6: Where Is My Dinner?

KYLA’S POV

The needle pricked my skin, and my blood flowed away, weakening me with every drop. My vision blurred, my fingers trembled, and the room spun around me. I pressed my lips together to stop them from quivering.

After the doctor drew the necessary blood, I tried to stand, but my knees buckled. I swayed, clutching the bedpost.

"Luna!" Dr. Brando snapped. "You must take it easy now."

"I know, but I need to see my husband."

"You will soon. Just lay down for a bit. I'll go take the blood to the nurse for testing before the transfusion, and then I'll come back to give you a little check-up. In the meantime, please suck on this lollipop." He handed me the sweet.

"Thank you, doctor," I said weakly as I lay back down.

The moment the door closed, the air shifted. Jason and Leroy slipped in, grinning.

"Our Luna is so devoted to Alpha Tormund," Jason said, almost mockingly. "You've taken care of him with such loyalty."

I managed a gentle smile. "He is my husband. I would do anything for him."

"That we know," Gamma Leroy chuckled, his tone laced with amusement.

I sat up slowly, my head less light now. I looked at them with hopeful eyes. "Can I... see him?"

Their grins faltered. Jason's voice was quick, too quick. "Hmm, no. The doctor says he's still unconscious. He needs time to stabilize."

My chest sank. "Ok. I understand."

"Get some rest, Luna," they said before leaving.

But I couldn't rest. I needed to see my husband. I needed proof that he was still alive, still breathing. So I made my way to his room.

As I reached his door, my hand stretched out, trembling. But before I touched the handle, I froze when I heard Tormund's voice.

"Is it done?"

"Yes, Alpha," Leroy responded.

My stomach twisted. But I thought he was unconscious.

Jason laughed. "You were right. One word that you were sick, and that woman gave away 800cc of blood without a second thought. Aren't you afraid she'll die from giving away so much?"

Tormund's mocking laugh cut through my chest like a blade. "She'll never leave me. Not even in death. Kyla would give me anything I ask for. She's bound to me, whether I want her or not."

The hallway spun around me. My breath hitched. My heart shattered into shards sharp enough to pierce my soul.

I thought, foolishly, that he would be grateful. That maybe, just maybe, I had finally proven my worth. Instead, his words told me the truth I had been too afraid to face.

I staggered back, tears burning my eyes. But I didn't confront them to let them know I had heard them. I didn't even wait around for the doctor to come and check on me. I just gathered my bearings, dropped the lollipop by the door and walked away.

By the time I got home, my body was trembling with weakness. I collapsed against the wall, pressing my forehead to the cool wood. I was so tired. So tired of giving and never receiving.

My phone rang, slicing through the silence. I checked the caller ID and saw Claudia Eclipse flash across the screen.

I pressed the phone to my ear. "Hello, Stepmother."

"It has been almost four years of marriage and still no child? Do you even know your duty? If Vivica was alive, she would have given the Alpha an heir by now," Claudia's sharp voice lashed through the receiver. "Anyway, I need you to bring Alpha Tormund home for Family Day dinner tomorrow."

I bit my tongue to stop the bitterness rising in my throat. If Tormund refused, I would pay the price.

"Kyla, are you still there?"

"Yes. I will see if he is up for dinner."

"He better be here, or you know what will happen," Claudia barked before hanging up.

I sighed. I just wished I could get far away from these people. After I healed Tormund years ago, Claudia had tried to force me to use magic to find Vivica's body and bring her back from the dead. When I explained it didn't work like that, Claudia had whipped me until my skin bled.

But something had broken inside me after my wolf went dormant. I hadn't been able to heal anyone since. Not even animals. I tried and tried, but nothing seemed to work.

******

Later that night, Tormund finally returned. I studied him as he walked in, his steps were strong and his face seemed unbothered. He didn't look like a man who had just received a blood transfusion.

As usual, his first words were not of greeting, but of demand.

"Where is my dinner?"

I froze, remembering the words I overheard at the hospital. For the first time, I turned cold. Instead of cooking for him myself, pouring my love into every dish, I had ordered the maid to prepare his meal tonight.

Tormund noticed my distance and frowned.

"Don't be so petty. Are you still mad that I went away for a week?" He scoffed. "You know I always go camping on Vivica's death anniversary. You know that. So why are you so bitter about it? She was the love of my life."

My lips pressed into a thin line. He would never stop loving Vivica. That much was clear. But my tears had run dry.

"So you got hurt on this camping trip of yours, so that you needed 800cc of my blood?"

His eyes narrowed. "I was attacked by a pack of rogues. I am lucky to be alive. Are you not happy your husband is alive?"

I had heard whispers in the Gods' Pool. He had begun searching for a way to bring the dead back to life. With the Wolf Mother's bone and the heart's blood of a she-wolf, legend said it would be possible to resurrect a werewolf.

My lips trembled. "Oh yes. I am happy that you left to go spend time with a ghost when you have a living wife at home."

His face darkened. He grabbed me by the neck. "What kind of statement is that? Are you daring to be disrespectful to Vivica's memory?"

My body was already weak from the blood loss, and now his grip only made me dizzier. The world spun around me. My knees gave way, and I collapsed, pain shooting through my stomach as I hit the floor.

Tormund sneered. "Such a weak little thing. You'll do anything for attention."

My trembling hand reached out. "No... help me... I'm in pain."