Chapter 4

By the time I reached the Healing Center, I could barely stand.

The emergency healer took one look at me and her face paled. She didn't even look at the paperwork; she just grabbed my shoulders and helped me into a chair.

"Why are you here alone?" her voice was frantic. "Where is your mate? Where is he?"

I shook my head.

Her expression darkened. She turned to the nurse. "Prep the OR. Now."

I gripped the back of the chair, my clothes soaked in cold sweat.

"We need to contact your mate," the healer said. "In your condition, having your mate's scent and aura to soothe you would make a huge difference."

I stared at the floor for a long time before finally dialing Alexander's number.

It rang for what felt like forever before he picked up.

In the background, I could hear Olivia’s whiny voice. "Alexander, my foot still hurts. Come back and look at it..."

Alexander's tone over the phone was instantly gentle. "Don't move, I’m coming."

Then he spoke to me, his voice instantly turning cold. "Evelyn, what is it?"

"Alexander, come to the Healing Center."

"If you're really sick, let the healers handle it. What good am I going to do there?"

"The healer said... I need my mate's scent to stabilize me." My voice was so weak I could barely hear myself. "I have no other family. I only have you."

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a heavy, irritated sigh.

"Evelyn, stop doing this. I know you're an orphan and you've always been insecure. I get it. But you can't keep weaponizing your trauma to manipulate my feelings."

Those words pierced through my ears like poisoned needles.

The pain was so intense my vision went black.

The call disconnected. I stared at the dark screen, my knees buckling.

He knew exactly how alone I was in this world, and yet he used my loneliness as a weapon to push me away.

I braced myself against the wall, opened my contacts, and scrolled to a number I hadn't dialed in years.

It rang once before he picked up.

"Evelyn?"

My voice shook violently. "Nathaniel... can you come to the Healing Center?"

There was a sudden scrape of a chair on the other end.

"Send me the address. I’m on my way."

That night, Alexander took Olivia to a Pack bonfire party.

After a few drinks, someone suggested a game of Truth or Dare. The beer bottle spun and pointed directly at Alexander.

"Alexander, honestly, if Olivia hadn't gone abroad years ago, wouldn't you two be married by now?"

The crowded room went quiet for a second, followed by a burst of knowing laughter.

Olivia leaned closer to him, looking down with a shy smile. "Stop it, guys. Alexander has been married to Evelyn for three years."

But as she spoke, her hand slid over his on the table.

Alexander didn't pull away.

Someone cheered. "You're holding hands and you're telling us to stop? Come on, Alexander, answer the question!"

He raised his glass. "Next question."

The laughter grew louder.

Olivia took his phone to take a selfie. When she tapped the screen, she paused at the passcode screen.

It was still her birthday.

"You never changed the password," she whispered, her eyes curving into crescents. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "My back hurts too much to lean down, block the light for me."

Alexander frowned slightly but still tilted his body to shield her from the camera glare.

Someone yelled about posting the pictures on Snapchat. He replied casually, "Go ahead. My mate doesn't check social media anyway."

Then, he added, "She's been acting crazy lately. Always complaining about not feeling well."

The laughter slowly died down.

A Pack member sitting in the corner suddenly looked up. "Are you saying Evelyn is faking it?"

"What else would she be doing?"

The man's expression changed.

"But... I was at the Healing Center yesterday. I saw her. A man had to carry her into the emergency room."

"She lost her pup. And the man holding her... was Alpha Nathaniel."