LEILA POV:
Okay, so the obvious recording trick wouldn’t work a second ti. I needed a foolproof plan to outsmart Lily. I had to give it to her—she was a genius. To trap her, I had to think outside the box and offer her exactly what she always wanted: a dead .
The idea was risky, but I was confident I could convince my doctor and nurse to play along. If I could have them declare dead, it would lure Lily out of the shadows to gloat, and that would be her breaking mont.
I waited for my doctor to make his usual rounds, heart racing at the thought of what I was about to propose.
"Hello, Luna! How are you doing today?" he asked, his tone friendly.
"I’m on the verge of life and death," I replied, watching his expression shift to one of shock.
"No, I an I want you to tell people that when they ask. I also want you to make sick—or at least seem sick," I continued, disregarding how his eyes widened with each word.
"Are you insane? Do you have a fever?" he asked, feeling my forehead for any sign of warmth.
"I’m fine, Doc. I just want to fool people into thinking I’m dead," I insisted, the urgency in my voice rising.
"Are you trying to get killed or sothing? Because if Drake finds out what you’re planning and I happen to entertain these crazy thoughts, then I’m dead—unlike you, I’ll be really dead," he said, rejecting my proposal outright.
Wow, this was going to be harder than I thought. Convincing him was going to take all the persuasive skills I had. But I was determined. Lily had to be outsmarted, and I was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.
"No, he won’t—not once he realizes this could help us find the culprit who tried to poison . I’m sure he won’t fault you for helping uncover who wanted his mate dead. Please, Dr. Harry," I pleaded, catching the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. I knew he wanted to help, but fear of Drake held him back; after all, Drake was his alpha.
"I really do want to help you, Luna, but..." He trailed off, glancing nervously at the door, ready to make a quick exit.
I acted fast, slipping out of bed and blocking his path. "Please, Doctor, if not for , then do it for the sake of my child. Help capture the person who tried to hurt him." My voice softened, desperation clear as I t his gaze.
Before Dr. Harry could respond, Drake stepped into the room. His icy gaze shifted from Harry to , and a chill settled over the room.
"What is she pleading with you about, Doctor?" he asked, his tone cold and commanding.
"Alpha..." Harry stamred, visibly shaken. My heart raced, realizing he might give away everything. I had to think fast.
Doing what I had to, I stepped in and took a shaky breath. "I’m dying, Drake," I said, voice low and trembling. "I didn’t want anyone to know... not until it beca more serious."
Drake’s eyes narrowed as he took in my words. "Dying?" he repeated, the tension thickening in the room.
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to sound as weak as possible. "Yes, Drake. I didn’t want to worry you, not after everything that’s happened." I glanced at Dr. Harry, hoping he would catch on to the plan, even if he was on the verge of betraying under Drake’s intense gaze.
Drake took a step closer, his expression a mix of anger and confusion. "Why would you keep this from ?" he demanded, his voice wavering slightly.
I hesitated, eting his eyes, a sliver of pain rising in my chest. "Because I know how hard it is for you to trust . And I didn’t want this to be just another reason for you to look at with suspicion. I wanted to handle it myself."
Drake’s gaze softened for a mont, but only for a mont. "You know I could have helped you," he said, his voice tight. "I’m not heartless, Leila."
"Maybe not," I replied quietly, letting the words linger, "but you need to understand, it’s hard to let soone close who sees as a constant threat. I couldn’t take another round of questions."
Dr. Harry cleared his throat, his hands visibly shaking. "Alpha, Luna’s... condition is serious. We’re monitoring her closely, but she insisted on keeping it private."
Drake finally pulled his gaze from to look at the doctor. "Just how serious is this condition, Dr. Harry?"
I shot a pleading look at Harry, hoping he would keep up the charade just long enough. He nodded slightly, visibly gathering his nerves as he replied, "It’s... it’s touch-and-go, Alpha. We’re still not entirely sure how everything will turn out, and Luna thought it best not to alarm anyone unnecessarily."
Drake’s jaw clenched, and he turned back to . "You think so little of that you wouldn’t let know sothing this important?"
I inhaled sharply, glancing down and choosing my words carefully. "You’d be right here if you were on my side, Drake, trying to figure out who did this. I was poisoned—I didn’t just take that wolfsbane willingly. But it feels like I’m alone in proving that."
For a mont, silence filled the room, and I saw a crack in Drake’s expression, a hint of doubt, maybe even guilt. Then he shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Harry. "Doctor, I want an update on her condition by tomorrow morning. Full details. No more hiding anything." He turned to leave, but paused, his hand on the doorknob. "Leila... I’ll be back."
The door clicked shut, and I finally exhaled, turning to Dr. Harry. He looked at with a mixture of disbelief and reluctant respect. "Alright, Luna. I’ll help you with this... but you’d better be careful. This is a risk I’d only take for soone who’s genuinely fighting for the right thing."
I nodded, my heart pounding with a new determination. "Thank you, Dr. Harry. I know it’s a risk, but I can’t let her get away with this."
He gave a small nod. "Then let’s start with phase one."
DRAKE POV:
I could barely believe what I’d just heard. Leila—my mate—was dying, and she wanted to keep it from . A storm of emotions surged within ; I wanted to hit sothing, to scream, to do anything to release the frustration and hurt clawing at my chest. But I had to hold myself together, at least until I got out of that room.
The mont I stepped outside, I shifted and bolted into the forest, running as fast as my body could carry . The air stung my lungs, but it was nothing compared to the ache of knowing she was slipping away, slowly, and I was powerless to stop it. Were we so broken that she couldn’t trust with this? That she would hide sothing like this from ?
The world around blurred as I tore through the woods, my wolf racing faster than I’d ever pushed it before. The chill air bit against my skin, my paws pounding over rough terrain, but none of it could match the gnawing pain in my chest. Dying. The word echoed in my mind like a death sentence. How could Leila, my mate, be so close to the end and yet keep it hidden? Were we that far gone?
I felt the urge to howl, to let the world know of this betrayal, this heartbreak. She planned to die with things left unresolved between us. Every fight, every accusation, every mont of distrust—it all felt aningless now. Just raw, jagged mories that had driven us apart when I should have been closer to her than ever.
When I could finally run no further, I stopped, panting, my claws digging into the ground as if that could keep my heart from breaking apart. I was the one who had always been by her side; she had to know that, didn’t she? Sure, we’d had our issues, but I never would’ve walked away, not when her life was on the line.
Taking a few steady breaths, I shifted back, falling to my knees on the cold earth. "Goddess, what have I done?" My voice was barely a whisper, lost in the vastness of the forest. My mind raced back through every fight, every cold exchange. Was I so focused on my anger, on my pride, that I couldn’t see her suffering? I couldn’t protect her when she needed most.
But there was no ti for guilt, not now. I had to be there for Leila, to prove that I was in this for her, for us, no matter how things had spiraled. I had to push past the hurt, to look beyond the anger, because she needed . And even if she wasn’t sure of now, even if she didn’t trust as she once had, I’d show her that I was here—that I wouldn’t let her face this alone.
Our son needed her. I needed her.
After nearly losing her once, the thought of losing her again—and for good this ti—cut deeper than I’d imagined possible. I felt the urge to go feral, to let the anger and pain consu . But one thing kept grounded: our son. He couldn’t lose his mother, and going nuts. He needed to stay strong, to stay sane, even if Leila and I were worlds apart right now. She needed , too, whether she wanted to admit it or not.
Did she plan on leaving while things were still unresolved? Was she willing to die with all this distance between us?
The thought of her slipping away without making things right shattered sothing in . I had to find a way to reach her before it was too late—before she shut out completely.
I rose slowly, grounding myself in that truth. Whatever had happened, whatever twisted misunderstanding we had, they ant nothing now. I’d do anything to keep her here, to make her believe in us again.
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