Chapter 131: First shift

The ride back to the mansion was in total silence, a silence so heavy and thick with tension.

Alyssa lay curled on her side against Dorian, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, her face buried in palms.

Her mind was locked in a horrific loop, replaying the gruesome suicide over and over again; the violent spray of blood into the air, the sickening impact of Freya’s body hitting the dirt, the blood spreading across the floor...

A broken sound escaped her throat, half whimper, half sob. She was no stranger to violence. She had witnessed Dorian’s cold, merciless wrath. She had seen traitors tortured back when she was in Gerald’s estate.

But she had never witnessed a woman slit her own throat in raw, venomous hatred right before her eyes. It left a bitterness in her mouth and a crushing weight on her chest.

Worst of all, the horror of the suicide had forcefully shattered the restraint on her suppressed memories, dragging painful, buried trauma back to the surface.

Beside her, Dorian remained unnaturally still. One arm was wrapped securely around her back, his other hand gently stroking her hair. For the first time in a very long while, fear clutched at his heart.

In that horrifying second when Alyssa had screamed, he hadn’t just seen the flash of crimson in her eyes. He had felt the pulse of Hybrid power that radiated off her body. It had lasted only a second, but the pressure had made his own beast recoil.

Now, watching her shake in agony beside him, all he could do was hold her tighter, murmuring soothing nonsense against her hair. He desperately wanted to offer comforting words, but his throat was tight. He feared even the softest whisper might push her fragile mind over the edge.

When André brought the car to a stop in the driveway, Dorian didn’t wait for a guard to open the door. He scooped Alyssa’s delicate frame into his arms and stepped out into the crisp air.

He ignored Pandora and Anthony completely as he strode past the living room and up the stairs. By the time he reached the bedroom and kicked the door shut behind them, Alyssa’s shivering had escalated into full-body tremors.

He carefully laid her down on the sheets and crouched at the edge of the bed, gently brushing the strands of hair away from her pale face.

"My love," he whispered. "Talk to me, please. Are you in pain?"

She shook her head weakly, but the agony carved into her features betrayed her lie. Witnessing Freya’s death had unraveled something deep inside her; he had never seen her look so shattered, so vulnerable.

"I’m going to send for Nina to examine you."

"No," she shook her head, her fingers lurching forward to grip his forearm. "Don’t call Nina. I’m... I’m fine."

"You’re not fine, my love," Dorian murmured, his heart breaking at the sight. "You are shaking so violently. Please, let me help you."

Alyssa wiped frantically at the hot tears spilling down her cheeks. A raging headache was blooming behind her temples, the forced return of her memories causing her skull to throb painfully.

"Water," she rasped out, her throat dry as sand. "I need water."

Dorian’s eyes briefly clouded as he opened the mind link to Pandora, instructing her to send a servant up immediately. He stayed glued to Alyssa’s side, stroking her forehead until a soft knock sounded against the bedroom door.

He pulled away from the bed and strode across the room, pulling the door open just a crack.

Instead of a house maid, Pandora stood in the hallway holding a crystal pitcher of water and a glass.

​"Is everything alright, Ri?" she asked softly, her eyes searching his tense face. "Is Alyssa okay?"

"She’s fine," Dorian replied flatly. He took the pitcher and glass from her hands, keeping his body positioned to block her view of the bed.

"You look pale," Pandora noted, her brows pulling together in genuine concern. "Did something happen?"

"Jake and Alec will be back soon," Dorian replied. "They will tell you what happened. Keep everyone away. I’m not to be disturbed under any circumstances."

Without waiting for her to respond, he stepped back, swung the door shut, and turned the key in the lock with a sharp click.

He hurried back to the bed with the water. But as he reached out to help her sit up, his palm brushed against her forearm, and he violently recoiled.

She was burning up.

In the span of ten seconds it had taken to grab the water from Pandora, her body temperature had surged dangerously.

He shoved the pitcher and glass down on the nightstand and lunged over the bed to pull her into his arms.

"Alyssa! Alyssa, look at me!" he pleaded, gently shaking her as the intense heat radiating from her skin scorched through his clothes.

Her face was deeply flushed, deep red blotches blooming across her cheekbones. Tears streamed continuously down her face, her eyelids fluttering weakly as she fought to stay conscious.

"Dorian..." she whimpered, her face contorting with pain.

"I’m right here, baby. I’m right here."

"It hurts," she sobbed. "It hurts so much..."

"Where?" Dorian demanded, his voice cracking with sheer panic. "Where does it hurt, my love?"

"Everywhere." She suddenly doubled over, her fists clenching tight over the center of her chest. A sharp cry ripped from her throat as she curled into a ball, clutching her ribs as if her heart were being ripped out.

Dorian was at a loss. He had no idea how to stop it. When her eyes briefly opened, he caught a glimpse of her pupils; they were glowing a vivid, full-blown crimson.

He couldn’t call Nina. He couldn’t call any medical staff without instantly exposing the Hybrid blood surging through her veins. But as he watched her writhe in agony across the bed, he knew doing nothing was worse. He had to bring her fever down.

Reaching down, he scooped her into his arms and rushed her into the bathroom. He carefully lowered her into the tub and cranked the faucet to full blast.

Ice-cold water poured into the tub. The moment it struck her overheated skin, Alyssa wailed loudly. She thrashed around, her limbs flailing as she desperately fought Dorian to break free of the tub.

"It hurts... so much..." she cried as the water quickly rose to her collarbones, instantly soaking her blue dress and plastering her hair to her scalp.

"I know, baby, I know," Dorian choked out, tears stinging his own eyes as he held her down. "I’m right here. I promise you, I’m not leaving. It’s going to break the fever, then I’ll pull you out."

Her body curled into a ball under the force of the thermal shock. Then Dorian turned off the tap. Ripping off his jacket and shirt, he climbed into the tub with her, wrapping his arms around her scalding body, holding her close while she sobbed against his chest.

For half an hour, he held her close, silently begging the Moon Goddess to show mercy and break the fever. But an hour passed, and the violent spasms of pain continued to strike in relentless, brutal waves.

He couldn’t sit by and watch her body destroy itself from the inside out. He had to risk calling Nina. Consequences be damned.

His eyes clouded as he opened the mind link and reached for Nina. Fortunately, her link was open.

[Nina!]

[Alpha? What is wrong? You sound panicked.]

[Something is wrong with Alyssa. She’s in pain, and she’s got a fever. I don’t know what to do, Nina. I need your help.]

[I’m on my way, Alpha. I’ll be there in a few minutes.]

Dorian let out a ragged breath of pure relief. He should have done this an hour ago. [Please,hurry.]

Severing the link, he leaned down and pressed a kiss against Alyssa’s forehead. Despite being submerged in freezing water for over an hour, her skin was still burning with heat.

"Nina is on her way, my love," he whispered, brushing wet strands of hair from her cheeks. "Hold on for me. Everything is going to be fine."

Alyssa didn’t reply. Her eyes remained shut, her teeth digging viciously into her bottom lip as another wave of pain tore through her torso. It felt as though her ribcage were being reconstructed from the inside out.

Minutes later, an urgent knock rattled the bedroom door. Nina was here.

Dorian pulled himself out of the tub, his soaked trousers heavy and dripping with water as he hurried into the room and toward the door.

Halfway there, a strange sound stopped him dead in his tracks, freezing the blood in his veins.

From the bathroom behind him came a deep, feral growl, followed by the distinct sound of bones snapping and reshaping loudly.