The Moon Goddess' Chosen

499 The Value of a Healer

Caden’s control was nearly impossible to acquire. His wolf surged forward, forcing its will onto him. ‘Kill… Rip his throat out. Make him regret laying his hands on her.’ The wolf roared in his head, saying actual words for the first time in his life.

Caden wanted to let the creature through as well. The sight of the rogue’s hand on Catherine’s throat fuelled this rage.

If it hadn’t been for the look of fear on Catherine’s face, he would have let his wolf through. Since he’d met her, she’d shown fear towards werewolves. If that look of fear was ever directed towards him, Caden couldn’t imagine how much it would break him.

And it was this same reasoning that kept his wolf from completely breaking through and running feral. He could easily end all this…

The rogue’s voice brought him out of his thoughts…

“Damned monarchs! They remain arrogant even when there is no way they can win. That’s what I’ve always hated about these damned royals and their alphas. They think they’re invincible… like nothing can stop them. Well, newsflash fake king, her life is in my hands. You better start acting like it. You won’t get another,” the rogue snarled, exposing a measly set of canines that belonged to an amber-eyed werewolf.

Regardless of the searing rage that he felt towards the rogues, Caden found the display nothing short of amusing. If it hadn’t been for the person being held hostage, he would have actually laughed at this attempt.

But they had Catherine. And that changed a lot.

These rogues weren’t noteworthy opponents and when he listened to the tone of their voices, they weren’t that experienced in combat either.

.....

Perhaps the ones earlier had been confident in the presence of the Rogue King but without their leader, they were like scared lost pups.

If it hadn’t been for the time in Brigadia when he’d learnt how bad rogues could be when they surrendered, he would have taken them lightly but Caden knew how dangerous a rogue that had something to lose could be.

“What is it you want then?” he asked, “I know the two of you don’t want to die… because that’s what killing that woman would get you. Since she’s still alive, I can assume you want something. So, mention it.”

“Goddess’s mercies, Bartrum, he’s actually negotiating with us,” the rogue holding Catherine gasped, disbelief written all over his face.

“I knew this one was smart. He knows what a hostage situation is all about. Hehehe,” the other rogue holding a knife chuckled, “Now, Acting King, you’re going make the right decision to allow us to get out of this shelter with our lives and no one will follow us or else the woman dies.”

Caden sighed, ‘What a hassle!’

“How about this? I will let you leave this room and I’ll personally walk you to the exit and see to it that you are set free,” Caden said to them, masking his fury.

“That sounds like a…” the rogue holding the knife was cut off.

“No, Steve. That’s not how this is going to play out. I’ve changed my mind. We want protection,” the man said, his voice getting shaky.

Perhaps Caden’s calm demeanour had gotten to him… or maybe he was finally seeing just how futile his attempts were. Either way, Caden could ignore how unexpected this man’s words were.

They were the first signs of an unsteady collaboration.

Steve turned to his comrade with a murderous expression on his face, “You trait—”

The words had barely left his lips when Caden’s fist struck his throat. He followed through with an intricate well-executed throw that rendered the rogue unconscious.

The beta alpha stood and faced Bartrum. The two were silent for a bit before Caden tilted his head, “You know what you just asked for, don’t you?”

Bartrum nodded his head feverishly and pushed Catherine out of his hands and into Caden’s arms. The female doctor stumbled into Caden’s arms and continued to shiver in the beta alpha’s arms gripping his shirt with all her strength.

Caden wrapped his arms around her and rubbed circles in her back, doing his best to ignore the intoxicating scent of strawberries and comfort the female doctor.

“There is a hunter that came and got rid of your friends at the entrance. Since there is no royal around right now, we can’t carry out a Prometheus evaluation to rid you of the Rogue King’s control…

So, in the meantime, we’ll isolate you and give you the protection you need before we can get you an evaluation,” Caden announced.

“It can’t be that simple,” the rogue snarled.

“Killing you is simple. This isn’t. Be grateful,” Caden said sharply.

Through the mind link, he called for some pack warriors to come and clean up the mess. Steve’s body was disposed of along with the other rogues that Jeremiah had killed at the entrance.

Bartrum—to his surprise— was taken away from the beta alpha’s presence in a rather gentle manner.

Caden stood still with Catherine in his arms, losing track of how much time passed. The woman was shaken and needed time to recover. But nothing could tell Caden how long that would be.

He couldn’t imagine what she’d been through. His hand balled into a fist when he remembered sending her to get the two rogues. At the time, he hadn’t confirmed his suspicions… but still.

She’d rushed into danger and the number of things that could have happened to her started pouring into his mind.

“Are you okay? You’re not injured, are you?”

Catherine nodded feverishly, pulling away from him as she wiped her slightly puffy eyes. The sight of tears tugged at the beta alpha’s heartstrings.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I am. I should be asking you that,” the woman replied, her hand flying to the beta alpha’s shoulder. A large bloodstain covered Caden’s shoulder but no pain came from the spot she touched.

“I’m fine. I already healed,” Caden replied, “I didn’t think before sending you after them. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m the one that knew their faces. I could identify them. I’m sorry… for making you worry about me,” Catherine argued, looking down as she spoke, “As you’ve noticed, I’m useless in a fight. I can’t do anything to defend myself.”

“Hey, you’re more important than you know. When the fight’s all over, you’re the most important person around. To heal the wounds, to fix what can be fixed and to save lives that only you can save,” Caden cooed.

“Oh my! Caden’s good with the ladies? The world must really be coming to an end,” a cheerful voice interrupted the couple’s moment.

Catherine turned red.

Caden would normally be angered by an intrusion of this nature but the man that had spoken was Jeremiah. He wouldn’t have been able to come to Catherine’s rescue without the hunter’s help… and for that, he was grateful.

“Jeremiah! I—”

“Nah! I was just messing with you guys. You look adorable though. Keep that one safe this time. I’m heading out for now… to make sure there aren’t any other rogues left out there. We’ll catch up later. Get your… damsel taken care of,” the hunter cut him off with a cheeky grin before vanishing.

After a short while, Catherine asked, “Do we… umm, look like an item?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. Werewolves have that pairing system of yours that your kind dream about their whole lives. Are we? How can you even tell when that’s the case?” Catherine’s questions were getting rushed as she forgot to breathe between sentences.

Caden mentally acknowledged her bravery. Simply for how boldly she could ask such a question with her face as red as it was.

“Well…” the beta alpha locked hands with her, sparks shimmering through their hands from every point of contact… “It’s usually something like what you’re feeling right now.”

The feeling, for Caden, raised two very opposite emotions within him. One was everything light, a mixture of hope, love and bliss while the other put a damper on this light. Fear…

With a light chuckle, he added, “But considering I saved you a couple of times, we’ll have to wait a bit to make sure it’s not just you feeling attracted to me for that.”

Catherine hadn’t realised she was looking him in the eye while he spoke and quickly whisked her eyes away from him.

‘Attracted to him because he saved me? I know that’s a thing… but I’ve been like this since I met him. Since before he saved me in the hospital.’ She wanted to say but held back.

“Okay… we’ll wait for a bit. But until then, we…”

“Alpha Caden… Alpha Caden… Alpha Caden, I couldn’t find the woman you sent me to find. Lotuses, this place is huge! Alpha… Oh dear!” a delta came stumbling into the room.

The same delta Caden had sent to find and protect Catherine had come running into the room, panting like he’d run a marathon.

Caden’s brow twitched in frustration while Catherine’s hand flew to her mouth, holding in her laughter.