RHEA’S POV I took Garrett’s phone from his outstretched hand, my fingers trembling so violently I nearly dropped the device.
I needed to know.
I had to be completely certain that Maya and my sweet little boy, Elias, were safe and they had gotten to the safehouse.
Maya and I had prepared it two years ago in case of an emergency.
I stepped away from Garrett and began pacing back and forth down the quiet stone hallway, the cold floor biting through my legs.
Every loud, ring from the speaker made my heart pound wildly against my ribs with pure, suffocating anxiety.
“…Hello?” Maya’s voice finally came through the speaker, choked with faint, crackling sounds.
Before she could even say another word, I heard a high-pitched, excited shout in the background.
Elias was screaming at the top of his lungs, begging his auntie to hand over the phone so he could talk to his mommy.
Tears burned the corner of my eyes, but I quickly caught myself and glanced nervously over my shoulder toward Garrett.
He was sitting further down the hall with his head resting back against the stone wall, trying to give me space, but I knew better than to relax completely.
Even though I wasn’t a true werewolf with a functioning wolf spirit, I knew all too well how perfectly sharp their supernatural hearing could be.
A single slip-up, a single mention of a child carrying the Thorne bloodline mark, and my entire life would blow apart.
I turned my back to the hallway, ducking into a shadowy window alcove to hide my voice.
“Maya, are you at the house?” I whispered frantically.
“Are both of you okay?
Is Elias safe?” “We made it, Rhea,” Maya breathed out, letting out a long, shuddering sigh of relief over the static.
“We’re safe inside.
The bag was packed just like you said, and we slipped out before those men even came back around the block.
But Rhea, where are you?
When are you coming back?
We’ve been sitting here waiting for your call all night.” I turned my head slightly to look out the high stone window at the end of the corridor.
The snow was piling up higher than ever, blowing across the northern peaks in blinding white sheets.
Kael was right, the storm was only going to get worse as the night dragged on.
The mountain passes were rapidly freezing over.
If I wanted to turn my back on this pack, slip out the side gates, and run straight back to my family, right now was my only window of opportunity before the roads were buried completely.
“I…
I can’t leave yet, Maya,” I choked out, my voice cracking as I pressed my numb, aching palm flat against the freezing glass of the window pane.
“They’re dying here.
The Alpha’s wounds tore open, the corruption is spreading, and their healers don’t know how to treat it.
I just can’t leave them alone.” There was a long, heavy silence on the other end of the line.
I could practically see Maya shaking her head on the other side of the phone.
She muttered something under her breath about my overbearing, self-sacrificing doctor instincts, but when she spoke again, her tone was soft and full of warm concern.
“You never could walk away from helping people, could you?
Just promise me you’ll stay safe, Rhea.
Elias and I will stay here until you call us again.” “I promise,” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut.
“I love you both so much.” I ended the call and took a deep, steadying breath.
A massive, suffocating weight seemed to lift off my tired shoulders as I walked back down the corridor.
My mind was finally at peace knowing my son was far away from Darius’s men and warm inside the hidden house.
Garrett looked up as I approached, taking his phone back with a curious glint dancing in his bright eyes.
“So…” he started casually, leaning his hands on his knees.
“Was that your husband?” Heat immediately flashed up my neck and spread across my cheeks, burning hot against my tired skin.
“What?
No,”I answered quickly, shaking my head in embarrassment as I wiped my hands on my trousers.
“No, absolutely not.
It was not my husband.” The sudden image of Kael standing tall in the freezing forest, shouting at the top of his lungs to a dozen armed warriors that I was his fated mate came back into my mind immediately.
My heart skipped a beat against my ribs.
I cleared my throat loudly, desperate to change the subject before Garrett could pry any further into my personal life.
“I need to go back inside and check on Kael,” I murmured, turning on my heel and pushing through the heavy double doors of the master suite.
To my pleasant surprise, the room had settled into a quiet, orderly rhythm.
The group of young healers had followed my instructions completely.
They had thoroughly cleaned his skin, disinfected the wound and wrapped clean, dry bandages firmly around Kael’s wide chest to keep the pressure steady over the stitches I had done.
“You all did a wonderful job,” I said to them warmly, stepping up to the side of the bed and offering them a genuine, gentle smile.
“Honestly, you are very fast learners.” Garrett’s mother, Lady Vanya, stepped forward from the bedside table, wiping her hands on a clean towel as she interrupted us.
“They only managed to do well because of your clear, patient teaching, Dr.
Clara,” she said, her voice dripping with authority and quiet strength.
She turned her stern, unyielding gaze toward the young healers standing near the foot of the bed.
The young woman who had screamed at me earlier immediately hung her head, her cheeks flushing bright red in embarrassment.
“And these young ones owe you an apology for the way they spoke to you earlier ,” Lady Vanya continued firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.
“They acted disgracefully.
They treated you with disrespect when you attempted to save our Alpha.” I quickly waved my hands in the air, trying to reduce the rising tension.
“Oh, please, there is truly no need for that,” I reassured them softly, looking at the young female healer with an understanding expression.
“It is completely natural to be scared of a stranger, especially in the middle of a crisis.
I have worked in human hospital wards for years, and I have encountered hostile family members many times before.
I know your anger didn’t come from cruelty.
It came from a place of deep love, panic, and worry for your Alpha.” Lady Vanya shook her head firmly, setting her jaw with resolve.
“That is still no excuse, Doctor.
Understanding their fear does not mean we excuse their manners.
Regardless of their panic, they were rude and hostile to a brave woman who risked her own life, walked through a freezing blizzard, and stood up to our Elders just to keep our Alpha breathing.
You deserve respect in this house, Dr.
Clara, and as long as I am standing here, you will have it.”