1. Side by Side

MELODY

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“You have three months left, Luna.”

Two months ago, those words had left me staring at the doctor in disbelief.

Three months left? What did that even mean?

It… It couldn’t mean what I thought—oh, dear Goddess.

Perhaps he had confused my test results with someone else's. Perhaps there was another explanation for the strange weakness that had caused me to collapse.

But the sympathy in his eyes told me otherwise.

“Your kidneys are severely damaged,” he explained gently. “Unless we can find a suitable donor for a transplant, I'm afraid your condition will continue to deteriorate.”

My entire world didn't just crack open as his words echoed in my head. It shattered, leaving me desperately clinging to denial as though refusing to believe him could somehow change the truth.

And now, I had only one month left.

One month to find a donor. One month to save my life.

One month to hold on to the people I loved before the Moon Goddess decided it was time to take me away from them.

My fingers tightened around the edge of the hospital bed as I stared at the closed door. The doctor had promised to come in as soon as the results were ready, but every passing second felt like an eternity.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Please, Goddess. Let him be a match.”

Alpha Rory, my mate and husband of eight years, was my last hope. It had taken weeks of begging before he agreed to get tested, claiming he was too busy with pack affairs.

Still, I had held on to hope.

He was my husband, after all. The man who had promised to love me through sickness and health. The father of my beautiful daughter, Rosie.

Surely, he wouldn't let me die if he had the power to save me.

My gaze drifted to the small photograph I always carried in my purse. Rosie smiled brightly in it, her little arms wrapped around my neck as I kissed her cheek. 

I remembered that day so clearly. She was four, and we spent the afternoon in the garden, chasing butterflies and laughing until our stomachs hurt.

Back then, she never wanted to leave my side, but now, I could barely get her to look at me.

My smile faded as my thumb brushed over her tiny face, and a familiar ache settled in my chest.

When exactly had everything changed?

I mean, I knew my illness had made things difficult.

I was tired most of the time, and some days I could barely get out of bed. I couldn't play with Rosie as much as I wanted to, and I hated how often I had to turn down her requests because I was too weak.

But I had never stopped loving her.

Not for a single second.

Yet Crystal… Rory’s childhood friend. A woman he had loved before I became his mate, and Luna seemed to have stepped into the space I had left behind.

I hated it. 

Crystal wasn't the one who had made me ill. She wasn't responsible for my failing kidneys. However, she was very aware of the pain she was causing me.

“What if I died and Rosie forgot me?” 

The war in my head grew louder, despite the quiet room. “What if Crystal became the mother she wanted, and my little girl grew up without ever missing me?”

A tear slipped down my cheek.

I quickly wiped it away.

I couldn't afford to fall apart. Not yet.

The door finally opened, putting a pause to my endless thoughts. My head jerked up so quickly that the room spun for a moment.

The doctor stepped inside, carrying a folder that my eyes fixed on, my breath catching in my throat.

“Good morning, Luna.” He muttered, his face so neutral that my anxiety spiked. 

“Good morning, Doctor.” I pushed myself upright, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Are the results ready?”

He nodded and pulled a chair closer to my bed. “Yes, it’s ready.”

I gripped the blanket beneath my fingers, whispering, “And?”

The doctor looked at the folder, then back at me. “Alpha Rory is a compatible donor.”

For a heartbeat, I couldn't move. Then the meaning of his words sank in, and a sob escaped my lips.

“He is?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Yes, Luna. He is a match. We'll need to discuss the next steps and complete the necessary assessments, but this gives us a possible path toward a transplant.”

I pressed both hands over my mouth as tears spilled down my cheeks.

He was a match.

Rory could save me.

I was going to live.

“Oh, thank the Moon Goddess,” I whispered. “Thank you, Doctor.”

I had never been so grateful for anything in my entire life. The air seemed sweeter, the room brighter, and the crushing weight that had been sitting on my chest for two months finally lifted.

For the first time in weeks, I could imagine a future without a countdown hanging over my head.

I could watch Rosie grow up.

I could hold her in my arms without wondering whether it would be one of the last times.

I could have more time with my husband.

Perhaps we could even find our way back to each other. Maybe, after everything we had been through, we would learn to appreciate one another again.

The doctor continued explaining the medical process, and I listened carefully, nodding as he spoke. I understood that there were still risks and decisions to make, but none of that could extinguish the hope blooming inside me.

I had a chance.

And I wasn't going to waste it.

By the time I left the hospital, I could barely contain my excitement. The doctor advised me to stay in the hospital and let him get Rory, but I couldn’t wait to see my husband’s face when he learned that he could save my life. 

I imagined him pulling me into his arms, telling me that he would never let anything happen to me.

I imagined crying against his chest, finally allowing myself to believe that everything would be all right.

For once in two months,  I let myself picture a happy ending.

I had no idea that by the time I reached home, that hope would be shattered by the same man who was meant to be my savior. 

And it all started when he looked me dead in the eyes and said, “No, Mel.” 

Simple. Abrupt… and fearfully definite. 

“W-what?” I stuttered, my heart tightening. “What do you mean by no?” 

We were both sitting in the living room, side by side, yet so far apart. 

Rory blinked, taking his eyes off me as if to hide his shame, and said, “It means I’m not giving you a kidney.”

“B-but if you don’t…” My voice broke, tears stinging in my eyes. “I might… I will die.” 

Rory sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “Mel, don't make this harder than it already is.”

Harder?

I stared at him, wondering if I had heard him correctly.

I was the one dying. I was the one who had spent the last two months waking up every morning wondering whether I would live long enough to see my daughter's sixth birthday. 

Yet somehow, he was the one finding this difficult.

“Melody, I understand that you're scared.” He turned to face me again. “But I can't do this.”

I stared at him, my heart aching as I struggled to accept whatever this was. 

“Why, Rory?” I asked, my voice barely audible. “Why can't you do this for me?”

Rory exhaled sharply and stood up before I could finish speaking, pacing a few steps before turning back to me.

“Because I’m the Alpha. I can’t carelessly make a risky decision that would endanger the pack just because you are my mate.”

His words left me speechless. Wasn't being his mate supposed to be enough reason to want to save me?

Before I could find the strength to ask him that question, another voice interrupted us.

“My son has every right to say no.”

I turned toward the stairs. At the foot of the stairs stood Jade, my mother-in-law, who had never hidden her hatred for me, watching us with a stern expression. 

Jade walked closer, lashing out even before her gaze settled on me. “Donating an organ is a serious decision, Melody. You cannot expect my son to put his health at risk simply because you are ill.”

I swallowed hard, knowing full well that I didn’t have the strength or lifespan to take on Jade. “I never said he didn't have a choice, Jade. I only thought—”

“You thought your life mattered more than my son's future?” Jade cut in. “Rory is the Alpha of Dark Moon Pack. When you die, he will need another mate, someone healthy enough to stand beside him as Luna and give him heirs. Why should he risk his life for a woman who may not survive anyway?”

I stared at her, stunned by her coldness. My legs trembled, threatening to give out.

“Mother, that's enough,” Rory muttered, though he made no effort to say anything more or even assure me. 

Before I could recover, the front door creaked open, revealing Rosie, who rushed into the living room with Crystal right behind her, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Daddy.”

Rory picked her up, beaming at her as she exclaimed, holding up a little shopping bag, “Look what Crystal bought me! She also promised to get me more.”

Rory simply smiled. Jade did too, while  Crystal brushed a hand over her hair and laughed heartily, “I would do anything for my sweet Rosie.”

Rosie turned red, her eyes sparkling like the stars. “Can you just stay here with us? Forever?”

My stomach twisted. Not because I was on so many medications. But because my daughter’s words hit me in the gut. 

I swallowed my hurt, calling gently, “Rosie, sweetheart. Come give Mommy a hug.”

Her eyes found mine for the first time since she came in. She made Rory put her down, but rather than stop in front of me, she walked past me and took Crystal’s hand. 

“Can I stay with Crystal for now, Mom? We have plans.” Rosie announced, her eyes back on Crystal’s bright face. 

My heart plummeted, shattering in the depth of my stomach. 

I knew she was only six. She couldn't understand what her words meant to me. Still, my eyes stung. 

“Of course, baby.” I managed to mutter. 

But she wasn’t waiting for my permission. Neither was Rory, who was smiling at Crystal and Rosie as if they belonged together.

I couldn't bear to stand there any longer. So I murmured before leaving the room, “I need to get some rest.”

No one tried to stop me.

Not even Jade, who had begun doting on Crystal. 

With every step I took, pain shot through my soul. Not exactly physical.

But it still broke through the overfilled dam in my eyes, tears trickling down my face. 

I knew I couldn't change this reality unless I got better. So I made up my mind to talk to Rory alone.

“I’ll convince him to donate when he comes to bed tonight." 

I tried speaking to my wolf, forgetting that the last time I heard her voice was a month ago.

Just like I forgot that Rory never came to bed anymore. Not since we found out I was dying. 

That night was no different. 

Eventually, I had to leave the bedroom in search of him. I approached his office when I saw the light spilling from beneath his door, ready to knock. 

But then, I heard a woman’s laughter. Then followed by a soft moan that caused my hand to freeze over the door.

I knew that voice.

“Rory…” A second moan followed, louder this time. “Oh, fuck, Rory.”

My blood ran cold.

Crystal?

I pushed the door open.

And there they were.

Rory had Crystal beneath him, his body moving against hers as she clung to him. For one unbearable second, I couldn't breathe.

Then Crystal opened her eyes.

They met mine—pleasure-stricken, unashamed, and unmistakably aware that I was watching as my husband pounded her.