Royal Alpha: Implacable

Chapter 28 - Two spirits

Hayden's POV

I woke up to an awful headache... and my mate nowhere to be seen. The room was completely dark as I tried getting up and noticed metal chains keeping me close to the bed.

"What?" I whispered, confusion filling my mind.

Where's Naida? Where is my mate...

I couldn't remember what had happened before I apparently passed out. Struggling against the chains, my heart racing which each second passing, a groan escaping my lips.

Suddenly, a door opened and in came some light, making my eyes narrow and my head hurt even more.

"I won't be able to go in without killing him." I heard the King's voice and wondered if it was about me he was talking.

Had I done something bad? Bad enough to ban Naida from seeing me?

I noticed a figure moving towards me and figured it was Naida's mom.

"Hayden?" she asked, not acussingly, which relieved me somehow.

"Yes, ma'am?" she seemed to study my appearance, which I guess was not very good, before she spoke again.

"Do you remember anything of the last week?" she questioned, and at that moment I realized I didn't know what day it was.

"I remember meeting Naida, her kidnapping, then... holding her inside a cell... ehh..." I struggled to recall anything. "I'm sorry... I can't remember anything, I don't even know how we got out."

She seemed taken aback and maybe I was hallucinating, but I could swear she was fighting back tears.

"That was...two weeks ago."

What?

"You have been in here for a week already."

"What? What's going on? Where's Naida?" I was seriously trying not to freak out, but I needed to see my mate for my own comfort.

She motioned for some guards to release me from the chains, but they still walked behind me as I followed the Queen outside. We walked down some hallways to another dimly lit room, were a lot of people seemed to have gathered. There were crying noises, there was sobbing, and I began having a very bad feeling about all this.

The people moved aside to let the Queen pass, some gave me dirty looks, some gave confused looks, some didn't even turn to see who was walking. They were focused on some kind of altar in the middle of the room.

I dropped to my knees as soon as I saw her.

Paler than usual, completely still, eyelids closed, flowers surrounding her tiny frame. Resting on the rock altar. Her blonde hair had lost its life and now just rested dead against her pale skin, giving her an almost beautifully eerie look.

"No..." my voice trembled and broke. Tears started rolling down my cheeks without noticing.

The love of my life... my soulmate... I was supposed to protect her.

"It's been a week." Kaylie sniffed and looked away. She couldn't look at me. And I finally remembered. How I had closed my hands around her tiny neck. The scared look in her eyes, her small hands fighting mine... The internal fight I had that moment when I didn't know what was happening... I was killing my mate and that was against my instinct and feelings... Had they knocked me out too lately?

"No, no... no..." I stood up and hurried towards her. Gasps and screams were heard but I didn't care.

I ran to her and held her torso and head, caressing her cheek. Her eyelids didn't flutter, they didn't even move. Her body was cold, no rosy tint on her cheeks, no breathing that could reassure me that she would be fine.

"Naida... my princess... please wake up... you can't leave me like this..." I hugged her and breathed in her scent.

Fresh.

I remained still, hoping it was only my mind playing torturing games with my feelings. A fresh scent.

I took a deep breath and could tell it was a really fresh scent. She was there, she was in there still, I just knew it.

"My love..." I heard her sweet voice whisper in my head.

I opened my eyes wide and closed them shut again as I felt something within me wake up. Everything seemed to stop at that moment and a new voice was heard inside my head.

"Mate." I growled and turned to cover her body with mine, glaring at every person in the room.

Kaylie only gave me a surprised and confused look as she took in my new position.

"Stay away from my mate." Surprised exclamations began moving through the room, but they were still too close to her. To MY mate.

Cedric came running in and stood in front of her queen. I then recognized the same stance from every mated couple. Cedric was defensive, but his look was that too of incredulity. 

He turned to his mate.

"How?"

She smiled and brought both hands to cover her mouth.

I knew they had spoken through the link, and I knew she also knew what was happening.

They both motioned me to go with them and let me take my mate in my arms. So tiny in my arms.

We walked back to the room were we first had gathered.

Doors closed and guards in place.

"His wolf woke up."

"But how?? It wouldn't be possible unless..." 

"Yes... it is possible actually."

"How?"

"Her body is dead, but her spirit isn't, her purpose isn't... she won't let go."

And I won't let go either.

I had woken my wolf.

"Of course I woke up, you freaking tried to kill our mate!"

And we weren't going down without a fight.

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*smiles innocently and runs away*

I cried while writing this haha