"Alpha!" there was a rushed knock at the door and the voice of Lucas sounded. "The doctor needs your advice. Your mate needs you!"
Leland immediately tossed Isolde aside and quickly opened the door. Before Lucas could explain anything, Leland quickly returned to his mate's room to see how she was doing and if there were any signs of improvement.
The lycan healer quickly explained the situation. "Alpha, it is important that you stay with your mate by her side and concentrate on sharing your strength. If you go too far away or allocate your strength somewhere else, the Luna will weaken and she may not make it."
The Alpha felt a wave of hopelessness wash over him at the healer's words. When he was filled with anger and redirected it to threatening his mother, that must have been a loss of strength for Sophie who was fighting for her life.
Leland gently knelt down in front of his unconscious mate and held her hand. His heart ached at seeing her this way and the anger in his chest extinguished, replaced by deep sorrow.
"Oh, Sophia…"
At first, he thought that perhaps Sophie would recover on her own and that Leland's strength was enough to help her wake up. However, that didn't work after one day passed. He was impatient, furious at the idea that his mate had been touched and harmed.
The Alpha had attempted to get the cure from Isolde through force but that didn't work. Isolde Salazar was a proud woman and Leland knew she would choose death over giving up anything that she thought was valuable or belonged to hers.
He understood her so much because he took after her in that regard. He was his parents' son, after all. He, too, was a proud man.
He could conclude that Isolde had nothing to lose and she didn't fear death. So, threatening to kill her wouldn't work. Leland could end up killing his own mother and yet he would still not get the antidote and would never know the truth.
The Alpha sat on the floor beside Sophie's bed and watched her helplessly. Leland wanted to finish off his mother, but it would amount to nothing.
Reluctantly, the Alpha knew that he needed to go back to his mother and asked again for the cure. He knew that his mother probably had it even though she was lying all this time.
"Alpha." A knock on the door interrupted Leland who was stuck with his thoughts. Lucas, his Beta, second-in-command, walked in slowly and bowed his head. "Apologies for disturbing you but…"
"Thank you for coming here, Lucas." Leland smiled sadly as he gazed at his mate and then back at Lucas. "I know that my mother has been tormenting you with offers to replace me, but yet you are still here."
"I would never!" Lucas shook his head wildly. "I am here to serve the Salazar family and the Blood River Pack. At most, I will only assist, but I do not have the competency to truly be an Alpha."
Leland smiled faintly at the man's words. He actually doubted the ability of Isolde to influence Lucas because this lycan was a powerful individual.
At first, Leland had hated returning to the Blood River Pack. He thought that his peaceful life was stolen away because he had to return for the safety of the Hansleys. However, he changed his mind when he met Lucas.
This man was one of the few people who proved the purpose of the pack to him. In Leland's opinion, Lucas was cheerful, resilient, and a people person, everything he was not. Lucas was also very loyal to him.
So, he thought it would be best to have this man help him manage the pack. That's why, when Leland became the Alpha, he appointed Lucas as his Beta. They had been doing a good job together so far.
Leland looked at Lucas seriously, "I know you will not try to snatch my position. However, right now, I do not think I am capable of handling the affairs of the pack. I will leave that matter to you and I expect you to handle it well."
"Of course." Lucas nodded. "Understood, Alpha."
"If possible, I would also like you to start an investigation on Sophia's maidservant, Dinah," Leland said. If he couldn't threaten his mother to confess and give him the antidote, perhaps it would be easier to interrogate Dinah.
"Luna's maidservant? Oh, you mean Desmond's sister?" Lucas furrowed his brows.
Leland stiffly nodded. "That's her. She has indeed been the last one who was with Sophia before my mate fell sick. If this lycan knows anything that could help, I want you to report to me immediately."
"Of course, Alpha."
"Healer, if anything happens to my mate while I am gone." Leland frowned at the healer on standby. "Your life will be in my hands. Do everything to make sure that she is alright."
"Yes, Alpha!" the Healer stammered.
After some hesitation at leaving Sophia alone, Leland ended up heading back to find his mother while Lucas left to handle the affairs of managing the pack.
***
Isolde happened to be resting in her room and lounging in the bed. After the encounter with her son, she felt sick and touched her bruised neck with a grimace. She couldn't stand the abuse that her son inflicted on her.
A part of her was sorely tempted to leave the Blood River Pack here and run away. She didn't actually trust the capacity of the elder lycan to handle the coronation attack and it was nothing more but stirring up trouble.
However, the idea of leaving Blood River Pack and starting in a new one was too much for Isolde. She had already accumulated power and influence here that she was unwilling to give it up.
"This pack will be gone just like my old one." Isolde gritted her teeth. "All of my plans are ruined and it's all thanks to Anne and her daughter. That wench!"
Her ears suddenly perked up. She could hear Leland's footsteps coming back to her room.
"What now?" She cursed under her breath.
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