Thane
“I can’t believe it, Thane,” Theo stops pacing and looks at me. I’ve never seen him so upset before, never known him to cry – not since we were kids, at least. “Our mates are sisters, twins, and we found them on the same day!”
That we did.
Lyric realized I was her mate the moment I held her in my arms. She passed out due to all the abuse and finally realized she was safe. I saw how much emotional pain she was in, thinking Theo would take Harmony and leave Lyric behind. Those girls will never have to worry about being apart because they never will be.
I got Lyric to the pack hospital as quickly as I could. A doctor ran out and took her from me, leaving me in the waiting room with Theo. Now we’re pacing like fools, waiting for news.
“Think they’re gonna be okay?” Blaze asks from his seat in this tiny waiting room.
“I don’t know, Blaze. They’ve been so mistreated, especially Harmony. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Theo growls loudly.
“Calm yourself, brother. I know how angry you are; I feel the same, but it won’t help our mates. Those girls need us to be calm. If we frighten them, they’ll never trust us.”
“I know,” Theo sighs. “But I’m so angry, Thane. I’ve waited over a hundred years for my mate. I loved her before I even knew her, and I want to make everything better for her, but I don’t know how.”
I wrap my hand around the back of his neck and pull him into my arms. Theo always was the more romantic of the two of us. We had a strict upbringing, but that didn’t stop Theo from fantasizing about the day he’d find his mate and how much he’d love her.
I had to be strong and hardhearted like my father before me. As King, my subjects need to see me as a powerful leader. Mates make you weak, so my grandfather used to say. If you were unlucky enough to have one, you treated her as harshly as everyone else. If your kingdom, not to mention enemies, sees that you’re tough on your mate, they’ll think twice about underestimating you.
I never believed that. My mother made my father strong by being by his side, and he never treated her as one of his subjects but as the jewel in his crown.
A king must be stricter and more vigilant when mating his Queen. Once the enemy finds out, because there are always enemies, they will try and take her from you. Any chance the enemy gets, they’ll take it.
A Queen is never truly safe, so a weak Queen is not a good one. A weak Queen is not the mate a strong King needs. Lyric is not weak; she is so very strong; she had to be, having endured all she did. Lyric protected her sister, as I know she will our people. Lyric will be an excellent Queen; I know she will.
“Everything will be all right, Theo. The girls will get through this, and we’ll help them however we can.”
“Besides,” Blaze kisses Theo’s head. “We have an ex-Alpha and Beta to beat the shit out of. That’s the best way to get your anger out, Theo. Then you let it go and be there for your mate, just as Thane will be there for his.”
Theo pulls away from me and smiles at Blaze. “Thank you, cousin.”
“I bet Lyric will be happy.”
“What do you mean?”
Blaze smiles at me. “You can’t tell me you didn’t notice. Lyric’s heart broke in her eyes when she realized Theo would be taking Harmony away. Lyric thought she’d be left behind.”
“Even if Lyric hadn’t been my mate, she wouldn’t have been left behind.” I’m a monster in many ways, but I’m not cruel in the way I’d separate twins who need each other.
“I know that, but Lyric didn’t.”
The door to the left opens, and the doctor who took Lyric from me walks toward us. She’s a tall woman with dark skin and bright eyes, Doctor Whitmore.
She bows. “King Thane, Prince Theo, Prince Blaze. I’m Doctor Whitmore, and I’ll be taking care of the twins while they’re here.”
“How are they?”
Doctor Whitmore smiles kindly at me; in that way, all doctors do. “I wish I could tell you they’re fine, but I can’t.
“First of all, Harmony,” Theo’s back straightens, and his breathing becomes harsher. I grab his arm to calm him. I’m just as anxious as my brother, but we can’t lose our shit right now. “For an Omega who has been through as much torture as she has, I would have expected her to be in a much worse condition.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Prince Theo, Harmony has no signs of silver or wolfsbane poisoning. Though there is a lot of evidence of serious sexual abuse.”
Theo growls loudly; his Lycan is pissed that someone other than he touched his mate.
The doctor pays no attention and carries on talking. “Harmony has a multitude of scars, cuts, and bruises. Though her wolf is weak, she has been helping Harmony to heal. To be honest, she’s healing much quicker than I would have expected. I’m confident that, physically, Harmony will make a full recovery.”
Theo lets go of the breath he was holding. “Thank the Goddess.”
“I must impress that mentally, Harmony will need a lot of help. The body may heal, but the mind never fully will.”
“What about Lyric?”
I’m angry that this woman disrespected me and my Queen by not telling me how she was first! In normal circumstances, I would have had her head for that!
“My King, I’m afraid that Lyric is a different story. She has severe silver and wolfsbane poisoning. There is so much wolfsbane in her blood that I’m surprised she isn’t dead! The amount in her system would have taken down five men!”
Goddess, please don’t take her from me before I’ve gotten to know her. You gave me that beautiful girl for a reason, and I pray you let me find out what that reason is.
“How was this allowed to go on so long? How is it no one knew the girls were being kept in a d.amn attic?”
“I assure you, My King, the pack believed the girls had died with our Luna or most did. They were kept well hidden, and no one heard a thing. If I had known they were alive, I would have found a way to inform you.”
I can tell she isn’t lying, but I wave away her words. They don’t mean anything to me.
“Is Lyric going to survive?”
Doctor Whitmore sighs. “King Thane, Lyric’s body is in shock. We’re doing everything we can to flush out the wolfsbane. I can’t tell you when the last time either of them ate was. But for their weight, I’d say whatever food they were given, Lyric gave most of hers to Harmony.
“From what I remember of the twins, Lyric always took care of Harmony. It was clear to anyone with eyes that those girls meant everything to each other.
“My staff and I will do everything we can to help Lyric. But right now, it doesn’t look good; she’s just too ill.”
My heart sinks, and my stomach drops. I stumble back, and my brother and cousin help me into a chair. My mate could die, and I don’t know what the fuck to do!
Why would you do this to me, Moon Goddess?
“Don’t lose your head, Thane. Lyric is a fighter, she’s been fighting all her life, and I doubt she’ll give up now.”
“Blaze is right, Brother. Besides,” Theo smiles, trying to reassure me. “Lyric won’t leave Harmony. They’re two halves of the same coin.”
“Yin and yang.” Blaze laughs. I look at him with scrunched brows because he sounds like a fool! “You know, white hair, black hair. Yin and yang?”
I have no idea what the fuck he’s talking about!
“My King,” I forgot the doctor was still there. “I will keep you informed of Lyric’s progress.”
“See that you do. Any slight change, I want to be informed right away. Now, I want to see her.”
“Soon, My King. Right now, my staff are working on keeping Lyric alive.”
“What about Harmony?”
“You can see her soon, my Prince. We’re just settling Harmony into her room. Please stay calm when you see her. The last thing Harmony needs right now is to feel frightened of her mate. She’s going to need you more than anyone else.”
Theo wants to tell the doctor to go f.uck herself, I can tell. Thankfully, he keeps his cool.
Once the doctor is out of earshot, Theo growls.
“She’s just doing her job, Theo.”
“I know that, Blaze! I just want to see Harmony; I need to see for myself that she’s okay.”
I close my eyes and send a prayer to the Moon Goddess.
I know I’ve not always been the most conventional King, but I beg you, let Lyric and Harmony come through this. If you do, I swear, they’ll be everything to us, just as you planned.