Chapter 33: ³³: blood healing

Soon our classes ended, and we all grabbed our things before moving out of the classroom.

Throughout the entire lecture, I couldn’t focus properly. If worrying about the Run wasn’t enough, I could also feel a piercing gaze burning into the back of my head the whole time.

And as far as I knew everyone in this class, there was only one person who could stare with that much hatred.

Louis Dreven. Apparently, the man had no other work than directing all of his hostility toward me.

"Athena..." Rose whispered as soon as we stepped outside the classroom. "Among all the craziness this morning, I almost forgot to tell you about Maria."

My heart skipped a beat. "What about her?" I asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

She had been in critical condition.

Please don’t let anything happen to her...

If something really happened because of Damian’s actions, I would never be able to forgive myself.

Rose leaned closer before lowering her voice even more. "She recovered... completely."

I blinked. "What?"

Rose nodded. "Just in one night."

"What do you mean, overnight?"

"Her little followers have been talking about it everywhere that it was Louis who helped her."

I looked at her confused, not getting how Louis could help her in this.

"According to them, Louis couldn’t bear seeing Maria in so much pain, so he used the power of his royal blood on her wounds."

I stared at her. "...What?"

"They said she healed within a single night and is completely out of danger now." Rose said her eyes filled with shock mirroring mine.

I couldn’t process what I had just heard.

Using your blood to heal another werewolf of the opposite gender wasn’t something trivial. It was considered an incredibly intimate act.

And Louis... Louis was royalty. For someone of royal blood to willingly share their soul essence through blood... That wasn’t just shocking. It was almost unheard of.

"Didn’t you tell me she wasn’t even his girlfriend?" I finally asked. "Then how could he do something so intimate if he doesn’t have feelings for her? I mean... that’s only one step below marking her as his mate." I still was not able to grasp that someone so heartless like Louis dreven could do something like this.

Rose sighed.

"I know. That’s exactly why everyone is talking about it."

Healing someone with your blood is considered so intimate because it takes a part of your souls essence to heal anyone else with your blood.

I lowered my gaze, my thoughts becoming complicated. There were three ways for a werewolf to heal.

The first was through the healing abilities of your own wolf. The stronger your wolf was, the faster your injuries recovered, provided the wounds weren’t fatal.

The second method was through another person’s soul essence, transferred through their blood. That was why blood healing was considered sacred. Every drop carried a fragment of the owner’s soul.

Most wolves would never willingly waste that essence on anyone except the person they loved. Usually... Their mate.

The powerfull the soul essence the faster the healing just like the more powerful your own wolf is theore quickly your wounds will heal.

Among everyone in the empire, Alpha Kael’s blood would naturally possess one of the strongest healing abilities.

Being both an Alpha and a member of the royal family... His soul essence was probably unmatched. Only Louis, another royal, could come close.

The third... And strongest method... Was the Mate Mark. A powerful enough Alpha could even pull their mate back from death’s doorstep through it.

That was why Louis healing Maria with his blood wasn’t some small favor.

It was an act only one step below giving her his mark.

"Yeah..." Rose replied with a sigh. "I wasn’t lying when I said she wasn’t his girlfriend. I honestly don’t know what happened between them to make Louis do something like this. Maybe the rumors are true... maybe they aren’t."

I nodded slowly. Whatever relationship Louis and Maria had wasn’t any of my concern. If Maria was alive... Then I was relieved.

At least now I wouldn’t have to carry the guilt of Damian’s actions forever. "It doesn’t matter why he did it," I said quietly.

"I’m just glad Maria is safe."

Rose nodded in agreement. But the very next second— Thud.

I walked straight into something solid. Or rather... Someone. I had been looking at Rose while walking instead of watching where I was going.

Stupid.

"You are glad that Maria is fine?" That cold, familiar voice made me stiffen before I even looked up. There was no mistaking it.

Louis Dreven.

I slowly lifted my head, only to find him staring down at me with those unreadable blue eyes. "What kind of rude behavior is this, Mr. Dreven?" I asked, glaring at him. "Move out of my way."

He only scowled back. "And where exactly have I been rude to you, Miss Moonvel?"

Before I could answer... He grabbed my wrist. "What—" Without another word, he pulled me through the crowded hallway.

"Athena!" Rose called after me. I looked back only once, giving her a reassuring glance.

I’ll be fine. Whatever Louis Dreven wanted... I wasn’t going to drag Rose into it.

Ignoring the curious stares of the students around us, Louis continued walking until he suddenly pushed open the door of an empty washroom and pulled me inside.

The door shut behind us. Before I could react... My back hit the wooden door. I winced. Damn I hate these wounds.

"What is wrong with you, Mr. Dreven?" I snapped, glaring at him. "What exactly are you trying to prove by dragging me around like this?"

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he planted both hands on either side of me, effectively trapping me between himself and the door. Then he leaned down just enough for our eyes to meet.

"Didn’t you complain last night," he said calmly, his face completely expressionless, "that I just wanted to keep you as another side chick now that Maria was dying?"

A few strands of his dark hair fell over his forehead, making him look even more intimidating than usual.

"So?" I asked, refusing to back down.

A slow chuckle escaped his lips. "So..."

He leaned even closer, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Maria is perfectly fine now." He paused deliberately. "And I’m still standing here."

His lips curved into the faintest smirk.

"Telling you exactly the same thing."