LOGINRue’s POV“One month is too soon,” I said again. “You are still injured, and the blood pact backlash has not settled.”Percy looked at me. “I heard you,” he said. “But I am not changing my decision.”Cole stepped between us before I could speak again. “Both of you should stop arguing in the hospital hallway.”Percy’s face remained cold. “This is not an argument. I have already decided.”I looked at Cole, hoping he would support me. He was silent for a moment, then sighed.“Rue, I understand why you are angry,” Cole said. “But if Dr. Virel thinks Percy can be stabilized within a month, then we need to prepare properly instead of fighting here.” I stared at him. “Cole.”“I am not saying Percy should risk his life,” Cole said quickly. “But Amelia is running out of time. We need a plan that keeps both of them alive.”Percy’s expression softened a little when Cole mentioned Amelia, but he did not speak.Cole looked at me again. “And there is another thing. I know the truth about your break
I did not fully trust that answer, but I nodded. Percy walked me to Amelia’s door, then left with his Beta.Amelia was lying on the bed, pale but awake. When she saw me, she tried to smile. “Rue.”I went to her side. “Don’t move too much. How do you feel?”“Tired,” she said. “But better than yesterday.”I sat beside her and held her hand. “We are still looking for the safest treatment. I know you have been waiting for answers, and I am sorry it has taken this long.”Amelia shook her head weakly. “You do not need to apologize. Cole told me you have been helping nonstop.”“You matter to Cole,” I said. “That means you matter to me too.” Her eyes became wet. “He must be scared.”“He is,” I said. “But he is trying to stay strong for you.” The door opened, and Cole walked in with a food container. He stopped when he saw me.“You came,” he said. “I wanted to see her,” I answered.Amelia looked between us. “Is something wrong?”Cole quickly walked to her bedside. “No. I brought food. You need
Rue’s POVPercy tried to sit up after Dr. Virel left, but his hand moved toward the bandage near his side. He thought I did not notice, but I noticed everything now.“You know,” I said, sitting beside him, “for someone who acts so cold, you blush too easily when your doctor sides with me.” Percy looked at me. “I did not blush.”“You did,” I said. “Your ears became red.” His face tightened, but he looked more embarrassed than angry. “Rue, do not make fun of me.”“I am not making fun of you,” I said. “I am reminding you that you are still handsome even when you look awkward.”Percy looked away. His fingers moved close to the scars on his arm. I reached for his hand before he could hide them.“Do not look at them like that,” I said. He became quiet. “They are not pleasant to look at.”“They are part of you,” I said. “Some came from old injuries. Some came from the blood pact backlash. Some came because you suffered too much alone. I hate that you were hurt, but I do not hate your scars.”
I nodded slowly. “Then I will show you.” Percy looked at me with doubt. “Words are easy.”“Then don’t believe only my words,” I said. “Watch what I do.”He did not answer, but he did not push me away. I helped him lie back down and fixed the blanket over him. When his body relaxed again, I sat beside him and held his hand.The rest of the night passed quietly. Sometimes Percy opened his eyes and looked at me, as if checking whether I was still there. Each time, I looked back and squeezed his hand.“I’m here,” I said once. He closed his eyes again, but this time, his hand stayed loose in mine.When morning came, Percy woke before me, but he did not move away. I opened my eyes and found him looking at me carefully. “You slept sitting up,” he said.“I said I would stay,” I answered. “You finally slept. That was enough.”He looked away, but I saw his ears turn slightly red. It was a small reaction, but it made me feel a little less sad.A knock came at the door soon after. Dr. Virel enter
Rue’s POVPercy slept with his hand around mine, but his sleep was not peaceful. Several times, his brows tightened, and his fingers gripped mine harder. Each time, I called his name softly.“It’s all right,” I whispered. “I’m here.”He did not fully wake, but his breathing slowed again. I had promised him I would stay, so I stayed.Near dawn, the blanket slipped down from his shoulder. That was when I saw the scars on his skin. Some were thin and pale. Some were deeper and darker. A few were still healing, and the bandages near his side were stained with blood.Percy opened his eyes before I could pull the blanket back. He saw where I was looking, and his face changed.“Don’t look,” he said, trying to sit up. I held his shoulder gently. “Percy, let me see.”“No,” he said. His voice was still rough from sleep. “There is nothing to see.”“There is,” I said. “You have been hiding your pain from me for too long. I want to know what you went through.”His jaw tightened. “Knowing will not
Then I opened my hand and let her take the extra pill away. She placed it back into the bottle and left only the correct dose in my palm. “Take only that,” she said.I swallowed the medicine with water and placed the glass down. “Happy?”“No,” she said. “But less afraid.” I should have told her to return to the couch. Instead, I watched her stand beside me, small and stubborn, with worry clear on her face. “I still may not sleep,” I said.“Then I’ll stay awake with you.” She led me toward the bed as if I were the patient and she were the physician. I should have stopped her, but I followed. When I sat down, she sat beside me with a careful distance between us.“You don’t have to fix everything tonight,” she said. “You don’t have to trust me all at once. Just let me stay.” I looked at her. “And tomorrow?”“I’ll still stay,” she said. “I am not promising that we will never argue or that I will never be afraid. I am promising that I will not leave when things become hard.”Her words made
Aiden’s POVThe meeting room reeked of desperation. It was subtle — a faint panic beneath every elder’s words and faces. But I could smell it clearly. They feared for our pack.“This new wave of virus is spreading faster than last time,” Vance said grimly, sliding a thick stack of papers across the
Aiden’s POVTwo days. That’s all it took for the news to reach me—Marcus had been discharged.I slammed the newspaper down on my desk, and quickly reached for my phone. This was the opening I have been waiting for. If Marcus had been discharged from the hospital, that meant that he was ready to mak
Rue’s POVThe lecture hall was still buzzing with conversations when I slipped my books into my bag. Life at Golden League University was everything I had once dreamed of: the challenge, the high standard of education. It has only been a month and we were already preparing for an exam.As I steppe
Aiden’s POVThe square had gone deathly silent after the assistant’s trembling finger pointed straight at Haven.“She told me to block Rue,” the man blurted, his voice cracking under the weight of everyone’s stares. “She said Alpha Marcus must never see her. I only followed orders!”The guards shif







