Chapter 3

Julian’s POV

“You think a piece of paper gives you the right to say no to me?” I slammed my phone onto the bedside table.

The screen cracked, but I did not care. Penelope had actually hung up on me. She mentioned divorce like it was a word she had any right to use. I paced the length of the hospital room, my boots clicking against the hard tile. She was getting too comfortable. She forgot that her entire life belonged to the Blue-Claw Pack, and more importantly, to me.

The air in the room was heavy. The smell of medicine could not cover up the thick scent of Hazel’s weak Omega pheromones. It filled the space, making my chest feel tight. Hazel shifted on the mattress. Her skin looked almost blue under the bright white lights. She kept her large eyes fixed on my face, full of fear and a desperate kind of hope.

“Julian,” Hazel whispered. Her hand trembled as she reached toward me. “Is she angry? We should stop this. I do not want to cause trouble between you and your mate. If I die, it is fine.”

My jaw clenched. Her kindness always came at the worst times. It made me feel guilty, and that guilt turned straight into anger at Penelope.

I sat on the edge of her bed and took her cold hand. I forced my voice to drop to a gentle, steady tone. “Stop talking like that, Hazel. Penelope is just having a tantrum. She will do what she is told. Your brother died saving my life, and he told me to protect you. I am not letting you go.”

Deep inside my chest, my wolf scratched at my ribs. Asher was restless. He did not like this plan at all, and his discomfort made my skin crawl. I pushed his feelings down into the dark. An Alpha does not let his wolf dictate his choices. My word was law.

I looked up as the chief physician walked into the room. He was an older Beta who had served my family for years, but right now, he looked terrified.

“Give me the final results,” I ordered, standing up to face him. “Is the compatibility perfect? Are you absolutely sure there is no other donor in the entire territory?”

The doctor pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his wet forehead. He did not look me in the eye. “The test results are clear, Lord Alpha. It is a perfect match for both blood type and Lycan Spirit resonance. Miss Hazel’s heart is failing by the hour. Her spirit is fading. If we do not perform the transplant tonight, she will not see the morning.”

“Then why are we waiting?” I demanded.

“The risk to Madam Penelope is severe,” the doctor said, his voice shaking. “Even with your Alpha strength supporting her through the mate bond, the extraction is brutal. Yes, an Omega heart can regenerate under the right conditions, but the pain is extreme. She will lose her core power for years. She might never fully recover her strength.”

“I did not ask for a lecture on pain,” I said, cutting him off with a sharp wave of my hand. “She is a wolf. She will survive it. Set up the operating room right now. I want everything ready in thirty minutes.”

The doctor bowed quickly and hurried out the door, leaving me alone with Hazel again.

I grabbed my phone from the table. The screen was dark, but the buttons still worked. I dialed Penelope’s number again, my blood boiling. The moment the line connected, a loud voice shouted through the speaker before I could even open my mouth.

“Julian, you are a monster! You can take your transplant and go to hell! I am divorcing you!”

“Watch your mouth, Penelope,” I growled, my voice dropping to a low hiss. “Get your things and come to the hospital right now. Tell me what you want. Money, houses, land, whatever it is, I will sign it over to you the moment this surgery is finished.”

“I do not want your dirty money!” Penelope screamed back. The sound of tearing paper came through the line. “The divorce papers are already signed on my end. I am taking them to the Pack Arbitration Council tomorrow morning. Do not look for me.”

The line went dead.

I stared at the black screen, my fingers tightening until the plastic groaned. That useless Omega was challenging my position. She thought that just because the moon goddess paired us together, she could treat me like an equal. She was nothing without my name.

Hazel pulled her blanket higher up her chest, her small shoulders shaking. “Julian, please do not fight with her. I can just leave. It is my time anyway.”

“Be quiet, Hazel,” I snapped. I saw her flinch and immediately softened my expression. “Do not say things like that. You are going to live. I promised your brother.”

I walked over to the window and looked out at the dark pack grounds. If Penelope wanted to play games, I would show her who held all the cards. She needed to learn her place before she ruined everything.

I pulled up my contact list and made the first call.

“Ethan,” I said as soon as my beta picked up. “Take three enforcers to my house. Grab Penelope and bring her to the hospital wing. Drag her if you have to. I want her prepped for surgery in ten minutes.”

I hung up and instantly dialed the pack elders’ office.

“This is Julian,” I told the clerk who answered. “Freeze every single account tied to Penelope’s name. Cut off her access to the pack stores, the residential funds, and the medical supplies. Do it right now.”

I ended the call and let out a short, harsh laugh. Every single coin she spent came from my pocket. Every piece of bread she ate was because I allowed it. She was an Omega with no family and no income. Let see how far her pride takes her when she cannot even buy a cup of water in this territory.

She could scream all she wanted, but she was going to save Hazel tonight.

“Is the doctor coming back?” Hazel asked from the bed.

I turned around, a cold smile on my face. “He is preparing everything. Do not worry, Hazel. Your new heart is on the way.”