PIPER

I always saw myself as a patient person, but almost two months were enough for me to be done waiting. I was losing it and no crazy movie theory from my friends could make me back down. I wanted to see Donovan as soon as possible. To my advantage, Donovan’s beta had been sloppy in his work today and I had caught him outside the shop looking at me, so I set my plan in motion. I closed early and without being noticed I managed to sneak to him. When we were face to face he panicked and tried to act like he didn’t know me, acting casual, but I was not up to this dumb game.

“Take me to the manor. Now.” I said in a serious tone with furrowed brows.

“I can’t do that, sir.” He said, nervousness filling him. He knew he had fucked up by letting me see him and that would get him in trouble.

“As Donovan’s fated mate, I demand you to take me there.” I demanded him and he tried to say something else but I bared my fangs to him, hissing. He almost jumped at that, he knew what I could do with them.

“O-okay. Follow me.” He gave up and started to walk.

He led the way to a car that was close on the street close to my store and as both of us hoped in, the car started to move the way to Donovan’s house. I was nervous but also angry and upset. What was taking him so long? The car came to a stop and that’s when I noticed we had arrived, I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed. The beta opened the door for me and I stepped out, gaining the looks of other betas that were outside of the house. I walked up the steps and as I was going to knock on the door it opened. A woman stood there, she looked just like Donovan and it was nice to finally put a face to a name. Olivia Howl, his sister. She was taller than me because she was an alpha. Our eyes met and I felt like choking, her scent was bitter and she looked down on me with disgust.

“How dare you show up in here after what you did?” She said with anger. What I did? What did she mean? I hadn’t done anything to Donovan. 

“I-I don’t get what you are saying, I didn’t do anything,” I said in despair and confused. 

“Stop the act, disgusting snake. I should kill you for poisoning my brother.” She said and my face went pale. Poison? Poisoning Donovan? I would never do that to him. What was she saying?

“What? I-I didn’t!” I said screaming at her. I could feel tears trying to come out but I held them back. Was Donovan poisoned? Was that why he didn’t come see me? But how? I had so many questions and I needed answers.

“I warned him. I told him to get away from you because snakes only bring harm to our family.” She said with anger, her hand wrapping against my neck and lifting me. Strangling me. “You don’t deserve to live, you have to pay for harming my brother.”

The grip of her hand on my neck tightened and I was starting to lose my breath. I tried to get away and set myself free but I didn’t want to harm her. She was Donovan’s sister and I had no intention to hurt her.

“Olivia! Stop!” I heard a voice scream from behind her. Richard. Thank the God/dess. The woman obeyed, releasing me and I coughed falling on the floor trying to gather myself. 

“Why are you stopping me, Richard? I’m bringing this thing to justice.” She said to the man, anger still in her tone. “He should be punished.”

“I have to ask you to leave now, Olivia,” Richard said in a serious tone. 

“I was leaving anyways.” She huffed and looked one last time at me with disgust and walked to the car waiting for her. 

Richard approached me and helped me with my feed as Olivia’s car left. There was a lot of tension around the house, Richard even looked tired with heavy bags under his eyes. What had happened in the past month for him to be in such a state? I shook that thought away, I would get answers eventually but now I had to see him.

“Where is he?” I asked Richard.

“Piper you shouldn’t be here.” He said with a sigh and I furrowed my brows.

“I said. Where. Is. He?” I said demanding him, using the same tone I had used with the beta bodyguard.

“In his room.” He answered, letting me go.

I walked inside the building, gaining the attention of the other flock members. I caught sight of Genevith too, but I didn’t stop to say hello. I had only someone in my mind, Donovan. I knew the way perfectly and as I opened the door, Donovan’s scent came to my nostrils. It was faint. Why? I approached the bed and saw him. I gasped. He was sleeping peacefully but to him, machines and cables were attached. Poisoned. That was what his sister mentioned. Who did this to him? Who did this to my mate? Priya was angry but also upset at seeing our mate in such a state. 

I sat next to him on the bed and caressed his cheek. I felt tears roaming in my eyes and I didn’t hold back this time. I cried and cried some more until I unconsciously laid next to my mate, his bed was big enough for the both of us and I made sure not to touch any cable. I heard voices outside the door and I stood up, I had to find out more about what happened. I left a soft kiss on Donovan’s lips and walked to the door, the voices went quiet when I opened them. Genevith and Richard stood outside looking at me with concern. 

“What happened to him?” I asked them. It was time for answers. 

“It’s complicated,” Richard said.

“Tell me. I need to know, Richard. He is my mate.” I said in a bit of pain. 

“He got poisoned by Helena. He was ambushed by her and she made it look like you did it.” Richard explained to me and I felt my blood boil. Helena. That woman. I would kill her.

“But you know I didn’t,” I said confused and also curious. 

“We have cameras in the room where it happened and she also left behind the syringe she used.” The man said with a sigh and I held back a chuckle. How can someone be so stupid to leave proof behind? Helena was certainly not a true crime podcast girlie.

“How long has he been like that?” I had a suspicion but I needed confirmation first. 

“Almost two months.” Genevith was the one to talk this time and I sighed. Of course, it was then. Wedding arrangements my ass, she was trying to get the flock against me. “It happened the day you left after she came to visit. I’m so sorry Piper, I shouldn’t have let her stay.”

“It’s not your fault, Genevith,” I said placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her a soft smile, she was a nice and caring woman, she wouldn’t have known something was wrong but something was bothering me. “So why didn’t you report her?”

“The rumors spread fast and we were waiting to find the cure to come out with the truth.” The man said rubbing his forehead. 

“So there’s a cure?” I asked.

“Yes, but we have been searching and nothing has been found yet.” So that’s why he had been so tired. A cure that’s not easy to find means it’s a rare venom. I could check it out, my grandma had taught me how to identify venoms when I was young.

“Can you show me? The syringe.” I said to Richard and he nodded.

“Yes, of course.” He answered and took his phone out, tapping on the screen. “It’s in a safe place so let me get it. You can wait inside.”

I nodded and walked inside the room again, sitting next to Donovan. I lost track of time just seeing him, admiring him. The last time I saw him sleep like this was back when I had my heat. He looked handsome just sleeping. I yearned for him to wake up and embrace me. I missed him, his touch, his kisses. I sighed. There was a knock on the door and soon after Richard walked with a box in his hands, he placed it on top of the bed and offered me some globes. He was being careful and I appreciated that, the only fingerprints on the weapon should be the criminal ones. 

Helena’s. 

Just thinking about her made my blood boil. I will enjoy seeing her get punished when all gets revealed. But enough of that, focus on the now. I opened the box and the syringe was there, it was a two-needle just to imitate fangs. I brought it up to my nose, smelling the needle, but the venom’s scent was faint. 

“The doctors made tests and it turns out to be the ‘Sleeping Beauty’” Richard explained to me and something clicked inside me, memories came to me. Things I’ve learned and read.

“‘Sleeping beauty’ you say?” I looked at him with curious eyes. “Are you certain?”

“Yes, the cure is another type of venom but we haven’t been able to find it. It’s rare.” He explained to me. 

Rare? You could say that. I softly smiled and looked up to the ceiling. To the way of the sky. ‘Thanks, Grandma. Thank you, God/dess.’ Richard got confused when he heard my giggles. He probably thought I was going insane but I wasn’t. I had the cure. I was the cure. For the first time in my life, I was thankful for being an exotic snake because now I would be able to save my Donovan. I placed the syringe back in the box and turned to look at my mate, I pushed the duvet off him and moved his clothes until his neck was bare.

“What are you doing?” Richard asked confused. 

“You’ll see,” I said with a soft smile to him and leaned onto my alpha sinking my fangs in his neck. I heard a gasp come from Richard’s direction. I sensed the Sleeping beauty in his blood and soon released my venom inside him until every drop of it fought against the other. I released his neck from my fangs and left a soft kiss where the mark was.

“What was that? What did you do?” Richard’s face was full of confusion and I felt bad for not telling him beforehand. 

“I saved him. You said the cure was rare but it was at your reach all along. My venom has two properties, it can kill but also it can heal and neutralize rare venoms just like the Sleeping Beauty.” I explained to him.

“How do you know that?” He said perplexed and trying to understand my words.

“My Grandma taught me,” I said with a soft smile and looked at Donovan, I caressed his cheek. “He should be fine now, we just need to wait for him to wake up.” 

“We should’ve told you sooner, this would’ve been solved already.” Richard started saying and I felt the pain in his tone, he was on the brink of tears. He must’ve been so stressed and worried. He was like a father to Donovan. “I was foolish to not tell you. My apologies, Piper.”

“You didn’t know, Richard. It’s okay. What matters is that he will wake up.” I said to him in order to comfort him and he nodded.

“Yes, how long will it take?” He asked and I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t know that far since it was my first time experiencing it. In moments like this, I hated not having grandma with me. 

“I don’t know. We will have to wait.” I answered sincerely.

“Okay. Are you staying with us tonight?” He asked and I nodded. “Rest well, Piper. If you need anything let us know.”

“Yes, thank you, Richard. You should get some sleep too. This will all be over soon.” I said to him with a soft smile and he nodded leaving the room, my attention went back to my sleeping mate.

The sleeping beauty. I had heard stories that the affected in their deep sleep were not in an empty void, they were often trapped in a neverending dream. And I was certain my mate was dreaming and it made me wonder…

What are you dreaming Donovan? Is it a good dream? Good enough not to wake up?