Anna raced to the lobby of the medical wing just in time to see Leon’s beast form crashing through the front doors.

Medics rushed out, dragging gurneys with them as they ran up to him, shouting and talking all over one another.

Anna watched as he collapsed over the floors, blood pouring out of him in a steady stream of red. He shifted back to human form, and Anna gasped seeing just how much the damage was.

He was quickly loaded up, covers thrown over his body. Covers that immediately stained bright red. When they wheeled him past Anna, she saw that his eyes were open, and focused on her.

He didn’t look exhausted. Or weak. Or even hurt.

His eyes were gleaming. Wide and alert.

As if he was smiling at her.

It lasted only a split second, but the shock of it made Anna stumble. Azul moved swiftly, catching her before she could fall to the ground.

"Your highness," he spoke calmly.

Anna pushed herself off him, shaking her head and trying to shake off the cold feeling washing over her.

The lobby was a massive mess. The hole in the ceiling was still there, from when Tristan had crashed in with her. At the back of her mind, Anna wondered where they’d taken him. And then through the shattered front door, Kai walked in.

Anna’s eyes widened.

He looked fine. Perfectly fine. Not even a scratch on his body.

He was back to his human form, his shirt missing and blood splattered all over his body. Blood which none of it was his.

His dark eyes had reverted to their ocean blue, twinkling at Anna like a dog that had learned to do a new trick and wanted a treat.

"Cutie!" He exclaimed the moment his eyes fell on her, rushing over to her with excitement. "Did you see what—"

Anna didn’t let him finish. The crack of her palm slamming into his cheek echoed through the lobby.

Everyone froze. The doctors, the nurses, even the maids that had begun cleaning up the place. They all froze for two seconds, then immediately emptied out till it was just Anna and her two husbands left in the lobby.

Her small frame trembled as she faced Kai off.

"What was—" Kai tried to speak. Only for her to slap him again in the same spot. He touched his cheek, his eyes widening with disbelief.

He couldn’t understand the anger in her eyes. So he tried to reach out to her, to ask why she was so angry.

And she slapped him again. And again.

"You bastard!" Anna screamed her voice carrying into the empty air of the thrashed lobby. "You used me! You fucking used me!"

Kai blinked, bewildered, his fair cheek turning red. "I...I don’t understand,"

Hot tears burned inside Anna’s eyes. She tried to breath but her breaths came out short and ragged. She bit her lip hard, swallowing the salty moisture that pooled in her mouth.

"You used me to make him angry! Didn’t you?! That’s why you kissed me back there!"

Kai inhaled softly. "I didn’t mean it like that,"

"Bullshit what else did you mean it like huh?! You know how fucking unstable Leon is! You know..." she trailed off, her shoulders quaking as she bit back angry sobs. "And now Ray is dying! His chest is wide fucking open and he—he—"

She couldn’t take it anymore. She broke down, holding her hand over her face as she sobbed. Everything came crashing down on her all at once. Thinking about the destruction and carnage and the sheer amount of Ray’s blood soaked into her gown, so much that the material was now heavy, Anna couldn’t understand how things had gone so terribly wrong in such a small amount of time.

"Anna," Kai spoke his voice filled with remorse as he took a step closer to her. "I did this for you. I—"

"For me?!" Anna snapped her head up, her eyes red brimmed with tears. "You did all of this—" she gestured to the ruined lobby, her clothes, and the direction of Ray, "for me??"

"Yes! Leon was a bastard to you. He tried to kill you multiple times. Someone had to teach him a lesson."

Anna gasped, hearing how proud of himself he sounded like. "Really?"

"Yes."

"And Ray? What did Ray do to warrant being on the brink of death?"

Kai pursed his lips together, and didn’t answer.

Anna nodded slowly. "I never asked you to do any of this shit for me, Kai. I never did."

"You didn’t need to—"

"No. Did you forget so easily? If I want something, I’ll ask for it!"

"How about what I want to do for you? Leon...just let me take care of him, please. He’s a nuisance to you, Anna."

Anna shook her head. "Don’t. Don’t ever talk to me again ."

Kai gasped. For the first time in his life, he was truly and utterly shocked.

"Anna..." she stepped back from him.

He glanced at Azul, unsure of what he was even asking for. But Azul simply stepped behind Anna. A silent warning. Kai was a lot of things, mostly a fighter. But he’d be a fool to go against Azul.

"Anna please," he tried again, his brows drawn together. To his horror, his heart began to race.

"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it’s impossible to truly separate the monster from the man." Anna said ruefully before turning away.

"Anna!" Kai yelled, reaching out for her. Before he could grasp even an inch of her blood soaked sleeve, Azul moved and stood before them.

"Go and get checked," he said coolly.

"Back off!" Kai screamed, trying to slip past him and get to Anna. His efforts proved futile. "Anna! Anna please!" He screamed out after her, watching her body get smaller and smaller as she walked away. "Anna!"

His heart felt strange. Like someone was stepping all over it. His breathing quickened, and sweat dotted his brow. Kai didn’t understand what he was feeling.

All he knew was that something was wrong.

He thought they were making progress. He believed things were better between he and Anna now, he knew her, and she was getting to know him better too. They kissed, Kai believed that had to mean something. They even did more than kissing.

And yet, the look in her eyes just now was one he would never forget. It was burned into his mind forever.

Kai didn’t think Ray meant that much to her. He didn’t think she’d be so angry and hurt. He didn’t think poking Leon would backfire so much.

He just wanted....

He just wanted to make her happy.

Yes. That was it! He wanted to make her happy.

And how?

Kai realized then, his greatest mistake.

This was Anna Carson. Not Princess Orchid.

Princess Orchid would have praised him for hurting Leon. Anna Carson slapped him for it.

It dawned on Kai, painfully so, that he just made a massive mistake.

His cheeks tingled with the pain of her slaps. Somehow her just held minutes of sustained and bloody combat with a feral lion, but Anna slapping him was the thing that hurt the most.

Kai stood in the middle of the thrashed lobby, his body trembling all over.

His thoughts disjointed, bouncing one off the other and echoing in his skull.

She hates me.

I vowed to never show her the monster and that’s what I did.

I disgust her.

She doesn’t want to speak to me again.

She won’t even listen to me.

I’m sorry. Anna I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you angry. I didn’t mean to hurt Ray. I didn’t—

But Kai knew the truth.

He knew that as he went toe to toe with Leon, he liked it.

For the first time in months, he was doing what he did best. Draw blood, follow the trail and draw more blood. For a few minutes he was back in that ring, all of them, fighting. Winning.

For a moment, he was himself.

His basest, darkest desires.

I need to talk to her. If I can just explain, I’m sure she’ll understand.

So Kai ran off in the direction Anna had gone in. He’d barely turned down the corner before he slammed face first into a broad chest.

Azul.

"Go home, Kai." Azul growled, agitation flashing in his eyes.

"Azul I need to talk to her. Just a minute."

"No."

"But I—"

"I said no. If you step a foot past here, I’ll break your legs."

Kai took a step back.

Unlike Leon, Azul didn’t need to speak too much to carry out a threat.

Right over his shoulder, Kai spotted Anna talking to a doctor. She looked so disheveled, her hair matted red, her dress torn and soaked with blood, even her spores had stopped flowing.

"Anna!" Kai screamed, hoping his voice would get to her.

She bristled, her shoulders coming up to her neck. But she didn’t turn around. Not even when the doctor turned and took notice of Kai, Anna refused to look at him.

It was then Kai realized the strange emotion that brewed in his chest.

Fear.

He was scared.

From the top of his head to the sole of his feet terrified.