Chapter 138: Chapter 138 Sister To Sister Conversation
SOPHIA’S POV
We walked through the garden until we found a gazebo near the pool and badminton net, away from the noise of the party.
The space was lit by soft string lights.
Dahlia sat on one of the benches, and I took the seat across from her. For a long mont, neither of us spoke.
Finally, Dahlia broke the silence.
"George sent you to convince
to give up dicine, didn’t he?" She looked at
directly. "To tell
that family duty cos first, that I should marry well and forget about my ’little hobby.’"
"No," I said firmly. "That’s not why I’m here."
"Then why are you here?" Dahlia’s eyes were filled with anger. "Because I’m telling you right now, dicine isn’t just so phase I’m going through. It’s my passion. It’s what I want to do with my life. And marriage?" She laughed bitterly. "Marriage is not part of my plan. Not now, maybe not ever. I won’t give up my dreams just because Mother thinks a woman’s only value is in making a good match."
I recognized that fire in her eyes. I’d felt it myself once, before years of compromise and sacrifice had dimd it.
"I’m not here to tell you to give up dicine," I said gently. "If anything, I’m here to tell you the opposite, to fight for it”
Dahlia looked surprised. "But... you’re part of the Stone family. Aren’t you supposed to support Mother’s traditional values?"
"I’m barely part of this family anymore," I said with a sad smile. "The divorce papers are signed. Soon I’ll just be Ashley’s mother and nothing more to the Stones. Which ans I can tell you the truth without worrying about family politics."
"What truth?"
"That you should absolutely pursue dicine, that you’re brilliant and capable and exactly the kind of person who should be a doctor." I leaned forward. "But I also need to be honest with you, it won’t be easy. As a mber of the Stone family, people will have expectations. They’ll judge you harder, expect you to fail, whisper about how you’re neglecting your ’real duties’ for your career."
"I don’t care what people think," Dahlia said fiercely.
"You say that now but when it’s your own family saying it? When it’s the pack elders questioning your choices? When it’s potential mates walking away because they want a traditional Luna?" I looked at her. "It wears on you. Trust ."
Dahlia was quiet for a mont. Then she said sothing that shocked .
"I want to specialize in obstetrics." She said.
My breath caught. "Obstetrics?"
"Yes." Dahlia’s voice softened. "Because of you, actually. Do you rember when you gave birth to Ashley?"
How could I forget? I’d nearly died. I rembered everything - the complications, the blood loss, the terror of thinking I wouldn’t survive to et my daughter.
"I rember," I said quietly.
"I was there. Not in the room, but in the waiting area with the rest of the family." Dahlia’s eyes were distant, like she was rembering. "I heard the nurses rushing, heard the doctor calling for ergency equipnt. And I saw Damien’s face when they told him you might not make it. I saw George crying. I saw everyone falling apart."
She looked at
directly now.
"And then, hours later, when they finally said you were stable and Ashley was healthy, I saw the relief, the joy. But also the haunted look in your eyes when they let you hold her. you looked like you’d stared death in the face and barely made it back."
Tears burned at my eyes. I’d never known Dahlia had been paying such close attention.
"I never want another woman to go through that fear," Dahlia said passionately. "I want to be the kind of doctor who can prevent those complications, who can save mothers and babies both, who can make sure families don’t have to wait in terror wondering if their loved one will survive."
The passion in her voice reminded
of myself years ago, before life had beaten that optimism out of .
"That’s a beautiful goal," I said. "And you’ll be amazing at it."
"You really think so?"
"I know so." I wiped at my eyes "You have the passion, the intelligence, and now the motivation. That combination is rare. Don’t let anyone take it from you."
Before Dahlia could respond, two young won appeared at the edge of the gazebo. They were both dressed in stunning cocktail dresses.
"Dahlia! There you are!" one of them called. "We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Co dance with us!"
Dahlia looked at , and I nodded. "Go. Have fun. You’ve earned it."
She stood, but paused before leaving. "Thank you, Sophia, for understanding. For not trying to talk
out of it."
"Thank George, not . He’s the one who believed you needed support, not lectures."
"I will." Dahlia smiled. "And Sophia? I ant what I said. I’m never giving up dicine. No matter what Mother says, no matter what the family says, no matter what anyone says."
"Good," I said firmly. "Don’t. The world needs doctors like you."
Dahlia nodded and walked off to join her friends. I watched them disappear toward the ballroom.
And then I was alone.
I sat in the gazebo for a long ti with Dahlia’s words echoing in my mind. I want to specialize in obstetrics because of you.
I’d never thought about my near-death experience as inspiration for anyone. It had just been a terrifying ordeal I’d survived. But to Dahlia, it had been a call to action.
The thought made
cry silently.
I’d wanted to be a surgeon once. I wanted to be a top surgeon, saving lives, making a difference, but then Ashley had co, and the complications had nearly killed , and Damien had needed
to be a traditional Luna, and sowhere along the way I’d let that dream die.
But maybe it didn’t have to stay dead.
Maybe I could still pursue my dreams, even if they’d evolved into sothing different than I’d originally planned.
Maybe it wasn’t too late.
The sll of cigarette smoke hit , pulling
from my thoughts. I turned to find Zade leaning against a pillar at the edge of the gazebo, watching
with those intense amber eyes.
I flinched in shock at the sight of him.
Zade? What the hell was he doing here?
"You know," he said, taking a drag from his cigarette, "you’re always so tense."
"What are you doing here, Zade?" I asked tiredly. "How do you always know where I am?"
"When you care about soone, you develop a sixth sense," he said with a smile. "You always know where they are, what they’re doing, whether they need you."
It was a lie, of course. He’d probably followed
or had soone keeping tabs on
"I don’t need you," I said, standing. "I should go."
But as I moved to leave, Zade’s hand shot out and caught my arm. Before I could protest, he pulled
toward him, spinning
so my back was against his chest.
"Let
go," I demanded, struggling against his hold.
But Zade just tightened his arms around . "Stop fighting for just a mont. Please."
His voice was soft, almost pleading. My wolf, the traitor, imdiately relaxed into his warmth.
"Zade-"
"Just one mont," he murmured against my hair. "Let
hold you”
I should have pulled away, should have insisted he release , bit I was so tired. I guessed I was just so worn down. I was so desperate for soone to just... hold .
So, I stopped struggling.
Zade made a satisfied sound and shifted his grip. He took one of my hands and pressed it against his abdon.
I could feel the hard planes of his muscles through his shirt, the rhythm of his breathing, the warmth radiating from his skin.
My wolf purred with contentnt, and heat flooded my face.
"You’re blushing," Zade said.
"Shut up," I muttered. "And let
go."
"In a minute."
"Now, Zade. This is inappropriate-"
"You’re divorce." His thumb traced circles on the back of my hand. "There’s nothing inappropriate about two unattached wolves standing close to each other."
"We’re not standing close. You’re restraining ."
"If I was restraining you, you’d know it." Zade’s voice dropped lower. "This is just... proximity, which you clearly need, given how you lted against
the mont I stopped being gentle."
My face flad hotter. “Zade-”
He smirked “Yes, Sophia?”
Before I could respond - before I could figure out how to respond, my phone rang.
I grabbed it gratefully. I was desperate for the interruption.
I pulled away from him.
Still, my skin was tingling and my heart was beating fast inside .
Reviews
All reviews (0)