Chapter Three: Six years Later

The doctor's offices smells like antiseptic and false hope.

I'm sitting in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs, holding Mia's hand while Dr. Chen reviews her test results. Again. Like looking at them one more time will change what they say.

Mia is six years old. She has my dark curls and Nick's grey eyes. She's beautiful and smart and funny and she's dying.

She’s all that has held me together since that day six years ago, my whole life and the only reason I keep going.

And I may lose her to a condition I didn’t even understand.

I blinked back the tears formed from my fear of losing my life line.

"Ms. Winters," Dr. Chen says gently. She's a good doctor, Kind and smart. I've been bringing Mia to her since she was born and since this condition started. "I know this is difficult to hear, but we're running out of time."

"How long?" My voice doesn't shake. I've gotten good at not shaking, at hiding my emotions.

"Without intervention? Two months. Maybe three."

Mia squeezes my hand. She doesn't understand all the medical terms, but she knows it's bad. She's known for weeks that something was wrong with her.

"What about the experimental treatment?" I ask. "The one in Switzerland?"

"Five hundred thousand dollars. No guarantee it will work. And even if it does, it might only buy her a few more years."

I swallow hard. I have money now. More than I ever thought I'd have. My fashion line took off three years ago. Emily Winters Collection is in boutiques across the country. I design clothes that celebrate differences instead of hiding them. Pieces for half-breeds, for people who don't fit the standard werewolf mold and for humans too.

I built an empire from nothing.

But five hundred thousand for a treatment that might not work? That would take everything. And there's no guarantee. It was just a 30% chance.

"There are other options," Dr. Chen says carefully.

I know what she's going to say before she says it.

"An Alpha blood bond. Specifically, a biological bond with her father would have the highest success rate."

"No."

"Ms. Winters..."

"I said no." I said, my tone final. There were other options I would explore before going back to my past.

Dr. Chen sighs. She's had this conversation with me before. Multiple times and my answer remained the same.

"There's also Alexander Hunt. His offer still stands."

Alexander. Alpha of the Hunt Pack. Pharmaceutical billionaire. And my boyfriend. He's been courting me for a year, and he’s been patient and Kind to both me and Mia. He knows I'm damaged goods and he doesn't seem to care.

He proposed two weeks ago, he Said he'd be honored to bond with Mia and save her life. To be part of our family.

I haven't given him an answer yet because I wasn’t sure if I was ready to open my heart again.

"I need to think about it," I say.

"Emily." Dr. Chen leans forward. "I know you have your reasons for avoiding Mia's biological father. But you need to consider what's best for her. Not what's most comfortable for you."

The words hit like a slap.

She's right. I know she's right.

But the thought of going back to Nick. Of asking him for help. Of putting myself anywhere near him after what he did...

I can't.

I won't.

"I'll talk to Alexander," I say. "Set up the bonding process."

Dr. Chen nods. "Good. The sooner the better."

We leave the office. Mia is quiet in the car. She's been quiet a lot lately and tired to be the energetic little girl she used to be. The beautiful girl who was full of life. I blinked back tears again. Alexander’s bond should please work. I can’t lose my baby.

"Mama?" she says as we pull into the parking garage under my building.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Am I going to die?"

My hands tighten on the steering wheel.

"No," I say firmly. "No, you're not. I'm going to fix this. I promise."

She's quiet for a moment. Then: "Is my daddy going to help?"

My heart stops.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because I heard Dr. Chen say a daddy bond works best. And I have a daddy somewhere, right? You said he was busy."

I've never told Mia the truth about Nick. How could I? How do you explain to a six-year-old that her father destroyed her mother? That he called her mother nothing? That he never knew she existed?

"Your daddy, he's very far away."

"But if he knew I was sick, would he help?"

I think about Nick six years ago. The coldness in his eyes that. The way he looked at me like I was nothing.

But I also remembered Nick before that morning, the one I fell in love with. The one I mourned for years.

Would he help Mia?

Maybe. If he knew.

But I'd have to tell him. I'd have to see him again. I'd have to put myself back in that position of needing him.

And I swore I'd never need anyone again.

"Mr. Alexander is going to help you," I tell Mia. "He's very strong. And he cares about us."

"Do you love him?"

"I... I care about him. He's a good man."

"But do you love him like in the movies? Like happily ever after?"

I don't know how to answer that.

I don't think I'm capable of that kind of love anymore. That part of me died on Christmas morning six years ago.

We get out of the car and head up to our apartment. It's a nice penthouse in a good building. Safe and secure. Everything I didn't have six years ago or even for the longest time after I ran away, juggling multiple jobs just to feed me and Mia, after changing my name and cutting ties with everyone I knew.

I built this life from nothing. After I left Silver Moon territory that Christmas morning, I drove until I ran out of gas. Ended up in a tiny town three states away. Found a women's shelter that took me in.

Discovered I was pregnant six weeks later.

I could have gone back then and could have told Nick about the baby.

But I remembered his face and his words, and The way he looked at me like I was nothing and refused to hear me out after the most traumatic night of my life.

And I couldn't do it.

So I stayed hidden, changed my name, Worked three jobs while pregnant. I taught myself to sew and started making clothes in the shelter's common room late at night while Mia slept.

My first pieces were simple dresses that didn't try to hide half-breed traits. Designs that celebrated them.

I sold them online. One dress. Then two. Then ten.

It grew slowly and then suddenly three years ago, a celebrity wore one of my pieces to an awards show and Everything exploded after that.

Now I'm successful and Independent and Powerful in my own right.

But none of it matters if Mia dies.

My phone buzzes from a Text from my assistant.

Reminder: Charity gala invitation. Neutral territory. December 6th. Great visibility for the brand. Should I RSVP yes?

I stare at the message.

I've avoided werewolf high society for six years. Stayed away from pack events and Kept to human circles mostly.

But my business needs this and The gala is huge. Every major Alpha will be there and The press coverage alone would be worth it.

And Alexander will be there. I could give him my answer and Could start the process of saving Mia's life.

Where is it? I text back.

The Grandstone Hotel. It's neutral territory so it’s safe.

Neutral territory means no pack can claim dominance so It's as safe as I'll get from oppressive alphas as an halfbreed.

And it's nowhere near Silver Moon territory.

Nick won't be there. He never leaves his territory for events like this. I spent too many times in hiding to know.

RSVP yes For two. I'll bring Mia.

I set the phone down and look at my daughter. She's curled up on the couch, already half asleep. She was so beautiful, her black curly hair framing her closed eyes. Eyes that were so identical to Nick’s.

I felt a pang in my chest and suddenly I was in that Cabin ahain, staring in those identical eyes, planning the rest of my life, with the love of my life.

my eyes instantly dropped to my drawer.

I pick up the broken necklace from my dresser. I've kept it all these years, The wolf pendant with the broken chain. I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.

Some days I hate that I kept it. Hate that I still have a piece of Nick in my life.

Other days, I'm glad. Because it Reminds me what happens when you trust people. When you let yourself be vulnerable.

It reminds me to never make that mistake again.

I put the necklace back in its box. The gala is in three days.

Three days to prepare myself.

Three days to build up my armor.

Three days until I step back into the werewolf world I ran from six years ago.

I'll wear one of my own designs.

I'll walk in with my head high.

I'll accept Alexander's proposal.

I'll save my daughter.

And I'll do it all without ever having to see Nick again.

That's the plan anyway.

Three days after, we take a car to the Grandstone Hotel. It's massive. Glittering with Christmas lights even though it's only early December, littered with Ice sculptures in the entrance. Valet parking. Wealth everywhere.

I haven't been around this much wolves since I left Silver Moon territory.

My hand tightens on Mia's.

"It's okay," she whispers. Like she's comforting me instead of the other way around.

We walk through the entrance. The ballroom is already packed with different Alphas and their mates, Pack leaders and Wealthy wolves from all over the country.

Everyone is dressed to impress, Tuxedos and designer gowns. Champagne flowing and Christmas music playing softly under the conversation.

I scan the room. Looking for Alexander. He said he'd meet me here.

Then I see him. Tall, Handsome in his tuxedo, Sandy blond hair. Kind eyes blue eyes.

He sees me and smiles and Starts walking toward me.

The tension in my shoulders eases slightly. This is good, this is safe.

But then my gaze drifts past Alexander and lands on someone else across the room.

Time stops.

Nick.

He looks different. Older, yes, with harder edges that weren’t there before. But god, he’s still beautiful in a way that makes my chest physically ache. Broader shoulders filling out that expensive tuxedo. Jaw sharper. Hair shorter and styled instead of the too-long mess I used to run my fingers through.

And then he turns, like he can feel me staring, and his grey eyes find mine across the crowded room.

The mate bond hits me like lightning.

It’s not just the pull I’ve been suppressing for six years. It’s want, sharp and visceral and completely unwanted. My body recognizes him before my brain can stop it. Heat floods through me, centering low in my belly, and I hate it. Hate that after everything he did, after six years of building walls, one look from him and I’m—

No.

I grab Mia’s hand. “We need to leave.”

“Mama, what’s wrong?”

“We need to leave.”

I’m pushing through the crowd now, moving as fast as I can without running. My heart is pounding so hard it hurts. The mate bond is screaming at me to turn around, to go to him, and I’m fighting it with everything I have.

We make it to the entrance hall. The exit is right there. Just a few more steps and we’ll be outside, in the car, gone.

“Emily.”

His voice stops me cold. It’s not loud, not commanding. Just my name. But it freezes me in place anyway.

I close my eyes for a second, gathering myself. Then I turn around.

Nick is standing about ten feet away. He must have followed us immediately because there’s no way he could have gotten through that crowd that fast otherwise.

He’s close enough now that I can smell him. Pine and wood smoke and something fundamentally Nick that makes my wolf whine like a kicked dog. My body remembers this scent. Remembers waking up wrapped in it. Remembers what it felt like to bury my face in his neck and breathe him in while he—

I take a step back, putting distance between us before I do something stupid.

“Don’t.” The word comes out hard. “Whatever you’re about to say, don’t.”

“I just want to talk.”

“No.”

“Emily, please. Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”

“I don’t owe you five seconds.” I start to turn away again.

“I know what happened that night.”

I freeze. My hand tightens on Mia’s.

“I know Marcus drugged you.” His voice is quiet but steady. “He confessed two years ago. I know you were telling the truth.”

The words hit me like a slap. Two years. He’s known for two years and never came to find me.

“Good for you.” My voice is ice. “Now you can sleep better at night knowing you destroyed an innocent person.”

“Emily—”

“No.” I spin back to face him fully now, and six years of rage is boiling over. “You knew the truth for two years, and you did nothing. You didn’t try to find me. You didn’t apologize. You just went on with your perfect life while I was—”

I stop myself before I say too much. Mia is right here, listening to every word.

Nick’s jaw clenches. He takes a careful step forward. “I’ve been looking for you since the day you left. I’ve had investigators searching everywhere. You disappeared completely.”

“I built a new life.”

“I can see that.” His eyes flick to my dress, to the obvious wealth and success I’m radiating. Something like pride crosses his face before he can hide it. “You’ve done well for yourself.”

“Without you. I did it all without you.”

“I know.” His voice is rough now. “And I’m not here to take credit for anything. I just want to talk. To explain. To—”

He stops mid-sentence.

His entire body goes rigid.

His eyes have dropped to Mia.

I watch his face change as he really looks at her for the first time. The grey eyes that match his own, The dark curls, The delicate features that are somehow both mine and his.

“No,” he says, and his voice sounds strangled. “No, that’s not…”

He takes another step forward and I should move away but I’m frozen. This close, I can see the gold flecks in his grey eyes. Can see the way his pulse is jumping in his throat. Can feel the mate bond pulling at me like a physical rope trying to drag me toward him.

My hands curl into fists at my sides to keep from reaching for him.

What the hell is wrong with me?

He takes another step closer, and his nostrils flare slightly. He’s scenting her.

His eyes flash silver.

“I can feel her wolf.” The words come out shocked, devastated. “I can feel… she’s mine. Emily, she’s mine.”