Five

Raven's POV

I burst through the entrance at the city hospital. We had a clinic that was exclusive to werewolves from our pack, but Lily's injuries had been so severe that she had to be taken to a bigger hospital with advanced facilities.

I rushed straight to the reception, hyperventilating. I had managed to hold myself together but I was gradually losing my strength.

“I'm here for Lily Cole,” I swallowed. “I'm her mother.”

The nurse on duty looked at me with a mix of confusion and sympathy. “I'll look through the records,” she responded.

I impatiently stood there, counting the seconds it took her to access the computer in front of her and log into the system.

“Luna, please calm down. I'm sure she will be alright,” one of the ladies from the packhouse who had come with me said softly. I turned to look at her wordlessly.

She didn't know that. She didn't know what she was saying. I finally understood the unease that had been choking me all day. I subconsciously knew something bad would happen to my daughter but I had ignored the feeling.

I should have gone back home. I should have stayed with her.

“Lily Cole…” the nurse mentioned her name and I perked up, fixing my attention on her again. She stared at the screen for a bit and grimaced before looking at me with more sympathy than before.

“She's in surgery,” she said, giving me a warm smile. “I’m sure the doctors are doing their best.”

“S-surgery?” My heart sank and my chest started to constrict. I couldn't breathe any longer.

“What happened to her?” I strained the words out of me.

“From the records here, people around said she fell down a flight of stairs,” the nurse paused and her words sank in. “She suffered a traumatic injury to the right side of her head and the back of her neck.”

“Oh goddess,” I went weak in my knees. I know what she was trying to tell me. Brain and spinal cord injury.

I headed to one of the seats at the reception, burying my face in my hands. I wept silently. Waves of devastation coursed through me, and they were followed by dread.

Usually, werewolves would be able to heal from those types of injuries why the right treatment. But Lily was a child. She had not gained access to any of the abilities that came with being a werewolf.

My heart twisted in agony. There was a very high chance that I was going to lose my daughter.

The realization was crushing. It was so crushing that I saw myself dying with her. Living without her would be unimaginable. She was my whole world now.

I got out of my seat.

“How did this happen?” I asked the lady that had come to deliver the crushing news to me. “How did she fall?”

She swallowed and hesitated. I immediately knew what I was going to hear.

“I demand you tell me now.”

“Luna…” she trailed off and took a deep breath. “The alpha's mistress’s son was yelling at her for one of her toys. The alpha came between them and as he tried to separate them, she fell.”

In the next moment, all I could see was red. Marcus… Marcus had done this to my daughter. He had pushed her down the stairs because of his mistress's son.

I didn't want to believe the worst, but he had given me no choice. This was not the first time he had been violent with Lily.

I slowly made my way out of the reception, hoping that the cool breeze would stop me from losing my mind.

My racing heartbeat pounded in my ears. Why had I stayed despite the disgusting ways he had treated Lily, the ways he had treated me. We very clearly meant nothing to him. Why had I stayed long enough to keep my daughter's life in danger?

There was no place for us with him anymore. At this rate he would kill Lily and then kill me.

Fury and determination fuelled the decisions I made over the next thirty minutes.

I was going to divorce Marcus. That would be the best way to go.

___ ___ ___

“What the hell is this?” Marcus asked as I set the papers on his office desk. I tiredly tucked the stray strands of my dull hair behind my ears.

I had been at the hospital for two days while the papers had been processed by my lawyer. Lily hadn't woken up after her surgery and I was using the last of my life force to keep my hopes up.

“Read it,” I rubbed my swollen eyes and stepped back from him, preparing myself for his reaction.

His eyes skimmed over the pages and then widened as he realized what they were for. “Raven,” he looked up at me. “What is this?”

“Divorce papers,” I said firmly. “I want out.”

He stared at me for a few seconds before he burst into laughter.

“You cannot possibly be serious,” he said after sobering up.

“I am, Marcus. You put my daughter's life in danger,” I resisted the tears that flooded my vision. “Our daughter! She could be dying because of you!” I yelled.

“Are you out of your mind?” He questioned. “After everything I've done for you? I made you the Luna of this pack and you want a divorce now?” He walked up to me.

I closed my hands into fists, expecting him to hit me. He had not done it before, but I didn't think he was not above it.

“You have no one. You have nowhere to go. I will not let you take my daughter away from me,” he growled.

“Our daughter you almost killed?” I chuckled, looking up at him. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure we leave you. I am done with you,” I spat at him and stormed out of the room.

If he was going to make this difficult, I could do it too.