THE WEEKLY VIRUS

SIX YEARS LATER

DR. SAGE (KOOKIE):

Six years of pain, and I am finally living a bit of my dream life in a small pack with my daughter—the only light in my world. She sits in the backseat, swinging her tiny legs, humming along to the soft melody of Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off, playing from the car speakers. I smile as I sing along with her, my heart swelling with warmth.

The road ahead is clear, with the morning sun streaming into the car, and for a fleeting moment, everything feels perfect.

Suddenly, we come to a halt in front of the school, and Blue claps her hands excitedly.

“We arrived before Charlotte, yay!” she cheers, bouncing in her seat. I glance out the window to see her friend’s father pulling up a few meters away.

“Yay,” I echo softly.

I reach for the door handle, but before I can unlock it, her tiny voice stops me.

“Mommy?”

I look into the rearview mirror, meeting her beautiful golden eyes—eyes that remind me too much of him.

“Will I ever see my daddy?”

A sharp pang crosses my chest, and I swallow hard, forcing a steady breath. It’s a question I should be prepared for by now, but no matter how many times she asks, it never stops hurting. He took so much from me that I fear even ten years will not be enough to recover—but a step a day, right?

I plaster on a small smile.

“Your daddy is in heaven, sweetheart.”

She frowns, her tiny brows furrowing.

“Like… with the Moon Goddess?”

I nod.

“Yes, baby. He’s watching over you, but remember, the Moon Goddess loves you more than anyone else.” I say this to prevent her from praying for someone as worthless as he is, because that will only hurt her more.

Blue pouts, her little lips forming a perfect circle. I can easily tell her mind is in chaos, and no matter what I say, I know it won’t fill the void. Every child needs their father, and it kills me she will never have one.

“Signature kiss?” I ask, shifting the mood.

Instantly, her face brightens, and I lean over my seat while she leans forward, pressing her lips to my cheek. I return the gesture, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, then tap my nose against hers. She giggles, and the sound melts away the tension in my chest instantly.

She grabs her little backpack and hops out of the car.

“Bye, Mommy! Love you!”

“Love you more, Blueberry,” I call after her, watching her skip toward the school entrance.

The moment she disappears inside, I exhale sharply, gripping the steering wheel. With one last steadying breath, I pull away from the school and drive toward my office.

The moment I step inside the hospital building, Claire, my secretary, is already at my door holding a large brown envelope.

“Good morning, Dr. Sage,” she greets, walking after me as I march toward my office. “There’s a letter for you. It’s marked urgent.”

I take the envelope from her just as I reach my office door.

“Thank you, Claire,” I mutter.

As soon as I’m inside, I set my bag down, glancing at the envelope—then I freeze as I spot the name of the sender.

Alpha Levi of the Diamond Moon Pack.

My blood turns ice cold, and the first thing on my mind is to rip it apart without opening it, but my hands tremble against the envelope as a thousand questions run through my mind.

What if it’s a threat? What if he somehow found me and knows about Blue? Does it mean Alpha Luke is dead since Levi is now Alpha?

My fingers work against my will, tearing the seal open.

TO: Dr. Sage of the Moon Candy Pack

FROM: The Office of the Alpha, Diamond Moon Pack

SUBJECT: Urgent Request for Medical Assistance

Dr. Sage,

We write to you in dire circumstances. A deadly virus has taken hold of the Diamond Moon Pack, spreading rapidly and claiming lives within days. The pack healers and doctors have been unable to identify a cure, and we are losing more people by the hour.

It has come to our attention that you possess unparalleled expertise in treating rare and incurable diseases. Your reputation precedes you, and we believe you are the only one capable of stopping this epidemic before it wipes out our pack entirely.

We implore you to come to our aid. Whatever resources, compensation, or security you require, we will provide. This is a matter of life and death, and time is of the essence.

We await your response.

Sincerely,

Council of the Diamond Moon Pack, on behalf of Alpha Levi.

Tears blur my vision as I grip the letter tightly. Then, with a sharp inhale, I tear it to shreds. The pieces flutter to the floor as the pain inside me burns, making it harder to breathe.

My pulse pounds in my ears as the ugly memories resurface—the nights I cried myself to sleep, the moment I found out I was pregnant and alone, the helplessness that crushed me for years, the effort I put in for six years alongside Alpha Elias to build this pack and raise my daughter. I was a helpless teenage mother.

A bitter laugh escapes me, choking on the rage swelling in my throat at the fact that even my parents never put in so much effort to find me.

“I hope you suffer, Levi,” I whisper in a shaky tone. “I hope you feel every ounce of pain I did. And I hope—” my breath hitches as more tears crawl down my face, “—I hope you die an excruciating death.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to drown out the storm inside me. But the pain is overwhelming, and I know I have to end this immediately. Shaking, I grab the office phone and dial Claire.

“Mail them a rejection letter,” I say coldly. “I don’t care what they offer. I want nothing to do with them.”

I slam the phone down and press my hands against my desk. I fought too hard to build this life, and I will not let them take it from me.

LEVI:

Calling my life miserable would be an understatement.

For six years, I have drowned in regret, unable to recover from the fact that I let the love of my life suffer. I don’t even know how I’m still breathing—how I’m still here—because after everything that’s happened, I should be dead.

Now, as I lie in this quarantined room with fever burning through my body, I realize my only prayer to the Moon Goddess is to see Kookie one last time. To apologize to the love of my life and tell her the truth.

Amber was never my love, and she wasn’t even a friend. She was just an obsessed Lycan Princess I met at training camp. We only spoke because she was my assigned partner, but she fell hard for me, so much so that she killed a fellow Lycan in a mock battle. She threatened to pin it on me, If I didn’t marry her, and she promised to bring war upon my pack.

She knew about Kookie and kept tabs on her throughout medical school, threatening to kill her if I didn’t comply. I was trapped, and the moment my father died, Amber discarded me like I was nothing.

A knock sounds at my door before Donald, my personal advisor, enters, wrapped head to toe in protective gear.

“Your Highness, the virus is spreading. Five more were found dead this morning.”

His words make me furious.

“Something must be done. You have been battling this illness for two days now. We fear you have seventy-two hours left, because your fever is rising, and soon, the dry, bloody cough will—”

“I don’t care what you have to do,” I interrupt. “Offer her an island, a damn castle, if you must. But if I lose one more pack member, you’ll be next. And I will make sure you’re buried alongside me.”

As soon as I am alone, I reach into my drawer, pulling out the only picture of Kookie I have left.

“Please, Moon Goddess… let me see her one last time before I die.”