When I came to again, the first thing that greeted me was the sharp scent of disinfectant mixed with the metallic smell of hospital equipment. Above me, the ceiling was blindingly white.
Pain flared through my chest the moment I tried to breathe. My legs felt unbearably heavy, as if they had been crushed beneath a mountain. A faint groan escaped my lips.
"Easy," the nurse said at once, gently pressing me back onto the bed. "Don't try to move. You have three fractured ribs and your liver suffered internal bleeding. Honestly, it's a miracle you survived the night."
I blinked several times, struggling to bring her face into focus.
She continued while checking my chart, unaware that every sentence weighed on me.
"Things were a mess last night. Dr. Bennett was the only doctor on duty, and another patient's family kept demanding he see their pregnant daughter-in-law before anyone else. They caused quite a scene."
Pregnant.
My fingers twitched beneath the blanket.
Seeing my expression, the nurse quickly smiled.
"But don't worry. Her injuries turned out to be minor, so Dr. Bennett came to operate on you right afterward. You received treatment just in time."
Of course.
After a brief pause, she asked gently, "Hasn't anyone come to visit? Your family? Your mate? Someone should really be here with you."
I lowered my eyes to the blanket covering me.
"I don't have anyone."
The words scraped painfully against my throat.
She fell silent. I didn't have to look up to know she pitied me.
A moment later, voices drifted in from the hallway.
"Rowan..." Celeste sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why those animals suddenly went wild. They were calm during practice. Miss Brightman got hurt because of me."
Rowan answered almost immediately, his tone full of concern.
"Stop blaming yourself, Celeste. None of this was your fault. You were injured too. You shouldn't even be standing here."
She sniffled.
"I don't care about my injuries. I just feel terrible. I need to apologize to her. If I don't tell her I'm sorry, I'll never forgive myself."
My fingers slowly curled into a fist.
Another apology.
Rowan sighed softly.
"You're carrying our baby. You shouldn't upset yourself like this. Go back to your room and rest. I'll take care of everything."
"I don't want to leave." Her voice cracked with tears. "Please... let me see her. I have to apologize in person."
Something inside me finally broke.
Without thinking, I grabbed the glass beside my bed and hurled it across the room.
It smashed against the wall with a deafening crash.
The hallway instantly fell silent.
Seconds later, hurried footsteps approached.
Rowan burst into my room.
"Lillian!" His face was filled with worry. "What's wrong? Are you thirsty? Does something hurt? Tell me what you need."
I quietly looked at him.
Really looked at him.
His concern appeared so genuine.
Just like it always had.
And suddenly...
I felt exhausted.
Too exhausted to argue anymore.
"I want to ask you something."
He nodded immediately.
"What is it?"
"Did you investigate the bear and the shadow lynx?"
His expression froze for the briefest moment.
"They suddenly lost control," I continued. "Did anyone find out why?"
Something unreadable flickered through his eyes before disappearing.
"It was simply an accident," he replied without missing a beat. "Wild animals become unpredictable sometimes. There's nothing unusual about it."
I held his gaze.
"Nothing unusual?"
He calmly pulled the blanket higher over my shoulders as though everything were perfectly normal.
"You're thinking too much again," he said gently. "Right now, your only job is to recover. Stop worrying about things that don't matter."
At that moment...
Whatever hope remained inside me quietly died.
I stared at him while an ache spread through my chest that had nothing to do with my injuries.
Six years earlier...
The memory surfaced as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.
I'd gone alone to inspect the pack's outer border during a storm when several rogue wolves surrounded me.
Their expressions were twisted.
Their intentions even worse.
One of them grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the trees while the others laughed.
I was terrified.
No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't break free.
Then Rowan arrived.
I'd never forgotten the look on his face.
Pure fury.
"If any of you touches her again," he'd said in a voice that made the ground tremble beneath our feet, "I'll make you beg for death."
The rogues laughed.
So Rowan made good on his promise.
He destroyed them.
"Leave them alive," he calmly instructed the warriors after the fight.
Then his eyes turned cold.
"But make sure they regret ever laying a hand on her."
Their screams echoed through the forest for hours.
Blood stained the earth.
Not a single ounce of mercy was shown.
In the end, none of those rogues ever returned.
That was the man who once protected me without hesitation.
Yet now...
I had nearly been killed before his eyes.
I was mauled by two beasts only a few steps away from him.
And he never questioned it.
Never wondered why they suddenly attacked.
Never even considered that Celeste might somehow be involved.
The emptiness inside me was overwhelming.
"I understand," I murmured quietly before turning my face away.
He hesitated.
"Lillian..."
Before he could continue, frantic voices echoed from the hallway.
Doctors and nurses hurried past the room.
"Alpha!" someone shouted. "The Luna's condition has changed!"
Rowan stood instantly.
"I'll be back soon," he promised in a rush. "I'll bring you something to eat too. Just wait for me."
I never answered.
...
He never returned.
At first, I waited.
Minutes blurred into hours until I eventually stopped caring.
The pain drained every bit of strength from my body.
Eventually, I drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Even then, I couldn't truly rest.
Something heavy continued pressing against my heart.
A sharp sting suddenly jolted me awake.
Pain shot through my arm.
Looking down, I saw thick bandages wrapped around it. Fresh blood had already begun seeping through the white gauze.
"W-What are you doing?" I asked weakly.
The nurse continued working without looking up.
"I'm changing your dressing. You just underwent a skin graft, so it's normal for it to hurt. Try not to move."
I stared at her in confusion.
"A... skin graft?"
She finally looked at me.
"You didn't know?"
My silence answered for me.
"The Luna in the room next door scraped her arm yesterday. Alpha Ashcroft approved using a section of your skin for the graft."
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the ringing in my ears.
The nurse sighed.
"Honestly, her wound wasn't even serious. But that's just how life is, I suppose. Some people have everyone rushing over a tiny scratch..."
She stopped herself before finishing.
She didn't have to.
I understood exactly what she meant.
My entire body turned cold.
So this was what I'd become.
Even my own skin...
He could take it from me whenever he wished...
...just to give it to her.
My lips trembled.
It felt as though I'd swallowed fire.
"Could you..." My voice nearly disappeared. "Could you help me transfer to another hospital?"
The nurse blinked.
"Transfer? Why would you want to—"
The door suddenly swung open.
A familiar voice interrupted her.
"Transfer?"
A pair of cold eyes landed on me.
"Where exactly do you think you're going?"
