Chapter 14

My sister was a flurry of motion, darting from one side to the other, suturing wounds, administering serum, doing everything she could. But I could see the worry etched on her face for Thomas.

My mother was in the thick of it too, trying to bring some semblance of order to the chaos that was the emergency room. We were all there—doctors, nurses, technicians—doing our best to save as many lives as we could.

One of the patients under my care, James Werner, had a massive bite on his stomach. The wound was deep, and he was already weak by the time he reached us. I did everything in my power to save him, but he didn’t make it.

As he slipped away, I felt a piece of me go with him.

In our line of work, tragedy is a constant companion. We try to keep our emotions in check, not to take it personally, but my heart ached for him and his family. He had died protecting the pack.

When I stepped out of the room after confirming his death, a fresh batch of injured guards arrived. But this time, instead of dread, I felt a wave of relief. Thomas was among them, carrying a colleague in his arms. He was okay. Karen would be overjoyed.

I quickly pulled a stretcher from the corridor and yelled toward the office where Karen was working.

“Karen!”

My shout was enough to make her poke her head out. The relief on her face was palpable, and I watched as she dropped the stethoscope she was using and ran toward Thomas.

He gently laid his colleague on the stretcher, and Karen was in his arms a moment later. Thomas let out a breath as he turned to embrace her.

Watching them, I felt a deeper understanding of the bond between mates. And I realized that I was finally experiencing the feeling I had yearned for.

“I was so scared,” Karen murmured against his chest.

“I know, honey. I’m sorry I couldn’t get a message to you,” Thomas replied.

I heard his words as I turned to wheel the injured guard into one of the rooms. The guard had a broken leg and another bite. I worked quickly, stitching his wounds and setting his leg. After administering painkillers, I wheeled him back out.

By the time I reached the corridor, the last of the rescued guards was being brought in. Almost everyone was taken care of. But then I saw a wolf on a stretcher, being attended to by Dr. Riegel. He was about to apply an ointment to a leg wound, but the guard was still in wolf form. Applying the treatment before removing the silver could be fatal. I acted quickly.

“No, Riegel, wait,” I called out.

He paused and looked at me.

I grabbed a scalpel and surgical forceps.

“I’m sorry, this is going to hurt a little,” I told the wolf. With the scalpel, I widened the wound, which looked like it was caused by a silver sword. Using the forceps, I removed the tip of the silver sword embedded in his skin, saving the soldier’s life. The guard instantly shifted back to his human form.

“Doctor, you saved my life,” the guard said weakly.

His eyes were filled with gratitude.

“That’s the idea,” I replied, smiling at him.

“Thanks,” he said. His voice was sincere, filling me with a sense of peace and accomplishment.

“I thank you for your service,” I said, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

I was about to reprimand Riegel for his near-fatal mistake when I felt a burning gaze on me. I turned toward the corridor and there he was—the alpha, his shirt soaked in blood, his eyes locked on me.

Seeing the blood, my heart dropped, and I felt a wave of fear and despair wash over me. I started toward him but stopped a few steps away. We hadn’t discussed public displays of affection, so I held back. But I was terrified that he might be hurt.

“Is this blood yours?” I asked, my voice shaky.

“It’s not mine,” he replied quickly.

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

“So, you’re okay?” I needed to hear him say it.

“Yes,” he said. He was about to say something else when a loud noise interrupted us.

“Dr. Scarlett Byron, emergency in room three.” Another guard, probably. At the same time, Christopher’s phone started ringing.

“I need to go,” I said, my heart aching at the thought of leaving him.

“I know,” he replied. Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me close, so close that my ear was almost touching his lips. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, making me shiver. “Sleep with me tonight?”

His request sounded more like a plea. I could see in his eyes that it wasn’t about sex; it was about companionship. I knew I needed it too. It had been a tough day for all of us.

“Yes. I’ll just stop by my place to pick up a few things, and then I’ll meet you at your house, okay?” I said.

He nodded.

I turned to leave, and his hand, which had been on my arm, slid down, brushing against my skin until our hands met. My fingers instinctively intertwined with his, perhaps out of desperation to hold onto his touch. After giving his hand a squeeze, I let go.

I attended to three more guards before finally stepping out of the room. That’s when Jack approached me.

“Doctor, Werner’s family is here,” Jack said, pointing to a young woman. She couldn’t have been more than a couple of years older than me. She was holding a one-year-old boy in her arms, and my heart broke for him. He was the child who would grow up without a father.

I simply nodded at Jack. I knew what he wanted me to do, and it was the part of medicine I dreaded the most. I took a deep breath and walked over to her with determination.

“Mrs. Werner?” I called out as I approached her. She turned around, and her big blue eyes met mine. I felt my legs wobble slightly, and then I saw her eyes well up with tears. “I attended to your husband when he arrived. He was bitten, and the wound was severe. I did everything I could, but unfortunately, he didn’t survive.”

Her tears flowed more freely with each word I spoke, and by the end, she was a crumpled heap in front of me. I forced myself to reach out, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’m truly sorry,” I said, my words genuine but knowing they wouldn’t alleviate her pain, nor would they soothe my own. She sniffed loudly, cradling the child in her lap.

“Thank you, doctor,” she managed to say. As she turned to leave, I felt another piece of my soul shatter.

After the emotional turmoil of the day, all I craved was a hot shower and a good night’s sleep. I made my way to the reception area, where my mother and sister were already waiting.

“Ready to head home?” Karen asked.

“I’m more than ready. I’m wiped out,” I admitted, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose.

“We lost ten people today,” Mom said, her voice heavy with sorrow. “This attack and the last one were the worst I’ve seen in years.” She paused, the weight of the day evident in her silence. “Scarlett, do you need a lift? I noticed your car was still at the house when I left this morning.”

“Actually, I’ve got one of Christopher’s cars. But I’ll meet you guys at home. I need to grab a few things,” I said, waving the car key in front of my face.

“Christopher?” Karen questioned. “Are we on a first-name basis now?”

“I know, it’s strange hearing her call him that,” Mom chimed in. “I guess we’ll all need some time to adjust.”