Amia's POV
I had a fever, and I felt like I was dying. I felt nauseous and I was shivering, as well as sweating badly in my bed. Another four days had gone by, and hunger was now a part of my everyday normal.
As usual, I drank water from the tap in the bathroom, and that was all I had.
How long could a werewolf survive without food until their demise? I had no idea, but I guessed I was going to find out as soon as I took my last breath.
When I heard the doors open, I had no strength to sit upright or check who it was. It was already late at night, and no one came here—not even the lord—so whoever it was wasn't welcome.
A few minutes of silence went by and I could hear someone breathing in my room. Fear was slowly creeping in, and my heart was beating loudly.
Whoever it was could have ill intentions and I couldn't even fight or protect myself in my state.
When their breathing got louder, I knew they were close to me. I flinched when I felt a large, cold hand press against my forehead, which was followed by a low hissing sound.
When the tingles spread throughout my body, I felt a lot of things: anger, relief, ease, fear, and confusion.
Why was he here?
Was he here to have sex, or was he forced to come here by his lover because they desperately needed an heir? Perhaps he was here to hit me? But if that was the case, then why was he placing his hand gently on my forehead?
When I felt his hand being withdrawn, I quickly grabbed it, placing it back on. I hated doing this, but having him close by and his hand on my forehead made me feel so much better. My wolf, who was in shock and pain over his behavior, felt the closure she needed, even if it wasn't out of affection.
"Please, stay like this for just a few minutes. I don't feel so..." I cut my sentence short, pushing the hand away and moving to the edge of the bed to throw up.
I tensed when his hand went to my back, rubbing there gently.
The nausea I felt instantly vanished and I felt much better.
I slowly moved back, lying down without a word.
I wanted to ask him why he was being nice to me, but then I didn't want him to snap and act cold, as he usually did.
"My lord, I am here," a strong male voice said at the doors, and shortly after, the sound of the doors opening followed.
My heart was beating rapidly and I was trying my best not to do anything that might trigger him.
"My lady," the male voice called, closer to my bed.
I weakly forced myself to sit upright and look at the one talking to me.
"Forgive me," he said as he clapped lightly. Instantly, the room was filled with light. When he looked at me, he gasped loudly and then looked at the lord who sat on the edge of the bed with his eyes fixed on him.
Unlike the lord, his form wasn't that huge, and his tail was white. He had long white hair and bright, light blue eyes. He wasn't wearing any robes, as if he was showing off his abs and fit build.
He also had black, round tribal tattoos on each side of his arms. Diamond earrings on each side of his earlobes sparkled, and a bangle of gold was on each of his wrists.
He looked more like royalty than the lord did.
"What the hell is the meaning of this, Ezra?" he yelled at the top of his voice, then looked at me with a sad smile.
"Forgive me, my lady, for screaming and startling you. I am Lucian, this nest's oracle and a part healer," he said as he moved very close and extended his hand toward me.
I looked at the hand, then at my mate seriously, who wasn't looking at me.
It was clear they were close because if he weren't, he couldn't dare call the lord by his birth name and in such a tone.
I had no reason to act nice to Lucian, but if I needed to find a way out or to stand firm, I was supposed to be nice to the people or beings who were close to my mate while I gathered my strength to heal.
I raised my hand and placed it on his. He instantly widened his eyes and looked at my mate.
"Ezra!" he yelled, this time making my mate look his way.
"You knew, didn't you?" he asked in a whisper that sounded like disbelief.
My mate let out a heavy sigh and shifted his gaze to the side.
"My lady, pardon me, I want to heal and examine you," Lucian said softly as he looked at me and leaned in, placing his free hand on my stomach and closing his eyes.
I sat still, feeling uncomfortable about what was happening. When he dropped both of his hands after a few minutes, I felt a lot better.
"The fever will be gone by morning, so do not worry," he said and then looked at my mate.
"By tomorrow, her ladyship should be moved to a different bedchamber worthy of her title and given a servant to take very good care of her," he said as my mate sprang from the bed with a loud hiss.
"I am not asking you, my lord; I am telling you as the Oracle of this nest," he said strongly as a blue dim light glowed on his skin.
My mate sighed softly and then nodded, shocking me.
"Now, my lord, I suggest you convey my words to your fuck toy," he said as my mate moved out of the room without hesitation.
I looked at Lucian as I would at the moon goddess, in disbelief, awe, gratitude, and utmost respect.
I wanted to thank him, but words couldn't come out.
"Don't worry, my lady; I am not like him or that witch he sleeps with. Your well-being and health are what I value the most. As the mother of our unborn lord, you are to be treated as the female leader of this nest," he said as I fought back the forming tears.
"And don't worry, he won't change his mind even when I leave this area because he knows how it would cause problems," he said, frowning deeply.
"Pardon me, my lady, have you eaten anything since morning?" he asked.
"No, I haven't eaten a thing in a week and some days… I think," I answered huskily as his face turned pale.
"What! How could he do this to you and his own blood!" he hissed furiously.
"You are to eat anything you want, and the servants are to serve you every minute you call," he yelled furiously.
"My lady, as of today, I will be visiting you every weekend to see how you and the heir you are carrying are doing," he said as I froze in shock.
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" I asked seriously.
"I said I will be checking on you every weekend," he answered.
"Yes, but did you also say that I was pregnant?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I did," he answered simply.
"Why?" I asked, feeling confused.
"That's because you are, and our lord knew too; that's why he came here," he said as I dropped my jaw with widened eyes.
"Allow me to explain so you can understand. My kind is different from other supernatural beings in terms of mating. Mating to conceive can be hard when it's done between those who are not bonded. You know, just as your kind has mates, we have bonds," he said simply.
"But when my kind mates with their bonds, the chances of conceiving are extremely high. That's why there is a potion a female has to take to avoid pregnancy when she isn't ready to conceive," he said as I frowned.
"Oh, I see," I answered in a low tone.
"My kind, the males, also have a way of knowing when their partners are pregnant. You could say it's in our instinct as serpents. But they can only tell when their partners have been pregnant for a week or more," he said seriously.
"The strongest ones, like our lord, can tell after six to seven days. They can feel it, while those below him can take up to two weeks. That's why I was shocked when he mind-linked me to come and aid you because you had a fever," he said.
"But when I looked at you, I could tell how your fever wasn't normal. Those who carry the serpent's seed, who aren't our kind, mostly tend to have such fevers. That's why I had to place my hand on your stomach to allow my magic to detect the heir in you, and I did," he said as I felt dizzy.
Everything was too much to take in.
The only thing I could hear was his loud scream before passing out.