Semua Bab The Alpha's Human Mate: Bab 31 - Bab 37

Malakar's POV.I now stand in the wreckage that had once been our sanctuary, the morning sun casting long shadows over a camp that no longer feels like home.Charred wood. Blood-stained earth. The scent of smoke still clings to the air, mingling with the metallic smell of spilled blood. Every broken tent, every torn banner feels like a personal failure carved into the soil.I can still hear the screams, the sounds that haunt the edges of my memory. Pups crying for their mothers, warriors roaring in agony, the crack of gunfire. The clash of claws against steel.I wasn't here.The truth is a weight that I can't shake. While I was off setting a trap, thinking ten steps ahead, the enemy had walked straight into my home and butchered my family. It doesn't matter that I meant to protect them. It doesn't matter that I thought that I was doing the right thing.The pack had paid the price for my mistake.We lost too many. Some names I can't even whisper yet. Faces I would never see again. Warr

Hope's POV.The hot water pours over my shoulders, tracing rivulets down my back as steam curls around me. I brace my hands against the tile wall, letting the water beat away the ache in my muscles and the weight in my chest. The move had gone smoothly - surprisingly so - but the unease that had taken root in my gut was still there.I think about Velara's face, the way her voice had trembled just slightly as she said, "I'm glad you're here." I had been caught off guard by the sincerity in her eyes. Gratitude. Maybe even a flicker of acceptance. It should have brought comfort, but instead, it brought questions.Why now?Velara never trusted me. She never wanted me here. So, why the sudden shift? Was it simply gratitude for saving Vladimir's life, or something else? Something to do with Lucian.I bite my lip, water sliding down my face. I remember the way Velara had gone still watching Lucian and Malakar together, the moment of frozen panic in her eyes. I don't have any proof, only inst

Hope's POV.I adjust the bag on my shoulder, pausing at the treeline where the forest melts into the edge of the hospital's parking lot. Malakar stands beside me, his hand lingering on the small of my back, eyes scanning the surrounding area like a predator hunting for signs of danger."I'll be here." He says quietly, his voice low and protective. "When your shift ends, just come back this way. I'll keep an eye out for anything... or anyone."I nod, my hand brushing against his chest. "I'll be okay. Just don't get caught lurking in the ER parking lot. Pretty sure it'll raise some red flags."He smirks, though his eyes stay sharp. "Only if they can see me."I give him one last smile before crossing the invisible threshold between our worlds. As I step onto the pavement, the weight of my other life settles back onto my shoulders. My white coat billowing lightly in the breeze as I make my way toward the hospital doors. The place looks the same, but I don't feel the same."Hope." A famili

Malakar's POV.I step quietly into the hospital wing, my boots barely making a sound on the cold tile floor. The scent of antiseptic clings to the air, mingling with something heavier - grief, perhaps, or desperation. I expect to find my father resting, maybe dozing under the influence of the pain medication. Instead, I freeze in the doorway at the soft sound of someone crying.My mother sits at his bedside, her back to the door, his hand clutched tightly in hers. Her shoulders tremble as she leans in close to her mate's unconscious form."I don't know what to do," she whispers, her voice breaking. "Everything we've built... everything we've sacrificed for. It's all unraveling. And I need you to wake up, Vlad. I need you to help me fix this before it all comes apart. Before the truth ruins everything."I furrow my brow, jaw tense. "And what truth would that be, mother?"Velara startles, spinning around to look at me with wide, tear-rimmed eyes. "Malakar, I didn't hear you come in.""W