Alexander's POV

I was close to panicking. Cassidy was missing with an incubus. I couldn't let anything happen to Cassidy. Sniffing hard, I followed the scent trail of incubus to a rather dark alley. I could hear weak whimpers. Cassidy! Please let him be okay, I need him. There was a figure there, crouching over my Cassidy. I roared in anger.

Sprinting forward, I grabbed the incubus by its neck and slashed at its throat with my claws. It wasn't enough. Incubi had to be decapitated to ensure its death. The monster grinned and spat his own blood out.

I pounced again. Growling, I tore off its head and threw the remains to the side. I panted. My wolf howled. The threat was gone.

I moved to Cassidy's side, gathering him in my arms. He was unconscious.

No.

I whimpered, pushing my face into his neck. He wasn’t bleeding out, that was fortunate. But I could barely hear his pulse. I had to get him out of there. I cradled him in my arms, gently lifting him off the ground and made my way back to the manor as fast as I could. He was so weak. Cassidy couldn't die.

I wouldn't know what to do if he did.

"Cass, you're safe now. Please, " I whispered, voice cracking as I held him tightly against me.

Back at the manor, Jacob took one look at us and immediately sent for a healer. I briefly recounted, with a lot of growling, what had happened to him. He nodded and told me to get some rest. The healer would be here soon. I nodded mutely and carried Cassidy to my room.

I gently placed him on the bed. Looking around, I decided to clean him up a little before the physician arrived. Quickly, I stripped him and wiped him down with a damp towel, then I dressed him in a pair of silk pyjama bottoms. The purpling bruise staining his pale skin upset my wolf so much that my fangs would pop out when I wasn’t actively trying to stay calm.

Cassidy was still the whole time. It made my chest hurt that I had failed him. I wasn’t fit to be a prince or his lover if I couldn't even take care of him. I curled my body around him, face pressed into his neck, whining and licking at the marks on him. My breaths wouldn’t stop shuddering…

A knock sounded on the door. I didn't say anything, too worked up to speak. The door opened and Jacob quietly told me that the physician was here. I nodded and shifted far enough so the healer could examine Cassidy.

"He needs rest. Lots of it. Feed him broth and work up to bigger meals. He will need to replenish his life energy that the incubus took. It might take a few days before he wakes. He's incredibly lucky to be alive."

I nodded mutely and returned to my original position by Cassidy's side. My stomach hurt to see Cassidy so unnaturally still. I circled him in my arms, blinking tears his hair. I dozed off, my face pressed into his soft hair.