{Third Person}
The next morning was quiet inside the Alpha Prince's residence. Jasper stood beside the bed, holding a bowl in both hands.
Alexander leaned forward weakly, one hand braced against the mattress as a violent cough tore through his chest. Then, dark blood spilled from his lips into the bowl.
When the coughing finally stopped, his shoulders sagged with exhaustion.
Jasper quickly set the bowl aside and handed him a clean handkerchief. "Your Highness."
Alexander took it without speaking and wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. His face was pale, almost gray against the dark sheets, and his breathing still came unevenly.
Jasper frowned as he watched him. "You drank too much blood two nights ago," he said quietly. "And again last night. Your body can't handle that much."
Alexander leaned back slowly against the pillow Jasper had adjusted behind him.
"You should cut down tonight," Jasper continued. "Better yet, don't hunt at all."
Alexander let out a faint, humourless breath. "It's not like I can fight it."
Jasper sighed. He had heard that answer too many times. After making sure Alexander was settled against the pillows, he hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"There is something else you should know."
Alexander's eyes remained half-closed. "What is it?"
"Yesterday morning," Jasper said carefully, "the King's guards came to the residence. They arrested the human girl."
For the first time since waking, Alexander's eyes opened fully, and his brows were faintly creased.
"On what grounds?" he asked hoarsely.
Jasper clasped his hands behind his back. "A letter was sent to the palace anonymously," he explained. "It claims that Amara Caldwell is not the biological daughter of the Caldwell family."
Alexander coughed once more before leaning his head back against the pillow. "So that's it." His voice carried no urgency.
Jasper watched him carefully. "The Queen believes the Humans attempted to deceive the Crown by sending a false bride," he added. "I heard she accused them of inviting war."
Alexander's expression barely changed. "I assume the King has ordered an investigation."
"Yes."
"Then the matter will resolve itself in two or three days at most," Alexander said calmly, then he closed his eyes again. "Let her stay there."
Jasper stayed silent as his brows gently furrowed.
"If she is innocent," Alexander continued, his voice was quiet but firm, "she will be released." A pause followed, then he added, "And if she isn't…"
His eyes opened again. The frailty in his body remained, but the look in his gaze was sharp enough to chill the room.
"…she should take her life before I get to her."
The air in the room turned cold.
Even sitting weakly against the pillows, Alexander's presence carried the same ruthless authority it always had.
Jasper knew that look. The murderous intent behind it had nothing to do with illness. It was simply who the Alpha Prince was.
---
Meanwhile, at the other end, Amara shifted slightly where she sat against the cold wall, the chains around her wrists clinking softly.
Time passed too slowly here. And the heavy, sour stench clinging to the walls didn't make it any better for her. Every time she inhaled too deeply, her stomach twisted in protest.
Initially, there was silence here. But some time later, the quiet was shattered by a man's scream. The sound echoed through the underground corridors. Then another hoarse, desperate cry full of agony followed—a sound that tore straight through the chest.
Her heart started pounding. She didn't know where it was coming from, but it was close enough that she could hear every broken gasp, every desperate plea that followed. Someone was being punished.
The man's cries grew louder, turning into wrenching sobs that made Amara's hands tremble.
Was that what awaited her, too?
Her imagination began filling the darkness with horrors she had only heard in rumours about werewolves. Interrogations, punishments, and executions.
She swallowed hard and drew her knees closer, trying to steady her breathing. But luckily, the torture didn't reach her.
The hours dragged on, and Amara's body grew weaker with each passing moment. It had already been two days since she arrived in the Werewolf Empire, and she had barely eaten anything.
At the Alpha Prince's residence, she had refused food out of fear. Now she was beginning to regret it.
A short while later, footsteps grew closer, and two guards unlocked her cell before entering with a tray. They placed the plate down on the floor in front of her before stepping back.
Amara stared at the raw fish and raw meat before her and thought, 'Have they lost their mind?'
One of the guards chuckled. "Look at her," he sneered to his companion. "A little human girl."
The other guard smirked. "She probably thinks it's poison."
The first guard crouched slightly, resting his arms on his knees as he studied Amara. "You know," he said casually to her, "not many people who come down here leave walking on their own two feet."
His companion laughed. "Especially the ones accused of starting wars."
Amara felt the chill run down her spine, but she refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her panic.
The guards waited for a moment, clearly hoping she would react. When she didn't touch the food, they eventually lost interest.
"Suit yourself," one of them said with a shrug. Then, they took the tray and left. The door slammed shut again.
Amara stared at the empty while thinking back to the raw food. Then, she pressed her lips together tightly.
'I might as well poison myself,' she thought to herself. Even starvation felt safer.
By evening, her head was spinning. Her body felt heavy and weak, and every movement made the chains rattle softly against the stone.
And just then, footsteps returned again, and the door opened. This time, the guards set down something different. A small plate of citrus fruits and a cup of water.
Neither guard spoke before leaving.
Amara stared at the food, and her stomach twisted painfully. The fruits looked harmless enough, but she knew better than to eat them immediately. Her stomach had been empty for far too long, so citrus alone would burn the lining of her stomach.
Her gaze darkened slightly. 'These wild animals truly do not wish me well.'