CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE

Leah's POV

My heart hammered against my ribs so violently I could feel the pulse humming in my ears. I froze, my shoes glued to the paved courtyard.

Six years. Six long years of running, hiding, and rebuilding my life from nothing. Yet the second that voice cut through the cold air, every nerve ending in my body flared to life. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. I would know that commanding rasp anywhere, even if a decade had passed.

How? I thought, closing my eyes tight and balling my fingers into fists inside the deep pockets of my wool coat. How did he know? I had taken every precaution—the oversized hood, the plain, unbranded clothes, the dark tint on the windows of the medical SUV that had dropped me off at the main gates.

In a world full of high-end surveillance and digital tracking, I had made sure Dr. W existed only on paper, a legendary, elusive specialist with no face attached to the name.

A firm, cautious tap landed on my right shoulder.

I sucked in a breath, swallowing down the sudden spike of panic. I couldn't run. Running would only confirm his suspicions, and I had a job to do. I forced my spine to lock straight, painted a professional smile onto my face, and turned around.

Axel stood less than two feet away. He was taller than I remembered, dressed in a sleek, tailored dark coat over a tailored suit, looking every bit the high-powered Alpha. His dark, stormy eyes were locked onto my face, burning with an intensity that made the air feel thin.

I didn't flinch. I kept the oversized hood pulled slightly forward, shading my face, and stepped forward before he could press any further.

I extended my right hand, keeping my posture crisp and formal. "I think you have me mistaken for someone else," I said, flattening my tone into a polite rasp. "I'm Dr. W. You sent for me?"

Axel stared at my outstretched hand for a long, agonizing second, his brow furrowing into a skeptical line. The air between us buzzed with electric tension, his eyes scanning every inch of my posture, reaching out through the scent of rain and road to test my guard.

Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around mine. His grip was warm and familiar enough to send a cold shiver straight down my spine.

"Axel," he murmured, his voice tight as his eyes searched mine beneath the shadow of my hood. "Alpha of the Silvermane territory. I... I sent the urgent letter to your clinic."

I prayed so hard he didn't feel the sudden tremor in my hands, I pulled my arm back perhaps a second too quickly, slipping my fingers straight back into my pockets.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alpha Axel," I replied smoothly, tilting my head just enough to hide the rapid, uneven pulse thumping at the base of my throat. "Shall we head inside? I'd like to review the patient’s charts before we begin."

"I’d also like to see the patient immediately," I added, "The medical reports your team emailed over indicated his vitals were declining rapidly. We shouldn't waste any time."

Axel didn't answer right away, he stood in the courtyard, his gaze lingering on my face, searching beneath the shadow of my hood as if trying to piece together a broken puzzle. The silence stretched between us until he finally gave a nod.

"Follow me," he said, "I'll take you up to his room myself."

I let out a subtle breath of relief, keeping my face carefully blank as he turned and led the way toward the pack estate’s main entrance. The glass-paneled double doors slid open automatically as we approached.

I trailed a few paces behind him, my eyes darting subtly across the stone arches. Six years had passed, but as we walked through the main atrium, I realized almost nothing had changed.

It was the same marble flooring, the same silver wolf emblem etched into the central security glass, the same quiet, oppressive atmosphere of authority. It felt like walking through a high-tech fortress frozen in time.

"Axel!"

A high-pitched voice echoed down the wide corridor, making every muscle in my back lock tight. I tensed up for a fraction of a second, my pulse spiking before I forced myself to relax my posture.

Zara came bustling down the hall, ignoring everything around her, rushing straight to Axel's side and wrapping both hands around his arm.

"I knew you wouldn't leave me!" she pouted, tilting her head up with a dramatic, exaggerated whine as she clung to his sleeve. "You just went down to the courtyard, didn't you? You didn't actually go like you threatened. I was so worried you were going to walk out after our—"

She cut herself off mid-sentence, her eyes finally catching sight of me standing a couple of feet behind Axel.

Zara paused, her posture stiffening as her eyes swept up and down. Her brow furrowed, her head tilting to the side as her gaze locked onto my face.

A sudden flash of recognition crossed her features, and her mouth opened. "Le—"

"Zara…" Axel interrupted as he pulled his arm firmly out of her grip, stepping slightly to the side to create space. "This is Dr. W, the specialist. She's here to oversee Vincent's treatment."

Zara’s lip curled into a suspicious sneer, but she didn't push it further under Axel’s sharp gaze. Instead, she looped her hand tightly back through his arm, leaning against his side as they led the way down the corridor.

I trailed behind them at a measured distance, keeping my eyes fixed at their backs. Every few steps, Zara would turn her head, casting judgmental glances over her shoulder to size me up.

She clung to him, her fingers constantly smoothing his sleeve or running over his shoulder. I kept my face blank, burying the ache in my chest behind a wall of professional detachment.

When we finally reached the private medical wing, Axel unlocked the sleek, electronic suite door and stepped aside.

I stepped past them into the room and the breath was knocked clean out of my lungs.

Vincent was hooked up to silent monitoring displays and clear IV lines, his once-formidable frame looking tiny and hollow against the crisp white sheets.

His skin was a dark, translucent gray, his features sunken, his breathing shallow like he found it very difficult. The vibrant Alpha mentor who had protected me when the rest of this pack wanted me dead looked like he was on the verge of fading away.

A lump lodged tight in my throat as tears stung my eyes.

"I need the head healer brought up immediately," I said, my voice tight and strained as I kept my back to Axel and Zara. "I need his personal charts, the daily dosage logs, and a full blood panel before I begin my assessment. Please."

Axel hesitated for a second, his gaze lingering on my shoulders, before he gave a curt nod. "I'll go fetch him myself," he murmured, pulling Zara toward the hallway despite her whiny protests about leaving the room.

The door slid shut, sealing me in silence and the moment the lock engaged, my composure shattered.

I dropped my medical bag onto the floor, my knees buckling as I rushed to the side of the bed. I took Vincent’s cold hand in both of mine, pressing his knuckles against my cheek as tears finally spilled over my lashes.

"Oh, Vincent," I sobbed quietly, my chest heaving as I looked down at his hollow face. "What did they do to you?"

The quiet hum of the heart monitor answered me.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, resting my forehead against the edge of the mattress, "Thank you for everything... thank you for protecting me six years ago when everyone else threw me away. Thank you for making sure I survived. Don't worry, okay? I'm fine now. I'm safe. And I swear to you, I'm going to find out what's doing this to you. I'm going to make you better."

A sudden chime echoed through the room as the electronic suite door unlocked.

I gasped, my heart slamming into my throat. I sprang up from the chair in a blind panic, my shoes sliding on the polished tile as I hastily wiped the wet tears from my cheeks with the back of my sleeve, turning around just as the door slid open.

Axel stood in the doorway, but the head healer wasn't behind him.

His eyes were fixed entirely on my face, taking in my flush cheeks, my tear-stained eyes, and my uneven breathing.

"What is going on?" He asked.

Panic clawed at my throat like a wild animal.

Did he hear me?

My fingers tightened around the edge of the bedside table, my mind racing in search for an excuse but before I could force a single word past my lips, Axel took a step into the room, "What were you talking about?" he asked again.