GLORIA āFour broken ribs.ā The doctor assesses grimly, āand with all the exercise youāve done since the initial brakes, they havenāt been able to set or heal. I have an injection I can give you to fuse the bones quickly, but itās painful, and we still need to set them first.āāWhat about his other injuries?ā Henry inquires anxiously, seated on the other side of me.āIāll do a scan to assess the exact placement of his ribs, and I can extend it to the rest of his abdomen to rule out internal injuries. I donāt see anything else of concern.ā The doctor shares with much more optimism.āHeās got a good size lump on the back of his head.ā I inform the physician, still running my hands through Damianās hair.āThen you two will match.ā V interjects, reminding us all of the way I headbutted his chin in my attempts to reach Damian. āWhen youāre done with him, you ought to check her for a concussion.āāI hardly think thatās necessary.ā I complain, reaching back to see if the area is tender, then
AUTHOR POV As soon as Damian left Luca and Dr Lucy alone, the human turned towards the door, determined to flee. Theyād talked about the mating ceremony for the better part of an hour, but as soon as they finished making their plans, Dr Lucy made a break for it.Before her hand could touch the door knob however, Lucaās voice stopped her in her tracks. āOh so youāre back to ignoring me, are you?āDr Lucy stiffened, turning back to the newly-minted Beta. āYou got my sympathy when your brother was dead, but now that we know Dominic is alive, I donāt see any reason to pretend.ā She answered with a shrug, trying to push away the memory of having the huge wolfās arms around her. Of course, that was much easier said than done ā her mind was already carrying her back to that emotional night, and it was nearly impossible to forget the way her heart had raced when he touched her.Lucaās tears gradually slowed as Dr Lucy held him, breathing in her delicate scent and letting her gentle touch tam
GLORIA'S POV When I wake Iām in my nest, hooked up to about a dozen machines and wracking my brains for some explanation of how I got here. Of course⦠the moment my memory kicks in, I wish it hadnāt. My wolf howls in my head, but I shut out the tumultuous emotions threatening to consume me. It might not be healthy, but if thereās one thing Iām good at ā itās repressing feelings.I clench my eyes shut. āItās not real, itās not real.ā I insist to the empty room, reflexively tracing the outline of my womb. āAre you alright, little one?ā I squeak, wondering if my pain is about to multiply by a million.The baby flutters and sends feelings of sleepy confusion through our bond, and the tightness in my heart eases a bit. Heās okay. I tell my whining wolf, but we both know sheās not just worried for the babyās sake.Theyāre both okay. My wolf assures me, sounding surprisingly confident for all her nervous whimpering. I donāt care what anyone says. We would feel it if he was gone. I would fe
DAMIAN'S POV āWhere are you now?ā Gloria asks, her beautiful face looking up at me from my phone screen.āWeāre headed to the Storm Forest pack, but weāve got quite a few hours on the road before we get there.ā I sigh, wishing we hadnāt needed Gabrielās planes for the refugees, so that we might have flown these long distances.āStorm Forest.ā Gloria murmurs, her eyes lighting up, āDoes that mean youāre going to get to see some trees at last?āChuckling, I turn my phone towards the window, so she can see the rolling salt flats flying by in the distance. āNo, unfortunately they chose their name to honor the ancestral lands they left before coming to the hidden territories. Iām afraid that the only trees here are the ones planted in Gabrielās gardens.āGloriaās face falls, and her lips form an adorable pout, just begging to be kissed. āI donāt know how they can stand it.āāMy poor little forest wolf.ā I purr in sympathy, āour dream forest isnāt enough, is it?āShe shakes her head. āItās
GLORIA'S POV After shopping with Lena and napping away the afternoon with the pups in the nursery, I find my way to Edwardās rooms. The guards told me he just returned from the refugee camp, but when he opens the door for me heās all smiles. I give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and he welcomes me in. āYou wouldnāt happen to be in the mood for an afternoon snack, would you?ā He inquires knowingly. āBecause personally Iām starving.āIām fairly certain this is a plot to make sure Iām feeding myself well, but my stomach growls loudly as I find a seat on the couch. Still, I try to sound demure as I shrug, āI could eat.āEdward laughs before calling down to the kitchens and ordering a small feast. As we eat he tells me all about his day at the refugee camp and I, in turn, share my frustration with my sudden celebrity and Lenaās news about Roger. He can only shake his head. āThat boy has made some bad choices in his life, but Iāve been very proud of him these last few months. I never t
ALPHA DAMIAN'S POV It had all happened very slowly.I heard the deafening noise, felt the excruciating heat of the blast, but when the explosion struck my body was thrown from the car. I remember sailing through the air, feeling as though I was traveling through water as flames and entropy eviscerated the vehicle where I had just been sitting. I hit the ground hard, my head slamming into the earth and stealing my consciousness.When I woke, I was lying at least ten meters from the blast radius. My head ringing, acid churning in my stomach, I stumbled back towards the burning cars in a daze. I donāt know how much time had passed, but my men were little more than charred husks, and the vehicles nothing more than tangled knots of molten steel.I vomited onto the ground, emptying my stomach and trying not to let the horror consume me. Iād loved my men like brothers, but if I stopped to process their losses, my own life might be forfeit too. I did not know if the danger still lingered ā o