audience.”

Kieran’s face hardened. “Tell him I have nothing to say to him.”

“He claims it’s about the girl,” Alex persisted. “About you, Your Majesty.”

Kieran hesitated, he looked at me for a moment. But I said nothing.

Finally, with a sigh, he stood up. “Leave us,” he said to Alex.

He bowed and hurried out of the room, leaving us alone again.

Kieran paced the room, his jaw clenched, frustration radiating from him. I watched him and the thought of what he had said did not leave my mind. It should have felt different from the way that it felt. Like a confirmation of the feelings, I harbored deep down. Instead, it felt like a burden, perhaps another layer of worry amidst the growing fear for my fate.

“Don’t,” I said. He stopped pacing and turned to me. “Don’t see him.”

“He might have information about the bite,” Kieran argued, “Information that could save you.”

The word “save” sent a jolt through me. Was there even a way to save me? The vampire king’s words echoed in the back of my mind, a chilling prophecy: “More will come for your powers.”

“Kieran,” I called out, gathering what little strength I had. “What if… what if there is no saving me?”

His face became pale, “Don’t talk like that, Clara. You’ll be fine. The doctors are the best in the kingdom.”

But the doubt in his voice betrayed his words. He knew, as I did, that the odds were stacked against me. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Alright, I won’t see him. But if there’s any chance…”

He trailed off; his voice choked with emotion. I reached out, my trembling hand barely reaching the edge of the bed. He took it in his, his fingers were warm against my clammy skin.

“Kieran,” I whispered, my voice weak but determined. “Even if… even if there’s no cure… thank you.”

He squeezed my hand, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “For what, Clara?”

“For everything,” I said. “For saving me, for… for loving me.”

I didn’t know if they were my words or those of the drugs the doctors pumped into me. But all the same, it felt good hearing me say it.

He leaned closer, his forehead resting against mine, his touch sent warmth through my body.

“Don’t talk like that,” he murmured. “You’re not going anywhere. We’ll fight this together, Clara. We always do.”

His words held hope. But at that moment, enveloped by his warmth and the protectiveness in his eyes, I allowed myself to believe him. Perhaps, just perhaps, there was still a chance.

“You’re awake!”

My mind reeled. How long had I been unconscious? What had happened while I was out?

“Alex?” What… What are you doing here? I thought I was just having a conversation with Kieran like a second ago.”

“No, you have been unconscious for a few hours.”

“A few hours? That means he didn’t say that he…” I paused and forced a smile, “where is Kieran?”

“He is with the prisoner or was. The guard has gone to alert him.”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

“Was? What happened?”

A strange expression came across his face like a mixture of surprise and relief. But before he could answer, Kieran stepped forward.