As I stepped into the hallway, I didn’t realize Richard was still there. My focus was only on getting Lana home, feeding her, letting her rest.
I adjusted Lana in my arms and kept walking, never looking back.
Outside, the sky was bright and sunny. I stood by the roadside to halt a taxi when a shadow fell across my path, blocking my way.
I froze. My wolf snapped to attention, claws scraping at the edge of my consciousness.
“Evelyn, it really is you.” The person said.
My heart clenched.
Evelyn’s POV
I already knew who it was before I glanced at their face.
It was Sophia.
I ducked my head, turning slightly to the side to protect Lana. I tried to step around her.
But she moved again in a deliberate, unhurried manner.
My wolf snarled, fury bubbling beneath my skin like molten silver. My grip on Lana tightened until my fingers trembled. My temples throbbed, anger and dread mixing into something that made it hard to breathe.
“You’ve got the wrong person,” I said flatly, forcing calm into my voice even as my pulse roared in my ears.
Sophia’s gaze sliced through me, sharp and arrogant. “Evelyn, there’s no way I could mistake you for someone else.”
Her words coiled around me like poison.
I straightened, “You really have the wrong person.”
I buried my head lower, keeping my eyes fixed on the ground as I mumbled the same dry response I’d rehearsed in my mind a dozen times.
My voice came out rough, aged and deliberately distorted, like gravel scraping against stone. The less she recognized me, the better.
My wolf stirred uneasily under my skin, restless and alert.
I drew Lana closer to my chest, shielding her face beneath the folds of her blanket. Her warmth soaked through my arms, steadying the frantic rhythm of my pulse.
I could smell a mix of anxiety and confusion rolling off Sophia.
“Fine, get lost,” she eventually snapped, flicking her wrist in dismissal.
Humiliation burned through me like acid. My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached, and I bowed my head deeper, shuffling away like a frightened creature.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Sophia slipping into a sleek black car that had just pulled up. Even dressed “casually,” she drew attention everywhere she went, with her velvet dress hugging her figure, her designer heels clicking like a metronome of privilege.
I ducked behind a flowering tree near the hospital gate, its blossoms brushing against my cheek as I hid in the shadows. My heart pounded in sync with my wolf’s heartbeat.
From there, I watched. Every detail. The way the driver bowed slightly as he opened her door. The way she smiled like a queen accepting tribute.
My fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms.
It must feel good, I thought bitterly, to build your perfect world atop someone else’s bones.
A soft coo broke through my thoughts.
“Da-da-da…”
The sound was faint but clear, bubbling up from the bundle in my arms.
My anger faltered, the world stilling around me. I looked down to see Lana blinking up at me, her bright eyes glowing with innocent light. Her tiny lips curled into a sweet, proud smile as if she knew she’d just said something wonderful.
My chest ached.
Her voice, her first real attempt at speech, stabbed straight into me, deeper than any knife could.
“Da-da-da…” she gurgled again, softer this time.
Was it just random babbling? Or… did she already feel the absence of the father she’d never met?
My wolf whimpered low, brushing against my mind. She misses what she’s never known.
I held Lana tighter.
“She doesn’t need him,” I whispered under my breath, my throat tight. “She has me.”
But even as I said it, the ache in my heart told me I wasn’t sure.
Maybe kara had been right. Maybe every pup, no matter how strong, still yearned for the warmth of two heartbeats instead of one.
Looking at Lana’s adorable little face, my resolve softened like melting snow.
How could something so small hold my entire world together?
Lana let out a happy little coo, her chubby fingers reaching for the loose strands of hair that had escaped my bun. She giggled when she caught a lock, her bright eyes gleaming with innocent curiosity.
The corners of my mouth lifted despite myself. Even my wolf purred contentedly.
Just then, the clear sky darkened. It was so suddenly it made the hairs on my arms stand. Storms always stirred unease in me.
A drop of rain splashed against my wrist. I exhaled, heavy-hearted, as the rumble of an engine approached. It was my uber ride.
“Come on, my little sunshine,” I murmured, clutching Lana close and slipping into the car. The driver barely glanced at us as I buckled her in.
By the time we reached the staff dormitory, the sky had opened up completely. Sheets of rain drumming on the windows like an angry heartbeat.
When I finally made it to my room, soaked through and chilled to the bone, I quickly changed Lana into dry clothes.
Just then, my phone began to ring.
I froze, my hand halfway through wiping Lana’s damp curls. The number on the screen was unfamiliar, and yet… something about it tugged at me.
Curiosity and dread wrestled inside me until I found myself walking to the window. The rain lashed against the glass as I pressed “accept.”
“Hello?” My voice came out steadier than I felt.
Evelyn’s POV
“Hello, is this Lana’s parent?” a crisp, formal voice asked.
Instantly, my muscles tensed. Who is thaf, and why does he know our daughter’s name? My wolf growled within me.
I needed answers to those questions as well.
“Who is this?” I asked cautiously, glancing toward the crib where Lana had begun to fuss.
“Don’t worry, there’s no need to be alarmed,” the voice said with a calm and professional tone. My instincts screamed louder.
“I’m Collins Rogers, personal assistant to Alpha Declan Crawford, the primary investor of Crawford Group Private Hospital. We found your contact information in our registration system.”
For a heartbeat, my world stilled.
Declan’s beta, Collins.
My pulse thundered in my ears. I almost regretted picking up.
“What do you want?” I said finally, forcing my voice lower and rougher, until it carried the faint rumble of my wolf beneath it.
There was a pause, then Collins spoke again, this time more carefully. “We’re very sorry about what happened yesterday and wanted to check on your child’s condition.”
I let out a humorless laugh. Sorry? The word tasted bitter on my tongue.
“Oh, that’s rich,” I said coldly. “If we hadn’t wasted time at your hospital, my daughter wouldn’t have had her treatment delayed.”
I didn’t even know what came over me, one moment I was clutching the phone, breathing through the pounding of the rain, and the next, venom spilled from my tongue before I could stop it.
“You people think you can do whatever you want because of your boss’s name,” I snapped, my voice sharp enough to cut glass. “Not everyone bows when he walks in, Collins.”
The words came out harsher than I intended, laced with the low rumble of my wolf beneath my tone.
For a few seconds, there was only silence on the other end.
“Ma’am, we’re truly sorry,” Collins stammered at last, his voice careful, like he was walking through a minefield. “We’re willing to offer appropriate compensation.”
“Don’t need it!” I cut him off. The rain lashed harder against the window, as if echoing my fury.
My wolf growled softly in approval. Good. Let them know you’re not prey.
I gripped my phone tighter, my pulse thundering in my ears. “Just don’t use Alpha Declan’s power to bully ordinary people anymore,” I bit out. “Regular people’s lives matter too!”
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