“Quiet,” he barked. “My son can’t point fingers at anyone while he’s still out cold.”
He turned his glare back to me.
I swallowed hard, throat burning.
He continued, voice flat and cold. “I’m here to inform you there’s an attack happening outside. If necessary, you’ll be moved to the underground facility.”
Then his lip curled.
He looked me up and down with pure disgust.
“That burned-up girl,” he muttered with a sneer. “I still don’t see what my son thinks he’s fighting for.”
Jessica’s POV
The first time I saw Elder Bohan, I knew he didn’t see me as a person.
The way he looked at me was like I was trouble.
“Elder Bohan!” Lara snapped in a tight but still respectful tone.
William’s father let out a dry laugh and crossed his arms. “After everything that happened in Vale Pack, you really think she should still be here? Your sister died because of her. And yet, you act like she matters more than anyone else. What kind of hold does she have on you? Or on William?”
Was that real?
Just then, the warriors shouted for Elder Bohan down the hall. One of them called out, “Elder, we need you now! The outer line is breaking!” He turned sharply and, just before stepping out of the hospital room, shot me a look so nasty it made my skin crawl.
I turned to Lara, still shaken by the way Elder Bohan glared at me. “W-What happened to your sister?”
Lara didn’t meet my eyes. “This isn’t the moment for that, Jessica. We have to get you somewhere safe right now.”
She started packing things fast.
“What about William?” I asked.
She didn’t stop moving. “He’s still unconscious. But the others will handle it. They won’t risk leaving him upstairs.”
I nodded, but my throat ached. William had almost died saving me. And now he was lying there helpless while danger crept closer.
My hands trembled as Lara helped me into the wheelchair.
I hated feeling weak, and that I couldn’t do anything to protect anyone.
The elevator doors closed around us. It dropped quickly, smooth and silent, but my heart was still thundering.
When the doors slid open again, bright lights filled the space.
The underground room looked like a high-end hospital. People in lab coats moved like clockwork. No one looked surprised to see us.
Lara rolled me through.
And then I saw William.
He was lying on a bed to the side, so still it made my chest clench.
Even his wolf aura was so faint it barely brushed against my senses.
His skin had gone pale. His cheeks were hollow. His brows were uneven, half-burnt. His arms were bandaged. The bruises on his wrists were dark, angry things.
I couldn’t breathe right. I bit down hard on my lip, catching the faint scent of burnt fur and singed wolf energy still clinging to him.
“William…” I whispered.
He didn’t move. His wolf didn’t even twitch beneath his skin, like it was trapped somewhere deep and trying to claw its way back.
I felt useless watching him like this. Like no matter what I did, I could never repay what he’d done.
A quiet, ugly fear crawled up my spine. I didn’t want to lose him.
Lara stepped beside me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “He knew you were in danger. Even though he was already running on empty, he forced himself to save you. He passed out right after making sure you’ll live. He hasn’t woken up since. It’s been two days.”
I couldn’t believe it.
Two whole days and he hadn’t stirred?
I looked at the machines hooked up to him, the gentle rise and fall of his chest. At least he was still breathing. That had to count for something, right?
“Are they trying to heal him?” My voice cracked.
“All the researchers here work for our pack. They’re working around the clock. But the drug he took to give him extra strength was still unstable. If they can’t figure out a way to reverse it, his wolf might stay forced down so deep he won’t be able to shift properly again,” Lara trailed off.
No. I wouldn’t let my mind go there.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked.
She gave me a small, tired smile. “Honestly? Just stay safe. Rest. Wait for him to wake up.”
Stay safe. Wait.
That was it?
I sat there, staring at the man who saved my life, and that’s all I could do? Just sit and wait while he fought through whatever hell that drug dragged him into?
Why me?
Just one night together, and he threw himself into a fire for me. Literally.
Why would he go this far for someone he barely knew?
Why would he burn himself alive just to drag me out of danger?
If I hadn’t shown up in his life, he wouldn’t be hooked up to machines, fighting for breath.
He didn’t deserve this.
“Please wake up,” I whispered in my head, even though I couldn’t say it out loud.
Jessica’s POV
Lara rushed toward the door when more wounded wolves were brought in.
She looked over her shoulder at me. “Stay here. I need to see what’s going on outside. Do not move from this room.”
I nodded, even though my chest tightened.
If I couldn’t help them, then the least I could do was avoid becoming another burden.
I could hear the wolves outside in a frenzy, and it only made me more on edge.
The air was cold, but the burns on my body made me feel like I was on fire from the inside out.
I couldn’t sleep even if I tried.
So I turned my attention to William.
If I focused on him, maybe the pain wouldn’t swallow me whole.
He was still lying there, pale and motionless. Even like this, he was strikingly handsome. Johan was handsome too, but different. Johan had that polished charm. William had something darker. Something sharper. A dangerous kind of nobility.
I reached for his hand, lifted it gently, and placed it against my cheek. My eyes fluttered shut at the warmth of his skin.
I didn’t expect my wolf to react the way she did.
She didn’t surface fully, but she lifted her head inside me, pushing a warm ripple through my chest.
My breath hitched. It felt like my wolf leaned toward him, recognizing something I couldn’t name.
A soft warmth passed from him to me, then back again. Like our wolves brushed against each other through the smallest touch.
“William,” I whispered. “I’m already awake. How long are you planning to sleep?”
He didn’t respond. Not even a twitch.
The door opened suddenly.
An older woman stepped inside, dressed in a fitted corporate suit. She had William’s eyes, but softer. Her hair was gray, pulled into a tidy bun. Her energy was calmer than Elder Bohan’s, but still strong.
I blinked. “Um… hi? If you’re looking for Nurse Lara, she’s outside helping with the other wolves.”
I tried to move my bed a little, but she lifted a hand to stop me.
“I know she’s not here,” she said. “I came for you.”
“Me?” I frowned. “Why?”
The woman looked at William for a long moment before answering. “I’m Matron Rose. William’s aunt. And I need a favor from you.”
My stomach tightened. “What favor?”
Matron Rose stepped closer, her eyes shimmering. “Please donate blood for my nephew.”
I stared. “My… blood? Why?”
“Because your blood can help him. Don’t worry. You won’t be in danger. William would never allow that.”
My confusion grew. Why would my blood help him? William and I had no connection. Not one that made sense.
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