After dinner, my private pack doctor came again, like he always did and checked my eyes.

“Alpha Thornhill, Dr. Peterson couldn’t make it today, so I came instead. I reviewed her records, and honestly… if she keeps taking the proper treatment, there’s a really high chance her eyesight will come back.”

I stood outside the door, quiet, listening. My chest felt heavy for no reason.

What would it even change… if I could see? Would I see him choosing her more clearly? Would I see every lie right in front of me?

Inside, there was a pause. Then Drake spoke. Calm. Flat.

“No.”

The doctor sounded confused. “No…? Alpha, I don’t think you understand. This is a good thing. She can recover, she can—”

Drake cut him off, his voice colder now. “Didn’t Peterson tell you? For the past five years, I’ve only had him prescribe the most basic tonics. Nothing more.”

The doctor went quiet. “You mean… you’ve been holding back her treatment on purpose? Alpha, that’s… that’s not right. She deserves to know. She deserves a chance.”

Drake exhaled, low and irritated. “And if she sees everything, what then? Have you thought about that? What happens to Chiara? What happens to her when the truth comes out?”

“Alpha, with all respect, your mate’s life should come first,” the doctor insisted. “You can’t just keep her in the dark because it’s convenient for you.”

“It’s not convenient. It’s balanced.” Drake’s voice dropped, dangerous now. “I’m keeping things stable. I’m protecting both of them. You don’t get to question that.”

My hand tightened around my ring. My fingers shook.

So this whole time… he knew. He knew I could’ve seen again. And he chose to keep me blind.

Why…? Was I really that easy to control? That easy to hide away?

A sharp crack echoed in my ears. I didn’t even realize I’d forced the ring off until pain shot through my finger. Blood slipped down between my fingers, warm and sticky.

I ran. I didn’t even know where, just back to my room, my whole body shaking so hard I couldn’t breathe.

I knocked into the table, and the framed wedding photo fell to the floor.

In it, Drake leaned forward, pressing a soft, sacred kiss to my forehead. His eyes were full of devotion. Like I was everything.

“Why…” I whispered, staring at it. “Why did you lie to me like this…?”

My tears hit the floor before I could stop them. And then I started laughing. Loud, broken, ugly.

“Hahaha… Drake… you’re amazing. You really are.” My stomach twisted, and I doubled over, gagging, bitter liquid rising in my throat. “You planned everything… didn’t you? Every day I am scared, confused… thinking I was broken… that was all you.”

I cried until there was nothing left. Then I picked up the photo, pulled it out of the frame, and shoved it into the shredder.

The machine chewed through it slowly, the sound sharp and final.

And it felt like something in my chest was being shredded too. Every memory, every moment, every time he said he loved me.

Gone.

“Honey… what are you doing?”

I didn’t even turn around. I just gathered the torn pieces, white and lifeless now, and dumped them into the trash.

“It’s nothing,” I said, my voice dry, empty. “Just… a corrupted file. Didn’t need it anymore.”

Drake stepped closer. “Corrupted? Let me see that.” He frowned slightly, staring at the shredded pieces. “Why does this look familiar… Chloe, what exactly did you—”

Before he could finish, the door opened.

“Drake,” Chiara’s voice came soft, gentle, like she belonged here more than I ever did.

He turned instantly. Just like that. Like I didn’t exist.

She walked in holding a bouquet of strong-scented white lilies, smiling shyly. “I brought these… I thought maybe she’d like them.”

Drake’s eyes softened right away. “You shouldn’t be walking around too much. What if something happens to you or the pup?”

“I’m fine,” she said, her voice light. “I just wanted to do something nice.”

He took the bouquet from her and turned to me, placing it in my arms. “Here. For you.”

“Happy birthday, Miss Brightman,” Chiara added softly.

The scent hit me hard. Too strong. Too suffocating. I started coughing, over and over, my chest tightening. Tears streamed down my face and I couldn’t stop them.

Drake frowned. “What’s wrong? Are you allergic? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Chiara suddenly came up behind me and covered my eyes with both hands, laughing softly like this was some kind of game.

“Come on, come on, just a few more steps,” she said, gently but firmly pushing me forward. “Don’t peek, okay? I prepared something special for you.”

I didn’t fight her. I just let myself be led. What was the point anymore?

“Alright… ready?” she said, voice bright. “Surprise!”

She let go.

And I saw it.

On the white marble table was raw meat, still dripping with blood, foam clinging to it like it hadn’t even been cleaned properly. The vegetables were burnt black, like they’d been left too long over the flame.

For a second, I just stared.

Was this a joke…? Or was I the joke?

Chiara suddenly gasped and slapped her forehead. “Oh no! I totally forgot. Miss Brightman can’t really see, right? I didn’t think about how this would look…”

She stopped mid-sentence and covered her mouth, like she realized she messed up.

Drake immediately reached for her hands, his movements quick, reassuring, signing gently to her. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Chloe won’t mind something like this. She’s not that sensitive.”

Not that sensitive.

Chiara lowered her head, her fingers trembling as she signed back. “Why does it feel like I can’t do anything right? I just wanted to do something nice for her, but I kept messing up… I’m useless.”

Drake shook his head, his expression soft, almost pained. “You’re not useless. Stop saying that. You’re doing your best, and that’s enough. You don’t need to be perfect.”

She sniffed, then looked up again. “I… I also made a mango cake for her. I thought something sweet might make her happy.”

Drake turned to me, his eyes full of that same gentle look I used to believe in. “Wife, come on. Don’t just stand there. She worked hard on it. At least try a bite, okay?”

I didn’t move. My hands clenched slowly at my sides.

I felt so tired. So, so tired.

“Drake,” I said quietly, “Do you even remember what today is?”

He froze. “What do you mean? It’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

“No. It’s not.”

There was a pause.

“It’s the day our son died,” I said. “The day the snow buried everything. The day you didn’t come back.”

His face changed. Just for a second. Regret, maybe. Or guilt. I couldn’t tell anymore.

“And… I’m allergic to mango,” I added, looking at the cake he was still holding out to me.

“Wife, I…” he started, “I didn’t know. I thought—”

“You didn’t think,” I cut in softly. “You just forgot.”

He stepped closer. “Chloe, wait. Don’t go like this. Let’s just talk, alright? You’re upset, I get it, but don’t shut me out.”

I shook my head and turned away. “I’m not upset. I’m just… done talking.”

I walked away, ignoring him calling after me, ignoring Chiara’s soft crying, ignoring the way his voice shifted when he started comforting her instead.

...

Back in my room, I shut the door and blocked everything out.

I didn’t know how long I slept. Maybe hours. Maybe longer.

A noise woke me up. Something moving downstairs. Voices, faint.

I opened my eyes slowly.

Drake was there, sitting by my bed, watching me like nothing had ever changed.

“Wife,” he said softly, his voice warm again, gentle like before. “You’re awake.”

I didn’t answer. I just stared at him.

“I made you something,” he continued, almost careful now. “Strawberry cake. Your favorite. Do you want to get up and eat a little?”

I pulled my hand away when he tried to touch me. “No. I’m not hungry.”

His hand stayed in the air for a second before dropping. He sighed. “Don’t lie to me. You’re still angry, aren’t you?”

I didn’t respond.

He leaned forward a bit. “After I finish this busy period, I’ll take you out. There’s a concert coming up, one you used to like. We can go together, just us. Would you like that?”

I turned my face away, staring at my hair falling over my shoulder. I stayed silent.

He pressed his lips together, then reached for my hand again, holding it this time. “Wife… Chiara prepared something for you. An animal show. She said she wants to apologize properly. At least go take a look, okay?”

“I don’t want to,” I said quietly.

He didn’t listen. Of course he didn’t.

Without another word, he lifted me into his arms and carried me downstairs.

The night air hit me hard. Cold. Sharp.

I was only in a thin nightgown, and my body started shaking almost immediately. But he didn’t notice. Or maybe he did, and just didn’t care enough.

I watched him walk ahead, carrying clothes in his arms.

But not for me.

For her.

He went straight to Chiara and carefully helped her into a thick protective suit, pulling it over her shoulders, adjusting it like she was something fragile. He slipped gloves onto her hands, fixed the helmet over her head, every movement slow and careful.

Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek, soft and full of affection.

“Chiara,” he said gently, “don’t push yourself too hard. You and the pup… you’re what matters most right now. Nothing else is more important than you.”

The wind carried his voice straight to me.

The moment Chiara pulled the cloth off the cage, my whole body went stiff.

Inside were two beasts. A massive bear and a shadow lynx, both fully grown, both restless, their claws scraping against the metal bars like they wanted out.

The second the cloth dropped, they froze… and then their heads snapped toward me.

“Rawrrr—”

The bear roared, low and hungry, its black eyes locking onto mine like it already chose me.

My heart dropped.

Why are they looking at me like that…?

I took a step back without thinking, my chest tightening. And then it hit me. The bouquet earlier. That weird, sharp smell.

My fingers curled slightly. No… no, don’t tell me…

I forced my voice to stay steady. “Drake… I don’t feel good. Can we just go back? Please… I don’t want to stay here.”

Before, he would’ve panicked. He would’ve carried me back himself, asked a hundred questions, made sure I was okay.

Now…

He frowned, like I was being difficult. “Chloe, don’t start this again. She’s been preparing for a long time. Can’t you just stay and watch for a bit? Don’t ruin it.”

Don’t ruin it.

I swallowed, my throat tight. “I’m not trying to ruin anything. I just… I really don’t feel well. Can’t we leave after this? Or even now?”

He sighed, clearly annoyed. “You’re overthinking. Nothing’s going to happen. Just stand there and watch, alright? It’ll be over soon.”

Watch? Me?

I almost laughed.

Chiara stepped forward, a little clumsy but trying hard, holding the control chains. “I practiced this for days,” she said softly. “I really wanted to make it up to you. Please… just give me a chance.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

The show started.

The bear and the lynx moved through the fire rings and across narrow logs, their bodies smooth and powerful, everything looking normal on the surface.

“Good, that’s it,” Chiara said nervously, pulling the chains. “Easy… easy…”

Drake clapped, smiling, his eyes fixed on her like she was the only thing in the world. “That’s great. You’re doing amazing. See? I told you you could do it.”

Not once did he look at me. Not once did he think about the fact that this whole thing was supposed to be for me. But that wasn’t even the worst part.

My breathing started to get shaky. My hands trembled more and more. Because those two beasts…

They kept looking at me.

Again and again. And every time their eyes met mine, it felt heavier. Hungrier. Like they were waiting.

I took a small step back. Then another.

I need to get out. I need to leave. Now.

No one noticed. Of course they didn’t. I was just about to slip out of their range when suddenly—

“Ah!”

Chiara screamed.

I looked up. She lost her footing on the platform, her body swaying before she fell. The chains slipped right out of her hands.

Everything went wrong in a second.

The bear and the lynx froze. Then they started roaring, wild and uncontrolled.

“Chiara!” Drake shouted, his voice breaking as he ran toward her without hesitation. “Chiara, are you hurt? Say something!”

And just like that… He left me.

The beasts turned slowly.

My breath caught. “No… wait…”

The next second, they lunged.

Everything went black and fast.

Pain exploded through my body, sharp and crushing, like my bones were being torn apart, like something was ripping me open from the inside.

“Ah—!” I screamed, my voice breaking, raw and desperate.

It hurt. It hurt so much I couldn’t even think. I collapsed, blood spreading beneath me, warm and endless.

Through blurred vision, I saw him.

Drake.

Holding Chiara tightly in his arms. Not even looking at me. Not even once.

When I opened my eyes again, everything smelled like antiseptic and cold metal. The ceiling was too white, too clean.

My chest burned. My legs felt like they’d been crushed. I let out a weak sound without meaning to.

“Hey, don’t move,” the nurse said quickly, pressing my shoulder down. “You’ve got three broken ribs and internal bleeding in your liver. You’re lucky you even made it through the night.”

I blinked slowly, trying to focus on her face.

She kept talking, like she didn’t realize every word felt heavy. “Last night was chaos. Only Dr. Jones was on duty, and another patient’s family kept insisting he treat their wife first because she’s pregnant. They were loud about it too.”

My fingers twitched slightly. Pregnant.

“But don’t worry,” she added, softer now. “That woman only had some minor injuries, so the doctor came to you right after. You got treated in time.”

Of course.

She hesitated, then asked gently, “Where’s your family? Your mate? Someone should be here with you.”

I stared at the blanket. My voice came out dry and cracked. “I don’t have anyone.”

She went quiet, and I could feel the pity in her eyes without even looking.

Then I heard voices outside.

“Drake… I’m sorry,” Chiara’s voice trembled, full of tears. “I really don’t know what happened. They were fine before. I didn’t mean for them to lose control. Miss Brightman got hurt because of me.”

Drake’s voice came right after, soft, full of concern. “Chiara, stop blaming yourself. This wasn’t your fault. You got hurt too, remember? You shouldn’t be standing around like this.”

“I don’t care about myself,” she cried. “I just… I feel so guilty. I want to apologize to her properly. I need to tell her I didn’t mean it.”

I clenched my hand. Apologize again.

Drake sighed quietly. “You’re pregnant. You shouldn’t be stressing like this. Come on, go back to your room and lie down. I’ll handle things here.”

“No, I don’t want to go,” she insisted, voice shaking more. “Please… just let me see her. I need to say sorry. I won’t feel better if I don’t.”

Something snapped in me.

I grabbed the cup beside me and threw it against the wall. It shattered loudly.

Silence outside.

Then hurried footsteps.

Drake rushed in. “Wife? What’s wrong? Do you need water? Are you in pain? Tell me, I’ll get whatever you need.”

I looked at him. Really looked at him. His eyes were full of worry, just like before. Just like always.

And suddenly… I felt tired. So tired I didn’t even want to fight anymore.

“Did you check it?” I asked quietly.

He paused. “Check what?”

“The bear and the shadow lynx. Why they suddenly went crazy. Did you look into it?”

For a second, I saw something flicker in his eyes. Then it was gone.

“It was an accident,” he said without hesitation. “Animals lose control sometimes. There’s nothing strange about it.”

I stared at him. “Nothing strange?”

He adjusted my blanket like everything was normal. “You’re overthinking again. Just focus on getting better, okay? Don’t stress yourself with things like that.”

The last bit of light inside me went out.

I watched him quietly, my chest aching in a way the injuries couldn’t explain.

Six years ago…

I remembered it so clearly. I’d gone out alone during a storm to check on a pack’s outer territory. I ended up running into a group of rogue wolves. They surrounded me, their eyes wrong, their intentions worse.

One of them grabbed me, dragged me toward the trees while the others laughed.

I was terrified. I couldn’t even fight back properly.

And then Drake came.

I still remember the look in his eyes. Pure rage.

“Touch her again,” he said coldly, his alpha voice shaking the ground, “and I’ll make sure you beg to die.”

They didn’t listen.

So he broke them.

“Leave them breathing,” he ordered his warriors, voice deadly calm. “But make sure they regret it.”

The screams lasted for hours. Blood everywhere. No mercy.

After that, every single one of them ended up dead or worse.

That was the man who protected me.

But now…

I almost died. I was torn apart right in front of him.

And he didn’t even question it. Didn’t even think for a second that something was wrong. Didn’t even look at Chiara like she could be involved.

My chest felt empty. Completely empty.

“I understand,” I said softly, turning my face away.

He went still for a moment. “Chloe…?”

Before he could say anything else, noise came from outside. Nurses rushing, voices panicked.

“Alpha!” someone called. “The Luna's condition—”

He stood up immediately. “I’ll be right back,” he said quickly. “I’ll get you something to eat too. Just wait for me, alright?”

I didn’t answer.

…

Drake never came back after he left.

I waited for a while. I don’t even know how long. My body hurt, my head felt heavy, and at some point I just… gave up and fell asleep.

Even in my sleep, it didn’t feel peaceful. My chest stayed tight, like something bad was still holding onto me.

I woke up because of pain. Sharp, stinging pain in my arm.

I looked down and saw thick bandages wrapped around it, soaked faintly with blood.

“What… what are you doing?” I asked, my voice weak.

The nurse didn’t even look up. “Changing your dressing. You just had a skin graft, so it’s going to hurt for a while. Try not to move too much.”

My mind went blank. “Skin graft…? What are you talking about?”

She paused, then looked at me like I was the strange one. “You didn’t know? The Luna in the next room had a scrape on her arm. Alpha Thornhill requested that a patch of your skin be used for her treatment.”

My ears rang.

“She just had a small injury,” the nurse went on, sighing. “But you know how it is. Different fates. Some people get worried over the tiniest scratch, and others…” She didn’t finish, but I understood.

My face went cold.

So even my body…

Even my skin… he could just take it and give it to her.

My lips trembled. It felt like I swallowed something burning. “Can you… help me transfer to another hospital?” I asked quietly.

“Transfer?” she repeated. “Why would you—”

The door opened before she could finish.

“Transfer to where?”