Chapter 2 They All Thought I Ran

A flicker of light suddenly returned to Mia's dull eyes. She struggled to lift her hand and called out weakly, "Daddy…"

Damian's footsteps faltered. His gaze swept toward the cart in the corner, and his brows drew tightly together. "Why are you here? Where's Wren?"

Mia reached out with her freezing little hand, trying to catch the hem of his clothes. "Mommy's inside the wall… Daddy, I'm so cold…"

He shifted slightly to avoid her hand, his face filled with deep helplessness. "Mia, don't say things like that. I just checked the rescue records. The mech only rescued you. There was no sign of Wren. Is Wren throwing another tantrum? Did she teach you to say these things?"

She shook her head frantically, tears spilling down her cheeks in heavy drops. "No… The wall collapsed… Mommy stopped moving…"

He let out a quiet sigh, disappointment evident in his voice. "Wren has always been like this. Whenever things don't go her way, she throws a fit and disappears. I never thought she'd go this far this time, abandoning her daughter and escaping on her own. As the Luna of our pack, she's seriously lacking the sense of responsibility she should have."

I floated in front of him, screaming until my heart broke. 'I didn't run away! I'm right here!'

But Damian could not hear me.

Without sparing Mia another glance, he turned and walked straight into the hospital room.

I followed him inside.

The moment Layla saw him, her eyes immediately reddened. "Damian, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't be taking up medical resources at a time like this."

"What are you talking about, Layla?" He hurried to her bedside, the irritation in his eyes disappearing instantly. "Don't be ridiculous. You've always been physically weak. Getting mauled isn't something to take lightly."

She shook her head, her gaze drifting toward the door. Her voice was filled with grievance. "Mia… does she blame Kyle for rescuing me first? Alpha Damian, have Wren come and yell at me. She must be refusing your calls because she's angry with me."

Damian's expression darkened instantly.

"What right does she have to be angry with you?" His voice turned cold and hard. "Kyle went there to rescue the pack members. Whoever was in greater danger had to be rescued first. Wren is the Luna of this pack. She should be setting an example. So what if she gave way to you? She's just being difficult, thinking that because she's the Alpha's mate, the whole pack has to revolve around her."

I listened in silence, finding the whole thing absurd.

I was being difficult? When he had been ambushed during his campaign to become Alpha, I had taken three poisoned arrows meant for him. I had spent three months bedridden, with my wolf soul nearly destroyed. And now he called me difficult, saying I should set an example.

So, this was what setting an example meant—giving up my chance to survive for someone else and dying with my daughter beneath the rubble.

"Alpha Damian, please don't say that about Wren. She might really be frightened…" Layla lowered her head, her fingers twisting the edge of the blanket.

"Frightened? If she was really frightened, why didn't she stay with her daughter? Why did she run away by herself?" Damian stood up and poured her a cup of warm herbal tonic. "Don't worry about her anymore. Elara said we need to leave her alone for a few days and teach her a lesson to curb that spoiled-princess attitude of hers."

"You're all just doing this for her own good." Layla sighed softly and accepted the cup.

The hatch opened again, and Kyle walked in carrying a cup. "Layla, I had the pharmacist specially prepare this Moondew for you. Drink it while it's fresh."

He walked over to the bed, his voice full of concern. Then he turned to Damian. "The enemy outside has basically been brought under control. How are things on your end?"

"I just finished handing things over. I came by to check on her."

Kyle nodded, his gaze sweeping around the room. "Where's Mia? Is Wren still throwing a tantrum and refusing to show her face?"

"She's in the hallway," Damian replied flatly.

"Unbelievable!" Kyle frowned and strode outside. "It's freezing in that hallway, and there's still residual poisonous fog. Wren is getting more and more ridiculous!"

My heart stirred. I thought he was finally going to check on Mia. Instead, when he reached the hallway, he looked down sternly at Mia, curled up on the cart. "Mia, contact your mother. Tell her this charade needs to end. She shouldn't use you as leverage to force the family to give in."

Mia was already delirious with fever. She could not make out what he was saying.

She only instinctively reached out toward him and mumbled, "Uncle… hold me…"

Kyle took a small step back, his expression stern. "Don't try to win sympathy this way. Mia, you're one of the key members of our pack. You can't grow up to be as fragile and afraid of hardship as Wren. You need to learn to be strong too."

With that, he turned and walked away. He never even noticed how pale Mia's face had become, or the faint bluish tinge spreading across her skin.