Chapter 1

KAHLIA'S POV

The hallway outside the ER was full of rushing nurses and rolling stretchers. I stood in front of the ER doors with a chart in my hands, ready to step inside, when a nurse’s voice suddenly rose above the noise.

“Patient in active labor. Camille Raine. Prepare the delivery room. We need the team now.”

My body froze.

I slowly lifted my eyes toward the entrance. A wheelchair moved through the sliding doors, and Camille Raine held her stomach as pain twisted across her face. Beside her, holding her hand with such care that it made my chest tighten, was Ethan.

My ex-husband.

He leaned close to her, whispering something to calm her, his fingers wrapped tightly around hers. His touch was gentle and warm, a softness he had never shown me, even when I tried my best to be everything he needed.

The memories rushed back before I could stop them. I remembered opening that hotel room door and seeing the truth laid bare in front of me, Ethan’s shirt tossed aside and Camille holding him as if she belonged there. I could still see the shock on his face when he realized I had caught them. That moment shattered everything I believed in.

Then came the divorce papers, the signatures that ended our marriage. After that, the news of her pregnancy cut whatever was left of me. I remembered how I cried that night until my chest ached and my breath felt tight, unable to understand how a man I gave my life to could betray me so deeply.

I felt the sting behind my eyes, but I pushed it back. I would not cry here. Not for him.

“You are too calm.”

Marga’s voice came from my right. Marga is a licensed cardiologist and my only one bestfriend. She must have noticed the way I went still. She followed my gaze and her eyes widened when she saw Ethan guiding Camille toward the maternity room.

“That is really them,” she whispered.

“Yes,” I said quietly.

Marga shook her head in disbelief. “He brought her here. He really has no shame.”

“It does not surprise me anymore,” I replied.

She stepped closer and studied my face. “Lia, are you alright?”

A small, dry laugh left my lips. I kept my posture straight even though my heart felt heavy. “I am fine. Honestly, I should thank him.”

Marga frowned. “Thank him for what?”

“For cheating,” I said. “If he had not betrayed me, I would still be at home cooking for him and cleaning after him instead of standing here as a doctor again. Losing him forced me to return to my career. It reminded me who I am.”

Marga nodded slowly. “You sound stronger now.”

“I have to be.”

She hesitated before asking, “But do you still love him?”

Her question cut deeper than I expected. I looked at Ethan again, still holding Camille’s hand with such devotion, and something inside me twisted. I opened my mouth to answer, unsure what I would even say.

I inhaled slowly, forcing my chest to rise evenly. “How can I still love the man who betrayed me?” The words felt heavy, even as I spoke them aloud, almost like admitting it gave them weight. “No. I don’t. Not anymore. I’m happy with my life now.”

Marga tilted her head, studying me like she could see inside my chest. “Even after everything, it’s just gone?”

I let out a short, humorless laugh. “Gone? I think it’s more like evaporated.

Disappeared with the last of the tears I cried over him. I gave him my heart once. That was enough. And now, I have my life back, my choices back. I’m free from him, from us, from the marriage that never belonged to me.”

Her eyes softened. “I’m amazed, Lia. Honestly. Most people would be a mess, crying, depressed, maybe even clinging to the past.”

I shrugged, letting a faint smile slip through. “Man is just a man. That’s all he is. Flawed, selfish, human. And I still have the right to control my life. I still have the right to decide who belongs in it and who doesn’t. The divorce is finalized. No reason to hold on to a marriage that’s dead.”

Marga shook her head slowly, still clearly in awe. “I hope you’ll be healed soon. Truly.”

I chuckled, a soft, self-deprecating sound. “Healed? I’m not sick to be healed, Marga."

That’s when Dr. Collins appeared, stepping around the corner with his usual brisk professionalism. “Excuse me for interrupting,” he said, his tone polite but firm, “but I wanted to discuss the VIP patient. I’ll need your expertise, Dr.Ford”

I nodded, ready to put my emotions aside. “Of course. What do you need, Dr. Collins?”

He glanced at his tablet briefly, then back at me. “Alpha Jaron. I’m referring him to you. He’s in recovery, unable to walk at the moment. I need you to give him your best as his physical therapist.”

I froze mid-breath, the name striking me like a lightning bolt. My pulse quickened involuntarily. “Alpha Jaron?” I whispered, barely loud enough for Marga to hear.

Marga’s jaw dropped, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Do you mean the Alpha Jaron? The Biker? The most feared, the handsome Alpha of Steel Fang Pack?”

I blinked, the weight of her words settling on me. The Alpha of Steel Fang Pack. The man whose very name commanded fear and respect in the supernatural and human communities alike.

I had read about him, heard rumors whispered even in hospital halls, and now, somehow, fate or Dr. Collins was throwing him into my care.

Dr. Collins raised an eyebrow at our exchange. “Yes. He’s highly regarded, but his injuries are severe. The faster he recovers, the better for him and his pack.”

Marga shook her head, her voice a whisper full of disbelief. “Oh my God. I… I can’t believe this is happening. So...You’re going to be treating him?”