Breena realized she had no alternative but to submit to the blood draw.
Compelled to accept the test, she quietly consoled herself with the fact that Dronti would not kill her anytime soon—not until he successfully secured an heir.
She resolved to prolong his treatment process as much as possible until she could devise a way out of this dangerous trap.
Dr.
Rulph expertly drew her blood, packed his tools into his kit, and exited the room without revealing a single detail.
It was painfully clear she was not intended to know the test results.
Dronti stood near the edge of the bed, his sharp eyes monitoring the frantic pulse fluttering in her neck.
“Relax, you are far too tense,” he said smoothly.
“The screening is purely mandatory.
Situations between us could escalate as they nearly did earlier, and I have no desire to contract a mystery infection.” Breena turned away, lying down on the mattress with her back facing him.
“I am not tense, Your Highness,” she muttered into the pillow.
“You do not need to worry—I will never have sex with you.
And as for infections, I have none.
I am…
I…” The word caught stubbornly in her throat.
“A virgin?” Dronti supplied, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
He leaned down, his deep voice brushing against her ear.
“I could tell.
You were terrified to even glance at me earlier, not to mention how rigid you become whenever I step close.” He reached down, lightly placing a heavy hand on her shoulder, feeling her muscles instantly lock up.
“Just like right now.
It proves how utterly unaccustomed you are to a man’s touch.” Breena forced her breathing to steady, striving to maintain a composed tone.
“I am not rigid.
If you are so confident, why insist on the tests?” “You know full well that certain conditions can be inherited,” Dronti replied smoothly.
Suddenly, Breena felt his warm breath against the back of her neck as he leaned closer, taking a subtle sniff of her collarbone.
A surge of anger flushed through her.
She immediately scrambled forward, pulling away from his reach.
“Are you a pervert, Your Highness?
What do you think you are doing?” Dronti straightened up smoothly, stepping back toward the center of the room.
“Your bandages need changing.
I will have the doctor return to handle it.” Without another word, he turned, pulled the door open, and closed it firmly behind him.
Left alone in the quiet room, Breena stared at the ceiling, her mind churning with desperate strategies to survive the deadly venom ticking away in her veins.
Meanwhile, across the border in the human region, lay the quiet settlement of Hollwaney Village.
Situated just beyond the shadowy perimeter of the Black Forest, its small commercial hub, Greenpasture, was home to a modest building that served as both Breena’s residence and her practice: Bree’s Herbal Clinic.
On a typical day, the clinic bustled with locals seeking remedies.
Today, however, a heavy silence hung over the counter.
With Breena abruptly abducted by the Lycan King’s men the previous afternoon, her close friend Jojo had been left in charge.
Jojo—a spirited young woman with bright, expressive eyes, a messy topknot of dark curls, and a warm, bubbly demeanor—was doing her best, though she lacked Breena’s deep medical expertise.
Jojo was handing a brown paper package across the counter when a towering, burly man shoved his way forward.
He had a harsh, square jawline, unruly stubble, a permanent scowl, and an aggressive posture that practically radiated trouble.
Without a word, he snatched a glass bottle of liquid tonic meant for another customer waiting nearby.
Jojo’s eyes flashed with annoyance.
Pointing a finger toward the meek customer beside him, she spoke up firmly.
“Hey!
That isn’t yours.
It belongs to him.” She could tell instantly that this brute was looking for a fight, and she was in no mood to deal with troublemakers.
The brute held the glass bottle up to the light, reading the hand-written label aloud in a mocking tone.
“‘For stomach ulcers.’ Does this garbage actually work?” Uncorking the stopper, he took a deep whiff and immediately gagged.
“Eew!
It smells like sewage!
Who could swallow this crap?” Jojo crossed her arms over her chest, resting her elbows on the counter.
“Sir, if you are looking for an excuse to flirt with me, just say so and I will schedule a time.
Otherwise, kindly refrain from disturbing my clinic.” The man slapped the cork back into the bottle and tossed it carelessly into the waiting customer’s hands.
“Don’t worry, pretty girl.
I wouldn’t touch this slop.
But we definitely need to talk.” Jojo exhaled slowly.
“Give me a moment to finish serving these people.
You can wait on the bench over there.” “You had better hurry it up,” the man grunted, dropping his heavy frame onto the wooden bench near the door, making it creak under his weight.
Once the last customer exited, Jojo stepped out from behind the counter and sat on the far edge of the bench beside him.
Before she could even settle in, the man leaned over, his shadow looming over her.
“Where is the little healer?” he demanded roughly.
“We haven’t seen her around since yesterday.” Jojo’s eyebrows pulled together in suspicion.
We?
A sudden screech of tires drew her attention to the street outside.
A sleek black sedan pulled up to the curb, and three intimidating men in dark suits stepped out.
Panic flared in Jojo’s chest; she made a sudden move to stand, but the brute beside her clamped a heavy hand down on her shoulder, forcing her back into her seat.
“She isn’t here,” Jojo replied, maintaining a cautious tone despite her racing heart.
“May I ask why you are looking for her?” The brute—whose name was Duke—gestured for the three men to join them at the entrance.
He turned back to Jojo, his grip tightening slightly on her shoulder.
“You don’t need to know why we want her.
Just answer the question, where is she?” Jojo looked at the formidable men surrounding her, her mind racing.
Giving away Breena’s situation was out of the question.
Even though she knew the Lycan King possessed power far beyond ordinary humans, revealing Breena’s abduction to these dangerous strangers could put her friend in double the jeopardy.
She decided to lie and send Breena a warning the moment they left.
“She went deep into the wilderness to gather herbs,” Jojo said smoothly.
One of the men who had just stepped up—a sharp-featured guy named Benzel—scowled in frustration.
“Duke, if the healer isn’t here, we take this one instead.
You know the boss won’t tolerate us returning empty-handed.” Jojo’s eyes widened in alarm.
Take me?
Who on earth is the boss?
Duke glared at Benzel, sneering.
“Are you insane, Benzel?
She isn’t the master healer.
We were ordered to bring back the real deal.” “The boss doesn’t know what the master healer looks like anyway,” Benzel countered, stepping closer.
“He won’t know the difference unless someone tells him.” Duke gritted his teeth, clearly hesitant to risk his superior’s wrath.
He turned back to Jojo, letting out a harsh bark.
“When is she coming back?
It’s already getting dark out here!” Jojo swallowed hard.
“I can’t say for sure.
She often travels far into the mountains for rare ingredients.” Duke turned to consult his companions, lowering his voice.
“We can’t risk the boss discovering she’s an imposter.
We’ll make an excuse to the boss tonight and return for the healer tomorrow.” He whipped his head back to Jojo, pointing a thick finger at her face.
“If she isn’t back by tomorrow, girl, we are dragging you with us instead.
Do you understand?” Jojo nodded quickly, keeping her composure.
“Understood.” She watched in tense silence as the four men piled back into the sedan and sped away.
The instant the car vanished around the bend, Jojo whipped out her phone and furiously typed out a detailed message to Breena, explaining the whole terrifying encounter.
A reply pinged back almost immediately.
Breena: Holy shit, girl!
I’ll explain everything about them tomorrow.
You need to close the clinic right now.
I’ll see you tomorrow at school.
Love you, stay safe!
Bye!
Breena let out a long sigh in her room at the villa, slipping her phone beneath her pillow.
Suddenly, a soft scratch sounded against the bedroom door.
Before she could react, the handle turned and the door swung open.
Standing on the threshold was Dodoi, the massive jaguar, staring directly at her with huge, glowing golden eyes.
Breena froze instantly, her blood running cold.