SCARLET MOON: THE DOCTOR'S CURSE

Chapter 2: The Doctor’s Revenge

“Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t the cure. It’s remembering who you were before everything changed.”

I had learned to master the art of detachment. It was the only way I could survive in a world of humans, where my werewolf blood—if they ever discovered it—could destroy me. There were no places for people like me in this world, but I was surviving. I had made a name for myself, "Dr. Celeste," a medical miracle worker. I had saved countless lives, helped the sick and the injured, all the while hiding the truth of who I was. It was a fragile existence, but it was mine.

The hospital was chaotic as always. The world outside bled from a global health crisis, and inside these sterile walls, I fought a different battle—a battle to keep my hands steady, my mind sharp. But today felt different. My pulse quickened. Maybe it was the exhaustion, or maybe the weight of memories that seemed to creep in on the edges of my mind.

I stood over a patient, blood staining my gloves, as I carefully stitched a torn artery. I didn’t feel the usual rush of adrenaline. My hands moved with precision, with purpose, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn’t stop thinking about Kael. About that moment. The rejection. His voice, harsh and filled with disdain.

“You’re not worthy. Your mixed blood is a weakness.”

The words echoed in my mind, but I pushed them away as I focused on the task at hand. There was no room for emotions here. Only the pulse of life, the steady rhythm of the heart, the warmth of blood flowing back into the body. I worked without pause, and the patient’s life was saved.

As the last stitch was tied, I took a deep breath, ready to step away and wash my hands of the blood that wasn’t mine. But the door to the operating room creaked open. A figure stepped inside—a man cloaked in shadow. His presence was ominous, unsettling. His eyes, dark and penetrating, locked onto mine.

“Dr. Celeste,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.

I froze for a moment, instinct telling me to run, to hide. But I couldn’t. Not yet. The fear of being discovered, of my past catching up to me, tightened in my chest. I forced my expression to remain neutral, calm.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice steady despite the churning in my stomach.

“My name is Dorian,” he replied, his lips curling into a knowing smile. “And I bring news from your past.”

I didn't move, didn’t speak. I didn’t trust him. There was something about the way he stood there that made my hackles rise. But I couldn’t show weakness. Not here, not now.

“What news?” I asked, my tone clipped.

“The Alpha seeks you. Kael Thorn is in desperate need of your help.” His words hit me like a slap to the face, but I kept my cool. Kael. Of course, it would be him.

My heart skipped a beat, but I didn’t let it show. The years of pain, the rejection, the betrayal—it all came flooding back, but I locked it down. I wasn’t that girl anymore. I wasn’t the one he had scorned.

“I don’t care about Kael,” I replied, my voice colder than I intended.

“You should,” Dorian said, his eyes narrowing. “There’s a virus spreading in the pack lands. It’s turning wolves into monsters, losing their minds. The Alpha... he’s infected.” He paused for a moment, watching my reaction closely. “He’s dying, Dr. Celeste. And he needs you. Only you can save him.”

The words hit me like a punch. My mind raced. Kael. The one who had torn my heart apart, who had rejected me in front of everyone—he needed me now? I could feel the anger bubbling in my chest, but I buried it deep. The pain was still raw, but the bitterness was sharp enough to mask it.

“Why should I help him?” I asked, keeping my voice even. “After everything he did to me?”

“He’s not the same man,” Dorian said, taking a step forward. “The virus... it’s affecting him. He’s lost control, just like the others. But there’s something worse, something you don’t know. Kael didn’t create the virus—it was done to him. To the pack. And if you don’t help him, if you don’t find a cure, then the entire pack could fall.”

I stared at Dorian, my heart hammering in my chest. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him to leave, to get out of my life. But I couldn't. I wasn’t the same woman who had begged Kael to accept me. I wasn’t that girl anymore. I was Dr. Celeste—the one who saved lives, the one who couldn’t walk away from a dying world.

“Why me?” I asked, my voice a whisper. “Why did you come to me?”

“Because you're the only one who can do it. The only one with the knowledge, the skills... and the blood.” He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “The cure is in you, Celeste. You’ve always known that.”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. The cure. The virus. Kael. The betrayal I had suffered. Everything in me screamed to turn away, to forget the past and keep walking forward, away from everything that had hurt me. But something in his words tugged at me. I wasn’t just a healer anymore. I wasn’t just a doctor. I was the one who could save them.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I had trained for this moment, spent years preparing for something like this. But I had also sworn to never go back. To never return to the pack, to the place where my heart had been shattered.

“I can’t,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not going back there.”

“You don’t have to go back, Celeste,” Dorian said softly, his voice coaxing. “You just need to save him. Save them all.”

I felt my resolve begin to c***k, but I held it together. I couldn’t afford to show weakness. I had nothing left to give to them. Not Kael. Not the pack. Not any of them.

Dorian’s eyes searched mine for a long moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was filled with urgency. “Kael’s life... it’s in your hands. If you don’t act soon, it’ll be too late.”

The weight of his words pressed down on me. I had to make a choice. A choice I didn’t want to make.

Before I could respond, Dorian reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, silver symbol—one I had only seen once before. It was a mark known only to the highest Alphas, a symbol of power, of command.

He placed it on the table between us, and I could feel the weight of it, the promise it held.

“Kael’s life is in your hands now,” Dorian said, his voice filled with finality. “You’ll know what to do.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the symbol—and the choice that could destroy me.

I picked it up, my fingers trembling as I turned it over. The reality of the situation settled into my bones, cold and heavy.

I can never go back, I thought, my gaze hardening as I looked at the symbol. But if I don’t, they will all die.

The clock was ticking, and I had to decide.

Would I save them?

Would I save him?