Chapter 87: Would They Survive?
The hospital doors swing open just as Julian finishes pacing for what feels like the hundredth time.
Ever since Anna’s body went missing, no one in the group has been able to sit still.
The nurses almost had to drag Leah away to get her head stitched from the hit she got from Anna’s gun. And soon later, they came back for the rest of them--for a routine wellness check.
Julian had been the only one to stay back, arguing that there had to be at least one person with them until the Alpha and Luna came in.
After what feels like forever, a doctor finally steps into the waiting area, pulling down his mask.
Julian instantly turns. "How is he?" He asks.
The doctor glances at his chart before looking up. "Adrian is stable."
The breath Julian releases is almost a sob. Finally, some good news after more than ten hours of hell.
"He’s healing surprisingly fast, actually. Faster than I’d expect from someone who came in with that amount of blood loss."
Julian frowns. "That’s good, right?"
"Very good." The doctor nods. "The bullet was a standard metal round, not silver. That’s probably the biggest reason he’s doing so well."
Julian’s eyebrows rise. "So the bullet wasn’t silver?"
"No. It was ordinary metal." The man glances up. "Isn’t that a good thing? The future Alpha wouldn’t have made it otherwise. You know silver is one of the deadliest weapons for a werewolf."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Julian nods his head, feeling deep-bone relief. "I just thought--never mind."
All that matters is that Adrian isn’t going to die from the damn bullet.
But that means Anna had lied about having silver bullets. It’s no surprise, though, considering how hard it is to even own a gun. It would be even much more harder to get silver bullets.
However, the thought of Adrian jumping in front of Nyra, knowing he could die, is something he still cannot understand.
He was willing to die for her...
Maybe Adrian has completely changed after all.
The doctor studies him for a moment, before also nodding in agreement. "Anyways, we were thankfully able to locate and remove the bullet before it caused significant internal damage. His healing ability is doing the rest."
Julian slowly exhales, but his relief is short-lived as the doctor continues on.
"The second patient, Nyra...she is stable too. But she’s not healing as fast." The man explains. "But I have something I need to discuss with her family first."
Julian’s jaw tightens. He already knows what the conversation is about.
"Yeah, you should." He nods in agreement. "Her people should be here soon-"
"Her parents have already been informed?"
"The Alpha and Luna and her mate are currently her only family." Julian responds through gritted teeth. "They are her real family, not them."
Only they had the right to be called family. They had cared for her, accepting her without hesitation the moment the Goddess chose her for Adrian.
Her real parents don’t care about her, even when he had called them a few minutes ago.
He remembers the conversation too clearly.
The moment he’d explained what Anna had done, he’d expected panic, maybe anger.
He’d expected horror over what their favorite child had done.
Instead, Nyra’s father had sighed, then blamed her for everything that happened. "If Nyra had simply given up her position when we asked, none of this would’ve happened." He said without any hint of shame.
And even her mother had blamed her. "I know Anna. She wouldn’t have become this unstable if Nyra hadn’t kept her mate away from her."
That was the moment Julian completely snapped, completely losing his temper.
He’d called them every name he could think of: wicked, selfish, and unfit to be parents. Then he promised them one thing.
"You would never come near Nyra again. And if you ever came crawling back asking for forgiveness, he would make sure he ended them himself!"
They cut the call on him, not even bothering to ask how Nyra was doing.
Fuck them then.
The doctor looks uncomfortable, but before he can ask more questions about the matter, hurried footsteps echo through the corridor.
Two heads turn to find Alpha Darius and Luna Selene Blackwood rushing in from the end of the hallway.
Selene looks terrified, completely rid of her usual Luna poise. Her hair is disheveled, her face pale, and Darius’s usually composed expression is noticeably tense.
"Where is my son and Nyra?" Selene asks immediately, her eyes looking sunken.
"They are both stable," the doctor assures her. "The future Alpha is even healing himself quickly."
Selene closes her eyes briefly in relief, her hand flying to her chest. "Thank the Goddess."
Before anyone can say more, the doctor turns to face them fully. "Alpha. Luna. May I speak with you privately?"
Something about his tone makes Darius’s eyes narrow, but they nod and follow him into an empty consultation room.
The door closes behind them.
---
"You don’t have to worry. Your son is remarkably strong," the doctor begins. "He suffered two gunshot wounds, significant blood loss, and extensive physical trauma. Yet his body is already repairing itself at an abnormal rate."
Selene smiles faintly. "He’s always been strong."
Alpha Darius doesn’t say anything, letting him finish.
The doctor nods. "Yes." His expression changes. "And I’m afraid I have some difficult news about the Future Luna."
Selene’s smile disappears.
"I’m sorry." He says quietly. "The pregnancy could not be saved."
Selene’s face goes completely still, a hand slowly rising to her mouth.
"Pregnancy?" Her voice cracks heavily on the letters. "What pregnancy?"
The doctor blinks. "You didn’t know?"
Selene shakes her head. "No. No we didn’t"
The doctor looks genuinely sorry. "Then I’m sorry that you had to find out like this. But Nyra Hale was pregnant when she was brought in. Based on the signs, the pregnancy was already lost before she arrived."
Selene’s eyes immediately fill with tears. "She...she lost the baby?"
"Yes."
The Luna looks like she’s about to pass out any moment, so the doctor quickly adds.
"But thankfully, there doesn’t appear to be any permanent damage to her reproductive system. She will need extensive rest and monitoring, though. She’s suffered severe physical trauma, blood loss, and emotional shock."
Selene wipes quickly at her eyes. "Will she be able to have children again?"
The doctor nods. "From what we can see, yes."
Thank the Goddess.
Alpha Darius grabs his mate’s hand, holding her tight. His usually unreadable eyes have a hint of sadness in them.
He knows his son would be crushed by this news, especially after watching how devoted he had been to another man’s child just two weeks ago.
Well, the Goddess knows best.
The doctor lets the news settle for a beat, before shifting forward.
The doctor lowers his voice, looking unsettled. "Alpha, Luna...I know this isn’t my place."
His fingers tighten around the chart. "But I would like to strongly recommend another secondary-gender assessment for your son."
Selene frowns, all the hair on her body standing on end. "Why?"
The doctor swallows. "Because his rate of healing....I don’t think he is a normal Alpha."
The tension in the room spikes. The sadness in Alpha Darius’s eyes evaporates, leaving behind hollow shells.
"I’m sorry, my lord." The doctor looks nervous now. "I’ve treated Alpha werewolves for years. Even exceptionally strong ones. Adrian’s recovery is beyond what I’ve seen."
Both of them exchange weary looks. "Adrian is an Alpha!"
"I don’t think so. Maybe there was a mistake-"
The doctor cuts himself off when he catches the look in Alpha Darius’s eyes, and he stands. The usual calmness he always displays is completely gone now as he approaches him.
"Are you trying to tell me my son could be something more?"
"I-I-I..." the man stutters, trembling from fear. "I’m not trying to question you, Your Highness. I’m just saying.."
He swallows the last word when he notices the long claws protruding from the Alpha’s hand. Before he can even begin to beg, Darius slams his claws into the man’s throat.
The doctor is shaking in fear, his whole body trembling as he feels the air slowly leave his lungs.
"I won’t- I won’t tell anyone, I swear. Please!"
Darius’s eyes remain cold. "I know." Then he digs his second hand into the man’s chest, ripping his heart out.
The doctor’s body goes limp.
Selene stares at him in horror as the blood spills across the front of his shirt, soaking the tiles. "Darius..."
He slowly releases the body. "I had to. You know I had to."
Selene looks toward the door. "We can’t keep doing this, Darius."
"We can’t let this secret spill out, and you know that, Selena."
"Then what about the others!?" She whispers angrily. She regrets all they did during the earlier years of Adrian’s life, just to keep his secret.
But now that he’s older, did they really need to go through such lengths anymore?
"What others?" He turns to her. "His friends? You think they know!?" She snaps her mouth shut, barely able to recognize her mate in this moment.
"If they know something.." he continues without remorse. "Then we eliminate every possibility before Adrian wakes up."
Selene’s eyes widen in horror. "They are just children!!"
"So is our son, yet they won’t hesitate to use this against him. Against us if this information reaches the wrong hands."
"They are children..!"
"And I’m only trying to protect my own only child." His cold eyes meet hers. "And if this is the only way to do it, then it leaves me no choice."