Brute 263

Chapter 263 

Atasha’s POV 

I woke with a sharp inhale, my body jerking upright before my mind fully caught up. 

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Pain flared across my back and chest, the kind that came after something had already been torn and forced back together. My heart hammered wildly as memory crashed into me in fragments. I recalled the rain, blood, Cassian being thrown aside, the cold shock of steel piercing through me, and obviously… William’s smile. 

Wait! I was awake. 

My gaze flew around instinctively, searching for movement, for shadows, for the familiar presence that should have been beside me. The first thing I noticed was the bed. It was wide and raised, draped in thick fabric that fell from a carved canopy above, the sheets clean and warm beneath my hands. The second thing I noticed was the room itself. 

It was not Nightfall. 

The walls were stone, smooth and polished, carved with subtle patterns that spoke of age and authority rather than defense. Tall windows rose along one side, their heavy curtains pulled back just enough to let morning light spill across the floor. The air smelled clean, faintly of herbs and something expensive I could not place. 

This was not the north, either. 

Panic tightened in my chest. 

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, the need to move overpowering the pain, but the moment my feet hit the floor, my strength failed me. My knees buckled, and I had to grab the edge of the bed to keep from collapsing entirely. The room tilted, my vision dimming at the edges as my body protested the sudden effort. 

The door flew open. 

“Your Highness!” Grace’s voice cut through the fog. 

She crossed the room in seconds and caught me before I could fall, her arms steady as she guided me back onto the bed. Her expression was tight with concern, brows drawn together as she eased me down. 

“Slow down,” she said firmly. “You should not be moving yet.” 

I tried to respond, but the moment I opened my mouth, nothing came out but a dry rasp. My throat burned, like I had swallowed ash. I swallowed hard and tried again, forcing air through stiff lungs, 

“Cassian,” I managed, the word barely more than a breath. 

Grace’s shoulders relaxed immediately. She reached for a nearby table and poured water into a glass before pressing it gently into my hands. “His Highness is fine,” she said as she helped me drink. “You healed him enough to keep him standing until reinforcements arrived.” 

The cool water slid down my throat, casing the burn enough that I could breathe again. I leaned back against the pillows. still watching her closely, my pulse refusing to slow. 

“You do not need to worry,” she continued. 

I frowned, my brow creasing as confusion replaced panic. “How long?” I asked hoarsely. 

Grace hesitated just long enough that my stomach dropped. “You have been unconscious for a week.” 

“A week?” I repeated, disbelief cutting through the exhaustion. 

14:24 Wed, Jan 28 MR 

Chapter 263 

She nodded. “Your body shut down after everything you did. The sword wound was not what nearly killed you. It was the strain. You healed too many people without stopping, including His Highness, and your body reached its limit. For some reason, your ability to heal even your own body slowed down. Even the healers were helpless about it.” 

I glanced down instinctively, my hand moving to my chest. There was no pain there now, only faint soreness beneath the bandages hidden under the loose gown I wore. The memory of the blade was still too clear, though, and unease curled in my stomach. 

“We found you with a sword through your chest,” Grace said quietly, as if reading my thoughts. “It took days before you stabilized.” 

I frowned deeper. “I thought I would die.” 

Grace’s expression shifted, something dark passing through her eyes. “So did we.” 

A name surfaced immediately. “William,” I said, my voice steadier now. “Where is he?” 

Grace did not look away. “He is dead. His Highness made sure of it.” 

The tight knot in my chest loosened slightly, though it did nothing to ease the questions piling up behind it. 

“Where is Cassian?” I asked next. “Why is he not here?” 

Grace smiled then, small but sincere. “He is unharmed, thanks to you. He is currently with the Alpha King, discussing matters that cannot be delayed.” 

I blinked. “The Alpha King?” 

Grace nodded, her smile widening just a little. “Yes.” 

She gestured subtly around the room, inviting me to finally see what I had been too shaken to process. “You are not in Nightfall. You are not in the north either.” 

My pulse quickened again, this time with something closer to disbelief. 

“You are in the capital,” Grace said. “In the estate of the Alpha King of Arecor.” 

She lowered her head slightly, her tone respectful but warm. “Welcome to the heart of the kingdom, Your Highness.” 

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