LOGINYELENA Tristan stayed by my side, his hand on the small of my back, waiting.Another twenty minutes crawled by. The silence in the hall was suffocating. Livia stayed in her chair, barely moving, though her eyes were fixed on the door. Suddenly, the door burst open.Doctor Megan rushed out, his face drenched in sweat. He wasn't walking; he was practically stumbling, his eyes wide with panic."She’s awake, Doctor Moonrack!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "She’s awake, but... she’s coughing up blood! It won't stop!""What?!" The chair scraped loudly against the floor as I stood up. A sudden, violent jolt of energy surged through my limbs, clearing the exhaustion in an instant.The hallway erupted into chaos. Tristan’s mother let out a strangled cry. Daniel lunged toward the door. Behind us, I saw Jackson and Nyra walking back into the wing, their faces turning to stone as they took in the scene.I sprinted toward the ward, my heart hammering against my ribs. "No, no, no," I whisp
YELENATristan opened his mouth to protest, his jaw set in that hard line that usually meant he was about to shut the whole conversation down. But my mother was faster, her hand raised slightly. "Let my daughter do it, Alpha," she said, her voice soft but immovable."Please. I have my reasons."Tristan’s gaze flickered from my mum to me, then back again. He looked like he wanted to argue, to protect me from the humiliation, but he finally let out a sharp exhale through his nose. He didn't step back, though; he stayed right there like a living shield."Okay," he said simply.I felt a heavy weight settle in my stomach. My mother took my hand, squeezing it firmly, her eyes pleading with me to just follow through.I looked at her, then at the floor, and finally let out a long, ragged sigh."Fine," I said, the word sounding forced and hollow.I looked at Livia.She looked happier now than she had since she arrived. She was practically glowing with the satisfaction of having backed me int
YELENALivia stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the linoleum floor. She reached up and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture that dripped with a false sense of pride. She held her head high, acting as if she were the guest of honor rather than an intruder."I don't need to be told when to come," she said, her voice smooth and practiced. "I know the right thing to do." She stretched her hand forward, offering a small box. "I brought this for my friend."The package was wrapped beautifully, with a silk ribbon and expensive paper, but I wasn't looking at the gift... I was looking at her. She didn't look like someone visiting a sick friend in a hospital. She looked like she was heading to a nightclub. Her shiny, tight top barely covered her breasts, straining against her skin, and her waistline was on full display. It was a calculated look, one meant to turn heads... specifically Tristan’s. "And who exactly is your friend?"The question came from Tristan’s
YELENA My mum placed a hand on Luna’s arm. "You don't have to cry, Luna. You have strong children. Marie is a fighter, and she’ll be back with us soon. You’ll see."Tristan’s mother looked at my mum, her expression one of deep gratitude. "Thank you. Even after everything Tristan did... everything that happened between our families... You still stood by us. You’re a good friend."She pulled my mother into a sudden hug. My mum didn't hesitate, wrapping her arms around her. "You're a good person, too," my mother whispered. "You did the right thing when it mattered most. That’s what counts."I looked over at Nyra, who was watching them with a trembling lip. She looked like she was about to join in on the crying. She caught my eye and leaned over to hug me, failing miserably at hiding the tears."I’m just so happy it’s finally over," Nyra sniffled into my shoulder. I blinked back my own tears, feeling the weight of the last few years finally starting to lift.The men were watching us with
YELENA The sound of footsteps wasn’t just one person, it was a small crowd. I blinked, squinting against the hallway lights as the group rounded the corner, and my heart skipped a beat.It was my mum. Right behind her was Tristan’s mother, who had a sleeping Claire strapped to her back in a colorful wrap.Then came Daniel, Nyra, and even Jackson.I sat up straighter, my exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Mum!" I called out, my voice cracking just a little.She didn't even wait for me to stand. She rushed toward me, her face a mask of worry and maternal instinct. "Oh, my daughter! Look at you. You look so stressed... you’ve worked far too much today!"She pulled me into a tight hug, though she was careful, shifting her weight so she wouldn't press against my stomach. I buried my face in her shoulder for a second, soaking in the smell of home and lavender.Before she could even let go, Nyra was there, hovering anxiously. She dropped to a crouch in front of the bench."My friend, you
YELENA I tilted my head back to look at him. "What? Why do you look like that? The treatment went perfectly. She’s going to be fine, Tristan."He didn't look relieved yet. His brow was furrowed, his jaw tight. He pulled me even closer, his arm a heavy, warm weight around my shoulders. "I know but you look so tired. You look stressed. I’m not letting you do anything like this again. The other doctors can handle the follow-ups."I leaned into him, closing my eyes for a brief second. "They already told me the same thing. They’re handling the rest but nothing is wrong with me, really. I just need a little rest."He leaned down and pressed a long, lingering kiss to my forehead. "Yes, and you’re going to get a lot of it. I don't like seeing you pushed to your limit like this. Thank you, Yelena. Thank you for everything you’ve done for my family. I... I can never lose you again."The intensity in his voice made my heart do a strange little flip.I felt a blush creep up my neck.I wasn't sur
YELENAI kept staring at the same spot on the wall like the answers were hidden there. My chest still felt tight. My head still felt full. Ria was gone. Just like that. One minute, we were fighting for her life with everything in us, and the next minute, she was lying there cold. I still couldn’t w
YELENA I hit the table, hard enough to make the wood thrum under my palm, but he didn’t stop. Tristan kept walking toward me like I was some challenge he had to conquer, and my chest tightened with something I didn’t want to name. What was wrong with him? Why wasn’t he scared of me?“What are you
YELENAThe first thing I felt was a heavy weight on my hand.It was warm, tight, and almost desperate.When I opened my eyes, everything was bright white and blurry. I blinked once, twice, until the room finally stopped spinning. I was in a hospital bed. Me... a whole doctor lying down like one hel
JACKSONThere was no escaping this.We were already seated inside the Pack Council chamber, the most feared room in the entire city. The walls felt too close, built with cold stone and old magic that clung to the air like smoke. The elders sat in their high black chairs, their faces stern, their ey







