JASMINE POV
Eight Years Later…
Beep. Beep. Beep-beep Beeeeeeeeep.
"Code blue!"
I couldn’t breathe. Blood spurted from the open stomach of this old woman with a kind smile. Her only mistake was that she had been on my surgical table tonight.
"Dr. Ross! The patient is having a cardiac arrest. Her vitals are dropping below dangerzone!" The nurses screamed at me while I froze, hands shaking in the air.
For two years, I've lived as a famous and highly successful doctor in New York City, and believe me when I say there has never been any death on my record. I went into surgery rooms confident, too confident.
And today that had worked against me.
There was about to be a death on my record. 60 year old Carmen with a kind smile. Her family waited outside for her to come back to them.
Carmen's smile haunted me now as I watched her shake wrongly on my surgical table.
The machine lines flattened, and her pulse dropped as fast as a countdown.
55/30...20/10...
A hand shook my shoulder. "She will die! Dr. Ross! If you remain still, this would be murder!"
I blinked sideways, coming out of my daze. Blood still rushed to my ears. Hot flashes made me see double.
I had to stop the bleeding first...
I placed my palms on her chest, counting each pump breathlessly, "1, 2, 3, 4..."
"Two breaths only!" I ordered the nurse next to the ventilator when I reached 30 compressions.
She did it. The lines in the machine still ran flat. Her heart had no rhythm. Sweat soaked my lower back and neck.
I pumped her heart again. "1, 2, 3, 4..." I shouted at the nurse. "Two breaths!"
The flat lines in the machine mocked me. I was having a panic attack in this surgery room. Although difficult, I sucked in a shaky breath.
Somehow, I pumped her heart again. I repeated the process the fourth time, and her heart picked up a slight rhythm.
Bless you, moon goddess...
"Administer adrenaline. Now!" I reached for the defibrillator as the nurses moved the drug from the tiny bottle to the vial.
They injected Carmen.
I charged the defibrillator. "Nurse Carol, administer 1 unit of blood. Slow transfusion. First 15 minutes."
I placed the machine on her chest. Her torso jerked from the shock. I charged again, repeating orders.
Her vitals stabilised. Blood transfusion had begun. I shut my eyes for a split second in relief.
I moved over. The head nurse applied pressure over the internal wound to pause the bleeding while I resuscitated Carmen.
Nurse Carol handed me an artery forcep. I began careful ligation, sewing up the torn artery that caused the issue.
I concluded the surgery and left my assistant in charge of closing up the patient.
An hour later. The chairman of the board and a few other prominent doctors marched into the director’s office, which was mine.
"To what do I owe this? Jenkins? Banerji?" I fit on my lab coat and faced them.
The chairman smacked a set of papers in my face. A white rain fell on me for a second.
"Lawsuits!" He screamed at me, comportment vanished, "I put my faith in you, you bitch! Now, look at how you've repaid me."
I made eye contact with Banerji, willing to understand what the hell was going on.
The Chairman had just disrespected his star staff. I was the youngest director this hospital had ever seen, both in age and in practice.
But I was a celebrity within these walls. This position was tailor-made for me.
"Security! Take out her things. From this moment onwards, Jasmine Ross will no longer be my hospital's director!"
Alarmed, I watched the hospital guards pack my things into a brown cardboard box.
"What's going on, sir?!" I begged, stopping his guards as much as I could.
"There's a video going around on social media of the miracle doctor who froze at the sight of blood during a surgery!" He thrashed his hands, yelling.
My face paled.
People called me the miracle doctor. They worshipped me like they worshipped their idols and influencers.
"That's—That's not possible. Sir, I can stop it. Let me—"
He chuckled bitterly. "How? When it has 1 million views already in just an hour, you think you can control it? You are finished, Dr. Ross."
I rushed for my phone. It almost fell from my shaking hands as I searched for the video. He didn't lie. My face was all over the internet.
"How can a doctor be so useless?"
"Look at her hands shaking. She's a curse. Not a miracle!"
"I wish that was her child on that surgery table!"
"She should just die!"
The comment section overwhelmed me. I supported myself on my desk with a hand, thinking back to the surgery room. Who could have done this to me?
Banerji placed a hand on my shoulder. "I already called Asher. He's on his way. You'll get through this, Ross."
The train of doctors left after the guards carted my things away. My throat burned with tears as I paced the almost empty office.
I raked a frustrated hand through my long black hair. The chairman was right. I am finished.
Fifteen minutes later. I got a call from Asher, and I rushed out to meet him at the lobby.
People gossiped loudly as I passed. I almost ran mad, but a second later, the warm arms of Asher wrapped me in a hug.
I sighed against his hard chest.
"It's okay, Jes. I'm here." He kissed my forehead, and I melted into him, letting him take all my worry.
I gripped his shirt like it was my life-support. "Take me home. Please."
He intertwined our fingers and bodyguarded me past the throng of paparazzi at the entrance.
People in this city had screws loose in their brains. How had I gone from most loved to most hated in just an hour?
At home. Asher cooked dinner while I helped Emily style her raven black hair.
Giddy, she sat on the bathroom's vanity chair, swinging her tiny legs.
"Did you lose a tooth, sweetie?" I asked, plaiting her hair into two cornrows.
She beamed, bobbing her head and showing me the empty top front row. "I hid it under my pillow, momma. When the tooth fairy comes, I'll be rich!"
I gasped, causing my daughter to giggle. "You'll have to buy Asher and I a gift. Pretty please, Em." I faked a pout, and she did the same, eyes on mine through the mirror.
"No!" She giggled when I reached for her to tickle here until she said yes.
I chased after her. "Emily! Don't you dare run away!"
I entered the kitchen and found her clinging to Asher's legs while he chopped vegetables.
"Emily," he warned in an amused voice, "What did I say about playing around sharp things?"
"But mommy wants revenge!"
Asher left the knife, washed his hands, and scooped my daughter into his arms. She screamed, laughing as he tickled the sense out of her.
Her identical brothers, Ethan and Ezra, sat on the kitchen island, playing with their train set. I watched my children while a content smile formed on my face. They were the best things that had ever happened to me.
After dinner, Asher and I sat on the sofa. His hand went around my shoulder, and my head lay on his chest. It was my favourite spot in the world.
"I love you, Jes. I swear that I do."
Smiling sadly, I kissed his lips. "Thank you for being here for me."
"Mommy, are you sad?"
I jumped, looking over my shoulder. My triplets stood there and pouted.
I shook my head.
"Mommy just wants a hug. Come here."
They came over, climbing on top of both of us and crushing Asher and I in a hug. For kids, they had too strong hands.
One day, they would be stronger werewolves than I ever was.
The next day.
I walked into the hospital's conference room. After that degrading display yesterday, it was time to make my demotion official. My video beca0me the most viewed on all social media platforms.
But at least, the hospital had ordered their guards to control the reporters at the entrance.
It's not like I lost my job. This would pass.
"We've found Dr. Ross a worthy replacement!" The chairman delightedly said.
I bit my bottom lip and scoffed, "Yeah, right. Good for you, Brady."
"What? Did you say something, Dr. Ross?"
I offered the annoying backstabber a sweet smile and silence. Brady continued.
"Mr. Carter's a longtime business partner. Although he's not officially in our line, he knows just enough about management and medicine to fit right in, interim."
That last name. My heart raced as I sat up in my chair, gaping at the door of the conference room.
It opened.
I gulped in shock.
JASMINE POV Each time I heard that last name, flashes of who I used to be would come back to me. Jasmine, the orphan of the Ice Wolf pack. I remembered her. How miserable she was. More importantly, it reminded me of Sebastian Carter. My chest constricted. I placed a hand over it. Breathing became difficult as it would every time I thought I was about to see him again. "Mr. Carter!" Brady beamed. He stood on his feet to welcome the young man, who just walked in. The knots in my stomach loosened. I sucked in air in bouts. It wasn't Sebastian. He still hadn't found me after all these years. Brady shook hands with the man. "Welcome to Greenbrook. This is Dr. Varma, Dr. Banerji, Dr. Jenkins, and Dr. Ross. They are the cream of the crop within these walls." Carter said, "Nice to meet you all. I hope we have a productive year together." We offered him a curt bow. I had fallen in ranks. A bitter taste spread through my mouth at the humiliation of bowing to my replacement. A year
JASMINE POV Jasmine, what the fuck?!" Sebastian shrieked as I poured the milk all over him and his flashy ring. I gritted my teeth. "I was never yours in the first place, you asshole!" He winced as I stomped down the aisle, but he grabbed my elbow, pulling me back. "Wait! Wait a second," he raked a hand through his soft, long, milk-stained hair, "Let me do right by you. Please." "Seb, it's been eight years! I have forgotten all about you, and I don't need a fucking reminder of the heartache." As I stormed away, I heard him mutter to himself. "This isn't over, Jasmine. You'll be mine soon." I shuddered at that dangerous promise, blocking it out of my mind as I met the kids at the front of the line. Emily had my wallet with her. I dropped the empty bottle of milk on the counter, and the cashier gave me a weird look. "Don't forget to add that." I smiled nervously. When everything had been processed, I grabbed the grocery bags and the kids, hurrying out of the store. At the lot,
JASMINE POV I froze like a statue. It was not enough that Sebastian showed up like a bad dream and now he would work in the same space as me, worse still, as my boss? Oh no!My breathing alternated from slow to fast pace and right now, it felt like my heart would burst from too much workload. “Dr. Ross,” Brady called wryly. My soul jerked back to where my body remained in a frozen state. The movement caused my phone to slip from my hand and fall with a loud thud. I'm certain my screen must be damaged and also certain it's not up to what my life would be in minutes. Wrecked. Absolutely chaotic. I reached down in swift seconds, retrieved it like it never occurred, and saved myself the heartbreak of looking at the damage. “...are you okay?” Brady asked with that goofy grin. I could stake my career on the line that he didn't give a bloody hoot about how I felt. This whole charade was to rub my misfortune right in my face. “Ye..ah” I gulped balls of thick saliva that were about to
JASMINE POVWith that, Nurse Carol was gone. Sebastian is surely getting on my nerves! For about a minute, I forgot I had the 'Carter’ problem to deal with and just with a message from my supposedly annoying director, I lost composure. “What does he want?” I murmured and began pacing, hovering about in the small workspace. “Is there a problem?” Liam asked, curious. "Yes, there is." I spun to face him and he looked surprised at seeing a new side of me; terrified. “Do you need anything? Water...”"Brady just knows how to piss me off, and I would make him pay!” I revealed it anyway, yelling at the top of my lungs. Thankfully, the door was shut because I needed to vent, and now that I have... Well, it still felt the same. "Whoa,” Liam muttered and gestured for me to calm down. Eyes closed, I inflated my lungs with the cold-conditioned air. “What has Brady got to do with this, I thought Nurse Carol mentioned ‘a Sebastian’...”"You're right.” I bluffed. If only he was wrong. “Wait,
JASMINE’S POV _Smash the freaking ketchup on his face!_ _Pull his ears out till he looks like Penny!_ These were a few of the tens of revenge ideas that came to mind. Instead, I kept mute, stabilizing my mood. After the milk incident at the mall and with me still not over it, it would be plain stupid to make things worse. My bloodshot eyes burned with intense hate and irritation. Sweat dripped from each of my pores. I was furious and he knew it. "Jas. You should think about this.” He reached out for my hands on the table and I cringed. “First, you don’t get to call me that and lastly, there's nothing to think about.”"Don't act rashly, Jasmine. You can take a few days and...” “Have a nice day.” I pushed the chair backward, as the squishing sound made silly noises and drew unwanted attention to us. I avoided eye contact with a few of the staff that chose my business over theirs and wore a fake smile. The news of my demotion rocked the four walls of the hospital, and with my rep
JASMINE’S POV "No secrets; remember your pinky swear?" He scanned my face for any reactions. “Common, honey.” I sighed. "Like I said, it's nothing. What could possibly be wrong?” I threw the question back at him. "Anything..." He shrugged. "And in this case, I’m sure something is up.” He doesn't change his foot. I exhaled and groaned loudly, so he knew how frustrating this was getting. I thought I was gaining his sympathy until he chuckled and went silent. That's all?! I frowned. “Asher, you're beating yourself up for nothing.” I squeezed his arms roughly. "I’m fine.” I insisted. “You ain't fine, and we both know it.” His brows furrowed. Gush! Could this be any easier? For the umpteenth time, I told him I was fine, but he just wouldn't indulge me. And the more I didn't budge, the more he didn't go weak on his stance. He let go of my waist and started for the centre table. “Where are you going? This is the way to the kitchen, remember?” I rolled my eyes. He ignored me and kept u
Sebastian’s POV _I want her so bad..._ It scared the crap out of me as I would do anything and go to any length just to claim her... My hands beneath her thighs, where they belonged, her head peacefully laid on my bosom, and my nose buried in the length of her neck, as I sniffed her sweet vanilla scent. "You’re mine,” I murmured. If I can't have her, nobody would. I was ready to make up for all those years I hurt her so badly. I was naive and stupid and helpless. Everyone deserves a second chance, I won't be ripped off. Back then, she was this soft-spoken, calm, and quiet weak girl. Eight years was enough to change your whole personality. She was no longer the girl I knew her to be. The Jasmine I was faced with was fierce, stubborn, and more beautiful than I imagined. It made it even more difficult to think of the best way to win her over...She was a totally different person. Life was going fine for her, I didn't need a seer to know that; being in a big city, and a good doctor
Jasmine's POV _8: 00 AM_ I was already late and I was sure to get scolded by Brandy. _Silver paws and fur so wild,_ _A gentle heart, yet fierce and mild._ _Underneath the stars so high,_ _A lullaby for the moonlit sky._ “Argh.” I groaned, about to explode because I needed peace and quiet and the kids' singing was not helping matters. “Easy, darling.” Asher nudged my elbow. "They're just having fun.” “If fun means ruining my mental health, then I don't want it.” Asher just chuckled, having more tolerance than myself. They didn't seem to care as they jumped and clapped in excitement, with Emily taking the lead. She would definitely be the death of me aside from Sebastian. For about an hour and a half, we drove around the city, navigating our way through hounding traffic and road workers. I couldn’t keep up with the number of rules Asher broke ever since we started this less than two-hour journey. If I told him that the kids were watching and might pick up from this bad habit of h