Chapter 4

Brayden

“Why does she have to be so stubborn?” I grumbled, scooping up my mate who happened to be my sister, into my arms the moment she lost consciousness. Her body was too light, too fragile, and it made something deep inside me twist in pain.

I told her not to do it. I warned her. But she didn’t listen. They never listen!

My heart pounded in my chest as I rushed her down the hall, nearly tripping over the stairs in my haste. “Someone call the pack doctor!” I barked at a passing omega, who gasped at the sight of Roxanne’s limp form in my arms before running off. I didn’t slow down. I couldn’t. The hospital was just a short drive away, but every second felt like an eternity. I kicked the car door open, placed her inside as gently as I could, and sped off.

She stirred slightly, her head rolling to the side, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something. But no words came. Just a faint, pained whimper that made my wolf claw at me, asking why I brought another lady to the house.

“Hold on, Roxy,” I muttered, pushing the accelerator harder. “Just hold on.”

By the time I reached the hospital, a few nurses were already waiting at the entrance, alerted by my call. They rushed forward with a stretcher, and I barely had time to process before they whisked her away.

The doctors disappeared behind the emergency room doors, leaving me stranded in the hallway, pacing like a caged animal. My fingers raked through my hair as I tried to calm my erratic breathing.

What was I going to say? My parents would be here any minute. They would demand answers. They would look at me with their sharp, knowing gazes and expect the truth. But I couldn’t give them that. I wouldn’t. The mate bond was complicated enough.

And telling them I was a hundred percent sure Roxanne wasn't my immediate sister and they probably brought home a fake or another child they had behind everyone’s back wasn't a conversation I was ready for.

As expected, they got here minutes after hearing the news.

“What happened?” My mother’s voice broke and she stared at the locked doors of the emergency room.

“She collapsed,” I said, forcing my voice to stay even. “I don’t know what’s wrong. The doctors are still running tests.”

“Collapsed? From what? She was doing fine earlier,” Mother gasped, possibly blaming herself for Roxanne's weakened state due to the walk they had earlier.

Lying to them left a bitter taste in my mouth, seeing mom blame herself was worse but I swallowed it down, trying to assure her that it'd be fine.

A doctor approached us. “We’ve stabilized her,” he announced, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Although she's weaker than the last time she was discharged. Has her diet changed, or has there been any form of stress on her lately?”

We all said no, and the doctor nodded. “She needs rest and close monitoring. We’ll keep her here for observation.”

My parents murmured their thanks, but I could barely hear them over the pounding in my head. This was my fault. If I was not trying to use another lady to get Roxanne out of my mind, this wouldn't have happened.

My mother grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the room. “Come, let’s see her.”

I hesitated. A part of me wanted to run in the opposite direction. Seeing her like this, fragile and pale, would only make the guilt worse. But I followed anyway, stepping into the hospital room where she lay motionless against the sheets.

My mother ran her fingers through Roxanne’s hair, praying for her, while my father stood silent at the foot of the bed. I remained in the doorway, unable to move closer even though my wolf whined in my head, urging me to go to her, to comfort her, to touch her.

But I couldn't. If she truly was my sister, I wasn’t supposed to be hers. I couldn't afford to get attached to her.

We spent the rest of the evening watching Roxanne and she still wasn't responding to treatment. Even the doctors were confused, and on hearing this, Alpha David and Nova, who were worried sick, suggested we move her to another hospital because, according to the doctors, it was like her body was simply… giving up.

The transfer measures were put in place, and as I rode in the ambulance with her, watching her lay lifelessly with every passing minute, my wolf grew more restless.

The second hospital was no better. They ran more tests and hooked her up to different machines, but still, no improvement. By this time it was almost midnight, and I asked my parents to go home. They had already spent hours at the hospital, and nothing was changing. They needed rest, even if I knew neither of them would actually sleep.

“I’ll stay,” I told them, cutting off my mother’s protest before she could voice it. “If anything happens, I’ll call. I promise.”

She hesitated, looking from me to Roxanne’s pale form, before sighing in defeat. My father simply nodded. “Keep us updated.”

Once they were gone, the hospital room felt colder. Quieter. I sat beside Roxanne, staring at her, searching for any sign of life beyond the slow, steady beeping of the machines.

Then, suddenly, the beeping changed. A long, shrill noise filled the air.

“No, no, no—” I bolted upright, pressing the emergency button as I leaned over her. “Roxy, come on. Don’t do this!”

Doctors and nurses rushed in, pushing me aside as they worked on her. I stood frozen, watching them press defibrillator paddles to her chest. Her body jolted once. Then twice. But nothing. She wasn’t coming back.

My wolf howled in my head, his voice filled with agony and rage. And then he whispered the one thing I didn’t want to hear.

“Accept her.”

I recoiled, shaking my head. “No. We can’t.”

“Look at her, Brayden, she’s dying. She needs you. She needs us.”

“No!” I asserted again.

“Your mother never carried twins! The lady on this bed may seem like your sister, but we both know she isn't. Why is that so hard for you to believe? Why are you letting yourself get fooled by one of your father's secret schemes again? Accept her, Brayden, or we lose our mate forever,” My wolf growled, and the glances the doctors exchanged, signaling that they thought she was gone, made reality dawn on me that this was going to be the last chance to save her, whether she was truly my sister or not. And my wolf yelled, “Do it NOW!”

Without a second thought, I pushed aside the doctors who were giving me sad looks and placed my trembling hands over hers. Immediately I did, I heard a faint feminine tone in my head.

“Mate,” she called out and that alone gave me the boost I needed.

“I accept you,” I murmured, my heart pounding so hard that it hurt. “Roxanne, I accept you as my mate.”