Chapter 4

• Chapter 4
• Elysia
• Kade looked at me, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Tell me. I'm curious to know what this favour is.”
• I smirked, crossing my arms against my chest. “I am Elysia Ashbourne, the first daughter of Alpha Griffin Ashbourne of the Bloodfang Pack. And I cut ties with them today.”
• Kade hummed, nodding his head slightly. “You're the daughter who went missing all those years ago? The one nobody likes?”
• Okay, that was harsh. But I couldn't be offended. It was the truth anyway.
• I cleared my throat, raising my head. “It seems you know a lot about me.”
• “Everybody knows that much,” Kade said with a chuckle. “You did the right thing by cutting ties with them.”
• At least, one person thought I made the right decision.
• “So, do you want to make a deal with me, Mr. Blackridge? I'll cure you, remove the poison. And you'll become my partner, support, and help me. What do you say?”
• The driver who had been quiet since Kade came suddenly coughed, like he was shocked by the words that came out of my mouth.
• Kade, however, wasn't as surprised as the driver. Instead, he looked at me with amusement. “You've got some nerves, Elysia.”
• “I could say the same thing about you,” I retorted. “You want me, a literal stranger, to cure you. Your life will practically be in my hands if I say yes, so it's only normal for me to ask for things.”
• “Why do you think you have the right to ask for things?” he asked.
• “Because I have power. My grandfather transferred his position and authority as an elder in the pack council to me. Major decisions can't be made in the pack without my approval, and they hate that. I also want your help against the Ashbournes. I want them to pay for everything they did to me, to destroy everything they hold dear.”
• I wanted to live a quiet life when I came back home, a life different from the one I lived when I was away.
• But I couldn't live that life anymore. They had pushed me to the edge.
• I was going to fight back. I would make them regret everything they did to me.
• And I would find out the truth behind how I went missing.
• I had a feeling something was wrong when I returned, but I could never place a finger on it.
• Now I had the time to look into it. And anybody who was behind it would pay for it.
• I returned my gaze to Kade, and I found him staring at me with what seemed like intrigue in his eyes. And after what felt like an eternity, he spoke up.
• “Deal.”
• My eyes grew wide. “Deal? For real?”
• Before I could blink, he came to stand directly in front of me, lowering his head to my ear. “Just so you know, anybody who works with me... Lives or dies with me.”
• I smirked. “I have the same principle.”
• He leaned back, hands in his pockets. “Good then. Let's go.”
• I raised a brow at the sudden demand. “Go where?”
• “My pack. You'll be living with me from now on.”
• “Oh, that's right. Before I go with you, I have to get some things from my apartment,” I responded.
• “I can get you new things you'll need. I don't want to spend anymore time in this place,” he snapped, and I could tell he was feeling agitated.
• “Calm down. It'll only take a few minutes, plus the things I'll need to treat you are in my apartment.”
• He sighed. “Fine. Let's head to your apartment first.”
• We got into the car and I gave the driver directions to my place.
• “Wait here. I'll be back in a moment,” I said to Kade as I got down from the car and walked into my apartment.
• I started living alone six months after I returned to my parents’ house because I couldn't watch how they treated Lexa in my presence. I had to move out for peace of mind, but I still craved their approval, so I remained close to them.
• I hurriedly packed some essentials into a bag and also the things I'd need to cure Kade. I walked out when I was done.
• “We can go now.”
• An hour passed, and the driver pulled over in front of a beautiful mansion. And I followed Kade to the bedroom.
• “Take off your shirt,” I told him as I opened the box containing my medical items.
• Kade took off his shirt without questions, revealing his toned, muscular body.
• My eyes went straight to a purple scar on his abdomen. I traced it with my fingertips. “You got poisoned two years ago?”
• Kade froze. “How do you know that?”
• “It's Bloodbind Toxin. It clings to blood cells and feeds on a wolf's strength, making detoxification impossible. It kills Alphas faster because your power fuels it, but you've managed for this long. No one lasts more than one year.”
• “Can you cure me?”
• “I can. But it'll take ten weeks, one treatment each week.”
• I lifted a long silver needle and pressed it to the side of his abdomen. He keeled over immediately, coughing up clotted blood.
• Kade raised his head and looked at me when he was done coughing. “I feel... warm. I haven't felt that way in a long time.”
• I smiled as I removed the needle, seeing his pale skin regain colour. “The cure is working. But you should be careful. The poison in your system is rare, and only a handful of people can get their hands on it. Be wary of the people around you.”
• “I'll be careful. Thanks for the warning.”
• I wiped the needle with a clean cloth before returning it to the box. And I handed Kade a bottle. “It contains a tonic. You should drink it every morning when you wake up. It will remove the poison from your body.”
• He took the bottle from me, looking at me with questions in his eyes. “How do you know so much about this poison?”
• “You'll find out soon enough,” I responded in a low voice.
• He pursed his lips, unsatisfied with the answer, but he didn't press further.
• Kade stood up. “You'll stay in this place from now on. I'm always busy with pack duties, but I'll come around for the treatments.”
• I nodded, smiling a bit. The house was huge and nicely decorated. It was a good place to stay.
• “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
• I really appreciated it. He was the first person to show me kindness in a long time. Even more than the people who were supposed to be my family.
• He handed me a card. “Get yourself whatever you want with this card, there's no spending limit. Also, can you come with me to a charity gala this weekend?”
• “I'm just your doc—”
• Kade interrupted me before I could finish. “You should follow me everywhere I go as my personal doctor, should you not? Besides, the Ashbournes will be at the gala, too.”