Rival Rulers

@ castle.

"I know that you will be able to but it will take time. Just be patient with them and I am sure that they will see you for the type of man that you are. It probably won't happen as quickly as you want it to. You just need to remember that humans don't really have instant connections with each other. But they will come to love you. Besides, it is a bit jarring hearing stories about how the big bad wolf is going to eat you and suddenly you're talking with one." Alexandria squeezed his hand lightly. "But I'll be there to help you. I want them to accept you too."

Despite the fact she wasn't on good terms with Dominic, Alexandria didn't want to leave him in the dust when they got back to her home. She didn't know what to do about her relationship with the wolf but Alexandria didn't want him to go through the same thing she did when she was just abandoned at his home. They were all welcoming and kind but it was still frightening. She felt like she was in enemy territory. Though she knew not all of her people would be as kind to Dominic as they had been to her. They were many who were going to be wary of him, who would be afraid. Even though she was still iffy towards him, she had to lead the way.

Alexandria lightly patted his hand. "I won't let you be alone." With that, Alexandria slid her hand off of his before taking a moment to pull on her seatbelt for the ascend. She laid her head back against the cushion and relaxed as the plane started on its way to her home.

The flight to Alexandria's home had taken nearly six hours but the moment they touched down, it didn't take much time at all before they were off the plane and ushered into one of the royal vehicles. Dominic's senses were in overdrive, his eyes never staying on one place for too long as he tried to take in everything around him. He was far more uneasy than he had realized, knowing from Alexandria's own omission that humans sometimes weren't as trustworthy as they should be. The weapon that she had carried on their trip had been proof enough of that, that her family had to carry around such weapons. It came as no surprise to him when their vehicle was flanked by several armored vehicles, intent on keeping the princess safe.

Dominic forced a light smile to his face as he glanced toward Alexandria. "It would be like a dream, to run here - it's so flat. Easy to gain speed," he said, his lips twitching upward in a slight smirk. It was almost a boyish sort of admission but Dominic tried not to be as serious as others could be. If he was not dealing with any of his duties, he saw no reason to be so void of emotion or fun. After all, not everything could be fun. They were royals, they had the right to enjoy themselves.

"Perhaps at some point..." he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. Dominic remembered all too well just how unnerving it had been for Alexandria when she saw him in his wolf form, that was the last thing that he wanted to do at the moment. But he would be here for a month, there was no reason that he wouldn't be able to steal away. At least for a little while to go on a short run. Or so he thought.

"Will my rooms be close to yours?" Dominic asked suddenly, his head snapping around so that he could look at her. The thought of not being near her wasn't something that he particularly liked. Especially given that he wasn't sure that Alexandria wouldn't be attacked at some point. He couldn't be sure, no, but Alexandria herself had told him it was dangerous. He wanted to be close to her in case someone decided to attack her. His stomach churned at the thought but he didn't say anything at all about why he wanted to stay close to her. Dominic wondered if she would be able to figure it out on her own.

Dominic turned slightly, to say something else to Alexandria, but before he could, chaos broke out around them. The vehicle in front of theirs, the leading vehicle, was blown into the air and flipped onto it's back. Dominic let out a low growl as he turned, his eyes narrowing as he tore the seatbelt off of him. "That normal here?" Dominic bit out, trying desperately to calm the beast that was just beneath the surface. Alexandria didn't need to answer him to tell him the truth.

An array of vehicles had stopped in front of the convoy, ahead of them and nearly two dozen men filed out, armed with assault weapons. His head snapped up as he lunged to the side, throwing Alexandria's door open. His claws grew and he wordlessly cut her seatbelt, shoving her out of the vehicle before he followed after her. "You're going to be okay," was all he had time to say before the vehicle was littered with bullets. Dominic growled again, this time from deep within his chest as he looked to Alexandria. She looked utterly petrified. He knew that shifting would only manage to do the same to her but he didn't have time to reassure her. he needed to save her life.

Dominic shifted, shaking out his fur as he glanced from side to side. He turned back to her, reaching out to nip at her shirt. He tugged her with him, stopping at the back of the vehicle. Dominic huffed, lingering for a moment longer before he darted across the gap between for their vehicle and the one behind them. He continued this way until he had her behind the last vehicle in their convoy, thinking it the safest. Dominic didn't think that someone would come from the rear, thinking they had almost focused their efforts from the front.

Dominic whipped back around, taking note that the half a dozen guards with them had already dwindled to two. His eyes narrowed as he used the vehicles to his advantage, moving further and further forward. The men assaulting them were closing in and he wasn't stupid - they were here for him and Alexandria. He would not let harm come to her. Dominic crouched as low as he could, pouncing forward and swiping out at the man closest to him. He turned, digging his teeth into the neck of another near to him.

Having no armor on him, Dominic wasn't surprised when he was hit with bullets. His movements faltered but he had no time at all to react to the pain. He had to focus on the fight in front of him.

By the time that Dominic had finished with the men, there were wounds covering his body. The worst was from a blade that had been coated in wolfs bane, ensuring the wound wouldn't heal for weeks. Dominic limped back toward the back of the convoy, his ears pressed back as he scented the air. Alexandria was afraid. She was in pain. Which told him all he needed to know. That he had missed someone. That someone had managed to get to her.

Dominic barred his teeth when he caught sight of a man holding Alexandria's body to his. He circled around the man and Alexandria slowly, standing to his full height despite himself. When the man cocked the gun and pressed it to her already bleeding temple, Dominic chomped at the air in front of him. His adrenaline was beginning to wear off but the thought of Alexandria being hurt renewed his need to get her to safety.

Something must have distracted him for a moment too long because in one moment, Dominic was standing several meters away and in the next, he had closed the distance. He leapt into the air, digging his teeth into the man's neck and tumbling them backward. He knew it would hurt her but still, he used his back paws to shove her away from their forms as they dropped to the ground behind her. Dominic didn't stop until he knew the man was no longer breathing.

Turning back away, Dominic whined when he realized Alexandria was unconscious. He lowered himself to the ground, nudging at her hand with the tip of his snout. He was in no position to shift or to carry Alexandria, he would have to wait until help arrived. Or so he hoped that it would arrive quickly because he had no idea what was wrong with her.

Even as humans approached, Dominic let out a low, warning growl as he wrapped himself around her form. He didn't know who they were or if he could trust them - he wouldn't let them near Alexandria until he did.

@ castle.
Alexandria could feel her heart freeze when she vehicle in front of theres was suddenly blown into the air. Her eyes were wide, as complete panic and dread started to fill her whole body. It was unlike anything Alexandria had ever seen before. There had been threats on her life before but usually it was some unstable person thinking they could get into the castle with a weapon on them. Never in her life had she ever been attacked like this and by professionals.

As Dominic asked his question, she wasn’t even able to peel her eyes away from the horro in front of her. Though before she could even give him a shake of her head, Dominic was shoving her out of the vehicle. The push was what the princess needed to start getting into the correct mindset. She couldn’t just sit there and gawk. It was time for them to get out of there and fast. As she heard Dominic speak to her, Alexandria looked back at him, just in time to see and hear the car they were just in to get covered in bullets. She could feel the air leaving her lungs at the sight. She was almost covered in bulletholes. “That could have been me.” Alexandria whispered in disbelief.

One hand raised to Alexandria’s chest as she tried to catch her breath again. Alexandria looked around in a panic, unsure of where to go. As she started to take two steps to start running literally anywhere away from here, she suddenly felt something grab onto her shirt. Alexandria yelled out in a panic before she turned her head around to see a wolf grabbing onto her. She let out a small whimper at the sight but, nonetheless, was quick to try and reach back to grab onto any fear she could, afraid she would be dropped. She was afraid of his wolf form but it was certainly better than a group of men that was definitely looking to kill them.

Getting set down on the ground again, Alexandria immediately scrambled so her back was pressed against the back of the car they were hiding behind. Her eyes shifted back and forth between her guards and Dominic as they started to fight the men that were beginning to close in on them. Wincing hard as she watched them take a beating.

In an instant, Alexandria could feel a hand wrap around her waist and mouth, pulling her away from the others. She was unable to scream but the man left her arms free. The princess tried her best to fight back against the man who grabbed her, gripping onto the arm that held onto the gun, doing her best to keep it away from her temple.

Though Alexandria was not as strong as him, and soon the man shot, the bullet hitting the top of her shoulder. As much as she wanted to scream, Alexandria didn’t have any more air in her lungs. The princess swung her leg up, hitting him right in the groin, causing the man to groan and buckle forward. He wrapped his arm around her neck as he fell forward, beginning to strangle her as he tried to get his gun ready for another shot. The man tried to smack the cock of his gun against her head, trying to knock her out as fast as possible. Though while a sickening cracking sound rang through her head, she stayed up.

That was when the man saw the large wolf move from behind the car, looking like he was in search. The attacker was quick to press Alexandria closer to his body, continuing to press down on her throat. He managed to shift his gun in his hand to press it against her bleeding forehead. The sight of the werewolf was a terrifying one but before he was able to do much of anything, he was on the ground.

Alexandria let out a pained gasp as she was thrown down to the ground, her head hitting against the pavement. The second hit to her head was too much, knocking the woman out.

It was not long until emergency services was at the scene. The moment the signal had gone out from the first car, they had been sent as a precation. What they came to was shocking to them. It seemed that most at the scene were dead or in critical injury. Only one was able to make it out with a minor injury. Though what was the most urgent situation there was the princess and the wolf that seemed to cling to her side, threatening to not let her near. It wasn’t difficult for them to realize that the wolf was the princess’ fiance, as no longer wolves really lived in their country.

He wasn’t someone they could just consider a threat to her, or force off of the princess’ body. The police knew they couldn’t use force despite the serious condition both of them were in. But with much corcering, they were able to get both the wolf and Alexandria into the ambulence, despite them both really needing their own. Though they EMTs were quick to ensure that both stayed in stable condition as they drove to the hospital.

Once there, it was complete choas. The best doctors and nurses were quickly called into care for both of them. Alexandria was quickly carted off into the operating room. Once they were able to calm Dominic down enough, the staff was quick to use knock out gas on him before also bringing him to an operating room. His long and careful surgery involved much uncertain conversation between a surgeon and a vet, trying their best to work through the confusing situation of working on a werewolf.

Hours had gone by before either were brought into their own hospital rooms. Dominic and Alexandria was roomed next to each other. The Queen and King sat in Alexandria’s room, waiting for their daughter and Dominic to wake. They needed both of them to be okay. And they desperate to find out what had occurred on their drive home.

{I lied because I think I want to focus on tracks if that's okay }

Dominic raised to his feet, his teeth barred at he growled deeply each time that someone tried to approach Alexandria. His head was swimming, pain was the only thing that he felt at the moment. He just knew that he needed to keep Alexandria safe, he needed to make sure that she wasn't injured again. Or worse. The thought made his stomach twist into an uncomfortable knot as he glared, twisting and turning each time someone would take a step forward. He just wanted Alexandria to come to, he wanted her to be able to sort out if these people were safe or not because Dominic didn't think he could handle shifting at the moment. It was mildly painful and in his current state.. He snarled as someone continued moving toward him. He crouched lower, his body all but covering Alexandria. No one would touch her.

The medic held his hands out, slowly moving forward. "It's okay. Shh, it's okay," he spoke, carefully lowering the back on his shoulder to the ground. THe man tugged the zipper open and opened the bag, showing the contents to the uneasy wolf. It was as clear as day that without gaining Dominic's trust, no one would be coming anywhere near either of them. ANd Dominic was in desperate need of help. Even as the medic stood in front of him, Dominic's condition continued to deteriorate. He was swaying on his feet, shaking his head to try and refocus on the task in front of him.

His eyes never left the medic as he took a slight step backward, barely moving enough to allow the medic room to work. To check that Alexandria was okay. Dominic's eyes were narrowed, his head lowered as his ears pulled back. It was clear that Dominic didn't fully trust the medic and he was even less happy when more started to approach. How did he know that he could trust them all? He didn't.

Dominic's demeanor changed as the medics began talking amongst themselves, saying that they needed to get Alexandria into the hospital to run testing on her. They were concerned that she wasn't awake yet - that she had more serious brain injuries than could be seen from where they were.

Limping forward, Dominic nearly attacked the medic that tried to lead him to another ambulance. There was no way that he would be parted from her until absolutely necessary. The medics seemed to realize that there was no arguing with Dominic as he approached the ambulance that Alexandria was pulled into.

The medic that he had originally let approach stepped forward, shaking his head. "You're too... er, large. In your current state. If you want to accompany her, you have to shift. Or there won't be room for us and you both," he instructed, his voice low as he held out his hands. He didn't want Dominic to look too deeply into the words and lash out. Dominic huffed, grimacing as he hung his head. He lingered for a moment further before he shifted, his face twisted into a mask of pain as he collapsed to the ground. His body felt like it was on fire, multiple bullet holes littered his body as well as cuts from the poisoned knife that was still lodged into his side. His body was covered in bruises and blood. Some of it his own, some of it belonged to the men that he had killed without second thought.

The man knelt, carefully helping Dominic up and into the ambulance. As much as he wanted to lay Dominic down, Alexandria wasn't even conscious. She couldn't sit up.

"J-Just.. just.. make sure. She's 'kay," Dominic managed to speak, his arm wrapped around his side as the poison began to take affect. It wouldn't kill him but it would make him wish that he was dead. Th poison couldn't be taken out, it simply had to run its course through his body. It made it feel as if his blood was on fire. Dominic ground his teeth together but didn't make it known otherwise.

---

Dominic didn't start to come to until hours later, after the surgery had finished. He shot up, his eyes narrowed as his nose lifted in the air. His body ached and ever fiber of his being begged him not to move but there wasn't a single thing that he cared about. Dominic simply want to see Alexandria and know that she was okay. He raised his arm, growling lowly as he shoved the iv out of his arm as he raised to his feet.

The first few steps that he took, Dominic stumbled before he reached the wall. He slumped against it, letting out a groan as he pushed himself forward. The door was pushed open by a nurse that was wide eyed at spotting Dominic up and out of his bed. "Sir, you can't be up! You need to rest!" She all but shouted, her jaw dropping when she noticed the iv was missing from his arm. "Your iv!"

Dominic let out a low growl as he shook his head. "Out. Of. My. Way," he bit out, shoving past her. Dominic twisted, following his mate's scent as he made his way into the hospital room beside his. Dominic only managed to get a step or two inside before his knees buckled beneath him. Dominic looked as defeated as he felt, looking up from his spot on the floor as he eyed Alexandria's sleeping form. He knew her parents were there, watching him. And it made him feel even worse because he had failed his mate and he had failed her family.

Swallowing thickly, Dominic shook his head. "How.. is she?"

@ castle.

As Dominic stepped into the room, he would have seen Queen Charlotte standing over Alexandria’s sleeping body. She was talking quietly as she wiped the young princess’ face off with a wet towel. The mood of the hospital room was one of worry and anxiety. Though the pure feeling of shock and anxiousness shot through the roof as Charlotte’s eyes dropped to Dominic. The nurse not far behind him.

“Take care of Prince Dominic immediately!” Queen Charlotte shouted to the nurse, panic clear in her voice. “Bring his hospital bed in here if you must but hurry!” The nurse was quick to turn around on her feet and run off away from the room, calling out to the other staff to get what they desperately needed to help the stubborn prince. At this point, they would bring what he needed to heal to him. After all, they had been made aware of what happened at the scene earlier and had gotten the story from the medic to not interfere between the wolf prince and his princess.

Once the nurse was gone, Queen Charlotte turned to Dominic, a deep frown settled in on her face. “Dominic, you need to rest. You shouldn’t be on your feet much less walking right now and I don’t want to have to call your mother and tell her your condition worsen because –“

“Enough,” Said a tired voice from the couch in the room. King Richard rubbed his face for a moment before forcing himself onto his feet. He waved a hand to the Queen, trying to motion to her that it was going to be fine. As he headed over to Dominic, he spoke. “The doctors are saying that Alexandria has every chance of being just fine, after some time healing of course. They need to run a few tests once she is fully conscious again but it seemed the bullet on her shoulder didn’t hit anything serious and her head injuries weren’t as serious as they could have been. Just some stitches, for the most part. But we’ll know more tomorrow.”

The man helped Dominic to his feet, but essentially carried all of his weight, as he brought him over to one of the chairs besides Alexandria’s bed and set him down into it. “We can tell that she’ll be awake soon. Alexandria opened her eyes a few times but didn’t say anything before falling back asleep. You can stay here and wait for her to wake up with us but you need to listen to the nurses and doctors. That means bed rest, keeping your IV in, taking your medicine and doing the physicial therapy they give you. You need to heal as well, understood?”

Now that Dominic was much closer to the hospital bed, he was able to see Alexandria clearly. There were plenty of bruises and scratches on the young woman but nothing was as eyes catching as the bandages wrapped around her head, focusing on her right temple and the back of her head. The other obvious injury was the bandages wrapped around her shoulder. The princess looked rather pale and she certainly wasn’t looking her healthiest. But she was breathing normally and her heart was at a good resting pace.

Dominic's shoulders pulled together as Queen Charlotte turned toward him. He knew he was about to be scolded but he couldn't bring himself to even listen to her words. His well being didn't matter one bit to him - he was a wolf, he would heal. His only concern was finding out if Alexandria would be okay. He could only imagine how he would feel if he had failed so badly that she wasn't going to be okay.. Dominic didn't think he could handle that thought. He swallowed thickly, his chin dropping against his bare chest. Dominic only seemed to relax slightly when King Richard spoke up, silencing his queen.

He turned toward the man, raising his head as he began to speak. Dominic nodded slightly, his eyes locking on Alexandria's form. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute, wondering if he should simply leave now. Would it be for the best? Dominic knew that he hadn't won Alexandria's heart and if she had been attacked on their way home, his presence was putting her in harms way. Dominic blew out a shaky breathe, deciding that it wasn't a conversation to have with the King and Queen. He would speak to Alexandria once she had woken and they had a chance to be alone.

Biting back a groan as Richard helped him from the floor, Dominic was all too relieved to drop down onto the chair. He looked up slowly, his eyes roaming over her features. Her bruises and scratches killed him but they were nothing compared to the bandages wrapped around her head and shoulder. Dominic felt a wave of sadness wash over him.

Dominic had thought he was doing the right thing by pushing their relationship on a fast track, so that by the end of this all Alexandria could make her decision. A decision she didn't even know Dominic was ready to offer her. He'd ensure there were no strings attached. Regardless of the decision she made, he was going to keep his country from going to war with hers. That was what this relationship was about, wasn't it?

His fingers twitched, aching to reach out and to touch her. His wolf was practically whining, causing his chest to vibrate despite making no noise at all. Dominic wished for the first time that she was a wolf because he would have more of a connection to her. He would be able to feel that she was fine. Now, he had nothing but the word of human doctors to go off of. Dominic swallowed thickly, looking away from her finally. His voice came out hard and strong despite the feelings coursing through him. "My parents are intending on coming, are they?" He asked, turning his attention toward King Richard. "They need not to attend. I will be fine."

@ castle.

"Yes, they are. Though if you do not wish them to come, then I think that is a call that you should be making." King Richard told him as he sat back down. He leaned back into his chair before letting out another sigh. All of this had been exhausting to him and he hated waiting for his daughter to wake. Queen Charlotte lifted her head up and looked to Dominic as well. "They might already be on their way. Your parents were quite worried when I spoke to them on the phone and they spoke about heading here as soon as possible. You should call them soon, Dominic. I told them that the doctors said that you will be alright but I know they want to hear from you."

As the Queen finished speaking, a doctor and a nurse came back into the room and headed over to Dominic. If Dominic tried to cause any fuss, King Richard gave him a pointed look. He was serious about only letting Dominic stay if he let the doctors do what they needed to. They didn't want him getting worse and they certainly didn't know what they would do if Dominic ended up dying while he was here. Not only would that be a horrible loss of life but it would also be a catastrophe on a whole different level.

The Queen went back to tending to Alexandria as the hospital staff did what they needed to for Dominic. She gently wiped off Alexandria's face, eventually setting down the rag. She sat down for a few moments before taking one of the vases filled with flowers in the room, setting it on the bedside table and beginning to mess with the arrangement. The King stayed where he was on the couch, doing his best to stay calm.

A couple of minutes went by before Alexandria started to open her eyes. She opened them once before closing them almost immediately. Though, after a few more seconds, her eyes opened all of the way. She glanced around the room slowly. It took a few moments but confusion slowly moved over her face as she looked around. As she passed over each person, Alexandria's eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to get a better look at them before letting out a deep heavy sigh and continuing to look around.

After a minute or so of this, Queen Charlotte spoke softly. "How are you feeling sweetie?"

Alexandria let out a long hum in response before looking up at her ceiling, now looking like she was about to cry. "Why did you change my room when I was gone? Where did all my things go? It's so ugly."

King Richard couldn't help but let out a chuckle at Alexandria's words. He shook his head a bit before standing up and moving to the bed besides Charlotte. "Just give her a couple of minutes." The King looked to Dominic. "The doctor said it might take a few minutes until she's thinking straight again."

The Queen frowned a bit nonetheless and lightly ran her fingers through Alexandria's hair. "Oh, this isn't your room sweetheart."

The princess immediately calmed down and let out a small "Oh,". Her head turned and she looked to Dominic, her head tilting slightly in confusion again. "You look horrible." Alexandria's eyes widen a bit before she suddenly was whispering to him. "Did you get beaten up? I promise I won't tell the others you lost."

Dominic opened his mouth to tell the doctor and nurse off when they started to approach him. He was going to be fine, what did these people not understand? He was going to be in pain for a long time, sure, but that was minuscule compared to how he felt for having failed Alexandria. He swallowed, hanging his head after he caught the look that Richard gave him. It was almost laughable to him that he was finding some sort of comfort in the authority that Richard held. It was not unlike his own father's. Begrudgingly, Dominic let the doctor and nurse reattach the iv before taking his vitals. When they were satisfied that he was fine, the doctor started to ask about pain medication before Dominic quickly shook his head. "No. It will do nothing, it's not worth it," he answered in a tired voice. Dominic wasn't trying to be rude but he doubted that human medication would hold a flame to the poison coursing through him.

His head snapped up when Alexandria started to wake. Dominic sat up straighter, forcing back the whine that threatened to spill from his throat. Dominic exhaled, a slight frown morphing his features at her comment about her room. Richard's explanation helped to calm his nerves only a bit.

Dominic raised his eyebrows when Alexandria turned toward him and started to faux whisper to him. His face scrunched slightly before he let out a soft laugh. He shook his head. "You should see the other guys, sweetheart," he spoke, his voice coming out gravely from the amount of anesthetic that had been pushed through his body. Dominic couldn't help but smile slightly, relieved to see Alexandria awake and speaking.

He saw no point in hiding what had happened from Alexandria. In his country, the kings and queens ruled side by side. The king had the final say, sure, but the Queen was equally allowed to make decisions.

"The men who did this.. if there are more, we will find them, Alexandria," Dominic's voice took on a hard edge as he straightened. His gaze darkened as he fought the urge to let out a feral noise. "They will be dealt with quickly and severely." Dominic would not be kind to the people who had tried to take Alexandria from him. Human or wolf, it didn't matter. Dominic would see them to their end, one way or another. He was sure that the men his parents brought with them would feel the same. His parents would more than likely feel the same once they saw the state that Dominic was in.

Dominic wondered if she would mind if he reached out then. He wanted to grab her hand and just feel her - to cement that she was here and she was fine but he knew she wasn't comfortable with any of that. Dominic had been surprised when she squeezed his hand on the journey here.

"No one will ever harm you again," Dominic declared, his eyes locking with Alexandria's.

@ castle.
"Something happened." Alexandria mumbled slowly as she listened to his words. It was becoming clear to her that something wasn't quite right about this.

As Dominic continued to speak, realization slowly moved over Alexandria's face. Her own mind was beginning to line up again properly and her memories were coming back slowly. It was still a bit blurry to her but the larger pieces were falling into place.

Alexandria raised a hand up to her head, feeling the bandages that were wrapped around her. She tried to lift her head off of the pillow but immediately winced in pain and laid her head back down. Reaching father down, she laid her hand down against her shoulder, feeling another set of bandages beneath her fingers.

Anxiousness started to rise up in her chest again now that her memories were slapping her in the face. She took another moment to look at the room. They were in a hospital because they were attacked. In her own country, so close to home. Her hand slid down to her chest, gripping onto her hospital gown tightly as she did so. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself back down. Despite how much Alexandria didn't want to, she wasn't able to stop herself. Tears started to roll down her cheeks fast.

Alexandria was quick to move her arm over her face, covering her eyes as she did so. "I'm sorry." She whimpered out. "I'm so fucking sorry. We almost died a-and - I didn't want this." Alexandria took in a sharp breath. "I wanted you to like it here."

Queen Charlotte was quick to take some tissues and wipe Alexandria's tears. Though Alexandria lightly pushed her hand away before pulling her arm away and looking to back to Dominic. "We have to find them. I-I want them punished. I don't want to wait around for something like this to happen again. I can't do it again."

Feeling the wave of sadness from Alexandria damn near broke Dominic. Had he been better, more prepared then she wouldn't be feeling like this. He should have been better. He could have been better. But he wasn't. He had been far too comfortable in a foreign land where he didn't think that he belonged. Dominic cleared his throat, only looking up again when Alexandria began to speak. The tone she took on made him grin despite how serious the situation was between them. It was abundantly clear that Alexandria was made to be a queen, just like that. Even if she wasn't his...

"There were at least two dozen men that attacked us," Dominic spoke now, not carrying that the king and queen were in the room. This was a conversation between Alexandria and himself. "If there are more left, we will find them. We will punish them appropriately," Dominic paused, running his tongue over his bottom lip. "When my family arrives, we will begin investigations. Anyone else that may have something to do with this.. they will be found and they will be brought to justice."

Dominic let out a slow breathe, realizing that Alexandria was in a better state of mind that he had realized. He turned toward King Richard and Queen Catherine. "May we have a moment? Please?"

Dominic wasn't the least bit surprised when Catherine started to object but Richard seemed to understand that Dominic, whatever he needed to say, had to be a private moment. It wasn't until they were alone that Dominic started turning toward Alexandria. He couldn't quite convince himself to look her in the eye.

"The guilty will be brought to justice," Dominic spoke, his voice having lost the hard edge that had settled in his voice when her parents were still in the room. He didn't need to be the hard alpha prince with only Alexandria. "After that," he hesitated again, already feeling the panic rising in his body. No. The idea of separating from Alexandria would make his life a living hell but he would do anything he could for her.

"After that, I will return to my country. You can remain here," Dominic said, drawing in a deep breathe. He waved his hand to silence her before she could say anything. "You don't have to worry. No war will come to your lands for as long as I live. You will be free to do as you please, regardless of our state."

@ castle.
The smile on Dominic's face surprised Alexandria but strangely enough, it was able to calm her down slightly. But as Dominic spoke, Alexandria was able to reach up and wipe her tears away, the crying now stopping. She knew it would return tonight but at least she had something else to focus on right now. Alexandria had Dominic and they had a mission now. They needed to catch these monsters.

"I can only assume that investigations have started on our side." Alexandria said as she looked to her parents. Her father nodded to her, telling her that they were already working on it she then looked back to Dominic and continued on. "We can find them together. Find out why this happened and make sure that it doesn't happen again. The people who did this don't represent my country or my people. And we aren't going to let them get away with this."

Alexandria was a little surprised when Dominic asked her parents to leave. Even more so when they agreed to it. Though, in truth, there was something that she wanted to say to him as well and she preferred it be done alone. So Alexandria stayed calm as she watched her parents leave the room before she turned her head to look at him.

Anger started to rise up in Alexandria's chest as Dominic said she could stay home. Though she tried to keep her voice even. "What? Why? Is it because of the attack? Why would you just say something like that? Especially now?" Alexandria forced herself to sit up, her teeth gritting together as she did so. Though once she was up, Alexandria looked Dominic dead in the eyes. She suddenly felt like Dominic was just playing with her emotions. The way he changed his mind over the last two weeks was giving her whiplash. "What happened to me being your mate? To you wanting to make this work?"

Dominic winced at the anger that grew in Alexandria's scent. That wasn't exactly what he had been expecting but he thought that it was better than the pain that he had been worried about. Maybe he was right that Alexandria didn't care for him in the same way that he cared for her. Maybe she never would. It would be better that way, then neither of them would have to pretend for the sake of this relationship.

Dominic swallowed, looking away from Alexandria when she took a breathe to speak. His leg started to bounce as he drummed his fingers against the arm of the chair. "I never said you weren't my mate or that I didn't want to make this work," he answered, his shoulders sagging as he did. Dominic's heart felt like it was breaking, right inside of his chest. "But you were injured because of my presence. You would not be here, laying in that bed without me being here," he pointed out lowly.

"And you.. shouldn't be in this out of obligation to your people. I won't allow it," Dominic said. His voice started to take on that hard edge again. He straightened, looking to the door briefly. He was relieved that her people were human; her parents nor the staff here would be able to hear what they were discussing.

"I may be a lot of things but I am not selfish enough to bind you to something that you want no part of, Alexandria." Dominic's words made his heart just about beat out of his chest. It was all so wrong, to be talking of leaving his mate behind. He could feel his wolf growling, desperate to convince Dominic what he was doing was wrong. Every instinct he had told him to stay by her side. But that wasn't fair to her, or at least he thought.

@ castle.

Alexandria listened intently as Dominic explained himself. She didn't dare interrupt and even once he was done, she turned her head and took some time to think it over. His words had calmed her down significantly. What he was offering to her really was a gift, almost like a blessing. And hearing that he would not keep her to her parent's promise lifted a large weight off of her chest. She wasn't required to be his anymore, to be Dominic's wife, to split her time between her country and his anymore. Now she could marry who she wanted, stay in the country that she loved and be Queen here...

But something didn't sit quite right with Alexandria. It was hard to say what it was. In the least, she knew she wasn't in the mindset to make this decision, even though Alexandria had been pining for since the arrangement was made. Over the last week or so, Alexandria had been having great difficulty as to what to do with Dominic. His offer didn't feel like it remedied that for her.

Leaning over, Alexandria took Dominic's hand into hers, holding it tightly before she lifted her head back up to look him in the eyes. "I have a lot I want to say. But first of all, we don't know that I was injured because of your presence. We have no idea why we were attacked or if it even had anything to do with you. And even if that is the case, it's not your fault. You didn't make them hurt us. They decided that on their own because of their own crazy ideas. It is not your fault. It really is not. And I don't want you blaming yourself for it." She held onto his hand a bit tighter. "What I do know is that you saved my life and I can't thank you enough for that. You are the only reason I am alive right now. You protected me."

Alexandria looked him over for a moment, tapping the back of his hand out of nerves before moving on. "As for our engagement, thank you for allowing me to leave it if I want. It means more to me than I can say that you are giving me the options that my parents took from me. But, honestly Dominic, I don't know what I want anymore. Before I met you I was trying to get out of it any way I could think of but now I feel so conflicted. And if you really want to get into all of the reasons why I feel that way, we can later but I can't just accept this."

"I need time to think things out and figure out what I want to do. But it's like you're running at a million miles per hour and I am just walking along the path, lost. I mean last week you're telling me I am your mate and you're yelling at me for not trying hard enough and now you're trying to send me home. It's like you're trying to give me emotional whiplash." Alexandria spoke softly. "Can we please slow down. I can't keep up with you, it's not possible for me. And I am not saying that I want to be with you and I am not saying that I don't want to be with you. What I want is for you to stay here with me this month, like you said you would. I promise that by the end of the month, I'll have an answer for you. Are you willing to do that? To slow down with me and let me handle the pace?"

Dominic felt sick to his stomach at the wave of relief that had washed off of Alexandria when she realized everything that he was offering her. It was just more reasoning to him that he needed to do this. It would hurt and he knew that he would never really feel whole - wolves mated for life, after all. He had never met a wolf that wasn't with their mate - who walked away from their mate. Would he be strong enough to handle it? He didn't know but he hoped so. Swallowing at the thought, Dominic visibly stiffened when Alexandria grabbed his hand. He looked up, holding back his frown as she continued to speak. He all but wanted to laugh in her face. Of course it had something to do with his presence. And he had failed her. He hadn't kept her safe. He wasn't worthy of her devotion - of her love. He wanted to tell her all of these things yet he kept them to himself.

it wasn't right to start throwing a pity party for himself when Alexandria was clearly struggling with her own demons. His could wait. Dominic would always put them off if he could, if it meant protecting Alexandria from any sort of pain. He would protect her from anything and everything that he could. Even if that somehow included himself.

Dominic shrugged at her words, looking away as he ground his teeth together. He wanted so badly just to talk to her But he'd moved too fast in one breathe and now he was pulling away in the next. Damien knew he was moving too fast for her and now he felt like the only way he could possibly rectify the situation was to give her complete and utter freedom. Away from him and away from the obligations that had pulled her to him in the first place.

"I will stay until the appropriate people are caught and punished. After that," Damien paused, swallowing thickly. To go against what Alexandria had just asked of him, the thought alone was enough to kill him. But he forced the pain away, instead focusing on what good he thought he was doing for her. She deserved to live her life happily. Damien could accept that. "I will return home. That will take time as we have to follow your laws and I am sure that your people will not punish as... swiftly and definitively as we would. Whatever amount of time that takes will be the time we have left together." He paused again when a swell of emotion washed over him. No. He had to remain strong. For her. Or so he continued to tell himself.

"I can't ask you to love me. I won't force your hand in a situation like that. I will be just a phone call away, should you need me. For anything, ever. Always. But I will not ask you to return with me, Alexandria. That is not fair to you and if I love you anywhere nearly as much as I claim, I would never have put you in this position to begin with. For that, I cannot apologize enough," Damian declared. He looked up to face her, a determined look on his features. He was surprised by just how strong he felt, despite the pain that he felt. Both physical from the poison and the emotional from having to leave Alexandria in the first place.

"I am sorry. For everything you have been put through, Alexandria. I swear it."

@ castle.

Alexandria felt disheartened by Dominic's refusal. She had hoped that he would be willing to slow down, to give her a chance to catch up to him. Though before Alexandria could even get a grasp on what all of this meant to her, it was pulled away again. The frown along her lips deepen as she laid her head against the pillow. Was there even any point in trying to figure it out? Dominic seemed so determined in his decision and Alexandria didn't really wish to fight for it harder when there was the possibility she would just break his heart.

It wasn't something that Alexandria could blame him for. Even if, through some way, she found herself longing for the man, her love would never live up to a werewolf's standard. She couldn't do what they were able to, and Dominic would surely have a difficult time being mated to a human. Alexandria believed Dominic thought he was doing all of this for her, freeing her from what was and what surely would be a difficult love. Though it was probably also protecting Dominic as well. Still, a sense of sadness washed over her. None of this felt right to her... Alexandria supposed she could still take the time to settle her heart on what to do, even if it was only to find her own peace with this mess.

"I understand," Alexandria whispered softly. "Though I wish you would change your mind, and let me decide for myself what I want." Her eyes drifted down from Dominic's determined face to their hands. It was becoming difficult to meet Dominic's eyes with her own. How could he be so sure about letting go of his mate when her own thoughts on the subject were so muddy? At this point, she wasn't sure what was worse. Learning she was his mate or watching Dominic push her away completely. Either way, it made her feel sick. "I will not accept your apology though as there are none that I deserve from you. However, I do owe you an apology but I - Well I do not know what I can do to make up for what I have done."

As the door to her hospital room began to open, Alexandria slowly slid her hand out of Dominic's. "I hope you will still be willing to spend some time with me during your stay here." The young woman had some issue getting the words out, suddenly feeling each letter getting stuck in her throat. Despite everything that had happened between them, she had wanted Dominic to enjoy his time here, to learn to love her country. Though it seemed that was no longer a possibility.

The door opened the rest of the way, the king and queen entering the room. The Queen turned to Dominic and spoke, "You should head back to your room and get some rest, Dominic. Your parents will be here soon, their plane just landed."

The thought of leaving Alexandria behind, for good, had Dominic's heart plummeting but as far as he was concerned, it was the right thing to do. It was as clear as day that Alexandria wanted nothing to do with him. When she had first arrived to his home, she had been standoffish and frigid on the best of days. The worst, she wanted nothing to do with him and ran as quickly from his presence as she could. She would never love him in the same way that he loved her and to force her into something, it wasn't fair. It wasn't right. You wouldn't do that to someone you claimed to love. You simply wouldn't. There was no way around that fact. Exhaling slowly, Dominic gave a rigid nod as he turned away from her. He couldn't bare to continue look at him.

Swallowing, Dominic closed his eyes for a moment. "I won't leave your side until the guilty are found," Dominic spoke in a low voice. He lifted his head back up, opening his eyes just as the door to the room started to open. He dropped his hand into his lap, falling silent as king and queen entered. Dominic raised an eyebrow's at the queen's suggestion before shaking his head.

His eyes found Alexandria's before he spoke again, his jaw clenching. "No. I'm not leaving her side; not until the guilty are found and put down like the animals they are. Nothing is going to hurt her again," he paused, still refusing to look away from her. "It's the least that I can do for her."

Dominic only looked away when the queen began to speak. Before she could really even form a sentence, Dominic held his hand up in hopes that it would silence her. He tilted his head to the side, holding back a huff of annoyance. "There is no changing my mind. As my parents would have once told you, I am quite stubborn once I have made up my mind. And protecting Alexandria from any more potential threats? Now, that's top priority. Nothing else matters if she is hurt," Dominic spoke, his voice hard despite the words he spoke.

@ castle.

Some confusion moved over the princess' face when Dominic first started to speak. She would have thought he would be happy to run back to his own room for a while. But, slowly, realization spread along Alexandria's face as she understood what was truly happening. It seemed that her wolf mate was quite serious about not leaving her side until she was well and safe...A very interesting move from someone who had just broken off their engagement. But, one that Alexandria could actually understand. This was more on brand for a wolf mate than everything that had come out of his mouth before it.

Even so, Alexandria thought it was best to deal with her mother, as she was beginning to get visibly upset. There were few who dared try to push the Queen around, and even less that could do so successfully. "Please do not be upset, mother. He is just worried about me." She lifted up her hand slightly to her, though let out a small whimper as she did so before laying her arm back dow on the bed. The shoulder injury was too painful to be moving her arm about quite yet. But it still came across well to the Queen, who came to Alexandria's side and took her hand gently into hers.

"I am worried about you as well." The Queen said softly. "And it is important that Dominic rests as well. Your father and I also wish to speak to you,"

Alexandria let out a small, tired sigh. "Perhaps it can wait until tomorrow?" Alexandria asked gently. Her parents looked at each other for a moment before nodding and turning back. "Yes, but we will do so alone." The Queen seemed to stare pointedly at Dominic. Alexandria nodded in understanding before shifting her attention back to Dominic.

"In truth, I would rest easier with you close by," Alexandria told Dominic gently. "And I know you will heal quickly, but you do still need to rest. To care for yourself as well. And I will not let you wear yourself out for me. If I let you stay here, do you promise to do what you need to get better? That means sleeping as well."

Dominic wanted nothing more than to turn, tuck tail, and run right back to his country. In his mind, Alexandria was safer without him here but until the guilty were found and punished, Dominic wouldn't allow for it. He would not leave until he knew that Alexandria could be safe and she didn't have to be afraid any more. He didn't care who liked it or didn't like it, Dominic was not leaving her side. He would fight anyone for that right. Dominic could barely remember the fight that had happened but he remembered defending her unconscious body until the medic had managed to gain enough of his trust to be allowed close.

Even the Queen. Dominic would fight her. He'd fight his own parents, if need be. He wondered if anyone in this room at the moment understood that because he could sense Alexandria's confusion when Dominic turned down the chance to leave the room. When he went directly against her mother's request.

"I am a wolf," Dominic cut in when the Queen mentioned how important it was for him to heal. "I will be fine by the end of the week," he ground out, trying to contain his growing frustration. Dominic hadn't bothered to mention the poison that was still working its way through his body. It made him want to buckle beneat the pain but he was a wolf prince. He had to remain strong, there was no other choice. He knew his parents would be able to smell the poison by the time they stepped into the room but Dominic didn't find it in himself to care.

Dominic didn't bother to look at Alexandria's parents when the queen mentioned speaking to her alone. His jaw clenched, his eyes hardening slightly. Did she not hear a word he said? His senses were far outmatched compared to their own, he would be able to detect a threat before them. Be able to defend Alexandria more.

"I said what I said, Alexandria," Dominic cut across when Alexandria spoke. He dropped his gaze slightly, wondering what exactly her parents wanted to discuss with her. Why did it need to be alone? And if he pressed the matter and they argued over it, would Alexandria be upset with him? Dominic had questions he wanted to ask but he decided to put them off until the situation came to a forefront. Alexandria needed to rest and heal as much as she could.

@ castle.

Alexandria let out a small sigh as Dominic cut her off. His stubbornness was rather difficult to deal with and Alexandria was feeling as though she was getting more than she could really handle at the moment. But she was also too tired and drugged up to really start an argument with him. Nor did she want to, especially after he saved her. She was trying to find a middle ground that Dominic could agree.

"Dominic, I am not arguing with you nor am I going to force you to do anything." She told him, her voice still soft. "If you wish to stay with me in this hospital room, then please do so. But all I am asking is for you to rest. Even if that means you sleep in here. This room is quite large, we can bring your bed in." Alexandria glanced him over for a moment before continuing. "I know you will heal quickly but you still should be careful with yourself. I will feel guilty if you put forward too much effort to watch over me and I want you to get better. But... I will leave that decision to you and I nor my parents will mention it again unless your condition doesn't improve."

The princess knew she would be displeased with him if Dominic rejected her suggestion, but she wasn't going to push it any further. It seemed impossible to get Dominic to change his mind and there was no point in wasting her little amount of energy on it. Though she could tell that neither of her parents particularly liked her plan by the looks on their faces.

"And what will you do when you can go home?" The Queen said, raising an eyebrow. "You will not be sharing a room then."

Alexandria frowned at her mother. "Don't make things more complicated then they need to be. Once we're back home, Dominic can stay in one of the rooms close to mine if he prefers to do so. But not in the same room. I think we don't have to worry about the properness of it all when we're both in the hospital."

The princess then laid her head back and closed her eyes. "I think that is enough from the both of you for now. You two are completely exhausting me with your stubbornness."

Dominic's shoulders relaxed when Alexandria started to reason with him. His gaze dropped to his knees where he gave a small nod of his head. She was right, the room was big enough to wheel in his bed but there wouldn't be much space after that. He decided that it wasn't worth it. Dominic could easily sleep in the chair... or he could shift and be comfortable just about anywhere. It was mind boggling how he could find some space to be comfortable when he was in wolf form but even a hard ground was sufficient at that point. "I will be fine. I swear it," he answered in as gentle of a voice as he could. "There is no need to bring my bed in. The nurses and doctors need room to move about."

Bristling at the Queen's question, Dominic's eyes narrowed. He looked up to Alexandria quickly, his lips pressed into a thin line. The thought of being separated from Alexandria, in the middle of the night... when people could easily attack? Dominic nearly wanted to laugh at the suggestion that they would be separated but he opted not to say anything. Dominic knew their traditions were different, that he couldn't just waltz in and completely disrespect everything.

Dominic opened his mouth so say something else when Alexandria laid her head back but her little comment had a smirk forming on his lips despite himself. He couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at just how sassy the comment had been. Even if it had partly been directed to him.

Only a few minutes passed before Dominic heard the telltale sounds of his parents entering the area of the hospital that they were in. Dominic bit back a groan as he moved to push to his feet. He knew they would detect the poison he was suffering from but he hoped that if he pretended to be fine, they wouldn't bring up the subject with her parents or her. He knew that Alexandria already felt bad, there was no need to make it any worse than it was now. And he didn't need her parents thinking he was weak.

Dominic moved toward the door, squaring his shoulders just as his parents entered the room. His mother was the first to get to him, a deep frown settled on her features as she pulled him into a tight hug. Dominic's eyes narrowed as he noticed men crowding the entrance of the room. Guards. Something he didn't know if Alexandria's parents would be keen on but his parents had likely deemed it a necessity regardless, given the current circumstances.