Untamable

Chapter 3 Watershed

Elizabeth’s POV

I'm staring at the mold stains on the ceiling. They resemble the wisteria pattern from the hem of Cherry's dress, which, under moonlight, looks like snake scales. Suddenly, the sharp scent of disinfectant smacks my nose, waking me from my daydream.

The door creaks open with all the subtlety of a sneaky mouse, letting in a whiff of pinewood mixed with oil paint. My muscles tense up, not sure if I should fight, flee, or just sneeze. “Get out,” I command, not even bothering to glance over at the silhouette in the doorway.

Aiden takes a tentative step forward, moonlight helpfully highlighting both his face and his guilt. His usually entrancing amber eyes are now bloodshot.

“Don’t you like roses?” he asks, brushing his knuckles against the sad, neglected roses on my bedside table.

Gamma Barry was the one who initially brought me the flowers the day after I was whipped. I actually appreciated them at first—right up until I discovered they were secretly from Aiden. Then I only stopped watering them.

“I liked them because I liked you,”I reply, as breezily as if I were discussing the weather.

My subtext hits Aiden like a surprise snowball, making his smile awkward as he backs away from the roses like they might bite.

I notice the shiny silver buttons on his cuffs, engraved with the new Luna's family crest. Those entwined thorn patterns poke at my mood annoyingly. I'm really trying hard not to feel jealous of his love for Cherry, or I will be too pathetic.

Aiden suddenly lunges and grabs my wrist, breathing down my neck like he's trying to warm his dinner. “We're still friends, right?”

“Friends? What kind of maverick whips his friends?” I chuckle, feeling my wrist bones protest.

His eyes narrow, and he leans in for a smooch like he’s Romeo and I’m Juliet—but I dodge faster than a cat at bath time. His teeth catch my earlobe instead.

"You’ll never learn to be submissive," he grumbles after pulling back, adjusting his collar where Cherry left a hickey that practically screams "I was here."

Imagining her gnawing at him like a determined squirrel sends me into a laughing fit.

“What’s so funny?” he demands.

“Oh, just our fearless Alpha,” I reply, pretending to fuss over his collar like a mom straightening her kid's bow tie before a school play. “You’re thinking with your dick.”

His face darkens faster than the night sky.

“Why did you pop in suddenly? Trouble with Cherry?” I prod.

“Elizabeth,” he warns with seriousness.

But I keep jabbing, “Or did you pull the classic mix-up again? You f****d me while moaning Cherry’s name while we were on our honeymoon. Did you call her by my name this time? ”Ignoring his glare, I laugh and say. “I was too f*****g stupid. I should have left you back then.”

“Then why didn't you leave?” he challenges, gripping my chin as he proclaims. ‘Because you love me. Do you still love me?”

“Nope,” I cut in. “I’m sticking around because I've got a soft spot for your dad. I don't want to break his heart—funny how that's the same reason you used to sucker me into this marriage in the first place.’

Aiden's expression goes as pale as a ghost before he storms out, slamming the door so hard it startles the raven outside my window.

I curl up, counting to ten to calm myself down. Then Helen rolls in with the treatment cart, the metal instruments clanging. “How are you today?” she asks with a smile.

“Peachy, until the asshole dropped by,” I reply.

She chuckles knowingly. ‘A wound like yours should take half a month for a regular werewolf to heal. You’re bouncing back in just a week.’

I tilt my head, waiting for more.

“Your cells are twenty times more active than the average werewolf's,” she says, buried in her notes. “It's peculiar.”

“Are you trying to cheer me up?” I ask gently.

Her eyes go wide, “Elizabeth, I never joke about professional matters.”

“Maybe it’s time to give your equipment an upgrade,” I suggest with a playful wink.

A familiar shrill laugh suddenly comes from outside the window. Aurora lifts her dress and walks through the rose bushes, holding a silver chain that binds an Omega girl with tear-streaked cheeks. When she raises the whip, I clearly see in her mouth the words "I'm sorry."

Helen sighs, following my gaze and says, "Since you fell into a coma, she's become Cherry's most loyal hound."

"A hound lives longer than prey," I say, watching Aurora's departing figure. There are new bruises on her neck, overlapping old scars and shaped like crescents, which must have been added recently.

“Why do you defend her?”Helen frowns.

"Last week, Cherry punished the maids who came to visit me in the hospital by locking them in the cellar. Aurora secretly released some Omega girls, and they went crying to Aiden."

Helen's eyes widen in surprise, and I continue, "When Aiden asked Cherry, she excused it as an accident. Even a fool could see the issue, but he chose to turn a blind eye." I sigh, smiling wryly. "Guess you can never wake someone pretending to be asleep."

"How do you know all this?"

"Because Aurora visits the ward every night," I say. "We whisper in the quiet of the night."

Helen's face shows a look of realization. She gives a sad smile, murmuring as she looks at the moon outside the window. "I hope you can be discharged soon, and everything gets better quickly."

"Hopefully," I say.

Unfortunately, waiting only makes my existing pain worse, and the next day, Helen comes to visit me again. From her grave expression, I sense that I am about to face some bad news.

Helen brings the diagnosis report, clears her throat, and says. "I have some bad news to tell you."

"Don't tell me I'm pregnant," I sit up suddenly, wincing as the wound on my back tears, causing me to hiss in pain.

Helen hurriedly helps me lie back down. "Not pregnant," she says.

I breathe a sigh of relief and make a face at her. "As long as it's not pregnancy, I can handle any news."

Helen laughs sadly, and it takes a long time for her to find the courage to speak again. "You have cancer. I'm sorry, Elizabeth..."

I hold my breath.

Seriously? Just when I think things can't get worse, life decides to add more lemon to my lemonade.

"But don't worry, we might find a way to cure it..." Helen tries to comfort me.

But I know she is bluffing. She can't look me in the eyes when she lies.

"How long do I have?" I ask softly.

"A year," she chokes out.

"A year," I repeat her words.

"Maybe we can have Aiden mark you. Many werewolves recover from terminal illnesses when marked by their fated mates."

"Not in my case. The bond between Aiden and me has already been broken."

"We can tell him about your condition. He might be willing to establish the bond again—"

"What's the point? He's not my fated mate," I say, swallowing the dryness in my throat. "His fated mate is Cherry. Let's face it, I don't have much chance of surviving, right?"

Helen's silence is her answer to me.

"Very well," I take a deep breath, struggling to sit up from the bed.

"What are you doing?" Helen asks, frowning, "Lie down."

"No," I say, jumping down to the floor. "In a year, I can lie forever. Since I have only a year to live, I intend to make the most of every minute and second."

"What do you plan to do?" Helen asks, surprised.

"Travel the world, enjoy the rest of my life." I smile at her.

"Aiden won't agree; he'll want you to stay and get treated."

"He won't stop me if he doesn't know I have cancer," I say, pleading with her. "Please keep my cancer diagnosis a secret from him, okay?"

"But..."

"I only have one year to live, Helen."

Whatever she initially wants to say, she swallows it back and then says, "Okay." She sighs, holds my hand, and says, "But where do you plan to go?"

"The Silver Valley, The Crimson Castle, The White City, The Sapphire Lake, The Moonlight Falls are all places I wish to visit."

Helen widens her eyes,"Those places are beyond our pack's territory, Aiden won't allow you to go."

"Then I'll sever ties with the pack and leave."

"But that means—"

"It means I'll become a rogue," I say.

"Yes," Helen says worriedly, frowning. "If you encounter Lycans, you'll be killed."

"I'll try to avoid those royals," I say, making a face. "If I do get caught by them... it's not really a bad thing. Dying at the hands of Lycans is better than suffering from illness."

"Alright," Helen sighs deeply. She hesitates a moment, then gives me a hug.

As far as I remember, it is the first time Helen hugs me, and I am surprised by how warm her embrace is.

Helen, edging towards thirty-five, was the kind of doctor who viewed check-ups like a sprint race—get you in, get you sorted, and toss you out faster than you could say "werewolf flu." I am pretty sure if our pack had a human-style medical system, her inbox would be overflowing with complaint letters. Luckily for Helen, most werewolves found healing others about as appealing as a silver bath, making doctors both rare and able to indulge in a bit of professional arrogance.

I first met Helen when Alpha Hugh dragged me in for projectile cheese regret—vomiting and diarrhea. She took one look at us and informed us, with eyebrows raised, not to cut in line. Clearly, etiquette was her specialty.

So, we obediently cooled our heels in the hallway for ten minutes. Helen then whisked us back, diagnosing and prescribing in under five minutes flat. She slid the plastic bag of pills across to me with the enthusiasm of someone handing over a tax audit. "Three a day," she instructed, her face a masterclass in blank.

I turned to Alpha Hugh, skeptical. "Will it be bitter?"

"It won’t," he assured me.

"Very bitter," Helen contradicted, because apparently honesty is her second specialty.

They shot each other a look, and Alpha Hugh quickly shifted tactics, offering, "How about some ice cream afterward?"

“Great,” Helen chimed in with enough sarcasm to melt the ice cream herself, “Let’s meet again tomorrow.”

Alpha Hugh looked sheepish. I couldn't help but giggle. There was something delightfully sharp about Helen’s sarcasm, like verbal fencing. Perhaps that’s why Alpha Hugh assigned Helen to my ongoing care later on. Our pack did have another doctor, Lina, who was the epitome of warmth and patience. But this also meant her waiting room was more packed than a full moon party. And let's be real, patience in waiting rooms is not my strong suit.

Beneath Helen’s crispy exterior, she's all heart—like a rose encased in a fortress of thorns. You just need to endure a few pokes to appreciate the beauty inside.

To clarify again, I do love roses. I just refuse to water them because, well, I can’t stand Aiden.

“What are you thinking about?” Helen asks me.

Her voice brings me back to reality. I hug her tightly and say, “Thank you for being honest about my cancer, just like when you told me those pills were bitter.”

She chuckles lightly. “You’ve grown up. Back then, you didn't like hearing the truth.”

I smile and say, “I’ll come back to see you, Dr. Helen.”

“I’ll be waiting for you,” she says, gently patting my back.

We both know I’m lying.

But neither of us calls it out.