Astrid's POV.
When I finally opened my eyes, it was morning. I blinked slowly, trying to shake off the lingering grogginess. I felt a little better, though still lightheaded.
The sedative had done its job, lulling me into a deep sleep, but now something felt off. The room was eerily quiet, and the silence gnawed at me.
I turned my head to the side, expecting to see someone—anyone—but the room was empty. Dane wasn’t here.
Beta Ivar had promised to explain everything to him, to clear up the misunderstanding, so why wasn’t he here? Why hadn’t he come to see me?
An uneasy feeling settled in my chest, tightening with each passing second. The suffocating silence pressed down on me, amplifying my worries.
Maybe Dane had just stepped out for a moment, gone to get something, or maybe he was busy.
But no matter how I tried to rationalise it, I couldn’t shake the dread that something was wrong.
My thoughts began to race, each one more frantic than the last. Had Dane refused to listen to Ivar? Was he still angry, too hurt to come to me?
The door creaked open just as my thoughts began to spiral, and a nurse entered, carrying a tray in her hands.
She moved with practised act, checking my infusion and replacing the fluid with a calm, steady hand.
Her presence was a small comfort, a brief distraction from the gnawing worry that had taken root in my mind.
"Please, may I ask," I began, my voice barely above a whisper, "Have you seen anyone? Was Dane here while I was asleep?"
The nurse paused, her eyes meeting mine with a softness that told me she already knew the answer would hurt.
She shook her head slowly, and I felt my heart sink, the last thread of hope unravelling.
"No, Alpha Dane has not been to the hospital today," she replied gently, her voice tinged with sympathy.
Her eyes lingered on mine for a moment longer, and then she offered me a reassuring smile, though it did little to ease the ache in my chest.
"I’m sure he will come around to visit you soon. He must have a lot on his plate right now, but believe me, he loves you.”
“We all saw it. When you were hurt, he rushed you in here, cradling you against his chest. He was frantic, pleading in tears for your life to be saved. He cried, he was in so much pain. He’ll come around; just give him time."
I nodded, trying to hold on to her words, hoping they were true. Maybe he was just busy, maybe he needed time to process everything.
But no matter how much I tried to convince myself, the emptiness inside me only seemed to grow.
The nurse finished cleaning my stitches, adjusted the IV stand, and then quietly left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I rested my head back against the bed, trying to find some comfort in the silence, but it only seemed to amplify my worries.
Maybe Dane needed help, maybe he needed space, or maybe he just needed rest. But as the seconds turned into minutes and the minutes into hours, there was still no sign of him.
The anticipation gnawed at me, each passing moment feeling like an eternity.
Finally, the impatience became unbearable. I couldn’t just lie there any longer, waiting for something that might never happen.
I threw off the covers and slowly stood from the bed, wincing as I pulled the IV from my arm.
My body protested, still weak from the ordeal, but I pushed through the discomfort.
I grabbed the fresh clothes that had been left for me by the nurses and hastily put them on, the fabric clinging awkwardly to my still-healing wounds.
With a determined breath, I dashed out the door, my head kept low and my feet moving quickly, desperate to avoid any unwanted attention.
I didn’t want to be stopped, not now, not when I was so close to finding Dane and setting things right.
But as fate would have it, I wasn’t as invisible as I’d hoped. Just as I rounded a corner, I bumped straight into someone, nearly knocking the wind out of myself in the process.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered, my voice shaky as I tried to sidestep and continue on my way.
“Luna Astrid,” a familiar voice called out, freezing me in place. I turned slowly, my heart pounding as I recognized who it was.
There was no point in running; doing so would only draw more attention and cause a scene. I had been caught, and now I had to face the consequences of my actions.
“Doctor Miles,” I said, trying to keep a wide, reassuring smile on my face.
He looked at me with a curious expression. “Where are you going?” he asked.
I glanced around nervously, unable to hold his gaze. “I’m just heading out to grab some food. You know, from the vending machine,” I said, my voice trembling slightly as I spoke.
Doctor Miles pointed in the opposite direction of where I was heading. “The vending machine is that way, but you’re going the other way. Don’t try to deceive me, Luna Astrid. What’s really going on?”
Realizing my attempt to lie had failed and that I was not convincing at all, I felt a wave of panic. I dropped to my knees, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
“Please, Doctor Miles, you have to keep this quiet,” I begged.
“I need to meet someone who has misunderstood something crucial. If I don’t clear things up with him, it could ruin our relationship completely. I didn’t have any other option but to sneak out to fix this. Please, don’t tell anyone.”
“But you’re still recovering; you need to rest,” Doctor Miles said, his voice firm yet concerned. “Every time you leave the hospital, you’re putting yourself at risk.”
“I really don’t care anymore,” I said, frustration evident in my tone. “All I need is to see Dane. Please, just let me go this once.” I was almost pleading now, desperate for his understanding.
Doctor Miles sighed deeply, clearing his throat. He folded his arms behind his back and took a moment to consider my request before finally nodding. “Fine,” he said, his voice softening. “Just be careful.”
With a sigh of relief, I watched as he walked away. I quickly got to my feet and hurried down the hospital corridors, my heart racing with urgency. As soon as I was outside, I flagged down a cab on the street and instructed the driver to head straight to the pack house.
*****
When I arrived at the pack house, I burst through the doors, eager to find Dane. I searched frantically through every room—my own, his, and the others—only to find them all empty. My anxiety grew with each door I opened and found no sign of him.
As I was about to start another round of searching, I spotted Beta Ivar down the hall. Relief washed over me as I approached him.
“Hey, Beta Ivar! I was just about to look for you,” I said, my voice tinged with both relief and urgency.
“Luna Astrid!” Beta Ivar exclaimed, his face showing a mix of surprise and worry. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the hospital?”
“I came to find Dane,” I explained, trying to catch my breath. “He wasn’t at the hospital, and I had no choice but to leave and look for him here. Please, have you seen him?”
“I tried to speak with the Alpha yesterday,” Beta Ivar said, his voice tinged with regret.
“But every time I tried to bring up your name, he dismissed me immediately. He retreated to his private study and instructed that no one be allowed to see him. I’m really sorry I haven’t been able to keep my promise.”
I gave him a brief nod in acknowledgment, my mind racing as I sprinted toward Dane’s private study.
Without waiting for an invitation, I flung open the door and entered the room. Dane looked up from his desk, his face darkening with a scowl.
“Why are you here, Astrid?” he asked, his voice as cold as his expression. “I don’t recall you being discharged from the hospital.”
“I need to explain everything,” I said urgently, my voice trembling.
“What you saw was a misunderstanding. I swear by the goddess, it was just a bad angle. I pushed him away as soon as he hugged me. There’s nothing between Halfdan and me. Please, just let me explain.”
Before I could continue, Dane slammed a book onto the table, his frustration evident. He stood up abruptly, cutting me off with his harsh response.
“I don’t remember asking for any of this,” he said sarcastically. Without another word, he stormed past me, his anger palpable.
Desperately, I grabbed his arm, causing him to stop and turn to face me. “Please, Dane, you have to believe me. If you would just listen to me, where is the love you promised me?” I pleaded, tears welling up in my eyes.
He wrenched his arm away from my grasp, his frown deepening.
“The love?” Dane repeated, his voice filled with bitter anger.
“What is love, really? Where was the love when you lied to me? Where was the love when you couldn’t trust me? And where was the love when you hid the fact that you were pregnant with Halfdan’s child?”
His last words hit me like a cold, hard slap. My eyes widened in shock and disbelief as I processed what he had just said.
“What?!” I exclaimed, my voice cracking with a mix of confusion and horror.