เข้าสู่ระบบDarius's POV The DNA results stared back at me like it was mocking me. I'd been so certain, so stupidly certain, that beneath the healer's facade lay something else…someone else. My hands trembled as I poured myself another drink. “Probability of biological relationship: 0%” Zero. Not even a distant connection, not even the faintest possibility that Alyssa Skarsen had any relation to Astrid. The paper crumpled in my fist as the truth settled over me.She wasn't Astrid. The thought shouldn't have devastated me this much. I'd known it was impossible, especially after all the investigation results. But her mannerisms, the way she tilted her head when concentrating, just everything about her. I drained the whiskey and poured another, letting the burn ground me. For weeks, I'd been testing her, calling her Astrid's to see if she'd respond, watching her move. Every small reaction had fed my delusion. The way her breath caught when someone mentioned Astrid…even though they were
Darius's POV The dinner went smoothly, with pack members and guests mingling throughout the dining hall. I stood near the head table, watching Mateo charm the elder council with stories from Silvermoon's recent trade expansions. Iris sat beside me, her hand occasionally finding mine, a gesture that had become natural over our years together. "The salmon is excellent," Elder Patricia commented. "Your chef doesn't fail to impress us, Alpha." "I'll pass along your compliments," I replied, not taking my eyes off Mateo, whose smile tightened slightly when Iris laughed at something one of the pack members said. "Tell me, Iris," Mateo said suddenly, his tone conversational but with an underlying edge. "Your recovery has been quite remarkable. Dr. Skarsen must be exceptionally skilled." The table quieted slightly. Iris's fingers brushed mine under the table. "She is," Iris replied smoothly. "I'm fortunate to have her take care of me." "Fortune." Mateo swirled his wine thoughtfully. "I
Darius's POV "Beta Mateo," I extended my hand as he entered my office. "Welcome to Blackwood. I trust Blaise took care of you at the airport?" "Perfectly." Mateo shook my hand, his grip firm but brief. "Your Beta was very thorough in his hospitality." "Good. Can I offer you a drink? We have about an hour before the welcome dinner." I moved to the bar already reaching for a bottle of wine. "Please." He settled into one of the leather chairs across from my desk, looking around the office. "I see you've redecorated." "Nothing remains the same for that long." I handed him the glass, refering to the last time he was here, which was more than five years ago. "The pack elders will be joining us for dinner, along with some of our medical staff. Including our visiting healer, Dr. Skarsen." "Ah yes, the mysterious healer everyone's been talking about." Mateo swirled his drink. "I heard she's been making waves with Iris's treatment." "She's been thorough." I took my own seat. We sa
Astrid's POV I left the hospital with anger burning in my chest and exhaustion weighing down my bones. The conversation with Darius had ended exactly as I'd feared. With him choosing Iris, choosing his guilt, choosing the comfortable lie over the difficult truth. The irony wasn't lost on me. He'd banished me for a truth he didn't want to hear, and now he was rejecting another truth for the same reason. Some patterns, it seemed, were doomed to repeat. The night air was cool against my flushed skin as I walked home. I'd refused the pack car, needing the distance to calm my racing thoughts. His accusation that I was shirking responsibility had cut deeper than I wanted to admit. As if I hadn't spent weeks carefully documenting Iris's condition, running every test, exploring every possibility before reaching this conclusion. But what stung most was how quickly he'd dismissed me. Two weeks of professional dedication, and he still saw me as an incompetent stranger rather than trusting
Darius's POV "Functional somatic symptoms?" I stared at Healer Skarsen in disbelief. "You're telling me Iris has been making herself sick for attention?" We stood in the hospital corridor, away from Iris's room where she was resting. Skarsen had just finished explaining her theory, her voice clinical and detached as if she were discussing a stranger, not someone who'd been part of my life since childhood. "I'm saying her symptoms are psychological, arising from attention-seeking or anxiety," she clarified, her brown eyes steady on mine. "The physical manifestations are real, but the cause isn't organic disease.""That's ridiculous." The words came out harsher than intended. "You've been here two weeks, and suddenly you've diagnosed what teams of specialists couldn't figure out for years?""Sometimes a fresh perspective–" "A fresh perspective?" I laughed bitterly. "Or are you shirking responsibility and covering up your own lack of professionalism? Otherwise, why hadn't the prev
Astrid's POV The fluorescent hospital lights made everything look sickly green, including my own reflection in the glass doors. I followed them to the hospital, feeling upset and disappointed that Iris had ruined my planned time with my daughter. My first real chance to spend Selene's birthday with her, and it lasted all of twenty minutes. I forced myself to focus on medical duties, pushing down the anger that threatened to surface. Iris lay unconscious on the gurney as they wheeled her into the emergency room, Darius hovering nearby with that familiar look of panic I'd seen too many times in the past two weeks. "Healer Skarsen, we need you in trauma bay three," a nurse called out. I nodded, following them in. Professional. Detached. Just another patient. But as I examined Iris, something nagged at me. I thought Iris's flare-up had come too suddenly, without any warning. I had already given her medication today, personally administered it this morning before breakfast. There







