Chapter 17
1379 Words
Hailey
Darkness feels heavy.
Thick.
Endless.
My body feels distant, like I am floating somewhere between waking and sleeping, trapped in a place where time moves strangely slow.
My head throbs with a dull, persistent ache, each pulse echoing deep inside my skull.
Then sound begins to return.
A soft mechanical hum vibrates gently through the air around me.
Steady.
Rhythmic.
Beep... beep... beep...
The sound anchors me, pulling me slowly upward through layers of fog clouding my thoughts.
Cool air brushes softly across my skin, sending a faint chill down my arms.
My eyelids feel impossibly heavy.
Like lifting them requires strength I no longer possess.
Voices whisper somewhere nearby.
Low.
Concerned.
Unfamiliar.
"Will she be okay?"
"Why isn't her wolf healing her?"
"Shouldn't the wound be closing already?"
The voices are deep.
Male.
Strong.
Strangers.
Confusion curls weakly through my chest.
Then another voice speaks.
Soft.
Gentle.
Warm.
"She doesn't have her wolf yet," the woman explains quietly.
Recognition flickers through the haze clouding my thoughts.
Dr Elara.
Her presence feels like comfort.
Safety.
She has always spoken to me with kindness, never with pity.
She allowed me to assist at the pack clinic on weekends, patiently guiding my hands as I learned how to clean wounds, mix herbal remedies and calm frightened patients.
She knew I wanted to become a healer.
To help the injured.
To protect the children.
The orphanage.
The memory slams into me with brutal force.
Blood.
Screams.
Broken wood.
Tiny bodies trembling in fear.
The rogues.
The attack.
The black wolf.
Everything crashes through my mind at once like tsunami waves smashing against the shore line.
Destruction.
The pups.
The blood.
The teeth tearing into my arm.
Pain.
Raw and blinding.
My body reacts before thought can catch up.
A scream tears from my throat, sharp and piercing, echoing loudly through the room.
Heavy footsteps pound urgently toward me.
Fast.
The hospital door bursts open just as my eyes finally snap fully open.
Bright white light floods my vision.
Blurry shapes move quickly.
Then four figures come into focus.
Four men stand just inside the room, their presence overwhelming in a way I cannot immediately explain.
They are enormous.
Tall.
Broad.
Powerful in a way that feels almost unreal.
Their expressions are tense, alert, ready to move at the smallest sign of danger.
Ready to destroy anything that threatens.
They look like warriors carved from myth.
God-like.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
My breath catches painfully in my chest as confusion swirls violently inside my mind.
Dr Elara steps into view beside me, her calm presence grounding me slightly.
"You are safe, sweet girl," she says gently, placing a cool hand against my forehead. "Calm yourself. Everything is under control."
Her voice steadies the rising panic threatening to overwhelm me.
"You are in the hospital," she continues softly. "Your arm was very badly injured in the attack. You need to remain still."
My eyes move slowly downward.
Bandages cover my arm from shoulder to wrist, thick layers of gauze wrapped tightly around the wound.
Faint red stains bleed through the white fabric.
Pain pulses beneath the surface in slow, heavy waves.
Memory flashes again.
Teeth.
Bone.
Blood.
"You were very brave," Dr Elara says quietly. "You saved the pups. If you had not arrived when you did, none of them would have survived."
My heart clenches painfully.
"The pups..." I whisper weakly.
"Only nine survived," she replies gently.
Nine.
The number echoes hollowly inside my chest.
The orphanage housed more than fifty.
Grief presses heavily against my ribs.
Who would do this?
Why attack innocent children?
Why target Ironclaws pups?
Nothing about this makes sense.
"You are lucky the young brothers arrived when they did," Dr Elara continues carefully. "They helped eliminate the remaining rogues and brought you here immediately."
My gaze drifts toward the four men standing silently at the end of the bed.
Watching.
Guarding.
Protecting.
Their attention is entirely fixed on me.
Four sets of eyes.
Four powerful presences.
Something inside my chest flutters strangely.
That same warmth from earlier returns, faint but unmistakable.
A strange starburst sensation spreads slowly beneath my ribs.
Confusing.
Unsettling.
Unavoidable.
Dr Elara shoos the men toward the hallway.
"Give her space," she insists firmly. "She needs calm, not intimidation."
They hesitate.
Reluctant.
Protective.
Then slowly step outside.
Even as the door closes, their presence still remains.
Watching.
Waiting.
"They are very determined," Dr Elara murmurs with a knowing smile.
I shift slightly against the pillows, unease building again.
"What do you mean determined?"
She studies me quietly.
"You have not felt it yet?" she asks.
"Felt what?"
"The bond."
Confusion tightens inside my chest.
"How could I feel a mate bond?" I ask quietly. "I don't even have a wolf."
Dr Elara's expression softens.
"Oh, it is there, sweet girl," she says gently. "Very much there. All four of those brothers feel it strongly."
My stomach drops.
Cold dread spreads through my chest.
"You are their mate."
The words feel unreal.
Impossible.
No.
"No..." I whisper, shaking my head weakly. "No, I don't even know who they are."
Panic begins rising fast and sharp.
My hands tremble as I grab at the IV line in my arm, pulling urgently.
"I need to leave," I breathe frantically. "I need to get out of here."
"Easy now," Dr Elara says quickly, steadying my hands.
"You do not have to go anywhere with them if you are not ready," she assures gently. "You have choices."
"I don't want a mate," I whisper desperately.
Not like this.
Not now.
Not when I don't even have my wolf.
Why would the Moon Goddess give me four mates when I am incomplete?
It makes no sense.
"Rest now," Dr Elara says soothingly. "We will figure everything out tomorrow."
Morning arrives slowly.
Soft light filters through the hospital window.
Dr Elara studies me with quiet curiosity as she adjusts the bandages on my arm.
"Strange..." she murmurs softly.
"What?" I ask, still groggy.
"Your hair," she says thoughtfully.
Her fingers lift a strand gently.
"There is more silver now."
I freeze.
"What do you mean?"
She tilts her head slightly.
"The change is subtle... but it is happening."
Her expression becomes thoughtful.
"The time is near."
Confusion settles deeper inside me.
Before I can ask more questions, she clears her throat gently.
"There is a vehicle waiting for you at the back entrance," she says quietly.
My heart skips nervously.
"I arranged a private cabin deep within the forest," she continues. "It is well stocked with food, medicine, and supplies. You will be safe there while your arm heals."
Relief floods through me.
Space.
Time.
Distance.
"I will come for you in one week," she says reassuringly. "We will decide what to do next when you are stronger."
I dress quickly in the same gym clothing I wore during training with Lila, pulling on my leather jacket carefully despite the torn sleeve.
Dried blood still stains the material.
Evidence of the battle.
Evidence of survival.
Evidence of loss.
"Quickly now," Dr Elara urges softly.
As I step into the hallway, deep rumbling snores echo from the waiting room.
Low.
Powerful.
Wolves resting but alert even in sleep.
Waiting for me.
I move silently in the opposite direction.
Toward freedom.
Toward the space I need.
Toward time to understand what is happening to my life.
A large black SUV waits near the back exit.
Its windows heavily tinted.
The driver sits still behind the wheel.
His face is hardened by experience, a long scar stretching from forehead to cheek, crossing over one eye.
A warrior.
Not Ironclaw.
Not familiar.
He smells faintly of wet forest, wild air, smelly dog.
"Who are you?" I ask cautiously.
He does not answer.
Only gives a quiet grunt as the engine roars to life.
We drive quickly.
Leaving pack lands behind.
Deeper into forest territory I do not recognise.
The road becomes rougher.
Dirt replaces tar.
Tall trees close in on both sides.
Silence grows heavier the further we travel.
After hours of winding roads, the vehicle finally slows.
A small wooden cabin appears between thick moss-covered trees.
Hidden.
Quiet.
Isolated.
"We're here," the driver says simply.
And for the first time since waking...
I can finally breathe.
- Writer
