Chapter 23

(Draven’s POV)

The ambulance sped through the city roads, sirens cutting through the quiet night. The cardiac monitor continued its steady rhythm. Raymond’s oxygen saturation climbed a little with each passing minute, but his breathing remained shallow, every wheezing inhale sounding strained despite the oxygen mask. 

Watching his chest rise and fall to the rhythm of his shaky breaths made me feel completely helpless. All I can do is continue holding his hand, and stay by his side. 

So much for being a powerful Alpha. What’s the use when I can’t even do anything to take away his pain?

Just as I was beginning to spiral into a series of self-doubt, the voice of my wolf, Anubis, rudely interrupted my brooding.

[Why’re you beating yourself up so much? It’s not you who put this poor young man into this state. Moping around isn’t going to do you any good.] 

I laughed internally at his words. Yes, I knew he was right, but that doesn’t mean I appreciated his rationality.

[I know. But damnit, can’t you let me wallow in self-misery for a little while longer? You’re taking away the drama that I was painstakingly creating.] I let out a huff while rolling my eyes.

A low chuckle vibrated throughout my consciousness. [You never change, do you? Can’t be fucking serious for more than two seconds. On a more serious note, this young man is in more pain than he is letting on. Obviously, there is physical pain, but I can sense that his mind is in disarray as well. Whoever did this wasn’t just torturing him physically, they were also doing a number on his psyche. You will not only have to help him heal his outer injuries, but also the wounds on his soul.]

I let out a heavy sigh, staring down at Raymond’s face. [Don’t fret, Anubis. You know that we will do everything for him. Once we hold the meeting with the others, we’ll come up with a game plan. For now, focusing on his physical health is at the top of the list, everything else will fall into place with time.] 

The damage to him is catastrophic, and it’s going to take a hell of a lot to even touch the surface. If anything, I’m glad that he arrived in our pack. 

 Across from me, Marco adjusted the flow rate on the oxygen before checking the IV.

“His blood pressure’s responding to the fluids,” he said. “That’s a good sign.”

I nodded while continuing to stare down at Raymond’s flushed face. My brothers and I have already started considering him ours. Though I’ve only met him, the pull me and my wolf feel towards him is powerful and undeniable. 

Marco finished documenting Raymond’s vital signs before looking up at me with a playful smile. “Not many Alphas would personally ride in the back of an ambulance with a trainee. ”

“My brothers and I don’t see him as a simple trainee, we are interested in him. We’re hoping to court him properly, ” I stated plainly, shrugging my shoulders. 

There’s no use in denying our feelings, we aren’t kids in high school. We’ve never been in relationships before, but we don’t see anything wrong with admitting it. 

"So I gathered from your reactions," he smiled and returned to his paperwork without another comment.

Silence settled over the ambulance once again. I reached up and brushed another damp strand of hair away from Raymond's forehead. His heat radiating through my fingertips. A faint crease formed between his brows, and I could feel his fingers twitch faintly in my grasp.

I gently squeezed his hand as my thoughts drifted back to Nightshade, to Alpha Rannulfus Shade. I’ve heard talk about him on multiple occasions at gatherings. Rumors didn’t emerge from nowhere. Over the years, I’d heard whispers from rogues, merchants, neighboring packs; even former Nightshade wolves who refused to speak openly but carried fear in their eyes whenever the pack's name was mentioned: public punishments, disappearances, broken wolves. No one had ever come forward with enough evidence for the council to intervene.

I looked at the bruises disappearing beneath Raymond's hospital blanket. A low growl resonated in my chest, making Marco lift his head and glance at me for a moment before lowering it again.

I’ll fucking tear anyone who’s hurt him limb from limb, then burn what’s left to ash.

꧁༺ ✦ ༻꧂

Outside, the ambulance turned into the emergency entrance of Shadow General Hospital. The brakes screeched as we rolled to a stop beneath the brightly lit trauma bay. The rear doors were thrown open before the vehicle had fully settled, and a trauma team was already waiting.

At the front stood Dr. Toney Shae, already dressed in surgical scrubs beneath his white coat. At six-foot-nine, he was hard to miss. He had a broad, muscular build, bronze skin, black hair, and warm brown eyes that somehow made his towering presence less intimidating. A Polynesian tribal tattoo stretched across one shoulder, hidden beneath his scrubs that he likes to show off to anyone if given the chance. As the Dean of Medicine at Shadow General, and arguably the best surgeon in the country, Toney had a confidence like smoke in the air. 

The moment our eyes met, he didn't waste time on greetings.

“Let’s get him inside and prepare for surgery,” he said evenly.

I nodded once. “Let’s.”

Toney stepped aside as the paramedics unlocked the stretcher and guided it smoothly down the loading ramp. The wheels rattled softly against the concrete before gliding through the automatic emergency doors. I never let go of Raymond’s hand, matching their pace as we hurried down the brightly lit hallway.

The strong smell of antiseptic hit me almost immediately, causing a slight discomfort in my nose that I quickly ignored. Nurses hurried around carrying charts, doctors were making rounds around us, but when they caught sight of Raymond lying on the stretcher, conversations died away. Several staff members exchanged grim looks before stepping aside to clear our path.

“Trauma Bay Three is ready,” one nurse called. “CT has been notified. Radiology is standing by. Blood bank has two units cross-matched.”

Toney acknowledged each update with a short nod without ever slowing. “Good. Let’s keep moving.”

Within seconds, we pushed through another set of double doors into a large exam room. Bright lights illuminated every corner, making every bruise, every cut, every swollen patch of skin stand out in painful detail.

Marco and Hailey moved Raymond onto the hospital bed in one smooth motion while nurses immediately surrounded him.

“Heart rate?”

“One hundred twenty-eight.”

“Blood pressure?”

“Ninety-two over fifty-six.”

“Oxygen saturation?”

“Ninety-three percent on six liters.”

“Temperature?”

“One hundred three point eight.”

Toney stepped to Raymond’s bedside, his expression tightening as he finally took in the full extent of the injuries.

“...Fucking hell. Bastards,” he whispered through clenched teeth. 

He slowly pulled back the blanket covering Raymond’s torso, and for a brief moment, everyone paused their movements. No one spoke, no one moved; even seasoned nurses looked sick and heartbroken taking in all of the bruises and markings on his exposed skin.

Toney let the blanket fall back into place.

“Whoever did this,” he said quietly, “needs to be fucking torn to shreds and dragged to hell.”

My wolf let out a low snarl in agreement. 

“I plan on finding who did this...and making them pay ten fold,” I said.

Toney looked at me for a long moment before giving me an approving nod. “I figured you would.” He pulled on a pair of gloves with two sharp snaps. "Let's see what we're dealing with."