Chapter 8
ELODIE’S POV~
“Why the fuck haven’t you started the engine yet?!” he bellowed, his voice trembling with panic. “My mate is hurting, do you hear me?! She’s hurting and something bad might happen to her if you waste another second! Move, damn it p>
His fury rattled the air, but all I could hear was the sharp ringing in my ears, constant and merciless. My vision dimmed by the second, dark spots swallowing everything in front of me. It felt like my body wasn’t mine anymore…like piece by piece, I was slipping away. My soul was tearing loose, leaving me behind in a shell that barely breathed.
A paramedic’s voice broke through, desperate and shaking. “Please, Alpha Calhoun,” he begged respectfully, almost fearfully, “someone is dying here. Let’s get this one first, please p>
But he didn’t even get to finish.
“Shut the fuck up!” Calhoun snapped. “You will take my mate to the hospital first before whoever the hell is in that car. Do you understand me p>
That was the last thing I heard. His words carved into me like a blade. Whoever was in that car… that “whoever was me.
My head dropped back against the leather seat, heavy, useless. My lashes fluttered once, twice, before everything gave out and black swallowed me whole.
What came after was nothing but nightmares. Fire coursed through my veins. My chest heaved as I choked on air that never reached my lungs. I clawed against shadows in my sleep, begging to be freed, writhing in pain as if unseen hands were burning me alive.
Then, out of nowhere, I gasped. My eyes flew open, wide, a single tear sliding down my cheek.
And there,beside me, was a figure, her shoulders shaking as she cried. My heart skipped.
“Elodie she whispered, broken, her face crumpling as she lifted her head.
It was Mila.
She jumped to her feet, bursting into tears all over again. “Oh, my darling, look at you,” she wept, clutching the bedrail as if her legs might give out. “I thought I had lost you. You lost so much blood, Elodie. So much p>
I blinked, dazed. Surely I was hallucinating. Surely the fever in my veins was playing tricks. “Mila?” I croaked, my voice raw and unrecognizable. “Mila… is that you p>
Her head bobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she nodded. “Yes. It’s me. It’s really me p>
And that was it. The fragile wall I had built inside me shattered. I burst into tears, sobs tearing through my chest so violently that every rib ached. Pain lanced through my body with each breath, but I couldn’t stop. Mila bent over me, wrapping me in the gentlest embrace, her lips pressing against my damp forehead again and again as she rocked me.
“Shh… I’ve got you,” she whispered through her own sobs. “I’ve got you, my love. You’re safe now. You’re safe p>
Her words blurred into the sound of my crying until, at last, I grew too weak to fight the exhaustion. My sobs quieted, leaving behind only the hollow ache in my chest. Mila peeled herself gently away, wiping her wet cheeks with trembling hands before sinking into the chair beside my bed.
She took my wired hands into hers, her thumbs tracing soothing circles over the bruised skin. Her eyes red and swollen, looked into mine as her lips trembled.
“I heard about the accident the moment I landed back in the Pack,” she whispered, voice cracking. “Elodie… they said you bled and bled, and the doctors Her voice broke, and she pressed my hand harder. “They said you were almost gone. I…I was so scared. I thought I’d lost you forever p>
I forced a smile to my lips, though it felt like ripping a wound open. My memories flooded back uninvitedly to the sight of Calhoun clutching Carmela to his chest, his voice fierce and desperate only for her. His order echoing in my skull: ‘You will take my mate to the hospital first before whoever the hell is in that car p>
That “whoever” was me.
“I’m fine,” I lied, the words bitter as ash on my tongue. My lips trembled. “I… I’ll be fine p>
But my chest tightened so hard it hurt. The image of his arms around her, his panic only for her, replayed again and again until it drowned me. My smile cracked, my voice breaking. “I… I had The words wouldn’t come, swallowed by the lump in my throat.
Mila’s tears fell faster, dropping onto my hand as she rubbed it gently, her touch desperate, as though she could keep me anchored by sheer will. “Oh, Elodie she whispered.
And all I could do was stare at the ceiling, drowning in the hollow truth that I was nothing more than whoever was in that car.
Time passed by. Mila had helped me sip some soup earlier, spoonful after spoonful, her voice reassuring me that I’d be fine. The warmth should have comforted me, but it barely reached my chest. Even water slid down my throat like stones. She tried so hard to fill the silence with hope, but inside me, everything was hollow.
Then her tone shifted.
“Hey,” she murmured, almost too softly, but I heard it. “Can we talk a little? How’s Calhoun? I mean… your relationship with him. Has he been nice with you? How’s it going p>
The little appetite I had vanished instantly. The half-finished soup suddenly tasted bitter on my tongue. My chest tightened so painfully I thought I’d choke on air. I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away, acting as though her question meant nothing.
“He’s been great,” I said flatly, forcing each word out like it wasn’t stabbing me. “Our relationship is strictly professional now. As for us… there’s nothing. We’re done. We have nothing to do with each other p>
For a heartbeat, Mila’s eyes widened in surprise, but she masked it quickly, rolling her eyes like she didn’t buy it.
“Very good then,” she said with a huff. “If you’re done with him, then onto the next. Look at you, hurt but still gorgeous. This plump ass of yours? Alphas would drool. All you need to do is show the world you’re single, unmated, and boom, watch the magic happen. I’m telling you, Elodie, I’m hooking you up with someone. Don’t you worry. Who knows? Your mate might be right around here p>
A small, unwilling smile tugged at the corner of my lips at her silliness, just for a second, but the sound of the ward door slamming open ripped it away.
Calhoun stormed in, his eyes murderous, his presence swallowing the air whole. My breath caught, but I kept my expression neutral, even as his gaze locked on Mila with enough venom to burn her. She didn’t flinch. She just glared right back.
His voice was low, but thunderous. “What’s the meaning of what you just said? You will not hook her up with anyone. Those men aren’t worthy to breathe near her. They just want to fuck her and then dump her for their real mates. Elodie is mine to protect, and I won’t have her thrown to wolves who’ll use and discard her p>
Mila scoffed, leaning back like his fury was nothing. “Dude, please. Relax. There are still good men out there. All she needs is to go out, meet people, and maybe…just maybe…she’ll find her mate. Fate works in mysterious ways. And besides… why do you care? Why does it matter who she’s with? Not everyone is like you, Calhoun. Not everyone plays with two women’s emotions at once. Blind as a bat, with no real taste in partners p>
A vein ticked at his temple, his jaw clenching so tightly it looked painful. His voice snapped. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you ever try to force her into some meaningless feelings for these men. If you do, Mila…you’ll answer to me p>
Before Mila could retort, I broke in. “Alpha Calhoun, do you need something? Don’t mind Mila… she’s only joking p>
“I’m not joking,” Mila muttered stubbornly beside me.
But he ignored her completely. His eyes shifted back to me, unreadable. He opened his mouth, then stopped, swallowing whatever he’d wanted to say. When he finally spoke, his tone was clipped. “I came to make sure Mila gets home safely to her family. And… to check on you p>
I forced a bitter smile and nodded faintly. “Thank you p>
Mila moved quickly, almost shielding me. She placed a hand on his chest and pushed him gently but firmly toward the door. “Alright, time for you to go. Elodie needs rest, not more drama p>
He resisted at first, reluctant, his gaze still fixed on me like he was trying to memorize every detail. But finally, he let himself be ushered out. Mila slammed the door behind him with more force than necessary, leaving the silence to thicken again.
When she came back to me, she sighed, her eyes softening. “Don’t mind him, El. I know he seems cold, even cruel sometimes, but deep down? That man genuinely cares for you. More than he wants to admit p>