The room is too small.
Alana stands in the doorway. Her body is rigid. Her heart slams against her ribs. Her breath catches in her throat.
Marcus Pierce lies in the hospital bed. Propped up by pillows. A thin hospital gown replaces his usual tailored suit. An IV line snakes into his arm. A heart monitor beeps steadily beside him.
But the monster is still there.
In the eyes. Cold. Blue. Predatory. The eyes of a shark. A snake. A creature that has never known warmth or love or mercy.
He smiles. It doesn't reach those eyes.
"Dr. Blackwood." His voice is smooth. Cultured. The voice of a politician. A CEO. A man used to commanding rooms. "How wonderful to finally meet you. Properly, I mean. Outside of... social circumstances."
Alana forces herself to move. One step. Two. Into the room.
She is a doctor. This is a patient. Nothing more.
*Lie to yourself. It's the only way you'll get through this.*
"Mr. Pierce." Her voice is steady. Professional. A miracle. "I see from your chart that you were admitted for heart palpitations. Is that correct?"
"Indeed." He presses a hand to his chest. Mock distress. "A frail thing, the human heart. So easily broken. So easily... stopped."
Alana ignores the undertone. Walks to the bedside. Pulls on gloves.
"I need to examine you."
"Please." He gestures. Gracious. Magnanimous. "Do what you must. I'm in your capable hands."
Alana reaches for his wrist. Checks his pulse. Strong. Steady. No irregularities.
She presses the stethoscope to his chest. Listens.
His heart beats. Normal. Rhythmic. Healthy.
She pulls back. Frowns.
"Your heart sounds fine. No murmurs. No arrhythmias. No signs of distress."
"Perhaps the distress isn't physical." Marcus's eyes fix on her face. "Perhaps it's... emotional. Spiritual. The weight of years. The burden of legacy."
Alana ignores him. Checks the monitor. The readings are normal.
"I don't see any cause for concern. Your vitals are stable. ECG is normal. I'll recommend observation for twenty-four hours, but—"
"Alana."
Her name in his mouth. Like a caress. Like a threat.
She freezes.
"I've waited a long time for this." He reaches out. Grabs her wrist.
His grip is strong. Iron. His thumb strokes her knuckles. Slow. Deliberate. Possessive.
Alana's stomach turns. Her skin crawls.
"I've heard so much about you," he continues. "From Alexander. From others. The brilliant surgeon. The beautiful woman. The..." He pauses. Smiles. "The Luna."
Alana yanks her arm back. Steps away.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't you?" Marcus laughs. Soft. Low. Dangerous. "Come now, Dr. Blackwood. We're both adults. We both know what you are. What you're becoming."
Alana's heart races. Her hands tremble.
*I need to get out of here.*
"I'll have a nurse check on you." She turns. Walks toward the door.
"Alexander spoke to you, didn't he?"
She stops. Hand on the handle.
"He told you about our little... family dispute. About the past. About the baby."
Alana's blood runs cold.
"Don't."
"Don't what? Speak the truth?" Marcus's voice is mocking. "Your mate—your precious Alexander—has filled your head with lies. Villainy. Monsters under the bed."
"He killed my child."
"Did he?" Marcus's voice drops. Cold. Flat. "Or did I simply remove a threat? A weakness. Something that would have destroyed Alexander. Destroyed the pack."
Alana turns. Faces him.
The monster lies in the bed. Frail. Sick. Dying.
But his eyes are still sharp. Still hungry. Still capable of anything.
"You murdered my baby."
"I saved you." Marcus sits up. The IV tugs. He ignores it. "You were human. Weak. Unaware of what you are. A pregnancy would have killed you. The wolf cub inside you would have torn you apart from the inside out."
"That's a lie."
"Is it?" He tilts his head. "Ask Alexander. Ask him what happens when a dormant wolf carries a child before her first shift. The mortality rate is nearly one hundred percent. For mother and baby."
Alana's mind races. Her heart pounds.
*Is he telling the truth?*
*Or is this another manipulation?*
"I don't believe you."
"You don't have to." Marcus leans back. Calm. Unruffled. "But consider this. If I wanted you dead, you would be dead. I've had five years. Countless opportunities. I could have had you killed in a thousand ways. Car accidents. Muggings. Medical complications."
"So why didn't you?"
"Because you're valuable." His eyes travel over her. Assessing. Hungry. "The prophecy. The Luna of Two Worlds. You're the key to everything. The one I've been waiting for."
Alana's skin crawls.
"I won't help you."
"You will." Marcus smiles. "One way or another. Everyone does. Eventually."
Alana walks to the door. Pauses.
"I'll have another doctor assigned to your case. I'm recusing myself."
"Of course." Marcus's voice follows her. "But think about my offer, Dr. Blackwood. Family is everything. And you... you could be family."
Alana doesn't respond. She opens the door. Steps into the hall.
Her body trembles. Her breath comes in ragged gasps.
She walks. Fast. Away from the room. Away from the monster.
*He knows. He knows Alexander told me. He knows about the prophecy. He knows about the baby.*
*He's not afraid.*
*He's not hiding.*
*He's confident. Certain.*
*Like he's already won.*
She reaches the nurses' station. Grabs the arm of the first nurse she sees.
"Get Dr. Chen. Tell him I'm recusing myself from the Pierce case. He's to take over."
The nurse blinks. "Dr. Blackwood, are you—"
"Now."
The nurse nods. Scampers away.
Alana walks to the locker room. Collapses onto a bench.
Her hands shake. Her heart races.
*I need to call Alexander.*
*I need to tell him.*
She pulls out her phone. Dials.
It rings. Once. Twice. Three times.
"Alana." Alexander's voice. Rough. Worried. "What's wrong?"
"Marcus." Her voice breaks. "He's here. At the hospital. He... he touched me. He said—"
"I'm on my way. Don't leave the building. Stay where people can see you."
"I can't—"
"Alana." His voice is sharp. Commanding. The Alpha. "Stay. Where. You. Are. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
The line goes dead.
Alana sits in the locker room. Trembling. Waiting.
---
Fifteen minutes feels like fifteen hours.
Alana sits on the bench. Her hands are clasped. Her eyes are fixed on the door.
Doctors and nurses pass by. Glancing at her. Whispering.
*Dr. Blackwood. The ice queen. The robot.*
*Why does she look so scared?*
She ignores them. Focuses on breathing.
*In. Out. In. Out.*
The door opens.
Alexander stands in the threshold. His eyes are wild. Golden. Burning. His jaw is tight. His fists are clenched.
He crosses the room in three strides. Drops to his knees in front of her.
"Are you hurt?" His hands frame her face. Scanning. Searching. "Did he hurt you?"
Alana shakes her head. Her voice won't come.
"Tell me." Alexander's voice cracks. "Please. I need to know."
"He..." Alana swallows. "He grabbed my wrist. Touched my hand. He said..." She trails off. The words stick in her throat.
"What? What did he say?"
"He said he saved me. That the baby would have killed me. That dormant wolves can't carry children before their first shift." Her voice breaks. "Is it true?"
Alexander's face falls. Pain. Guilt. Sorrow.
"I..." He pauses. Looks away. "I didn't want to tell you. Not yet. Not until—"
"It's true." Alana's voice is hollow. "The baby would have killed me anyway."
"No." Alexander grips her hands. Forces her to look at him. "That's what Marcus wants you to believe. That he did you a favor. That you should be grateful."
"Is it a lie?"
"It's..." He trails off. Jaw tight. "It's complicated. The prophecy. Your wolf. No one knows for certain what would have happened. There are stories. Old legends. Dormant wolves who died in childbirth. But there are also stories of those who survived. Who thrived."
"But you don't know."
"No." Alexander's voice is quiet. "I don't know. No one does. But that doesn't justify what Marcus did. He didn't poison you to save you. He poisoned you to control me. To punish me. To take away the one thing that made me strong."
Alana absorbs this. Her mind races.
*The baby might have killed me anyway.*
*Or might not.*
*We'll never know.*
"What else did he say?" Alexander asks.
Alana thinks. "He mentioned the prophecy. Said I was valuable. The key to everything." She pauses. "And he said... I could be family."
Alexander's face twists. Rage. Disgust.
"He's obsessed with you. Has been for years. The prophecy. The Luna of Two Worlds. He believes a child born of you and him would be the most powerful wolf in history. That it would fulfill the prophecy and give him control over every pack in the world."
"I told him I wouldn't help him."
"He doesn't care what you want. He never has." Alexander stands. Paces. "This is my fault. I should have been more careful. I shouldn't have let you go to the hospital alone."
"I'm a doctor. I can't just not go to work."
"I know." He stops. Faces her. "But we need to be smarter. More careful. He's making his move. This is the beginning."
"What do we do?"
Alexander is silent for a moment. Thinking. Calculating.
"We need to move faster. The original plan was to wait. Gather evidence. Build a case. But Marcus isn't waiting. Neither can we."
"You mean the surrogate plan?"
"Yes." Alexander's eyes are fierce. "We need to act before he does. Get you pregnant. Make him think he's won. Then trap him when he's vulnerable."
Alana's stomach churns.
"I said no. Last night. I said I couldn't."
"I know." Alexander steps closer. "But that was before. Before he came for you. Before he touched you. Before he made his intentions clear."
"You want me to change my mind because I'm scared."
"No." Alexander shakes his head. "I want you to change your mind because you're angry. Because you want justice. Because you're not a victim. You're a fighter. And this is how we fight back."
Alana stares at him.
*Angry.*
*Yes, I'm angry.*
*Furious.*
*But is that enough?*
"I need time," she says. "To think. To process."
"You don't have time." Alexander's voice is gentle but firm. "None of us do. Marcus is dying. He's desperate. He'll do anything to get what he wants. And if we don't stop him, he'll take you. Force you. And there will be nothing I can do."
Alana's blood runs cold.
*Force me.*
*Like he forced Elena. Like he forced countless others.*
*He won't stop. Not ever. Not unless someone stops him.*
Her hand drifts to her abdomen. To the scar. The empty place.
*Justice.*
*For my baby. For myself. For everyone he's hurt.*
"I'll think about it," she says. "I'm not promising anything. But I'll... consider it."
Alexander nods. Relief washes over his face.
"That's all I ask."
He reaches out. Hovers his hand near her face. Asking permission.
She doesn't pull away.
He touches her cheek. Gentle. Warm. His thumb traces the line of her jaw.
"I won't let him hurt you again. I swear on my life."
Alana closes her eyes. Leans into his touch.
*I want to believe him.*
*I want to trust him.*
*But I don't know if I can.*
Her phone buzzes.
She pulls back. Checks the screen.
A text from an unknown number.
*"I enjoyed our chat today. We should talk again soon. Family is everything. - M"*
Alana's blood turns to ice.
*Marcus.*
*He has my number.*
*He's watching. Always watching.*
She shows the text to Alexander.
His face hardens. Stone.
"We need to move quickly." His voice is ice. "Tonight. We meet with Derek. Finalize the plan. Before Marcus makes his next move."
Alana nods. Numb.
"Okay."
"I'll pick you up at eight. Your apartment."
"Okay."
He hesitates. Then leans in. Presses a kiss to her forehead.
Warm. Brief. A promise.
"I'll see you tonight."
He leaves.
Alana sits alone in the locker room. The text glows on her screen.
*Family is everything.*
*Soon.*
*His words. His threats.*
*He won't stop. Not ever. Not unless someone stops him.*
She stands. Walks out of the locker room. Through the hospital. To her car.
She drives home. On autopilot. Her mind a million miles away.
*What am I doing?*
*Am I really considering this?*
*Getting pregnant? Trapping a monster? Becoming bait?*
*Yes.*
*Because the alternative is worse.*
She parks. Takes the elevator. Walks to her door.
And stops.
A man stands in the hallway. Tall. Broad. Brown hair. Brown eyes. A gentle face. Soft. Kind.
He holds a bouquet of flowers. Lilies. Her favorite.
"Alana." He smiles. Warm. Genuine. "I'm sorry to just show up like this. But I wanted to talk. If you have a moment."
Alana stares at him.
*Derek.*
*Alexander's brother.*
*The man who wants to pretend to be the father of my child.*
"Okay," she says. "Come in."