2: Her Last Wish

Mica pov

The doctor's words echoed inside my head.

*She doesn't have much time.*

No.

No.

This couldn't be happening.

My legs refused to move as the doctor pushed open the ICU door.

The steady rhythm of the heart monitor filled the room.

Beep...

Beep...

Beep...

It was too slow. Too weak. Too... final.

The scent of antiseptic burned my nose as I stepped inside.

My heart shattered.

"Ophelia..."

She looked so small.

My sister, who had always seemed larger than life, was buried beneath white hospital sheets, tubes snaking from her arms, oxygen resting beneath her nose. Her usually rosy cheeks were pale, and her lips had lost their color.

Yet she smiled.

She actually smiled.

"There you are," she whispered.

My vision blurred.

I rushed to her bedside, taking her cold hand between both of mine.

"Don't..." My voice broke. "Don't scare me like this."

She chuckled softly. "Oh, Little Bean."

My chest tightened.

Little Bean. She hadn't called me that in years.

"You still cry too easily."

A sob escaped me. "I'm not crying."

"You've always been a terrible liar."

I laughed through my tears. "I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"No..." I pressed my forehead against her hand. "I really don't."

A warm hand settled on the other side of the bed.

Nyric.

He lowered himself onto one knee beside her, carefully brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

"My love."

The tenderness in his voice made my throat ache. I'd never heard Alpha Nyric Ashcroft sound like that. Not the feared Alpha King. Not the billionaire CEO.

Just a husband.

Ophelia reached up weakly, touching his cheek.

"You need a haircut."

Nyric let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "You've been saying that for months."

"And you keep ignoring me."

"I was waiting for you to nag me again."

"I am nagging you."

His lips curved into the smallest smile. "Yes, you are."

For one impossible moment, everything felt normal.

Like we'd go home after this.

Like Ophelia would complain about the hospital food. Like she'd make Nyric carry her bridal style to the car because she claimed walking was overrated. Like she'd make me cook dinner while secretly stealing food from Nyric's plate because she insisted it tasted better.

Maybe the doctors were wrong.

Maybe she'd be okay.

"I don't like everyone looking so miserable," Ophelia murmured. She looked between us. "You two still can't stand each other?"

Nyric and I answered at the same time.

"No."

"Yes."

We turned to glare at each other.

Ophelia laughed. A real laugh. It filled the room with warmth.

"I knew it. My two favorite stubborn people."

"I'm not stubborn," Nyric said.

I stared at him. "You've got to be kidding."

"See?" Ophelia said, eyes shining. "This is what I've missed."

The words were so soft I almost didn't hear them.

My smile faded.

"You're coming home," I whispered. "We'll argue again tomorrow."

She didn't answer.

Instead, she looked at Nyric.

Then at me.

Her smile became sad.

"I wish that were true."

The room went silent.

"No," I said immediately. "No."

"Mica—"

"No."

I shook my head over and over. "We'll find another specialist."

"We already did."

"We'll go overseas."

"I've been everywhere."

"There has to be something."

"There isn't."

The heart monitor suddenly sped up.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Ophelia's breathing grew uneven.

"Doctor!" I shouted.

The door burst open as nurses rushed inside. One adjusted her oxygen. Another checked the monitors.

Nyric stood so abruptly his chair crashed to the floor.

"What's happening?"

"Her heart is under severe stress," the doctor said quickly.

"Ophelia."

She reached out blindly. "Nyric..."

He immediately took her hand. "I'm here."

Then she searched with her other hand.

"Mica."

I grabbed it before she finished speaking. "I'm here too."

She squeezed our hands with surprising strength.

"Listen to me."

"No."

"Mica."

"No."

Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

"You promised you'd watch my children grow up."

Pain flickered across her face. "I know."

"You promised we'd grow old together."

"I wanted to."

"You promised..."

"I know." Her voice cracked. "I know."

Silence settled over the room.

Then she looked at us. One after the other.

"I need you to promise me something."

Nyric shook his head before she could continue. "Absolutely not."

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask."

"I know that look."

She smiled weakly. "You always do."

She took a shaky breath.

"If I don't survive..."

"Stop."

"...I don't want my dream to die with me."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I always wanted to give Nyric a family."

My stomach twisted.

"But I can't."

The room became impossibly still.

She looked at me. "Mica..."

My pulse pounded.

"...I want you to become Nyric's surrogate."

Everything inside me stopped.

"What?"

"I've already spoken to my doctor."

"No."

"I've prepared everything."

"No!"

I stumbled away from the bed. "You can't ask me that!"

"I have to."

"No!"

"Mica—"

"He's your husband!"

"And always will be in my heart."

"Then don't ask this of me!"

She looked at Nyric. "My love..."

He was already shaking his head. "I won't do it."

"Nyric."

"I said no."

"If I'm gone—"

"I won't replace you."

"You never could."

His voice cracked. "There is no one else."

She smiled sadly. "I'm not asking you to replace me."

She turned back to me, tears shining in her eyes.

"I'm asking you to protect the family we never got to have."

I couldn't breathe. "I can't."

"You can."

"I'll hate myself."

"You won't."

"I'll never forgive myself."

She reached for me again. "Little Bean..."

My heart broke.

"You're the only person I trust with the two things I love most."

Her eyes found Nyric. "He's one."

Then they returned to me. "Our child is the other."

"I..."

"I can't lose both."

The monitor screamed.

BEEEEEEEEEP!

"She's crashing!" a nurse shouted.

Doctors rushed forward. The room erupted into chaos. Someone grabbed my shoulders, pulling me back.

The last thing I saw before the doctors surrounded Ophelia...

...was her lips moving.

One word.

"Promise..."