Caroline POV:
The burn on my leg was wrapped in bandages soaked in aloe and comfrey, an old pack remedy. I sat in the waiting room of the hospital—again.
I wasn't the patient this time. I had walked here from the gallery site because the ambulance had been "prioritized" for the Alpha's rescue.
I walked into the VIP suite. Blake was sitting by the bed, holding a glass of water to Ariana's lips. She was sipping it delicately, looking at him with wide, doe-like eyes.
"The smoke inhalation was minimal," Blake was saying, his voice low and soothing. "But the trauma... it reminded you of the attack ten years ago, didn't it?"
"Yes," Ariana whispered. "When the Rogues took my ability to shift... I felt that same fear today, Blake."
It was the oldest story in the book. Ten years ago, Blake had failed to save her from a Rogue kidnapping in time. Her wolf had been shattered. His guilt was the foundation of their relationship. It was a bond stronger than love, and far more toxic.
I cleared my throat.
Blake looked up. He didn't look guilty. He looked annoyed at the interruption.
"You should be resting, Caroline," he said. "The nurses said you have second-degree burns."
"I'm fine," I lied. I wasn't fine. I was hollow. "I came to give you this."
I placed a letter on the bedside table. It was my resignation from the Pack Charity Committee. It was the only official role I held. The Luna was supposed to lead the pack's social welfare. It was my one connection to the people.
"I'm stepping down," I said.
Blake picked up the letter. He scanned it, then nodded. "Good. You've been under a lot of stress. You're clearly unstable."
He turned to Ariana. "Ariana, you've been saying you want to feel useful to the pack again. To help you heal from your PTSD."
Ariana sat up straighter, a gleam of triumph in her eyes that she quickly masked with humility. "Oh, Blake, I couldn't possibly... that's Caroline's seat."
"Caroline just vacated it," Blake said, handing the letter to Ariana. "It's yours. You have a kinder heart, anyway. The pack needs someone who understands suffering, not someone who calculates everything like an architect."
I felt the air leave the room. He wasn't just accepting my resignation. He was regifting my identity. He was taking the last scrap of respect I had in this hierarchy and handing it to the woman who mocked me.
"Thank you, Alpha," Ariana cooed, clutching the paper to her chest. She looked at me and smirked. It was a small, quick movement, invisible to him.
"You should go home, Caroline," Blake said, not looking at me. "I'm staying here tonight to monitor her wolf spirit fluctuations. The doctor says the shock might cause a regression."
"She doesn't have a wolf spirit to fluctuate, Blake," I said coldly.
"Get out," he snarled. The Alpha tone vibrated in the air, making the glass of water on the table ripple.
I turned and walked out.
I sat on a bench in the hallway and opened the app.
He gave my Luna seat to her. He called her heart kind and mine calculated.
-5.
Total Remaining: 45.
