The next day, the weather cleared enough that they could go walk the beach early in the morning. But once they got back to the house, he got a call that sent them packing and heading for the airport.

They’d been told things didn’t look good on the weather front. Apparently, another storm was headed their way. He didn’t want to the weather getting worse and having her in the house, he’d told her.

“What happens with the villagers now?” she asked Sebastian on the jet back over breakfast.

“I arranged for a medical crew to check on them. I also got my foundation involved. The villagers made a deal with me. They’ll move into some rental housing in the meantime. That’s safer than the shacks they live in. The foundation will handle it.”

She nodded, relief flooded her system. “Thank goodness. May I ask you something?”

He gave a quick nod. “Anything. Always.”

“I don’t mean to sound like a jerk, but why haven’t you done something about their living arrangements?” She frowned. Damn that sounded like an accusation and she didn’t intend for it to. “I mean, that village and those people are clearly important to you, but why let them live in those unsafe shacks?”

He sighed and put his coffee cup down. “I tried. Many times. Still try a few times a year. They’re very proud. They are only willing to live with what they can afford. It took hours of talking to one of their elders to get them to agree on the rental housing for a short period. The agreement is only until after the next storm. They’ll be gone as soon as they can get their shacks back up. That’s what they told me.”

Her shoulders slumped. “That’s hard. It must make it difficult for you knowing you can help and they won’t accept it.”

“You have no idea. I try to think of new ways to get them to take my help, but they refuse. The only thing I did come up with was a food market. Tania’s oldest son runs it. There, the villagers get discount prices on food and items they need. It allows me to feel like I am doing what I can.”

She grinned. “So they don’t know you’re paying regular price for the stuff they get really cheap, huh?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “If they did, they’d stop buying there.” He winked at her and glanced at her lips, making the heat in her veins rise again. “Let’s keep it our secret.”

Things were different between her and Sebastian. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he was sweeter to her. Nicer. The intimacy level was new and she liked it. She’d never felt this close to any man before.

When they got to the castle, she was happy to drop her bag on the bed and go searching for Sarai. There were things she wanted to ask her about the ball. No sense in waiting. She was at the top of the stairs when she stopped to think of how she could find Sarai. Maybe Sebastian would know where she was.

Suddenly, a hard shove sent her falling down the stairs, her body lost all control as she hit something. Pain and complete darkness took over.

Sebastian heard the scream from his office. The bond between him and Harper might be new, but he sensed her pain the moment it happened. He rushed out of his office to find Kellen at the top of the stairs, his face full of concern.

Then he saw her. Harper was at the foot of the stairs, bleeding from the side of her head and multiple bruises were forming over her face and arms.

“Good lord,” Kellen yelled, rushing down the stairs. “What happened?”

Sebastian’s wolf howled in desperation over his mate being hurt. He knew she was critical. “Call the doctor and get him here immediately.”

He picked her up carefully. Though she was unconscious, he knew her body had been hurt and it tore him apart to see her that way. How did she fall? Did she slip?

Mrs. Patty came from the kitchen and Delilah and Sarai rushed from the second level. “What happened?” Sarai asked, agitated. Delilah seemed curious, but not overly concerned. She wasn’t the type of person to care what happened to anyone but herself. Ever.

“Is Ms. Burns okay?” Mrs. Patty wrung her hands.

“I don’t know. I’m taking her to my room,” Sebastian told them. “The doctor is on his way and can see her there.”

Fear became a vise that tightened around his heart with every second that passed. The doctor arrived what felt like an eternity later. Only Sebastian was in the room when he examined his woman. Nobody else would go near her until he found out how she got hurt.

Kellen left to review the security tapes and try to figure out what happened. He’d told Sebastian there was something he needed to tell him, but would wait until after the doctor saw Harper.

“Your Majesty,” the doctor said, after his team was gone from the room. “Your mate will be fine,” he sighed. He met Sebastian’s gaze. “She was lucky. She’s taking to the change and it is helping her heal.” He gave a shake of the head and covered Harper with the blankets. “Had you not claimed her, she would have been in critical condition.”

Sebastian’s fear loosened the tight grip on his chest. “Could she have fallen?”

The doctor raised his brows. “Doubtful. The injuries she suffered could have only happened if she’d fallen with a lot of force. She’d have to have been pushed, hard, to end up in this position.”

The beast inside him pushed under his skin, wanting to be let out. To find whoever hurt his woman and to kill him with his bare hands. She was his. A kind, sweet soul who didn’t deserve to be lying in bed unconscious.

“How long before she comes to?”

“Though the change is helping, she’s still more human than shifter. That means it will be a few days. As her body changes at a cellular level, the bruises will disappear faster and her cuts and that head wound will heal.” The doctor put his tools away and walked with Sebastian to the bedroom door. “I suggest someone guard her. Just in case.”

The doctor knew she was his mate. That meant she was as important as Sebastian to the pack. Royalty. As king of the Roarhart pack, Sebastian knew he was important to the shifter nation. But now Harper was just as important, if not more. She was his mate. The woman who would give him an heir. The next king would be her child.

He sat there with Harper when Kellen returned, his features harsh and angry. “We have a problem.”

“What now?”

“The cameras facing her bedroom, the hallway and now the top of the stairs suffered an interruption. We have no video of yesterday or today. We’re back to square one with the snake and how she fell down the stairs.”

Fuck. He gripped the arms of the sofa chair he was sitting on. “This is ridiculous. Someone has to know something.”

“I’ll keep looking.” Kellen glanced at the bed and winced. “Those bruises look terrible.”

He nodded. “They’re actually slowly getting better. It’s just going to take time.”

“We got guards outside the door.”

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t leave her side.” His throat constricted as he watched her. “I’ll never leave her side.”