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He holds up a needle. “Time for your test, candidate.”
Arwan stands and holds out his hand. “I’ll do it.”
The hybrid evaluates him but doesn’t seem up for whatever fight he sees in the prince’s eyes. He hands over a syringe, and Arwan turns his back to him.
He smiles at me as he grips my arm. “This’ll just be a pinch,” he says as he slides the needle into my arm, making me wince. He doesn’t draw any blood, just pulls it out and quickly fills it using the vial in my hand.
He curls my fingers over it and releases me, turning.
The hybrid glances around him, catching sight of the wound on my arm, then takes the filled syringe.
“The report will be available within the hour,” he says, offering a slight bow before he leaves.
Arwan cheerfully turns to Godric, who had been watching the entire exchange with a scowl. “So, have any chains lying around here to tie me up with?”
Godric surprises me by opening a cabinet that has all sorts of restraints hanging on hooks.
What the hell kind of treatment center is this?
He takes a heavy set of chains and clasps them around Arwan’s wrists. “Can you get dressed?” he asks me.
My body aches, but the surge of warmth feels like renewed life through my veins. Apparently, seeing Arwan again healed something inside me.
It’s not enough. My throat feels tighter by the second and my lungs pinch, but I muster the strength to get up and patter over to one of the drawers. I pull out a dress, then swap it in favor of battle leathers.
Arwan gives me an approving smile as I dress and strap on my vials. I won’t be leaving again without them.
As I braid my hair and wrap it around the back of my neck, securing it with pins I found in the top drawer, I catch both Godric and Arwan watching me.
“You look beautiful,” the royal says, making me blush.
Godric makes a growl of agreement. “Keep your head down. There will be cameras, and this will make quite the show for King Njord, but it’ll get us all to the prisoner chamber in one piece.”
My stomach flips at the idea of reuniting with Ze’ev and having all my sponsors in one place.
I put one foot in front of the other and lead the way.
CHAPTER 37
The pack has changed in the three days I’ve been in recovery.
Dark patches of land seem to bleed with a sticky black substance that extends even to the pack members.
I give Godric a questioning look as a shifter holding a camera follows us, just as he had warned.
“The revenants are infecting the entire isle,” he informs me loud enough for the camera to hear, so I decide that must be public information. “Only the weak and unmated among us aren’t strong enough to fight off the influence.”
A wolf skids around the corner, and Godric immediately steps in front of me, blocking its path.
The wolf’s eyes are entirely black, and so are its teeth. It snaps the air but runs away when Godric growls back.
The pack master motions for me to continue, so I resume my trek along the path, glancing over my shoulder to make sure he’s following.
Arwan stumbles as Godric yanks him along by the chains around his wrists. I’m not sure if it’s a show for the cameras or if the Alpha is taking advantage of having the royal under his dominion. “Keep up,” he growls.
Arwan merely smiles and gives me a wink.
I turn forward and don’t say a word, but the tightness in my throat seems to loosen with every step we take.
