The Prophecy: Empress Returns

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Wait, you what?!” Eddie exclaimed.

After collecting the necessary medications from Dr. Martin, Hailey and Kalea had walked back up to the master bedroom, where Eddie was already waiting. The moment his eyes caught the prescription bottles in Kalea’s hands, he had asked what was wrong, a flicker of hopeful anticipation crossing his face. For the past year, they had been trying to conceive without success, and a quiet part of him had dared to hope this might finally be their good news.

Instead, as Hailey and Kalea laid out the actual situation, Eddie’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head in sheer shock.

“I have the chickenpox!” Kalea pouted, crossing her arms defensively.

“You—you never had it as a kid?!”

“Apparently not!” Kalea groaned, throwing her hands up before collapsing face-first into the mattress.

“Here, Alpha,” Hailey said, stepping forward to hand him the array of pill bottles and tubes. “Doc Martin said to apply this ointment three times a day, and she needs to take these antivirals every twelve hours until the inflammation calms down. There’s also a special bath soak in here that’s supposed to help soothe the rash.”

Eddie automatically reached out and took the bag, still staring at his mate in stunned silence as she lay buried in the pillows.

“Got it,” he muttered, his mind working double time to process the bizarre turn of events. He glanced up at Hailey, his Alpha authority flicking back on. “Did Doc say anything about the rest of the packhouse?”

“Yeah,” Hailey replied, leaning against the bedpost. “He’s running a trace right now to figure out who brought it into the packhouse, and he’s checking records to see which pups and adults need to be screened. Oh, and you’ll need to keep Jared completely away from her—Doc checked his childhood file, and he’s never had it either.”

Eddie let out a breathy laugh and shook his head. “Jared is going to lose his mind if he has to sit out strategy meetings over a childhood virus.”

“Tell me about it,” Hailey snorted, turning toward the door. “Anyway, I’ll leave you two to handle... whatever this is. Good luck, Alpha. You’re gonna need it.”

With a quick salute, Hailey slipped out of the master bedroom, pulling the door shut behind her and leaving Eddie alone with his very itchy, very miserable mate.

Eddie let out a quiet sigh, his chest aching with sympathy as he looked down at her. Without Empress to heal her, she was going to be completely miserable for the next few weeks, stuck recovering at a painfully human pace.

“Kalea?” he murmured gently.

“Mmm?” she grumbled, her voice heavily muffled by the duvet.

“Are you going to lie there, or are you going to at least look at me?”

Kalea slapped the mattress in sheer frustration, finally turning her head sideways to glare at him with one eye. “Eddie, do you understand how ridiculous this is?! I’m a werewolf with no wolf, and now I’ve somehow managed to contract a human virus!”

“A human virus that werewolf pups contract all the time,” Eddie replied softly, a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth as he tried desperately not to laugh. “It’s completely normal, sweetheart.”

“It is not funny, Eddie!” Kalea snapped, sitting up and immediately wincing as the movement pulled at her inflamed back. “Nana and Grandpa are coming tomorrow, and I pretty much have to quarantine myself from everyone!”

“Not everyone. You have me, Kurt, and Hailey,” Eddie replied. “And I’m sure at their ages, the King and Queen have had their own run-in with the chickenpox.”

“Ugh...” Kalea groaned. She hated that Eddie was always looking on the bright side of everything and using logic to dismantle her tantrums.

“Baby, I’m sure the Queen can heal you, too.”

“What if she can’t?!”

“Then we can ask our allies if they know of any Wiccans who can take care of this for us,” Eddie gently suggested.

Kalea looked at him in disbelief. “You expect me to tell other people that I have the chickenpox?!”

“Would you rather keep it a secret from everyone and be miserable for weeks?” Kalea gnashed her teeth.

“Why do you do that?!” she shouted.

“Do what?” Eddie laughed softly.

“Use logic on everything?!”

“I’m an Alpha,” Eddie replied, a smug smile tugging at his lips. “It’s quite literally my job to use logic.”

“Well, stop it!”

“No. I’m not going to allow you to wallow in misery over something that can easily be fixed, just because you’re too embarrassed to ask for help,” Eddie countered, taking her hands and forcing her to stand. “Now, did you apply any of the ointment at the pack hospital?”

“No. I’m not going to allow you to wallow in misery over something that can easily be “Yes,” Kalea grumbled.

“Okay. So, three times a day, which means every eight hours or as needed,” Eddie said, reading the instructions printed on the prescription bag. “And the antivirals are supposed to be taken after a meal. Have you eaten yet?”

“No.”

“Then let’s get some lunch so you can take your meds, and tonight, we’ll plan accordingly for your comfort. Tomorrow, when the King and Queen arrive, we will see if the Queen can heal you. If she can’t, then we’ll find a different solution that won’t leave you in agonizing misery for the next month. Deal?” Eddie said, gently grasping her shoulders.

Kalea pouted, but she nodded anyway. Eddie tried to stifle another laugh as he pulled her into a hug, taking extra care to keep his arms loosely wrapped around her to avoid putting any pressure on her back.

“Eddie, I need to pee,” Kalea whimpered.

“Then go pee,” Eddie said softly, pulling back to look at her.

“It hurts to pee,” Kalea pouted.

“Wait... what?” Eddie furrowed his brow, the playful smirk instantly vanishing from his face. “Did... did the rash form in your private area, too?”

Kalea nodded, tears welling in her eyes. She had endured her fair share of brutal physical pain before, but this was something completely different. Emotionally drained, overwhelmed, and completely off-guard, she broke down over a ridiculous, agonizing condition she had never in a million years expected to suffer from.

“Ah... that’s what the medicated bath soak is for,” Eddie realized immediately. “Tell you what—I know the doctor just applied ointment to your back, but I think you need this bath right now for your situation down there. Go try to use the bathroom as best you can while I draw the water. Once you’re soaking, I’ll run down to the kitchen and bring up some lunch for us. We’ll stay in our quarters until Doc Martin figures out who brought the virus into the packhouse.”

“Okay,” Kalea whimpered softly.

Eddie gave her a reassuring nod and headed into the master ensuite to start the water and mix in the medicated treatment. Kalea slowly shuffled over to the toilet, wincing with every step. Relieving herself was pure agony, the sharp burning sensation from the sensitive rash making her strain and bite her lip to keep from crying out.

Kalea had grown accustomed to being human and no longer having her wolf counterpart, but moments like this were when she missed Empress the most.

Every so often, Kalea would wonder how Empress was holding up in the Underworld. She could only imagine the agony her wolf endured every second, staying behind to ensure Radcliffe’s malevolent spirit remained locked away, forever.

Per Eddie’s promise, he and Kalea remained in their room for the remainder of the day and night. Meanwhile, Dr. Martin notified the entire pack about the potential outbreak, instructing anyone who had never had the virus to stay away from potential cases. Furthermore, anyone who had recently been in contact with Kalea and lacked antibodies was required to come in for a medical screening.

The next day, Amelia, Stephen, Tobias, Renee, and Benny arrived to visit Kalea at the Hounds of the Night pack. Thanks to their trusted wizard, they had established a permanent portal connecting the Hounds' packhouse directly to the Royal Pack Castle in England, allowing them to travel back and forth at their leisure.

“Darling! We’re here!” Amelia called out as she and the rest of the royal family stepped through the portal.

“Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, welcome back,” Eddie greeted them.

“Edward, where’s Kalea?” Renee asked immediately, noticing her daughter's absence.

“She’s upstairs resting. She had a rough night,” Eddie replied.

“Is she alright?” Tobias asked, concern in his voice.

“Yes, sir. She’s just... dealing with something she’s never experienced before.”

“She’s not pregnant, is she?” Renee pressed instantly.

“No, unfortunately, that’s not it. She’s, um—” Eddie paused, biting back a nervous breath. “She’s suffering from a virus, and she’s currently highly contagious.”

Worry immediately washed over the royal family’s faces.

“Is she going to be okay?” Benny asked.

“Yes, Benny, she will be. It’s just... well, we were wondering if Her Majesty might be able to heal her?”

“It depends on what it is,” Amelia responded.

Eddie pursed his lips. “She, uh... she contracted the chickenpox virus.”

The royals and Benny stared at him, their brows furrowing in absolute shock.

“She what?!” Stephen exclaimed first.

“Yeah,” Eddie sighed.

“She never had it as a pup?” Renee asked.

“Apparently not. Doctor Martin ran tests, and she doesn’t have the necessary antibodies, which means she’s never had it before,” Eddie explained.

“Oh dear, my poor baby,” Renee gasped.

“Well, then we have a problem,” Amelia stated firmly.

“Oh no, please don’t tell me—” Eddie groaned.

“I’ve never had it either, and neither has Tobias,” Amelia revealed. “And since we are the only two here with the power to heal her, we can’t go anywhere near her.”

“F*ck…She’s not going to like that,” Eddie mumbled and rubbed his face.

“Well, hold on. Doesn’t the Desert Moon Luna have friends that are witches?” Tobias asked.

“Yes, she does, and the Blue Lake Luna has powers as well. Maybe they can be of help,” Renee added.

“Good luck convincing Kalea to ask for outside help. She’s already annoyed that I had to tell you all about it,” Eddie responded.

“Well, luckily, I’ve had it before,” Renee said, handing her bag off to Tobias. “So I can go keep her company and explain to her that asking for help is the best course of action in times like this—as embarrassing as it might feel.”

“Yes, darling, you go do that. And let her know that once she’s healed, we can finalize the wedding preparations,” Amelia said with a warm smile.

“Wedding plans are the last thing on Kalea’s mind right now, my Queen,” Eddie stated plainly.

“Well, who can blame her? I’ve heard the horror stories about the chickenpox virus—the itching, the discomfort. It must be hell to deal with,” Amelia responded, shaking her head.

“The itching she can handle,” Eddie explained. “It’s the burning pain she feels when she has to use the bathroom that literally brings tears to her eyes.”

“It’s in her private area, too?!” Amelia gasped.

“Apparently, it’s not uncommon for it to spread all over the body, even in the most unlikely of places,” Eddie said.

“Eesh...” Stephen and Tobias both shuddered.

“Well, you can tell her that I know how she feels, catching it long after childhood,” Benny said from the side.

“Benny, when did you get it?” Stephen asked, turning to him in surprise.

“I got it from Xena when she was a pup,” Benny replied.

“Ah, but with pureblood in your veins, I doubt it lasted that long?” Amelia asked.

“Two days at most, I think.”

“How did we never know about this?” Stephen asked.

“Because I wasn’t going to tell you that I needed medical leave for something as ridiculous as the chickenpox,” Benny stated flatly.

Eddie sighed deeply, his eyes drifting upward toward the ceiling in the direction of their quarters, where Kalea was currently wallowing in misery. What was supposed to be a happy visit for the royal family had turned into a medical nightmare. Hopefully, Renee would be able to convince Kalea to ask for outside help.