Chapter 5 - The Doctor

Elena’s Point of View

"Why hasn’t she woken up yet?" a deep voice roared, frustration dripping from every word, followed by a low, menacing growl.

"Alpha, please, I need you to remain calm," another voice responded carefully, treading with caution. "She’s been through a lot. Her body needs time to recover from the lack of oxygen. But if you’d like, I can conduct additional tests to ensure everything is okay."

That scent. Woodsy with a hint of spice. That meant Asher was here.

The last thing I could recall was Connor's hands tightening around my throat, stealing the air from my lungs. Then suddenly, Asher had intervened, stopping him. And then… he called me his mate.

Goddess above. The Alpha? My mate?

This couldn't be real. It was impossible. He was leagues above me—a powerful leader, feared and respected—while I was nothing more than a weak, insignificant runt.

Why would someone like him care about whether I woke up or not?

Maybe he didn’t. Maybe he was here to reject me, to cast me aside before this bond could even begin.

The thought alone sent a pang through my heart. I had heard that life without a mate was unbearably painful. But honestly? My life was already unbearable.

And where was Connor?

A sudden touch—someone attempting to roll up my sleeve—made my instincts kick in. My body reacted before I could think, my arm snapping away as my eyes flew open.

"L-Elena…"

Asher’s voice.

My heart instantly pounded so hard that I could hear it through the heart monitor beside me. The sharp beeping filled the air, confirming my panic.

"Hey, hey, it’s alright," Asher murmured, his fingers carefully tilting my chin so I’d look at him.

He wasn’t rejecting me?

The warmth of his touch sent tiny sparks dancing along my skin, and for a moment, everything around me faded. The world was just him and me.

As I breathed deeply, the beeping from the heart monitor began to slow down. My heartbeat calmed, mirroring the moment of stillness between us. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the doctor silently stepping out of the room, leaving us alone.

But the reality of it all came crashing back.

Asher was an Alpha—strong, ruthless, and respected. I was nothing. A runt. A failure. I didn’t belong next to him.

Shame washed over me, and I turned away, dropping my gaze to my lap. My hands clenched the hospital blanket, unsure of what to say.

What was I even supposed to say?

I had been seconds away from dying. And it wasn’t just anyone who had nearly killed me—it was his Beta.

Would Asher even care when he found out about the other things Connor had done to me? Would he believe me?

And what about Nathan? If I told Asher, Nathan would…

The heart monitor beeped wildly again, mirroring the chaos inside my mind.

"Elena, take a deep breath," Asher’s voice softened as his hand settled gently over mine. "You’re safe now."

Safe.

That word felt foreign. Something I hadn't truly felt in a long time.

Yet somehow, when he said it, I almost believed it.

Slowly, the beeping from the monitor steadied once more.

"I was really worried about you," Asher admitted, his voice holding something unfamiliar. Something… genuine.

My head snapped up in shock.

"W-why?" I stammered.

Why would someone like him care about someone like me?

Asher's expression darkened slightly, his jaw tightening. "Elena… you died," he said, his voice strained, as if the words themselves hurt him. "The doctor had to bring you back."

Died.

I had actually… died?

The thought should have terrified me. But instead, I felt numb. Maybe because, after everything, a part of me had already accepted death.

Connor had strangled me before, more times than I could count. I was used to passing out, slipping into the darkness, only to wake up again. But this time, there had been no guarantee that I would wake up.

Yet here I was.

What an unfortunate birthday gift.

Speaking of Connor…

"W-where is… Connor?" My voice came out shaky, my fingers nervously twisting the blanket.

A low, thunderous growl rumbled from Asher’s chest, sending shivers down my spine.

"He’s being handled," he muttered darkly, his eyes flickering between their usual brown and an inky black. His wolf was right beneath the surface.

A knock at the door interrupted the tension. The doctor—Marcus, according to his name tag—walked back in.

"Apologies for interrupting, Alpha," Marcus said, glancing between us. "I need to run some tests to ensure she’s stable before she can be released."

Asher gave a small nod before stepping back, watching Marcus like a hawk as he moved closer to my bed.

The moment Marcus reached for my sleeve, I yanked my arm away.

"D-don’t," I mumbled, gripping my wrist protectively.

I didn’t want him—or anyone—to see.

Some of the scars were fresh. Others had faded into thin white lines. Either way, I didn’t want them exposed.

Marcus reached again, but this time, a low growl echoed through the room.

"She said don’t," Asher repeated coldly, his piercing gaze daring Marcus to ignore him.

Marcus sighed, raising his hands in surrender. "I promise, Elena, I’m not here to hurt you. I just need to check your condition so you can leave this place. You do want to leave, don’t you?"

I did.

This room felt suffocating. Asher’s presence was overwhelming, making my emotions spiral in ways I didn’t understand.

But I also couldn’t ignore the fact that… he cared.

Why? I wasn’t sure.

Still, I hesitated before slowly extending my arm, squeezing my eyes shut.

Marcus carefully examined the scars, his touch gentle but still uncomfortable. A small hiss of pain escaped me.

Another growl came from Asher.

His footsteps moved closer, but I didn’t dare open my eyes.

If he hadn’t rejected me before, he certainly would now. Not after seeing this.

"I’ll… um, I’ll get you some cream to help with these," Marcus said quietly.

I only nodded.

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with Asher.

"Elena."

His voice was softer this time. It sent warmth through me, despite my fear.

Taking a shaky breath, I forced my eyes open. "Yes?"

I hadn’t even noticed that he had gently pulled up my other sleeve. His gaze traced over the scars, unreadable.

But what struck me most?

There was no disgust.

Not like Connor. Not like the others who had sneered at me, whispered about me, looked at me like I was nothing.

Asher’s eyes only held concern.

I quickly moved to cover my arms, pressing them into my lap. "You don’t have to look," I whispered, staring at the white sheets beneath me.

Before he could respond, Marcus returned with a small white tube.

"This will help with the scarring," he said, offering a reassuring smile.

Scarring? No cream could erase what had been done.

Still, I mumbled, "Thank you."

Marcus carefully applied the cream before rolling my sleeves back down.

"Alright," he said, stepping back. "If you can stand up, I’ll take some X-rays and do a few more checks. If everything looks good, you’ll be free to go."

I attempted to swing my legs over the side of the bed.

The moment I tried standing, sharp pain tore through my ribs. My knees buckled instantly.

Asher caught my arm before I could fall.

Sparks.

"I… I can’t," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Both Marcus and Asher frowned.

"Why not?" Marcus asked.

I swallowed hard. "I-I think my ribs are broken."

Asher’s eyes darkened completely.

His wolf was unleashed.