Everything felt heavy. My body did not belong to me anymore. Somewhere distant, I heard Nonna crying, but I could not reach her through the thick fog clouding my mind. The darkness pulled at me, cold and relentless, promising an end to the pain that consumed every cell.
My fingers and lips tingled with numbness. Cold seeped into my bones despite the blanket someone had draped over me. Each shallow breath hurt.
"She is in a coma already. She does not have much time left. Take her to the healing ward now." That was Richard's voice. The pack healer. His tone carried authority that made wolves obey without question. Even dying, I recognized the command of a high-ranking wolf.
I tried to open my eyes, to tell Nonna I was sorry, but my body refused to respond. The wolfsbane I had swallowed burned through my veins like liquid silver. I felt the stretcher moving beneath me, wheels squeaking against polished floors.
"Set up the blood purification system and prepare the respirator. Move faster." Richard barked orders at the nurses. His footsteps echoed beside the stretcher.
The healing ward doors slammed shut. I drifted further into the cold. Was this death? It felt peaceful in a terrible way. My wolf whimpered somewhere deep inside, too weak to fight.
Nonna's sobs filtered through the door. "Oh Aria, what have you done to yourself?" Her voice cracked with anguish.
I wanted to tell her it would be okay. I wanted to explain why I had done this. But the darkness swallowed those thoughts before they could form into words.
Time became meaningless. Machines beeped around me. Hands touched my skin, checking vitals, inserting needles. The blood purification began. I felt the poison being drawn from my veins, slow and agonizing. My wolf stirred, fighting to survive even when I had given up.
Richard's scent surrounded me. Pine and antiseptic. His hands were steady as he worked. "Come on, Aurora. You are stronger than this. Fight it."
I wanted to fight. Some part of me, buried beneath the pain and despair, wanted to live. My wolf howled weakly, clawing her way back from the edge.
Hours passed. Or maybe minutes. I could not tell. The respirator breathed for me when my lungs forgot how. The machines kept my heart beating when it wanted to stop.
Finally, the darkness eased just enough for me to sense the world again. Not enough to wake, but enough to know I was still here. Still alive. My wolf's presence grew stronger, wrapping around me protectively.
Outside the healing ward, Nonna waited. I could feel her there, refusing to leave. That was Nonna. Loyal to the end.
When Richard finally emerged, his exhaustion hit me like a wave. Even through my semi-conscious state, I felt it. He had poured everything into saving me.
"Talk to me, Richard." Nonna's voice trembled.
"She is being stabilized, but it took everything to save her life. If she had arrived thirty minutes later, Aurora would have died. The wolfsbane poisoned her blood completely. Her nervous system was at the verge of total breakdown. The purification took hours. She has gone into a coma now. She will come around eventually, then she will need time to regain her senses. But overall, she is stable."
I heard the relief in Nonna's voice. "You saved her."
There was movement. Shuffling. Then silence stretched between them.
"I learned to believe that the man should take the first initiative." Richard's voice carried a hint of amusement despite his exhaustion.
"What are you waiting for then?" Nonna asked.
My lips would have smiled if they could move. Even dying, I could not escape my friend's romantic drama.
Their kiss was interrupted by a knock. "Doctor, the patient is developing rigors."
Richard's concern spiked immediately. "What is her blood pressure?"
"It is normal."
"She has a fever?"
"Yes. The fever is very high."
Their footsteps approached. Richard entered the healing ward, Nonna following close behind. I sensed them near my bed.
Richard's hands checked my forehead, my pulse. "The reaction is mild. She is fighting it. Thank the Moon Goddess, she is strong."
"This woman is my friend. She is more like family to me. Report any observation to me immediately. Even if it is midnight, contact me with anything you notice." Richard's protectiveness over me made my wolf stir with gratitude.
"Understood, Doctor," the nurse replied. "But sir, how can we contact the patient's relatives?"
The question hung in the air. Relatives. I had none who cared. None who would come.
Across the kingdom, in the Dante family estate, Tayo Dante sat beside her mother Selina, looking miserable.
"Everything is the matter, Mother. I cannot be second best to any man. But Alpha Jack will not even speak to me." Tayo's whining carried through their sitting room.
"Patience, my daughter. Love takes time. You must make him fall for you gradually." Selina smoothed her daughter's hair.
"But how, when he will not answer my calls? He treats me like I do not exist."
Festus Dante entered, confidence radiating from him. "We will arrange a blind date between you both. Henry Hudson has assured me his son will be my son in law. We will share grandchildren."
Tayo blushed, her complaints forgotten as she imagined becoming Alpha Jack's mate.
Back in the healing ward, my fever climbed higher. The nurse injected medication into my IV line while Richard monitored everything closely.
My wolf pushed harder against the darkness. She wanted to live. She wanted to fight. And slowly, painfully, I began to fight with her.
The battle was far from over.