Nathan’s POV
No. That couldn’t be right.
My pulse thundered in my ears. I rubbed at my forehead, trying to chase away the thoughts clawing through my mind.
Maybe it wasn’t her. Maybe I was losing it. Too much stress, too many sleepless nights.
That had to be it.
I exhaled slowly, forcing the tension from my shoulders. Just as I did, movent caught my attention.
Sophia being wheeled toward , pale but composed, her gaze already locked on .
"Not heading to the exam room?" I asked, forcing my voice into sothing steady. The tone felt foreign and hollow.
Sophia’s lower lip trembled, her eyes glassy with hurt. "You left back there, Nathan. You know I hate going to the hospital alone for checkups."
Normally, I’d have reached for her hand. Said sothing soft. But right now, my chest still burned from the thought of all that just happened.
She frowned when I didn’t answer. "What’s wrong?"
Her question cut through . She followed my gaze toward the doors, but of course—there was nothing there.
"I thought I saw soone I knew," I said finally, keeping my tone cool and detached. "Guess I was wrong."
Her shoulders relaxed slightly. "Oh. Alright."
She nodded.
I stood there in silence, every instinct in still coiled tight.
My wolf’s voice was a low rumble in my mind.
She was here. That woman was our mate.
I swallowed hard, my jaw tightening.
If that really was Aria...
Why did she look so pale? So desperate? And why in the goddess’ na was there a child in her arms?
No matter how much I tried to reason with myself, the ache in my chest didn’t fade. It only grew sharper, like claws raking through my heart.
Aria’s POV
After I hurried out of the hospital, I waved frantically at a taxi until one screeched to a stop. I gave the driver my address.
"Please, go as fast as you can!" My voice trembled, my desperation bleeding through.
The taxi driver heed my instructions and in a matter of minutes, we were at the staff dorms.
I burst into the staff dorm room, clutching Lana. The lights blazed ahead.
Kara stood there, clutching a small package—the pediatric fever dicine I’d ordered online.
Her brows shot up when she saw . "Aria, why did you get fever ds? These are capsules. You need liquid ibuprofen, the kind with a dropper."
She frowned, shaking her head. "The delivery guy knocked, but you weren’t here, so I grabbed it. Is Lana running a fever?"
Before I could answer, her gaze darted to Lana. The sharp inhale that followed made my wolf twitch restlessly under my skin.
"Goddess , is she burning up bad?"Kara asked.
Kara slapped my thigh, muttering, "I didn’t see you when I got back. I figured the rain might’ve slowed you down. Wait—you took her to the hospital? Then why buy dicine separately?"
Her voice was too loud, piercing straight through my already frayed nerves. At the ntion of the hospital, the mories of what happened there clawed up in my minf.
My throat tightened.
I couldn’t go through that again. Not tonight.
"No ti to explain, kara. Please, help . You’ve raised kids. What do I do?" My voice cracked despite my effort to stay calm.
I laid Lana gently on the bed. Her tiny face was flushed, her breathing too fast. My wolf whimpered inside , pacing, restless and scared. I was tired, so tired. My knees almost gave out.
Kara was quick to catch , her grip firm. "Hey, Don’t worry! We’re coworkers. I’ve got you. Grab a basin of warm water. I’ll get so folks to help out."
She squeezed my shoulder, her warmth grounding for a heartbeat. "Don’t panic!"
I nodded, tears streaming freely now, and stumbled toward the bathroom.
By the ti I returned, kara had already knocked on nearby dorm doors. Within minutes, a small crowd filled our room.
"Goddess , a fever this high in such a tiny kid? It could ss with her brain if it doesn’t break," one woman said, her tone hushed but still cutting through like a blade.
"My great-aunt’s kid had a fever like that when he was little. Unfortunately the child didn’t make it," another added.
My heart clenched painfully. My wolf snarled low in my chest, warning them to stop, to shut up, but before I could speak, kara’s voice snapped through the tension.
"Hey! Quit scaring Aria with that talk!"
She smacked the back of the woman who’d spoken. The woman flinched, her eyes wide, then turned toward with guilt written across her face. "Aria, I didn’t an it like that. I’m just worried about Lana."
I swallowed hard and shook my head. "It’s okay," I whispered, though it wasn’t. Their words dug deep, feeding the dread already tearing at .
Inside, my wolf whimpered again—helpless, desperate and furious that I couldn’t just fix this.
Kara barked orders, rolling up her sleeves. She grabbed a clean towel, soaked it in the basin, and began wiping Lana’s body with quick, efficient strokes.
"Don’t just stand there," she ordered the others. "Pitch in!"
"Right, right!" they chorused, moving fast now.
One woman changed Lana’s diaper, another ran to the store for the right dicine, and soone else prepped a cool compress. I stood frozen for a mont, watching them move around my little girl like a makeshift pack rallying around a wounded pup.
Then kara tossed a bottle. "Aria, get so formula ready!"
Her voice brought back. I blinked, took the bottle, and forced my trembling hands to move.
As I asured the formula, I said a little prayer, "Moon Goddess, please save my child"
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