KAEL’S POV
I stood outside the hospital room with my arms crossed, my back against the cold stone wall, watching the door as if it might burst open at any moment.
The hallway was silent except for the occasional footsteps of passing nurses, their eyes dropping to the floor whenever they caught sight of me.
I didn’t care.
My mind was elsewhere.
On her.
On the state she’d been in when I found her—the burns on her face, the cuts on her arms, the haunted look in her eyes.
I paced back and forth, my boots echoing against the marble floor.
At last, the door creaked open.
The pack doctor stepped out, exhaustion etched across his face.
He bowed his head slightly as he approached.
“Alpha.”
“How is she?” I asked.
My pack doctor, Merrick, straightened and folded his hands behind his back.
“Luna Lyra is stable, but her body is severely exhausted.
She’s suffered significant blood loss and trauma from a recent miscarriage.”
I blinked.
“A miscarriage?”
“Yes, Alpha.
It happened very recently.” Merrick chose his words carefully.
“The miscarriage appears to have been triggered by severe physical trauma and stress, compounded by malnutrition.”
My jaw tightened.
“Malnutrition?”
“She hasn’t been eating properly.
Her body is depleted of essential nutrients.
Combined with everything else she’s endured, it’s a miracle she’s still conscious.”
I processed his words, my hands curling into fists at my sides.
“And the cuts?” I asked.
“The burns?”
The doctor hesitated.
“The cuts on her arms and wrists are superficial.
They’ll heal with proper care.
However…” He paused.
“The chemical splashed onto her face caused burns.
Those injuries will take longer to heal, and there may be some scarring.”
My blood ran cold.
“Someone threw a chemical at her?
Deliberately?”
Merrick nodded grimly.
“Based on the pattern of the burns, it appears intentional.
We’re still waiting for the final analysis, but the substance clearly damaged her skin.”
Holy Moon Goddess.
Who could do something like that to her?
“And her eyes?” I asked immediately.
“Whoever treated her first did the right thing.
Her eyes were irrigated quickly, which likely prevented deeper damage.”
His expression grew more serious.
“The chemical damaged the outer layer of both corneas.
For now, her vision will be blurred, and she’ll be extremely sensitive to light.”
He paused before adding, “The good news is that the damage appears limited to the surface.
If her eyes continue to heal as expected, there’s a very good chance her vision will recover fully.
It will just take time.”
“Who did this to her?” I wondered aloud.
The doctor lowered his gaze.
“I’m sorry, Alpha.
Only Luna Lyra can tell you what happened.”
I nodded slowly, forcing myself to stay calm.
I waved him away.
“Leave us.”
He bowed and walked off.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
She lay in bed, her small frame almost swallowed by the white sheets.
The moment she noticed me, she tried to sit up, but I raised a hand.
“Lie back.”
She froze, then settled against the pillows.
I slipped my hands into my pockets and studied her carefully.
Her face was the worst of it.
Angry red burns covered one cheek and trailed down toward her jaw.
Her eyes were barely open, the skin around them swollen and raw.
Her lips were cracked, her hair tangled and matted against her forehead, and both wrists were wrapped in bandages.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
She wrapped her arms around herself.
“I’m fine.”
I didn’t believe her.
Not for a second.
“I’ll have the maids bring you a change of clothes and a proper meal.”
Her eyes flickered.
“I’m not hungry.”
I gave her a look.
Her resolve crumbled.
“Fine.” She looked down.
“I’ll eat a little.”
I nodded and turned toward the door.
Then a thought struck me.
“Mind telling me what happened to your eyes?” I asked, looking back at her.
She went quiet.
The silence stretched between us.
“It’s fine.
You don’t have to tell me.”
I was about to leave when her voice stopped me.
“Isopropyl alcohol.”
I froze.
“My ex-husband’s mistress,” she continued, barely above a whisper.
“She splashed it on my face.”
I turned the ring over my knuckle again and again, forcing myself to stay calm.
Slowly, I turned back to face her.
“Do you have your ID?”
She blinked in confusion.
“Yes.
But why…?”
I cut her off.
“To register our marriage, of course.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CASSIAN’S POV
The phone rang against my ear for what felt like the hundredth time.
Still nothing.
I hit redial again, my jaw so tight I thought my teeth might crack.
“The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.” The automated voice was the final straw.
I hurled the phone against the wall.
The screen shattered on impact, glass scattering across the marble floor.
My beta, Darius, cautiously stepped forward with a glass of whiskey.
“That’s the third phone you’ve broken in the last few hours, Alpha.” He set it on the desk.
“You need to calm down.”
My gamma, Jared, leaned against the window with his arms crossed.
“You know Lyra.
She’ll come back once she’s had time to cool down.
She’s probably just upset.
Give her some space.”
“Exactly.” Darius nodded.
“The woman practically worships the ground you walk on.
She wouldn’t really leave for good, would she?”
I tilted my head back and drained the whiskey in one swallow.
It burned on the way down, but did nothing to put out the fire in my chest.
I ripped off my tie and tugged at my collar, suddenly feeling suffocated.
“You think so?”
“Of course.” Jared shrugged.
“She’s loved you since…”
“Cassian…”
Darius’s voice cut through the room.
He was scrolling through his phone, his expression shifting from casual curiosity to something more serious.
“Bloodmoon Pack’s Alpha is getting married at the end of this week.”
I frowned.
“Alpha Kael?
The business tycoon?”
“The one and only.”
Jared straightened.
“Isn’t he terminally ill?
I heard he’s been sick for months.
How can he get married in that condition?”
Darius shrugged.
“Maybe he finally found his mate.
Fate has a twisted sense of humor sometimes.”
“I thought no one would want to stay by his side.
Mate or not.” Jared chuckled darkly.
“What woman in her right mind would marry a dying man?”
“You underestimate the power of money and influence, my friend.” Darius smirked.
“A dying billionaire is still a billionaire.
Some women will put up with anything for access to that kind of wealth.”
“Even widowhood?” I asked.
“Especially widowhood.” Darius turned his phone toward me.
“A few years of playing nurse, and they walk away with a fortune.
Not a bad deal for some.”
I stared at the screen.
The headline read: BLOODMOON ALPHA KAEL HART TO WED MOONVEIL BRIDE IN BID TO WARD OFF BAD LUCK.
My blood ran cold.
“Moonveil?” Jared’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t that Lyra’s pack?”
Darius laughed.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking about Lyra right now.”
Jared shook his head.
“There’s no way a man like Alpha Kael would be involved with a woman like Lyra.
She’s…” He hesitated.
“She’s what?” I pressed.
He didn’t answer.
I scoffed.
“You’re right.
She can’t even have a child anymore.
The Hart family would never allow her into their bloodline.
She’s damaged goods.”
“Then what are you worried about?” Jared asked.
“We all know she can’t move on that easily.”
I didn’t answer.
I reached for the landline on my desk instead.
“What are you doing?” Darius asked.
“Making a call.” I dialed my assistant’s number.
“If someone from Moonveil is getting married, then the Moonveil Alpha and his family are expected to attend.
Protocol requires it.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed.
“So you’re saying Lyra would be there?”
I laughed, a cold, hollow sound.
“Where else would she be?
She has nowhere else to go.”
The line connected.
“Sir?” my assistant answered.
“Prepare for a trip to Bloodmoon Pack.” I leaned back in my chair, a slow smile spreading across my face.
“We’re attending a wedding.”