Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One-Chapter 285: Taken

Hailee's POV

Peter's eyes lowered.

"Oliver left with Callum," he said quietly.

My heart clenched hard.

"O… Oliver?" I whispered.

Peter nodded. "He saw everything. He was terrified. Confused. Hurt."

Tears filled my eyes again instantly.

"Where is he?" I rasped. "Bring him to me."

Peter shook his head, pain in his expression.

"He demanded to go," he whispered. "Callum was rushed back to his pack. And Oliver… he insisted. He said he wanted his father."

My chest tightened like a fist had grabbed it.

"He thinks I'm a monster," I whispered.

Peter didn't answer.

Because the silence was the answer.

I covered my face with my hands and let out a small, broken sound.

Nathan pulled me against him again, holding me like he could keep the world from touching me.

"We'll bring him back," Nathan whispered into my hair. "We will. When you're stable. When you're stronger. When he's calmer. We'll bring him back."

But even as he said it, I could hear the fear underneath.

Fear that Oliver wouldn't come willingly.

Fear that the bond between mother and son had been damaged in a way time might not fix easily.

I pressed my face against Nathan's chest, breathing him in.

His heartbeat was strong now.

Alive.

Because of me.

And yet…

Everything still felt like I was drowning.

"Nathan," I whispered, voice shaking.

"Yes, love?" he murmured.

I swallowed hard.

"What if it happens again?" I asked. "What if I lose control again? What if I hurt you? Hurt Peter? Hurt someone else?"

Nathan's arms tightened around me.

"Then we prepare," he said firmly. "We don't pretend it won't happen. We don't hide it. We learn it. We face it."

I lifted my head slowly, eyes swollen.

"And if the spirit comes back?" I whispered.

Nathan's gaze didn't waver.

"Then it answers to you," he said. "Not the other way around."

Peter nodded once, like he agreed with that.

But his eyes were still afraid.

Because we all knew the truth now.

I wasn't just Nathan's mate.

I was something else too.

Something powerful.

Something dangerous if pushed too far.

And right now…

I didn't even trust myself.

I closed my eyes and let a fresh tear slide down my cheek.

"My baby…" I whispered again, like saying it could bring the life back.

Nathan kissed my temple.

"I know," he breathed.

I clutched his shirt again, holding onto him like a lifeline.

Because everything else in me felt broken.

And the only thing that still felt real—

Was the warmth of my mate's arms around me.

The healer stepped closer to the bed, her expression full of worry.

"Hailee," she said gently, placing two fingers against my wrist, then my temple. "You need to sleep. Your body is in shock. Your spirit has been torn open and stitched back together too quickly. If you stay awake like this, you'll collapse again."

I swallowed hard.

Sleep felt terrifying.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw blood. I saw Oliver's face. I heard Nathan's broken voice calling my name. I felt the emptiness in my womb like a scream that never ended.

"I don't want to sleep," I whispered. "What if—what if I wake up and everything is worse?"

Nathan leaned closer instantly, his hand warm around mine.

"I'll be right here," he said softly. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

The healer nodded. "He won't leave. But your body needs rest to survive what happened. I'll give you something light. Not magic-heavy. Just enough to let you sleep without dreams."

I hesitated.

Then I nodded slowly.

"Okay," I whispered. "I'll sleep."

Nathan squeezed my hand gently, like he was afraid even that might hurt me.

The healer prepared the draught carefully, murmuring quiet words under her breath—not spells, just intention. She helped me sit up enough to drink it.

The liquid was warm. Bitter. Earthy.

My eyelids grew heavy almost immediately.

Nathan's face blurred in front of me.

"I'm here," he said again, like a vow. "Rest."

I reached for him blindly, my fingers catching his sleeve.

"Don't leave," I murmured.

"I won't," he promised.

The darkness came softly this time.

Not like before.

No screaming. No falling.

Just quiet, peaceful sleep.

When I woke again, the room was dim.

Evening light filtered through the curtains. For a moment, I didn't know where I was.

Then the pain returned.

Not sharp.

Not screaming.

Just deep. Heavy. Everywhere.

Like my bones had been broken and reset wrong.

I shifted slightly—and hissed.

"Easy," a familiar voice said immediately.

Nathan.

I turned my head.

He was right there, sitting on the edge of the bed, his jacket discarded, his hair slightly disheveled like he hadn't moved in hours. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. Worry lived openly on his face.

"You're awake," he said softly, relief flooding his voice.

I swallowed.

"I feel… terrible," I admitted.

He nodded. "That tracks."

A weak breath left my chest—half a laugh, half a sob.

He brushed his thumb gently over my knuckles. "Are you okay?"

The question broke something in me.

I stared at the ceiling, my throat tightening.

"No," I said quietly. "I'm not okay."

Nathan didn't interrupt. He didn't rush to fix it.

He just listened.

"I feel empty," I whispered. "And heavy. And scared. I don't feel like myself anymore. I don't even know who that was… in the throne room."

His jaw tightened, but his voice stayed gentle. "You were hurt. You were pushed past your limit. That doesn't define you."

I turned my head toward him slowly.

"But it was me," I said. "My hands. My body. My power."

"And your pain," he replied. "And your fear. And your love. All of it collided at once."

Tears slid from the corners of my eyes.

"I lost my baby," I whispered.

Nathan leaned forward instantly, pulling me carefully into his chest, mindful of my weakness.

"I know," he murmured into my hair. "I know."

I cried quietly against him, my fingers clutching his shirt like it was the only solid thing left in the world.

After a long moment of silence, Nathan spoke.

"Do you want to come home with me?" he asked gently, still caressing my hair.

I nodded instantly, without a second thought.

I knew he had to leave.

He had already sacrificed so much for me as an Alpha—staying away from his pack for over four days. I couldn't ask him to give more.

It was better that I went with him.

"Ozzy can stay with his father for a while," I said softly. "I believe Dane wants him."

I nodded in agreement.

Nathan sighed and kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine… I promise."

I nodded, even though deep down I knew everything could never be the same.

Never.

Nathan brushed his thumb gently across my hair again.

"Do you want me to get you something to eat?" he asked softly. "You haven't eaten since… everything."

I thought about it for a second.

My body felt hollow. Weak. Shaky. But the emptiness inside me felt worse.

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

He smiled faintly, relief flickering in his eyes like he was glad to have something practical to do—something he could fix.

"I won't be long," he said. "Just rest. I'll be right back."

I nodded again.

He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary, like he didn't want to let go.

"I'll be back," he repeated.

Then he stood and walked toward the door.

I watched him leave.

The door closed softly behind him.

The room fell quiet.

I exhaled slowly and leaned back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. My body ached everywhere. My limbs felt heavy, like they were filled with sand. My chest felt tight, not from pain—but from dread I couldn't explain.

Something felt… wrong.

Not loud.

Not obvious.

Just a subtle wrongness in the air.

I shifted slightly, wincing as a dull ache flared through my abdomen. My hand moved there instinctively, resting over the place that felt the emptiest.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, not even sure who I was apologizing to anymore.

The door creaked.

I turned my head, expecting to see Nathan again.

Instead—

A guard stepped inside.

He wore palace colors. The crest on his chest was familiar. For a split second, relief washed over me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked weakly.

He didn't answer.

He closed the door behind him.

Too slowly.

My heart skipped.

"I—Nathan just left," I said carefully. "He'll be back any moment."

The guard lifted his hand.

Something small and metallic glinted between his fingers.

Before my mind could catch up—

HISS.

A sharp spray burst into the air.

It burned my nose. My eyes. My throat.

"No—!" I gasped, trying to sit up.

Too late.

The room spun violently. My lungs seized. My vision blurred at the edges.

"What—what did you—" I choked.

The guard covered his own face calmly.

My strength vanished all at once.

My body went slack.

The last thing I felt was the mattress dropping away beneath me—

Then darkness swallowed everything.

When I woke up, the first thing I felt was pain.

Not the dull, aching pain from before.

This was sharp.

Cold.

Restricting.

My throat burned.

I sucked in a breath—and gasped.

Something tight was wrapped around my neck.

Metal.

I lifted my hands instinctively—

Chains.

My wrists were bound.

My ankles too.

Panic exploded in my chest.

I tried to shift—

The chains rattled loudly.

My wolf surged forward instantly, alarmed—

And slammed into something solid.

A barrier.

A collar.

A choke collar.

"No…" I whispered hoarsely.

I felt it clearly now. I was wearing a suppressing collar around my neck.

My wolf snarled and clawed inside me—but she was caged, trapped behind the metal wrapped around my neck.

Fear unlike anything I had ever known flooded me.

I wasn't in my room anymore.

This place was different.

Stone walls.

No windows.

The air smelled damp… underground.

"Hello?" I called weakly, my voice echoing slightly.

My throat burned where the collar rested.

"Who's there?" I demanded, panic creeping into every word. "Who did this?!"

Silence.

Then—

Footsteps.

The door across the room creaked open.

Light spilled in from the hallway beyond, blinding me for a moment.

A figure stepped inside.

Tall.

Familiar.

My breath hitched.

"No…" I whispered.

He stepped fully into the light.

"Frederick?"