Ellen's POV
When consciousness returned to me, I found myself once again in Terry’s hospital room, as though I had merely drifted off for a nap. My hand flew to my chest, where the arrow had struck—or should have. The memory of Jaime’s betrayal was still painfully vivid, etched into my mind like it had truly happened.
A strange unease settled over me. Something felt… off. I couldn’t sense my wolf. Panic prickled beneath my skin. Where is she? Why can’t I feel her presence?
I stood abruptly, scanning the sterile room, my heartbeat thudding in my ears. At that moment, the door creaked open and the doctor entered, a paper clutched tightly in his grasp. His furrowed brow mirrored the confusion rapidly blooming within me as he handed over the sheet.
“You need to read this, Luna,” he said, tension in every syllable.
I accepted the paper and stared at the words. The test result—identical to the one before—stated that Terry wasn’t my biological daughter.
Was this some kind of twisted repetition? A nightmare on loop?
I blinked, my bewilderment obvious. The doctor noticed and hesitated before speaking again. “I know this is difficult to process, but if you’d like, we can perform another test to be sure—”
“That’s not necessary,” I interrupted, forcing a strained smile over the chaos boiling inside me. “I just need some time alone to think.”
He lingered briefly, then gave a small nod and left. I turned my gaze to Terry, still unconscious in her hospital bed. I studied her delicate, unmoving form, and a terrifying thought began to form: Did I somehow return to the past?
I tried to call to my wolf for clarity, for comfort—but nothing answered. There was only emptiness, a cold void where her familiar warmth should’ve been. Panic constricted my throat. I burst out of the hospital and ran headlong into the forest.
I attempted to shift, begging to feel the connection that had always been second nature. But no matter how much I tried, nothing happened. My body refused to change. I collapsed onto the damp grass, gasping for breath as dread closed in.
Could my wolf truly be gone?
I needed guidance—someone who could make sense of this. The pack’s sage might know what had happened.
By the time I reached Sage Hermes at Brightstone, his expression had already turned grave. “What’s wrong, Luna?” he asked as soon as he saw me.
“I... I don’t know,” I replied shakily. “I can’t sense my wolf anymore.”
His face turned even more somber. “Tell me the truth, Luna. What happened?”
“I didn’t do anything!” I cried, emotion cracking my voice.
He stepped closer, gently taking my wrist to check my pulse. His face paled. “She’s gone,” he whispered. “It’s like... she sacrificed herself in exchange for your life.”
His words were a blow to my chest, stealing the air from my lungs.
“My wolf… gave herself up? That can’t be real,” I murmured, almost to myself.
“It’s rare, but it does happen,” Hermes said with a nod. “But you have to be honest. What really happened to you, Luna?”
I remained silent, the weight of his words sinking in. My wolf—who had been with me since I was twelve—was truly gone. I knew why. She had given everything to bring me back. For a purpose I had yet to fulfill.
“No one can know about this,” I whispered. “Please, Hermes. Keep this between us. I trust you.”
He hesitated, then gave a solemn nod. “Alright. But understand this—if your wolf gave her soul, the Moon Goddess will not return her.”
“Is there no other path?” I asked, my voice trembling with desperation.
“I can’t say,” he admitted. “But I’ll search for an answer.”
With that, I left Brightstone and made my way back to Blackthorn. Jaime was there, waiting.
“How is Terry doing?” he asked, feigning concern like a well-practiced actor.
“She’s not improving,” I said, my voice thick with false sorrow. “I have no idea what’s wrong with her.”
He offered a sad nod, his face wearing the perfect mask of grief. “You seem exhausted, love. I’ll have someone bring warm milk to help you relax.”
I resisted the instinct to bare my claws. That milk would be drugged, like before. He still thought I was naive.
“Thank you, darling,” I responded sweetly, putting on my most convincing act as the devoted Luna.
When the servant delivered the drink, I waited for them to leave, then poured it out and replaced it with fresh milk from my own stash.
Not long after, Jaime entered my chambers, his eyes darting to the glass. “You should drink before it cools,” he urged, wearing that familiar mask of kindness.
I took the glass and drank it, meeting his gaze as satisfaction danced behind his eyes.
“Rest well, my Luna,” he said, stroking my hair in a mock display of affection. “I’ll tend to some affairs of the pack.”
Once he left, I immediately slipped out and made my way to the hospital. Using a rare healing potion given by a Brightstone healer, I neutralized the poison slowly killing Terry and spirited her away under the cover of night. Denerus, a faithful warrior in our pack, helped conceal her in a secure location where Jaime would never think to search.
When I returned to the manor, I crawled into bed and forced myself to appear asleep.
Not long after, Jaime’s hurried steps echoed through the corridor.
“Ellen!” he shouted. “Our daughter... she’s gone!”
