Chapter 27: Chapter 27 A Sickness And A Savior
Phoebe’s POV
Initially, I felt only mild discomfort in my lower belly—something I could easily push through. My pain threshold had always been decent, so when the ache intensified into something unbearable, I simply curled into a tight ball, squeezed my eyes shut, and willed it to fade.
It didn’t. The agony only deepened.
I clenched my jaw as my stomach felt like it was being sliced open with a blade. I refused to cry out, even as sweat beaded across my forehead and I pressed my hands desperately against my abdomen, hoping for any relief. Nothing helped.
The pain made my ears buzz and my sight go hazy. I tried to gather enough strength to stumble from the bedroom and find someone to fetch a healer, but I couldn’t manage it. The torment was overwhelming.
Just as I thought I’d lose consciousness, strong arms scooped me up. I was too drained to pry my eyes open, managing only a soft whimper. I wanted to see who was carrying me.
But I didn’t need to look. I already knew. His commanding presence stirred chaos inside me while simultaneously satisfying a deep ache in my chest.
Even so, my stomach continued its assault. I couldn’t tell where he was taking me—he spoke in a sharp tone, but his words were lost through the ringing in my ears.
When I was finally placed down, the plush mattress offered none of the comfort his arms had provided. I craved being held by him. Being so close, feeling his warmth and presence against my skin, had been almost soothing.
In that position, my cheek had rested against his chest, letting me hear his steady heartbeat. I’d felt it before, and somehow it calmed my mind before my trauma crashed over me and I shut down completely.
Once I was settled on the bed, different hands touched me. A healer, maybe? I could sense the warm healing energy seeping into my skin.
My father had brought me to a healer years ago when I was small and sick—this felt identical.
Gradually, the pain lessened, and I could breathe normally again.
But the entire experience had drained me completely. I felt an overwhelming urge to close my eyes and surrender to sleep, so I did.
The last thing I heard was the king’s enraged voice, making me flinch as he demanded someone explain what had happened to me.
——
Perry’s POV
"What the hell happened to her?!" My brow creased deeply as I watched Phoebe’s body slowly relax, the pain seeming to ease considerably after Helen, the healer, had examined her.
Helen was a middle-aged woman with cropped hair and kind eyes that now shook with terror from the king’s explosion.
Nobody wanted to face the king’s fury—it never ended well.
"I believe she consumed something that didn’t agree with her stomach. Could you tell me what she ate?" Helen asked respectfully, treading carefully. She’d heard this woman was the king’s mate and was certain after spotting the mark on her neck.
I folded my arms, looking troubled as I recalled her afternoon meal, the dinner brought to her room, and the marshmallow stick Timothy had given her.
"I don’t think she ate her dinner completely," Helen explained, detailing the cause of her stomach pain.
Phoebe had barely touched her lunch, and with dinner left mostly uneaten, the spicy marshmallow stick Timothy had brought became problematic.
"She should have stopped when the spice became too much," Helen said with a frown, giving Phoebe a pitying look. "Perhaps she felt awkward refusing the food, but royal gamma Timothy shouldn’t have offered something so spicy when he wasn’t eating it himself."
I then recalled an issue I needed to address with Helen. "Is it possible for someone to lose their sense of taste?"
"Lose their sense of taste?" Helen considered this, then nodded. "Yes, it’s possible. Though it’s rare for a shifter to have such a condition since our healing abilities typically prevent it, it’s not entirely impossible."
I remembered how Phoebe had lost her wolf spirit, making her essentially human—a runt, cursed, or whatever people called her.
"What causes that?"
Helen thought carefully before responding. "The reasons vary. I can’t be certain without speaking with her directly."
My rage seemed to cool slightly, though the healer’s fear remained as long as the king was present.
"Look after her," I said grimly, leaving the infirmary to find my gamma. That fool had caused problems.
Meanwhile, Helen studied the sleeping woman. She was lovely, though quite thin. Her brows pinched slightly, as if troubled even in sleep.
Once they were alone, Helen left to prepare a remedy, but while she was gone, someone else entered.
The woman appeared beautiful despite her modest clothes. She glanced around to ensure no one had seen her come in, and when she saw Phoebe, she gasped in shock.
"It’s really you," Viola breathed.
