Chapter 158

Julian

"How is she?" I rushed to my feet the moment the packs healer stepped into the room. The old man was running his hand through his thinning white  hair over and over again. Making it stand up in tufts.

"She's," he glanced back of his shoulder and his lips thinned until they disappeared altogether. "Resting quietly."

A frown marred the smooth surface of my forehead. That didn't answer my question. It didn't even put my mind at ease.

Sensing my mounting anger , Ian stepped forward. His hand  a calming weight on my elbow as he moved around me. "That's good but what is wrong with her? Was she injured in any way. Has she said anything about who took her?"

For a second the elderly healer looked confused. "I don't think any one took her." He said finally. His eyes lifted to meet mine. "Your wife is exhausted both physically and emotionally. I think she -" again he paused. "She misses her children very very much and it's making her confused."

Guilt ripped its way through me. "Are you saying she walked off by herself?"

That didn't make any sense to me. Cassie would never do that. And then there was the fact that she wasn't the only person to go missing. She was however the only person to come back.

I risked a glance at Ian and his look seemed to say we will talk about it later.

"I think she was dreaming. She kept talking about heating her boys."

My heart did a weird sort of flip flop. "She heard our children crying?"

He nodded mutely.

"Yeah." My shoulders slumped. "That would do it." I blew out a breath, my lips pursing. "If she thought she heard them then she would have gone off running."

"Explains the droplets of blood at the bottom of the stairs. If she fell-" Ian added helpfully. "Especially if she was dreaming it and sleep walking."

"I don't think she was."

The healers voice was so quiet that at first I wasn't sure I had heard him. "What do you mean?"

"She swears she was awake and that it was Niall and Noah's cries that woke her up. She's really clear on that part it's the rest of it that she has no recollection of." He lifted his eyes to me. "Your highness , I think your wife is really sick."

A lump formed in my throat. "You have found something?"

What would I do if he had found something. A lump maybe? Something that she hadn't seen herself. Not that it made sense to me. If she was sick then surely she would have felt something.

"That's not what I meant. In her body she is healthy but it's her mind."

The air left my lungs in a rush. "You think she is crazy?"

The healers eyes flashed angrily. "That is not the word I would use. Cassies mind is sharp and amazing but she's been through so much in the last year. More than anyone should ever have to go through." He paused. "Her mind isn't broken but it is a little - unwell. She needs rest and time to heal. She needs a doctor."

"You are-" Ian started to say.

"I am not a doctor. I am a healer and even if I was a doctor then I am not the kind she needs. The grief of losing her children might just break her if she doesn't get the help she needs."

I swallowed down his words and they were a bitter pill. Sighing, I lifted my slumped shoulders. Forcing myself to act strong even when I didn't feel strong. It didn't matter how I felt. I had to be strong for her.

"I'll get her to a doctor. Thank you for coming up so quickly. I know you are needed down with the pack." Thrusting out my hand I waited for him to shake it which he did quickly and then shuffled out.

"So we need to find her a doctor. A head doctor." I said flatly as the door shut. "Any idea where to start?"

Ian shook his head. "Absolutely none."

"Do you know what's funny? Cassie would know." I chuckled and after a second he joined in with me.

"Do you think I should check on her?" I glanced towards the stairs. She was up there alone and probably scared. The healer had said she was resting but he hadn't said sleeping. "I should go and make sure -"

"Let her rest Julian. She won't want you making a fuss. Let her come down when she is ready. I know Cassie. Probably better than you do. She will shake this off and everything will be fine again. Well as fine as anything can be right now."

Falling down on the sofa with a sigh I closed my eyes.

"I hate to think about her alone." I said quietly.

"I know and we will get her the help she needs. There's several places we can send her that she can get help and be safe. Maybe this war isn't the place for her."

I had to agree with him, as much as I hated the idea of being apart from her again. I knew it might be the best thing for her.

A small knock sounded on the front door and it was pushed open to show Scarlett's face. Which was devoid of any colour at all. She looked exhausted and the puffiness of her eyes told me she had been crying.

"Am I interrupting?" She asked but didn't wait for us to answer before she pushed her way in and closed the door behind her. Pausing up the stairs she stared for a second before her shoulders fell.

"How is she?"

"Resting." I said quietly. "What is happening down at the pack."

"Three more people went missing this morning. And there's more-" Scarlett's looked away. Her face was a mask of misery but it was the tone of her voice that made me straighten.

"What is it?"

"It's not just happening to this pack. There's been frantic calls all day. Others are disappearing. Just vanishing into thin air. It's like someone is erasing us from existence ."

I couldn't help myself I looked towards the stairs. I could almost swear I had heard movement.

"And you think Cassie?" Ian didn't even finish the sentence because it was preposterous. Cassie was many things but she couldn't just wink people out of existence.

Could she?

"What the hell is happening to us?"