《Ex-Mate Wants Me Back》全部章節：第 31 章 - 第 40 章

Mortimer's POVThe thought of Seraphina being off her game—or worse, actually compromised—made my gut twist. I could feel my pheromones thickening, turning heavy and dark.Beside me, Vivian must have smelled the shift. She shot a look toward the OR, a fleeting, nasty little smirk touching her lips before she turned back to me with a face full of "tragic" concern."Morty, it's not that I don't trust her. I'm just... I'm terrified she's not in the right headspace for something this intense."She flicked her gaze to Dr. Greenwood, who looked like he was reading a very unpleasant book. "Dr. Greenwood, how long does this usually take?""An aortic repair? Anywhere from four to eight hours," he said flatly. "Depends on the mess inside and how fast the healer works."The second he said 'four hours,' Vivian went into a tailspin.She grabbed my arm, her voice hitting that familiar, shaky pitch. "Morty, did you hear that? At least four hours! In the middle of the night! If Seraphina's brain fogs

Mortimer's POVWhy was she stuck in the same hell every time she closed her eyes?That nightmare didn't just sound desperate—it sounded like pure, bone-deep resentment. Every time she screamed my name, Barton, my wolf, recoiled.He was cowering in the back of my skull, terrified of what he was hearing.The panic I'd been dragging around all week hit me again, full force.I clamped my jaw shut so hard it ached.The office was warm, but my blood felt like it was turning to slush.I couldn't bring myself to just shake her awake. I held my breath, leaning in, arms out—I was going to lift her as gently as possible and move her to the cot.But as I moved, my eyes caught the mess on her desk. Those pill bottles she hadn't cleared away.I reached for them, needing to see the labels, when her voice sliced through the quiet like a blade."Alpha Mortimer?"Her eyes were foggy for a split second, but the moment they locked onto me, they went sharp. Crystal clear.I saw her peripheral vision flick

Third Person's POVMortimer stood there, listening to the healer drone on about Rolf's vitals, but his mind was miles away.Inside his head, Barton was pacing, claws scratching at the floor of his consciousness. The wolf was hunting for that familiar scent of pine and snow, but all he got was the sterile, stinging stench of bleach and hospital-grade floor cleaner."The patient is stable. If things stay quiet, we'll move him to a regular room by morning," the healer said, flipping through the chart."But look, an aortic repair is a major hit to the system. Post-op care is everything. One tiny infection and he's done. Here are the protocols. If you're clear on the risks, sign here."Mortimer gave a distracted grunt and scrawled his name on the line.As he handed back the folder, he tried to sound like he was just making small talk. "Where's Seraphina?"The healer blinked, looking confused. "Dr. Seraphina handled the surgery. The ICU is a different team. If you've got questions about the

Mortimer's POVAfter Tade cleared out, I tried to hit Seraphina up through the mind-link. No surprise—she'd dead-bolted the connection.My heart was actually thumping."Where are you? Free for dinner tonight?"I sent it. Then I waited.Five seconds felt like an hour. No ping.Thinking about how ice-cold she'd been lately, I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I actually felt a jolt of stage fright—the Alpha of the Blades was genuinely afraid of being left on 'read.'I gritted my teeth and quickly sent a follow-up to bait the hook."I wanted to pick your brain about Rolf's condition."That did it. The reply came back almost instantly."I'm at the pack. If it's about Rolf, I can call the ICU for an update, but he should be stable."I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and started typing fast."I booked a table. I'll pick you up. We can talk while we eat."It was officially the fastest I'd ever replied to a text in my life.I stared at the simple "Okay" on the screen, and my mood wen

Seraphina's POVMortimer flicked a look at the flowers, his voice dropping into a testing, low hum. "Not your style?"I shook my head. "They're beautiful. Thanks."My voice was light—clinical. I was being as polite as I would be to a stranger in a business meeting.That level of professional courtesy put a goddamn canyon between us.I saw him stiffen. Through the dying spark of our bond, I caught his shock. He'd expected me to light up, to be the star-struck girl I used to be. He'd read the room completely wrong.Then, he slid a small, expensive-looking box across the table."Open it."I did what I was told. Inside was a sapphire that looked like a piece of the deep ocean had been frozen and cut into a perfect stone.I'd seen the raw gem in an auction magazine on the flight back—it was an eight-figure rock, easy.Mortimer never held back when it came to throwing money at a problem.I clicked the lid shut and pushed it back toward him. "It's too much. Keep it."Mortimer's brow hit a ha