Four

Crystal wouldn’t stop talking or smiling like a lunatic.

“By the goddess, thank fuck we came here,” she kept repeating. “If we hadn’t, you’d be fucking dead, Eve. I still can’t believe it, I don’t even wanna think about it.”

Her manic relief made me smile. She looked lighter, almost glowing, despite the dark circles under her eyes. For her, it was a miracle. For me, it was a knife to the gut.

“Tell me, Eve, how do you really feel?”

“Better,” I said.

She gave a small laugh, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “Eve, this is… fucking unbelievable.”

I tried to smile for her. But inside, the irony burned. If only she knew why. My body wasn’t healing; it was reacting to Axel’s power, to his touch, to that twisted bond fate had thought would be funny to shove on us. 

“Maybe I should thank that evil bastard,” Crystal muttered. “Not that I want to, but damn… he saved you. I hate that he even exists, but fine, a little ‘thank you’ before I ruin his life sounds fair.”

Her hand found mine and squeezed. “We did it, Eve. You’re getting out of here, and everyone who thought you were dead will choke on their words. Especially that asshole Lance. He’ll be destroyed. I’ll make sure of it.”

Her words twisted in my stomach. I wanted to share her rage, to picture Lance’s downfall, but all I felt was fear. Because she was celebrating a miracle I couldn’t explain without breaking her heart. The truth would shatter something between us, something that wouldn’t heal. She kept talking, already narrating our grand comeback, the shocked faces, the poetic revenge. But all I saw was blood.

In my head, I was making a stupid comparison between Axel and Lance. As if there was anything worth comparing. They were both bastards in their own way. Lance had broken me with lies and control games, Axel was destroying me with silence. At least Lance looked at me like I existed, even if it was to hurt me. Axel didn’t even bother to look long enough to hate me. His indifference cut deeper than any insult.

And still, my traitorous mind kept going back to him. To the way his fingers had found my pulse, like he was measuring more than my vitals. I hated still feeling that warmth. Would he have touched me like that if he’d known I wasn’t just some nameless patient, but the ghost of a broken alliance, the one who more than anyone wanted him dead? 

Part of me wanted to believe he wouldn’t have changed a thing. That he wasn’t the type to mix duty and emotion. The other part, the one I kept trying to shut up, whispered that maybe he would’ve let me die. Or worse, pitied me. And if there’s one thing I hate more than pain, it’s pity dressed up as kindness. 

Crystal kept talking for a good ten minutes without stopping. She paced beside the bed.

“God, life’s a joke. How can someone that cold and heartless have the gift of healing? Seriously, what kind of divine sense of humor is that?”

I stared at the ceiling while the antiseptic stung my nose. The air was too clean, like it wanted to scrub away what had happened here.

“And you know what’s weird?” she went on. “I tested you for poison, and you were negative every time. Even when your vitals dropped. What kind of venom escapes trained senses? And I’m the doctor here, supposed to be competent.”

My throat was dry, but I forced the words out. “It was probably some dark shit Lance used. The kind that’s never found.”

Crystal’s head snapped up. “Well, that’d explain why Axel recognized it. Maybe he’s used it before, on people.”

The joke slipped out too fast. Then her eyes widened.

“Wait.” She leaned closer. “Eve, you just… talked? A full sentence?”

I blinked, shrugged, a faint smile on my lips. “Looks like it.”

“Holy shit.” She was at my side in a heartbeat, close enough that I could smell her shampoo. “You’re talking. You’re actually talking.”

A rough laugh escaped me. “You’re overreacting.”

She stared, half thrilled, half terrified. “No, you don’t get it. Patients don’t just start talking like that after brushing death. Sometimes right before they die, they get this burst of energy, and then… nothing. Are you sure you’re not dying?”

That made me laugh harder, even though my voice cracked. She covered her mouth, eyebrows drawn, eyes wet. Tears of relief so fierce they hurt.

“Holy fucking hell,” she breathed. “You’re really okay.” Then she leaned in and hugged me tight, hard enough to sting. I held her back, my arms weak but steady, her tears soaking through the hospital gown.

She cried because she thought I was healed.

I cried because I knew why I was.

And I was going to have to tell her. The secret was already poisoning what little peace I had left.

The door creaked. The doctor came in, holding a tray.

“Time for another detox treatment,” he said evenly. “We start the cleansing today. It might sting a bit.”

I watched him prepare the injection, the smell of alcohol and herbs filling the room.

The old man muttered as he came closer. “You’re lucky the King wasn’t in the mood today,” he grumbled, throwing Crystal a dark look. “If he’d heard you talking like that, he’d have tossed you out before you could blink.”

Crystal huffed, hands on her hips. “Spare me the lecture, grandpa. If that’s what you call courage, fine. Otherwise, go whine somewhere else.”

He raised an eyebrow. “One day that big mouth of yours will land you in trouble money can’t fix.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I hope you’re there to see it.”

He sighed, worn out with Crystal and faced me. “Get some rest. You’ll need it.”

Crystal rolled her eyes as he left. I stayed quiet, trying to steady my breathing. 

“Crystal… I need to tell you something.”

Her eyes softened. I took a deep breath. “My wolf… she says the poison isn’t in her anymore. It’s only in me. In the human part.”

Crystal blinked. “Okay… and? That’s good news, right?” She was scribbling furiously on her notepad.

“No.” My voice trembled. “She… she feels something. A bond.”

Her head shot up. “A what?”

“A mate bond,” I whispered.

For a few seconds, she froze. Then she laughed, sharp and nervous. “That’s not funny, Eve. Are you high or something? There’s no way—”

“I’m not joking. Axel is my mate.”

She screamed. Not a little gasp. A scream that ripped through the room, like everything we believed in had just blown apart.