Chapter 2

Aida banged on the door relentlessly until her hands were bruised and swollen, before the door finally swung open.

Wynne emerged with a grimace, barely holding her fury back.

“Aida, what’s with all the commotion? Surely, you are aware that we’re holding an urgent consultation in there?”

Aida, the nurse intern, couldn’t meet Wynne’s gaze. Instead, she pointed at me on the ground.

“Dr. Carter, Ms. Carter… Her water broke. She and her pup are in danger!”

Wynne glanced at me.

“Tsk. She’s only five months along. It’s impossible that her water broke.”

Bending over, Wynne scrunched up her nose and scrutinized me in a close inspection. She soon relaxed and pointed at me.

“See that? Her thigh has a nasty burn. Bleeding and fluid seepage are completely normal. Don’t worry. It won’t kill her.”

Wynne straightened her back, her gaze piercing Aida.

“It’s idiotic and reckless of you! You can’t even tell the difference between wound discharge and amniotic fluid. What if all your shouting causes a massive panic among patients?”

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Aida flailed her arms frantically in the air.

“Dr. Carter, this amount of blood isn’t normal—”

“That’s enough!”

Wynne cut her off, her eyes stern.

“You don’t know Odette. She’s constantly trying to compete with Lena. I bet she picked on her wound to bleed worse to get priority treatment over Lena.

“You’re new here, so I can’t blame you for falling for her act.

“But if you continue to indulge her drama and keep me from saving other patients, I will be forced to reconsider whether you’re fit for this line of work.”

Biting her lip, Aida dared not make another peep.

Wynne raised her foot and poked my right arm twice.

“That’s enough. Stop embarrassing us by sitting there. Get up now.

“Odette, you need to put your pup first. Stop acting like a pup.”

The pain was so intense that I sank my teeth into my lip until it bled. As my stomach cramped, my wolf let out a weak whimper.

I grabbed her pant leg.

“Mom… Save me… My stomach hurts…”

“Still at it?”

Furrowing her brows in disdain, Wynne yanked her foot back.

“I know what you’re up to. Your pup has been healthy. What could possibly go wrong?

“If you hadn’t insisted on celebrating your birthday, Lena never would have suffered those burns.

“Lena is lying there in pain, but you have some nerve to fight for attention with your cheap theatrics!”

Spotting something, Aida gasped.

“But… Ms. Carter has a red critical-care band on her wrist!”

Wynne was stunned, her gaze falling on the red band around my wrist.

Before I knew it, she ripped the strap off my wrist.

She raised her voice, her tone echoing across the waiting area.

“Odette, I’m so disappointed in you.

“Did you tell the paramedics that you were my daughter to get priority treatment?”

With a look of frustration, she directed her finger at me and tore into me.

“I raised you better. How many times have I told you this? Do you have any idea how many patients are in desperate need of emergency care? By cutting the line using connections, you’re robbing others of their chance to live!

“Even if I turned a blind eye to your disgraceful behavior, the patients waiting in line would never stand for it!”

It caused a stir among those in the waiting area.

“To think I felt sorry for her because she was pregnant. So she was just faking an illness to get quick access.”

“Oh, my Goddess! The doctor’s pup doesn’t have any decency.”

“Abusing her privilege to take medical resources from us, the regular wolves. That’s just shameless!”

Wynne raised her hand, gesturing for the crowd to quiet down.

With downcast eyes, she looked at me with a pretentious smile.

“Hear that, Odette? You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

“Because of your mistake, you’ll be seen last today.

“The paramedic, who gave you the critical tag to please you, will be dealt with promptly.”

The werewolves in the waiting area applauded.

“Dr. Carter certainly is fair and just.”

These flatteries put a smile on Wynne’s face.

Pressing footsteps approached from behind.

“Odette? What…”

Sullivan Woods walked up to us and froze the moment his eyes landed on me. He reached down to help me up.

Wynne put a hand out to stop him, cutting in before I had a chance to speak.

“Just ignore her. She’s about to be a mom, yet she still fakes an illness to fight Lena for attention.”

Sullivan was taken aback at first, but he quickly wore a look of disapproval.

He uttered solemnly, “Odette, as the Luna and a mother-to-be, you need to watch your conduct.

“What if our pup takes after you?”

My heart broke into pieces. I couldn’t believe my mate would think that of me.

Nevertheless, I had no time to dwell in sadness as I could feel the weakening bond between my unborn pup and me.

I shook my head. “That’s not true. Please save me. My belly hurts. I’m about to lose our pup—”

“That’s enough!”

Sullivan yelled at me menacingly.

“You had no right to wish harm on our pup because of your own selfishness!”

“Mom… I’m scared. The healer said that I might get scarring on my hand.”

Lena’s fragile sobs came from the trauma room.

With her expression turning frantic, Wynne cried out in horror as if her whole world had shattered.

“We can’t have that. Aesthetics means so much to Lena. She’d be devastated to have a scar.

“I need to examine the wound myself.”

She spun around and rushed back in a panic.

Then, struck by a thought, she grabbed Sullivan.

“Sullivan, Lena looks up to you more than anyone. Come and keep her company. It’ll make her feel better.”

Pain and concern flickered across Sullivan’s face. He nodded and followed Wynne into the trauma room.

Before the door closed, Wynne’s tender voice echoed through.

“There, there, Lena. I am here. I promise you won’t get a scar…”

As I lay on the cold floor, my abdomen throbbed to the point of numbness. Blood trickled along the floor, spreading beyond the tile lines.

I couldn’t remember the last time Wynne had spoken to me with such affection.