Daphne ran into the pack house, up to the bedroom where Asher was staying, and gathered some of the prince’s clothes for him, to cover his nakedness. Not that she minded seeing the handsome prince in his birthday suit, he was quite a sight to behold, but she knew her Alpha Alisha would not want all the single female wolves lusting after her mate.
Heading to the hospital, she passed the whipping pole, Honey, the delta, and beta still strapped to it. As much as she did not want the prince whipping them, with the force of a very angry royal wolf, she was in no mood to let them down either. They could stay there and face the humiliation in front of the pack.
“Daphne, we need to gather all the Edensor wolves loyal to Alisha,” Eamon whispered to her.
“Yes, I know, there is you and I, Eve at the hospital, Jackson and Karl. I think the rest have been tainted by this pack. The number of us may be small, but better to have those we can trust, than those who will not submit to her and cause a problem later down the line,” Daphne’s years of wisdom shone through as she spoke with Eamon.
Brenda stood not far from Daphne and looked at the older woman whom she looked up to almost as a mother.
“Daphne, sorry to interrupt, but could I ask, that you request I come with you? I hate it here, I hate how they treated Alisha and Iesha, and would rather be part of Edensor than Matlock?” Brenda softly asked.
Daphne turned and smiled at the young omega and nodded her head.
“I can ask, but we do not know what will happen now that Alisha is mated to the prince,” Daphne whispered to the girl, not wanting her to get her hopes up too high. Everything hung in the balance now, and nothing was certain. Then headed out of the pack house towards the hospital.
Asher paced the floor, as Chloe refused to let him into the doctor’s room.
“Asher, there is a young girl in there and you are butt assed naked. Just wait till we get you some clothes,” Chloe admonished him.
“Mam, I just want my mate,” Asher sighed, frustration causing him to feel angry once more.
“Asher, I brought you some clothes.” Daphne smiled at the prince. Yes, he really was a sight to behold, but she tore her old eyes away from the young man. It had been a long time since she had seen someone so handsome that he got her lady juices flowing. Not that she was the type to ever act on anything, she was loyal to a fault to Alisha, but, having been rejected by her Alpha-blooded mate 270 years ago when she was just 20 years old because she was an Omega. She had never found a second chance mate, and as old as she was, she still had eyes in her head, to appreciate the male form.
Asher grabbed the grey joggers and white t-shirt, pulling them on, then glared at his mother, who simply nodded, and stood back from blocking the doorway to Alisha’s room. As Asher entered, Chloe turned to Daphne and cocked her eyebrow.
“You used to bounce him on your knee when we visited Edensor!” Chloe smirked at Daphne.
“I know, but he is a handsome man, and I have eyes in my head. You know what they say, the day you stop looking is the day you are old…or have a mate.” Daphne chuckled.
Chloe laughed, shaking her head. She knew Daphne from years ago and understood the omega meant no disrespect for her natural reaction to a handsome young man.
“You need a second chance mate,” Chloe grinned at the Omega.
“Your Majesty, I am too long in the tooth and set in my ways for all that now. Plus, if I get one of those, then I cannot fully appreciate the handsome men I serve anymore, and that would be a crying shame.” Daphne laughed and winked at the Queen.
“Cut that Your Majesty crap, I am Chloe, as well you know,” Chloe admonished the Omega, but still smiled, loving the old lady’s spirit.
Asher took hold of Alisha’s hand, unable to peel his eyes off her. She was gorgeous, even in this state, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever beheld.
“When will she wake up?” Asher asked Andrew, not looking up from gazing at Alisha’s face.
“Patience Asher. It may take a few days. She used the very last of her energy reserves to attempt to shift. Cheryl has been making friends with Iesha. They have been kept half-starved for three years. Alicia was punished daily until they found out that you were visiting. Then the pack leadership panicked and began to feed them, but the wrong types of food, which meant they could not digest it. I will not spoil your intelligence to mention how their bodies reacted. When you turned up early, they hid them in the safe rooms. It seemed like the girls took full advantage, and had a bath for the first time in three years, rather than shower with the cold hose pipe and no soap. Iesha had head lice. I think Alisha may have as well as the girls slept together. However, I want her stabilized before we put any chemicals on her hair. The same with Iesha, but Cheryl is going through her hair with the nit comb to try and get rid of some now, so keep your head above hers for now,” Andrew informed him.
“Fuck, how did we miss this, Andrew?” Asher shook his head, hating himself for not knowing what his mate was going through.
“I don’t know, but she is strong, Asher,” Andrew whispered.
“Why, though, everything was okay, when Mam and Dad visited, why the sudden change?” Asher asked.
“Not sure yet. Cheryl is building a good rapport with Iesha, letting her tell her story with some teddy bears she has, just to make sure the abuse was not more than physical and mental,” Andrew gently told him.
“What…you don’t think….” Asher’s voice trailed off, as hot tears ran down his face.
“I don’t think so, but we have to double-check as gently as we can, without leading Iesha into saying something just because we suggested it,” Andrew placed his hand on Asher’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He had brought the prince into this world, along with Kitty, who remained at Crescent moon, now as the lead doctor. Witnessing Asher in so much pain and self-blame was difficult for the doctor.
Cheryl arrived with Iesha, holding her hand, as the young girl ran towards Asher and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you for saving her,” Iesha said, holding onto the prince as tight as she could.
Instinctively, Asher scooped her up into his arms and sat her on his lap, feeling as protective over her as he did his nieces and nephew.
Liane appeared out of nowhere again, arms laden with clothes and some toys in a bag.
“I brought your mate some clothes, and some for this little one, along with some nice toys for you to play with,” Liane smiled.
“Are you magic?” Iesha asked the transporter wolf.
Liane laughed and shook her head.
“No, I have a special gift. I am known as a transporter wolf. There are not very many of us around. In fact, I am the only one that we know of now,” Liane smiled at the little girl.
“That makes you special and I think you are magic,” Iesha smiled, nodding her little head at her decision that Liane was magic.
“Iesha, time for some more soup,” Eve smiled at her.
They were feeding her little but often. Andrew had really wanted to place a feeding tube and give her some protein direct to her stomach, just as he was with Alisha, but the procedure was invasive and would make her gag, and he decided the little girl had been through enough for one day, so he had ordered she ate a few spoons of liquidised chicken soup every hour to two hours, and a glass of protein shake, chocolate flavoured, that bodybuilder’s in the human world used.
Iesha pouted a little bit, she wanted to sit next to her sister, and she felt safe with the prince.
“Hey, put it down on the side table please Eve, I will help Iesha with it,” Asher said, not wanting to let the little girl go. He could not hold his mate, but he could care for her sister.
After eating five spoons of the soup, Iesha held her tummy, then scrambled to get off Asher’s knee, running as fast as she could to the bathroom. Looking up at Andrew, Asher gave him a quizzical look.
“Yeah, she has quite severe diarrhoea due to the food intake they gave her when trying to ‘fatten’ the girls up. Stupid idiots could have killed them both,” Andrew growled.
“Is she going to be okay?” Asher asked, looking at the bathroom door.
“I will go check on her,” Cheryl said, standing up and heading towards the bathroom.
“I would like to put a feeding tube in her, but I am hesitant as she has been through a lot, and it is not pleasant when you are awake. I don’t want to break the trust she is building with us,” Andrew explained.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Asher asked, feeling helpless not only for Alisha but for Iesha as well.
“Patience, and time. I may ask her if I can put a drip in, give her fluids, and her tummy a rest, but if she tells me no, I will respect that,” Andrew sighed, not wanting to push the little girl too far.
Iesha arrived back, looking very tired, so Asher smiled at her, and scooped her up into his arms, then continued to hold Alisha’s hand.
“Iesha, it would be a lot better for your tummy if Dr. Andrew could put a drip into your arm. You could have one just like Alisha, but it may hurt a little when they put it in. It will help your tummy though,” Asher explained.
Iesha looked at him, then nodded her head.
“I am brave your highness,” She simply said.
“Please, Iesha, just call me Asher, and yes, I know you are. You are the bravest little girl I know,” Asher smiled, then nodded his head at Andrew, as he approached with a canular set, and set Iesha up with a drip, the little girl not even flinching as the needle pieced the skin on the back of her hand.
“You can sleep in your bed if you like, or you can sleep here on my lap next to Alisha, what would you like to do, Iesha?” Asher asked, smiling down at the little girl whose eyes grew heavier by the second.
“Here please Asher, you are Alisha’s handsome prince who came to save us. I want to sleep here where I am safe.” Iesha yawned, then drifted off into a deep sleep. Chapter Sixteen The Forgotten Mate and the Alpha Prince.