Chapter 4

 4

The old nurse was smiling as she stared aimlessly, her eyes clouding with the memories of the past. 

“I'm so sorry. But how did you cope with it? Did you… Stay with him even after everything or you left him?” Vera asked. 

“Both.” 

“Both?”

“Mmhmm. I have two daughters, twins. They were nineteen when it happened. So for their sake I decided to stay with their father. They loved him a lot and I didn't want them to hate the man they thought was their superhero.” The nurse's lips thinned. “But my husband… He took my quiet for my submission! He brought that bítch home, not caring about our daughters. You want to know who that girl was, Luna?” Vera nodded curiously. “She was my daughter's classmate. She met my husband during a parents and teachers meeting at college.

“My daughters were traumatized when they found out. They berated me for living with a man like him. But when I told them it's for them, we cried all night while hugging each other.” She went quiet. 

“Then what, ma'am?”

The nurse looked up, eyes teary but lips adorned with a peaceful smile, “We left him with that bítch. My daughters were studying product designing and software engineering respectively. They continued their studies and did part time jobs while I also continued to serve here at the hospital as a nurse. They're twenty-five now. One of them is getting married to an Alpha of a faraway located pack. He treats me like a mother and calls me mom. He's an orphan.

“I'm on my notice period, Luna. He's invited me and my other daughter to stay with him in his house after the marriage.”

Vera's body relaxed. She was glad that this nice woman here had a good ending. However, her heart beat restlessly again as she thought about her own life. 

Fred cheating her for a younger girl? That was impossible. Vera was 28 and it wasn't very old, was it? It's not like she looked older or exactly as per her age. If anything, she looked younger like 23 or 24.

It could be that Tory drugged him to take those pictures! She didn't feel the pain of betrayal either. 

"B-but I don't feel the pain of betrayal!" Vera exclaimed as the thought crossed her mind. 

"Luna," The old nurse spoke calmly. "You're a human. Humans don't feel it when their mates cheat. It can only happen when you have a wolf because it's the wolf who has direct connection with the wolf of your partner." 

Vera was breathless. Even if she didn't want to, she could make sense of the old lady's words. All this while, she never had a reason to doubt her husband because 'she couldn't feel it'. 

She. Couldn't. Feel. It. 

Her wolf had been inactive. Even if Fred cheated, she had no way to find it out. 

Now that she was made aware of this dire situation, she grew impatient. 

"What are you doing, Luna?" The nurse panicked when she saw Vera pull the pipe of the drip and try to get out. 

"I need to go. M-my husband and kid... They're alone. They need me." 

"They don't need you, Luna. It's you who needs their care— But they're not here." Those words stung and she went still. They stabbed and twisted into Vera's chest like a poisoned dagger. "I'm sorry for causing you stress. But I thought you needed to know."

The nurse bit her lip, clearly regretting talking about the Alpha and his betrayal. It was still a doubt, but it was so possible. 

"Well," the nurse sighed nervously. "I'll be in trouble if you leave now, Luna. There's another thing that I'm not supposed to tell you but I'll tell you anyway. Erm, Alpha Fred ordered the doctors looking after you to make sure you stay under observation. When I say you’re under observation, I don’t mean it’s for a medical reason, Luna."

Vera wasn't an idiot. She knew what it meant. She was being spied on— So her husband's betrayal won't get exposed. 

"So please don't do anything reckless. Please don't leave your room." 

Vera nodded her head in understanding. Although her heart didn't feel like itself after the truth was told to her, she was glad it was brought to her notice. Otherwise it seemed that everyone else was just going to keep quiet and let her husband cheat on her because he was the Alpha.

The pack belonged to the Alphas. They were the leaders. It was fair for the doctors to be loyal to him. But what about her, their Luna? She didn't do anything less for them. In fact, she worked harder than the Alpha to improve the quality of their life. 

She curled up in pain in realization that she had no support even though she gave her all to the pack. 

Vera was glad the old woman took her chances. At least one person thought about her and recognized her efforts towards the pack. She wasn't about to put her in trouble by leaving so suddenly. 

"Thank you, Luna. And I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have..." She bit her lip. "But someone had to. Alpha is not the only one we promised our loyalty to." 

Vera forced a smile that shook. Tears now trickled down her cheeks. But still she gracefully held the nurse's gaze and thanked her. When the woman was ready to leave, Vera wiped her tears and called out. 

"Ma'am, can you do me a favour?" 

"Anything for you, Luna." The nurse's voice came before her eyes on her Luna. 

"Can you arrange for a bottle of Elixir of life for me?" The nurse's eyes popped out as her face went pale. 

"L-luna... I-it is used for... It is... Luna, you're not a human entirely, are you?" 

Vera smiled politely, although her hurt was visible. 

"Can you arrange it for me?" 

The nurse composed herself and blinked her eyes, "It's not impossible but it's risky. Elixirs of both life and death are kept in a storage room backed by tech security with other important medicines. I don't have a password."

"95421... The password."

"Luna? Y-you know the password."

"I am the Luna, remember? You just confessed that I drove the pack to its success. How wouldn't I know!" 

The nurse was impressed. She offered a smile and then a nod. 

"I’d say you took the human healing potion because you wanted to return to your Luna duties quickly."

The nurse left, and shortly after ten minutes, she was back with a little vial holding a dark red liquid resembling blood— The elixir of life. 

It did the opposite of what Elixir of death did to a wolf. Consuming a single shot of the former could revive one's dormant or comatosed wolf. Vera was going to do just the same. 

She was going to let her wolf wake up from the long sleep she had put her to. 

Tbc…