Blackness swallowed me whole, the doctor’s shouts dimming as the world slipped away.
--
I woke to antiseptic air and harsh fluorescent light. The sterile scent of the pack infirmary stung my nose.
Draven sat nearby, tapping on his laptop. The moment he noticed I was awake, he closed it and grabbed the bowl on the tray table.
He offered me a spoonful of porridge—mechanical, detached.
“I can feed myself,” I murmured.
But swallowing felt like dragging razors down my throat. I winced with every bite.
The Alpha watched, his brow creased like I was a failing calculation he couldn’t fix.
When I reached for the next spoon, he caught my wrist, firm but not unkind.
“The doctor said you need more blood later,” he said. “Back at the packhouse—it was rushed. We didn’t mean to take so much. You can—”
“There's no need for that,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m not dying.”
His eyes flickered, confused by the lack of submission.
Silence settled between us like fog.
Then he spoke again, his voice shifting. “Your phone’s been going off all day.”
I reached for it. Dozens of missed calls. Messages. Notifications.
Draven’s gaze darkened as he leaned in.
“Who’s been trying to reach you?”
“A friend.” I didn’t elaborate.
Suddenly, his tie hit the floor. He leaned in closer, his presence overwhelming.
“Ella, what the hell are you doing? First, you try to run, and now this silent act? You still think you’re some delicate she-wolf we all have to coddle?”
He scoffed. “If you weren’t born a Luna, stop pretending to be one!”
“Look outside,” he hissed. “Wives who can’t bear pups—they get rejected. You’re lucky I didn’t do the same.”
His breath was hot, his fury close. Once, those words would have shattered me. I would’ve wept and begged and told him I was sorry.
Now?
I only felt the numbing void where love used to be.
Why were we still holding onto this bond when it had already broken?
Before I could respond, his phone buzzed. He straightened like a puppet on strings and strode to the hallway.
Then his laughter filtered in—low, soft, tender.
For her.
The door clicked shut.
A moment later, my phone rang.
I answered.
“Ella?” a deep, anxious voice whispered.
“Why did you go back? Don’t tell me... You still can’t let him go?”
“No. Just something… unexpected happened this time. But it won’t be long now. I’ll contact you then.”
Just as I ended the call, the infirmary door creaked open, heavy door groaning against the stone floor.