The Prince's Guard

“We have to find him.” Chris shoved the healer from her inspection of his fingernails.

“I agree, but you are staying right here.”

Chris let out a laugh of disbelief as he heaved himself to his feet, ignoring the protest of the healer.

Wade continued before Chris could speak, “My main priority is to keep you safe. Someone has clearly harmed you. We have to get to the bottom of that and find Jaxson.”

“I need to help.” He wanted to say his wolf had returned. State he could be helpful by scenting his mate and searching through the link, he wanted to say he felt fine. But he couldn’t. It was like a block, when he tried to say it he said something else. “I want to find Jaxson.”

“I know you do. I need to go brief Jesse and organise a search. Can you tell me anything else about where you were?”

“Jaxson wasn’t there.”

“But the people who took you, were,” Wade reasoned gently.

Chris huffed. “It was a hut or cabin. It didn’t smell familiar… I don’t think. I didn’t recognise it. The male was wearing a mask. The female, the one he kept calling witch. She was red-haired, green eyes… I can’t remember.”

“You did good. What about before, how did they take you?”

“We were sleeping, I was pulled from bed.”

“How many?”

“I… I think there were two on me and two on Jaxson… There may have been one more. As soon as I woke up, they injected me with wolfsbane… Jaxson was already unconscious.”

“We’ll find him. I want you to stay here until we have secured the palace and your wolf is back.”

“I want-”

“Christopher. I’m not arguing,” Wade snapped, a powerful rumble starting in his chest. “Can we find Jaxson if we’re arguing?”

“No,” Chris whispered, feeling suitably chastised.

“Let Conney check you over, do as she tells you. I will leave guards outside the door.”

Chris ground his teeth but did as he was told. Knowing that would help Jaxson more than what he wanted to do. With Chris on the bed and the healer continuing to inspect him, Wade left.

“I only have a headache.” He frowned to himself… he’d meant to say he was fine.

“You have a few fading bruises.” She gently touched his temple. “How are your limbs?”

“A little heavy.” Again… he wanted to say he was FINE.

He was fine.

He was fine.

HE WAS FINE!

“I’ll get you water and some electrolytes. Some red meat. It’ll help.”

Chris could only nod, glancing to the door. He wished he could link anyone. The door banged open, surprising him. “Chris!”

He took a breath. “Ele.”

Adelaide glided across the walnut floor before bundling Chris into her arms. “Wade told me, I can’t believe we didn’t know you were missing! I’m so sorry.”

“I wasn’t gone for long. I thought it had been days.”

“Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”

“Just wolfsbane and some weird arse magic.”

“Magic?”

“I’m not sure… I felt it. I felt… something.” He rubbed his chest, remembering the burning as her hands laid over him.

She squeezed him harder, “We’ll find them. We’ll find Jaxson,” she promised.

“He wasn’t with me… I’m scared… what if they… you know.”

“Don’t think like that. Do you want mother?”

He nodded.

After a few moments of silence Adelaide ran her fingers comfortingly through his hair, “She’s on her way.” She tugged on his hair, “You are covered in bits.”

“Leave it.” He swiped her hands and shook his head, dislodging dirt, seeds and moss from his hair. “You should get off the bed before mother comes, she won’t like it.”

“Since when do I do stuff that pleases our parents?”

“Don’t want to anger her.”

Adelaide chuckled before settling on a chair next to the bed. “Since when do you actually care?”

“Always cared,” he mumbled, not overly meaning to say so.

Soon he was joined by his mother fussing over him. He both enjoyed and loathed the attention. A guard arrived with clearly what the healer had linked, a plate of steak and three different glasses filled with various coloured fluids. He picked up the glass filled with a deep purple liquid, pleasantly surprised to find a spiced blackberry juice. He downed the sweet and salty concoction before starting on the meat, realising how both hungry and thirsty he was. He devoured the meat without a care for the two women around him and glugged the two remaining drinks. “Oh my baby, this shouldn’t have happened.”

“We need to find out how… and why.”

“We will, my baby. We will. How are you feeling now?”

“Headache’s gone. Feel better.”

“Your wolf will come back soon,” Adelaide promised.

“Not soon enough. I need to go-”

“You will be going no-where! Not after what has just happened.” His mother glared at him, her expression as if he had suggested injecting more wolfsbane into his system.

“The guards will find him. The trackers have ran ahead. They’ll find him, Chris. They’re more likely to find him without worrying about you,” Adelaide explained gently.

“They do not need to worry! I can do this for him.”

“I know you can,” Adelaide soothed. “It’s just better all their focus is on him. We do not know who your attackers are. They could be anywhere waiting for you.”

He folded his arms with a scowl. Not liking it one bit.

“They’ll find him.”

“I need him. I told him we couldn’t mark until he was well and now he may never come back!”

He hadn’t meant to admit that. The guilt. The guilt Jaxson could be dead and Chris had selfishly stopped them marking their bond because he knew he’d want to complete the process. He could have held that heat in, they could have just marked.

Then he’d know where Jaxson was.

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