The hospital parking lot was quiet as I stepped out of my truck, throwing my bag over my shoulder. The sun had already set, the last hints of twilight fading into the night sky. The faint hum of fluorescent lights buzzed above me as I headed inside, my boots echoing down the sterile hallways.
Room 314 was dimly lit when I walked in. Lila lay still, her pale face illuminated by the soft glow of the monitors. The scent of vanilla and roses hit me immediately, the familiar warmth of the mate bond tugging at my chest.
I set my bag down in the corner and sank into the chair beside her bed. Exhaustion weighed heavily on my shoulders, but it didn’t matter. I was here now, and I wasn’t leaving.
For hours, I watched her, the steady beeping of the machines the only sound in the room. Her ch
