The Heir's Child의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 20

When my parents finally got me home, they barely stayed long enough to make sure I could walk through the front door."Do you need anything?" my mother asked.I looked between the two of them.For a moment, I considered asking them to stay.Just for a little while.Then I remembered how busy they always were.How distracted they always seemed these days.How every conversation somehow ended with pack business."No," I said quietly. "I'm okay."The answer seemed to relieve them.My father squeezed my shoulder.My mother offered a small smile.Then they were gone.Just like that.The front door closed.Their voices disappeared.And I was alone.I stood in the entryway for several seconds, staring at the empty house.The silence felt strange.Almost uncomfortable.Usually I was never home long enough to notice it.School.Training.Friends.Pack events.There was always something happening.Now there was nothing.Just me.Letting out a quiet sigh, I began the long journey toward my bedro

"Rowan, it's good to see you again. How are you feeling today?"The doctor's warm voice pulled me from my thoughts as she stepped into the room.Seeing her stirred a confusing mixture of emotions inside me.Part of me was grateful.She had been honest with me when nobody else would.She had answered my questions, even when the answers were painful.Another part of me struggled not to associate her with everything that had happened since I woke up in the hospital.Every terrible revelation.Every frightening possibility.Every moment that left me feeling more lost than before.They all seemed connected to her somehow.It wasn't fair.I knew that.The woman standing before me wasn't responsible for what had happened.She was simply the one trying to help me deal with it afterward.Looking at her now, I could understand why she had become a doctor.She had one of those faces that immediately put people at ease.The kind that made you feel seen.The kind that made you believe she genuinel

As soon as we stepped through the front door, the rich scent of garlic wrapped around me like a warm blanket. I inhaled deeply, a genuine smile tugging at my lips as my father helped me make my way through the house toward my bedroom.I couldn't quite see into the kitchen from where I was, but I didn't need to. If it smelled this good, then my mother had undoubtedly turned the room into a disaster zone.When I was younger, she and I used to spend entire afternoons baking together. It didn't matter what we were making—pies, cookies, cakes—somehow flour always ended up covering every available surface. My father would stand in the doorway, shaking his head while trying not to laugh as I concentrated with my tongue sticking out, leaving little handprints of flour across the counters.By the time we finished, the kitchen always looked as though a baking tornado had swept through it.Then my mother would herd us both toward the bathroom while my father stayed behind to tackle the mountain

"Rowan, how are you feeling today?" the doctor asked as she entered the exam room for my one-week checkup.One week.I had somehow survived an entire week trapped in my bedroom.I wasn't entirely sure how.There had been moments when I thought I might lose my mind from the boredom alone. Other moments when I had been so exhausted that all I could do was sleep.Yet somehow, the week had passed.Unfortunately, my body hadn't gotten the memo.I lowered my gaze to my hands resting in my lap."Not as good as I'd like," I admitted quietly. "Why won't my body cooperate?"To my horror, tears immediately burned behind my eyes.I hadn't cried during any of my previous appointments.Not once.But today felt different.I had spent the entire week counting down the days until this appointment, convincing myself that the doctor would finally tell me I was improving.Instead, I felt worse than ever.The doctor looked startled by my reaction.For a moment, concern flashed across her face before she r

For a few moments, neither of us says anything.The only sound is the quiet ticking of the turn signal and the occasional vehicle passing by on the road beside us. I keep my face turned toward the window, watching trees and storefronts blur together through watery eyes.I hate this.I hate feeling weak.I hate crying.Most of all, I hate not knowing what is wrong with me.For my entire life, I have always known exactly who I was. I was strong. Capable. Independent. If something got in my way, I worked harder until I overcame it.Now I cannot even walk across my bedroom without feeling exhausted."Roe."Lyall's voice is soft.I pretend not to hear him."Rowan."I close my eyes."What?" I whisper."You don't have to pretend with me."The words hit harder than I expect.Because that is exactly what I have been doing.For an entire week, I have been pretending.Pretending that I was fine when my parents brought me food.Pretending that I wasn't terrified every time I woke up feeling weake