The Lycan King’s Mark (Nevara) by Tiffanie L. Campbell novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80 – Just in Time

Thoren

The machines were too quiet.

Each beep, each shallow breath that moved her chest, felt like a countdown. Like the gods were sitting in judgment just outside the door, waiting to see if I’d finally be punished for what I did to her.

She looked smaller somehow.

Fragile.

Not the woman who stood up to me, challenged me, dared me to feel things I wasn’t ready

for. This Nevara was pale and still and fighting for every ounce of breath.

And I couldn’t help her.

Not yet.

The door opened behind me.

I didn’t look up.

“I came as soon as I heard,” Michelle said softly.

Still, I said nothing.

She crossed the room with slow, careful steps, stopping just behind me. “Thoren…”

I turned my head slightly.

She saw her on the bed-and her breath caught.

“Oh my gods,” she whispered. “I’m so glad you found her.”

The tightness in my throat didn’t budge.

She glanced at the monitor. “The doctors said only time will tell, but… it looks like she’s hanging on pretty good right now.” A small breath. “You got there just in time.”

I turned fully then, slowly rising from the chair. My eyes met hers.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” My voice was low, Dangerous. “Just in time?”

Michelle flinched.

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“She was raped, Michelle. He drugged her. Marked her. Forced a bond she didn’t want. He tied her to a bed like a thing and climbed on top of her-”

“I know-”

“No, you don’t,” I snapped. “Because if you did, you wouldn’t call that ‘just in time.’ My idea of getting there in time would’ve been before he did any of that. Before he put his mark on her. Before she had to carry this in her body and in her soul.”

Michelle lowered her head. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry.”

The words came fast, genuine. But they didn’t dull the fire behind my ribs.

“I meant it in the sense that… she’s still alive,” she said softly. “That there’s still a chance. But I shouldn’t have phrased it that way.”

I paced to the foot of the bed, raking a hand through my hair. I didn’t want to take it out on her. But everything was fraying inside me.

“You did good by her while I was gone,” I muttered. “I know that. But I can’t pretend this feels

like a win.”

“I don’t expect you to,” Michelle said gently. “This wasn’t a rescue. It was a recovery.”

I gritted my teeth.

That was exactly it.

A rescue meant something was still intact.

But Nevara?

She’d been shattered.

She was hanging on, yes-but by threads.

Michelle lingered near the doorway for a moment, letting the silence settle again. Then, with a small sigh, she stepped closer to the bed.

“I spoke to Sabrina,” she said quietly. “She’s bringing you some food shortly.”

I didn’t respond. My eyes were locked on Nevara’s face, watching for the slightest twitch or flutter-anything to tell me she was still fighting.

Michelle waited a beat, then added dryly, “And you better not argue with her about it. You need to eat. You’re no good to her dead on your feet.”

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I exhaled through my nose, jaw flexing.

“She’s back with you, Thoren,” she said, her voice gentler now. “But she’s not out of the woods. And when she wakes up-if she wakes up-you need to have something left in the tank. So eat. Stay strong. Be ready.”

I nodded once. No argument. Not this time.

Michelle smiled faintly. “Good. I hate repeating myself.”

She turned toward the window, then paused. “I know you’re not going to leave her side until she’s better. So… what do you need me to do?”

I blinked, shifting my weight. “Just… monitor correspondence. Mail. Phone calls. Anything official that comes in, flag it if it needs immediate attention. Bring it to me, and I’ll handle it

from here.”

Michelle nodded, all business. “Got it. And the rest?”

“This place runs itself,” I said. “We’ve built it that way. The guard will continue their training, the scouts will rotate as scheduled. Everyone else has a job-they know what to do. Let them

do it.”

She gave a mock salute. “Mail, phones, and the kingdom’s lifeblood. Easy enough.”

Then she looked me over, really taking in my appearance. “You should do something about… that.” She said gesturing to all of me.

“Um…” I trailed off, glancing down at myself and grimacing slightly. “Yeah. I probably need a shower.”

Michelle didn’t miss a beat. “You most definitely need a shower. You smell like wet dirt, dried blood, and something that might’ve once been a squirrel.”

A small laugh tried to escape me.

“And before you argue,” she continued, leveling a finger at me, “it only has to be long enough to lather up and rinse. Five minutes tops. I’ll keep watch.”

I hesitated-just long enough to glance down at Nevara again.

But Michelle was already moving toward the door. “Go. I’ve got her. You need to stop looking like a feral woodsman and start looking like a king again. You can’t scare her when she wakes up.”

Five minutes. That’s all it would take. And I’ll feel better once I do, I would like to just use

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Nevara’s bathroom since it’s right here, but I won’t have anything clean to put on. So I’m gonna need to go all the way to my room. So that’s going to take another five minutes.

Still, I brushed my knuckles over Nevara’s hand one more time, just to be sure she could feel

“Don’t go anywhere,” I whispered. “I’ll be right back.”

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