CHAPTER 6
1274 Words
The first thing Emilia noticed wasn’t the words. It was the blood.
Dark, thick, drying into the creases of the guard’s uniform. Smudged across his hands like he had tried and failed to stop it.
Her breath hitched.
Alpha, it’s the Queen Mother.
The words landed a second later. Something inside her chest tightened, sharp and sudden, like a warning she couldn’t understand.
Draven didn’t move.
For a split second, he stood completely still, his back straight, shoulders rigid. The air in the room shifted, heavy with a sense of shock.
It was there briefly, almost invisible. Then it was gone.
“What happened?” His voice came out low and controlled.
The guard swallowed hard, stepping further into the room.
“She… she just started coughing blood, Alpha. In her private garden.”
Emilia’s fingers curled into the bedsheet beside her.
Blood?
The guard continued, his voice shaking slightly. “At first, we thought it was nothing serious, but then… it didn’t stop. She collapsed shortly after.”
A dangerous silence followed.
Draven’s jaw tightened, his storm-grey eyes darkening. Something flickered in them —fear, anger, something deeper, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
Without another word, he turned and walked out. The door slammed shut behind him.
Emilia stared at the space he left behind, her heart pounding unevenly in her chest.
“What just…” Her voice faded.
Her mind began to race.
‘Blood. Collapse.’
Her stomach twisted.
‘This morning…’
Her first morning as Luna. A cold wave slid down her spine.
‘No, that couldn’t be.’
But the thought had already planted itself deep in her mind.
What if it was connected?
Her fingers trembled slightly as she pushed the blanket away and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
‘What if this is because of me?’
Her chest tightened and her breath came out shaky as she stood.
‘Maybe… maybe the moon goddess is against me.’
The thought was irrational. But it didn’t feel that way.
Not when everything in her life had always gone wrong the moment she thought things were finally changing. Not when happiness had always come with a cost.
She pressed her lips together, forcing herself to breathe.
No. Standing here wouldn’t help anyone. She needed to see what was going on.
Her movement stilled as she looked down at herself. Her skin was bare with nothing else.
Immediately, heat rushed to her face.
“Great,” she muttered under her breath.
Her clothes. They hadn’t been brought in yet. And there was no way she was wearing the burgundy dress from last night.
Her gaze shifted slowly toward the other side of the room—Draven’s wardrobe.
She hesitated just for a second. Then she walked toward it.
The doors opened smoothly, revealing rows of neatly arranged clothes, dark tones, clean lines, everything precise.
Just like him.
Her fingers hovered for a moment before she reached in and pulled out a black, soft robe. It was too big but she had no choice.
She slipped it on quickly, tying it around her waist. The fabric swallowed her frame, the sleeves falling past her wrists.
It smelled like him. Rain. Smoke. And something darker underneath.
Her breath caught. She shook her head, pushing the thought away.
‘Focus, Emilia.’
She stepped out of the room. A guard stood immediately outside the door.
He straightened the moment he saw her, bowing his head. “Luna.”
The word still felt strange and unreal.
Emilia paused, a flicker of awkwardness crossing her face. She wasn’t used to this.
She didn’t know how to act.
“Take me to the Queen Mother,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt.
“Yes, Luna.”
He turned without question, leading the way down the corridor. The walk felt longer than it should have.
Her thoughts kept circling back. Each step made the unease in her chest grow.
By the time they reached Alira’s quarters, her heart was beating too fast.
People filled the hallway with whispers. She could also feel the tension. Everyone looked afraid.
The guard stepped aside, allowing her through.
Emilia pushed the door open and froze.
Draven was standing still beside the bed, silently watching his mother.
Queen Mother Alira lay motionless beneath the covers, her skin pale, her lips slightly parted. There was no movement.
For a moment, Emilia couldn’t breathe.
This wasn’t the composed, powerful woman she had met before. This person was fragile.
Other people were standing around the room, murmuring, but her focus stayed on Draven.
His expression was unreadable. Cold. But there was something else beneath it.
He didn’t look at anyone. He just stood there, staring at his mother like he was holding himself together by force.
Emilia took a small step forward, unsure of what to say. Or if she should say anything at all.
The door opened again and all eyes turned. A man in a white coat walked in, his presence immediately commanding attention.
Emilia recognised him instantly.
“Doctor Halden,” she whispered under her breath.
The head doctor of the pack hospital.
Behind him was a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, carrying a medical case. Emilia didn’t recognise her.
Doctor Halden moved toward the bed without wasting time. The younger doctor followed closely behind.
“Clear some space,” he instructed, already reaching for Alira’s wrist.
People stepped back quickly. The room fell into a tense silence.
Emilia watched closely, her instincts sharpening.
Halden’s movements were experienced. He checked her pulse. Her breathing. Her eyes.
Then he gestured to the younger doctor, who handed him a file of medical records. He flipped through it quickly, his brows drawing together slightly.
Minutes passed slowly. Emilia could feel the tension building in the room.
Draven hadn’t moved nor spoken a word. But the air around him felt dangerous.
Finally, Halden exhaled.
“It appears the Queen Mother has been suffering from a severe gastrointestinal condition.”
The words hung in the air.
“A bleeding gastric ulcer,” he continued, his tone clinical. “Based on her symptoms and medical history, it’s likely that the condition worsened over time without immediate intervention.”
Emilia frowned slightly. An ulcer?
Halden closed the file. “The internal bleeding explains the blood loss and collapse.”
Draven’s voice cut through the room low but sharp.
“Is she going to live?”
Halden paused for a fraction of a second. “We need to move her to the hospital immediately. Further tests will confirm the extent of the damage.”
Draven’s gaze didn’t waver. “Answer the question.”
A glance passed between Halden and the younger doctor. Then she stepped forward.
“The chances of survival are relatively high,” she said carefully. “Around seventy-five percent, assuming the surgery is performed in time and there are no complications.”
Seventy-five.
Emilia felt the tightness in her chest loosen slightly. That was good.
Her gaze shifted back to the bed to Alira. Something felt off. She couldn’t explain it.
But her instincts were screaming quietly beneath the surface.
She stepped a little closer, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the Queen Mother’s face.
Too pale. Her breathing was shallow.
But that wasn’t it. Emilia’s gaze moved lower to her lips. She stilled just for a second.
Something dark lingered at the corner of Alira’s mouth. Not just blood.
Her brows furrowed, her heart skipped. And suddenly, everything clicked.
Emilia’s breath caught sharply. That’s not from an ulcer.
Her eyes widened slightly, the realisation settling deep in her chest.
- Writer
