GLORIA “Four broken ribs.” The doctor assesses grimly, “and with all the exercise you’ve done since the initial brakes, they haven’t been able to set or heal. I have an injection I can give you to fuse the bones quickly, but it’s painful, and we still need to set them first.”“What about his other injuries?” Henry inquires anxiously, seated on the other side of me.“I’ll 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 don’t see anything else of concern.” The doctor shares with much more optimism.“He’s got a good size lump on the back of his head.” I inform the physician, still running my hands through Damian’s hair.‘Then you two will match.” V interjects, reminding us all of the way I headbutted his chin in my attempts to reach Damian. “When you’re done with him, you ought to check her for a concussion.”“I hardly think that’s necessary.” 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. They’d 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, Luca’s voice stopped her in her tracks. “Oh so you’re back to ignoring me, are you?”Dr Lucy stiffened, turning back to the newly-minted Beta. “You got my sympathy when your brother was dead, but now that we know Dominic is alive, I don’t see any reason to pretend.” She answered with a shrug, trying to push away the memory of having the huge wolf’s arms around her. Of course, that was much easier said than done – 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.Luca’s 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 I’m 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 hadn’t. My wolf howls in my head, but I shut out the tumultuous emotions threatening to consume me. It might not be healthy, but if there’s one thing I’m good at – it’s repressing feelings.I clench my eyes shut. “It’s not real, it’s not real.” I insist to the empty room, reflexively tracing the outline of my womb. “Are you alright, little one?” 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. He’s okay. I tell my whining wolf, but we both know she’s not just worried for the baby’s sake.They’re both okay. My wolf assures me, sounding surprisingly confident for all her nervous whimpering. I don’t care what anyone says. We would feel it if he was gone. I would fe
DAMIAN'S POV “Where are you now?” Gloria asks, her beautiful face looking up at me from my phone screen.“We’re headed to the Storm Forest pack, but we’ve got quite a few hours on the road before we get there.” I sigh, wishing we hadn’t needed Gabriel’s planes for the refugees, so that we might have flown these long distances.“Storm Forest.” Gloria murmurs, her eyes lighting up, “Does that mean you’re going to get to see some trees at last?”Chuckling, I turn my phone towards the window, so she can see the rolling salt flats flying by in the distance. “No, unfortunately they chose their name to honor the ancestral lands they left before coming to the hidden territories. I’m afraid that the only trees here are the ones planted in Gabriel’s gardens.”Gloria’s face falls, and her lips form an adorable pout, just begging to be kissed. “I don’t know how they can stand it.”“My poor little forest wolf.” I purr in sympathy, “our dream forest isn’t enough, is it?”She shakes her head. “It’s
GLORIA'S POV After shopping with Lena and napping away the afternoon with the pups in the nursery, I find my way to Edward’s rooms. The guards told me he just returned from the refugee camp, but when he opens the door for me he’s all smiles. I give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and he welcomes me in. “You wouldn’t happen to be in the mood for an afternoon snack, would you?” He inquires knowingly. “Because personally I’m starving.”I’m fairly certain this is a plot to make sure I’m 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, “I could eat.”Edward 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 Lena’s news about Roger. He can only shake his head. “That boy has made some bad choices in his life, but I’ve 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 don’t 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. I’d 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 – o