The Next DayI had just finished my hospital porridge breakfast when the door knocked and then opened. Dr. Adrian entered in his crisp white coat, his face serious. I immediately straightened up, my heart pounding with anxiety.Of course, sooner or later, I knew I would be reprimanded.“You’re a medical student, not a child who can come and go from the hospital as you please. Do you realize what you did yesterday could have cost you your life?”“I’m sorry, Doctor.”“You’re currently doing your clerkship in the surgery rotation. That means your responsibility falls under my supervision. If you can’t follow the rules, the consequences are clear. Your grades could drop, and you might even have to repeat this rotation from the beginning.”Repeat? No, I couldn’t bear that.“I understand, Doctor. I promise I won’t do it again.”“Dr. Adrian, you’re being too harsh on her.”I turned quickly. Liam was standing beside the bed, his arms folded across his chest. His face was blank, but his gaze w
LIAMThe news came in the middle of a small meeting with the senior doctors. A nurse walked in, her face anxious.“Dr. Darkmane, Sienna Cole is in the ER.”I shot up so quickly the chair behind me nearly toppled over. My hand dragged harshly over my face, holding back the curses that almost slipped from my mouth.I had known from the start that bonding with a girl so much younger than me would always mean trouble. She wasn’t mature yet, still too naïve, still stubborn, but none of that changed the fact that she was my Luna, and every time she got hurt, it felt as though half of my soul was being torn apart.I strode quickly toward the ER. The smell of antiseptics, the tang of blood, the shouts of nurses and patients all mixed together. But I was searching only for one thing, my Luna.The moment the door swung open, I saw her.She was lying on a bed, her face pale, cold sweat dampening her temples. Her leg was tightly bandaged, an IV line fixed to her hand. The attending doctor glanced
I lowered my head even further, my face burning, my chest tightening. Then came the sound of heavy footsteps at the door. A cold, commanding aura filled the room in an instant. I turned slowly. Liam.He stood in the doorway in his white doctor’s coat, his hard face expressionless. Everyone in the clerkship room fell silent even Dr. Helena straightened her posture.A faint golden gleam lit his eyes as they locked onto me, then swept across the room. “I’ve heard far too many whispers in here.”No one dared to speak.Liam walked in and stopped at my side. His hand brushed my shoulder briefly, a clear signal of possession.“From this moment on, I don’t want to hear anyone insulting or bullying Cole. Not here, not in this hospital, not anywhere.”Several students exchanged nervous looks, their faces paling.Liam’s voice dropped colder. “If anyone dares to mock her bloodline, her heritage, or anything about her, then you answer to me. And you know what that means.”My eyes burned as I bowed
I was still standing in the corridor, pressed against the cold hospital wall. That long white tail kept swaying slowly behind me, as if it didn’t understand the depth of my shame.“What have you done, huh?! You just humiliated me in front of everyone! Stroking Liam’s face in the operating room, of all places?!”The tail moved again, this time curling around my legs. “Stop! Please, stop! I can’t even control you.”I covered my face with both hands. The beeping monitors, the stench of medicine, the footsteps passing by all of it crushed my chest. It felt like everyone would laugh at me forever. I really was the most disgraceful Luna in history.The operating room door swung open. I quickly straightened up, my heartbeat pounding. And of course—it was him. Liam stepped out, still in scrubs, his expression unreadable as he walked steadily toward me.I lowered my gaze, too afraid to meet his eyes. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I couldn’t control it.”He must be furious. He must be disappo
I stood again under the moonlight, cold sweat trickling down my temple. Focus, Sienna Cole. You can’t give up. Liam’s words echoed in my head.I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I tried to feel the moon’s energy pouring into me. At first it was warm, but it grew heavier and heavier. My chest pounded, my blood boiled. Something stirred inside me.I clenched my teeth. “Come on… shift… come on…”My body trembled violently. I opened my eyes and—“Huh?” I glanced behind me. Something felt off, and when I looked at the shadow on the ground, a long white tail was sticking out of my body!My eyes widened. “I… I have a tail!”Joy burst inside my chest. I spun around, nearly losing myself in the moment. “I did it! I actually did it!”Alyssa doubled over with laughter, covering her mouth as if she couldn’t breathe.“Oh my god! All you can grow is a tail? The great Luna Darkmane with just a tail? Hahaha! This is ridiculous!”My smile faded, and I lowered my head in shame. She was right—e
After lunch, I hurried out of the cafeteria. My head was still filled with Ethan’s gaze from earlier, haunting my thoughts. I walked down the hospital corridor, which was fairly quiet during the break hour.As I turned the corner, a tall figure leaned casually against the wall, waiting for me. Ethan. I froze for a moment, my heartbeat uneven.“So it’s true you’re now with Dr. Liam Darkmane?”“That’s none of your business, Ethan.”He gave a faint smile. “You’re right, it isn’t. I just thought you were different, but it turns out…” He shook his head slightly, leaving the sentence unfinished.Why did that look in his eyes make me feel guilty?Ethan turned away and walked off without another word. I exhaled heavily and was just about to step forward when someone came running toward me.“Sienna!”I looked up. One of my fellow clerks was hurrying over, holding a white envelope sealed with thick red wax at the top.“There’s a letter for you. It’s from Ashborne University,” she said, handing