43

Katarina’s P. O. V.
The harsh light pierced through my eyelids, forcing me to squint as I gradually regained consciousness. A wave of frustration washed over me-how many more times would I wake up in pain, injured, or barely hanging on? The sharp, sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nose, confirming what I already suspected-I was in the hospital again.
A dull ache in my wrist caught my attention. Something was embedded in my vein, an IV, no doubt. My instinct was to yank it out and leap from the bed to search for Dominic. His absence stung, but I reassured myself that whatever kept him away had to be crucial.
“Luna,” a voice called from somewhere nearby, but I ignored it, focusing instead on the uncomfortable IV taped to my wrist.
“Luna, please leave that in,” an older man’s voice gently insisted as a warm hand enveloped mine, guiding it away from the IV. I turned to see a man whose face was unfamiliar to me.
“I’m the pack doctor,” he explained, noticing my confusion.
Pain radiated through my entire body, with the most intense agony stemming from my torso, extending to my fingertips, leaving them numb. I shut my eyes in a futile attempt to ward off the pounding headache forming at my temples. The whitewashed walls and floors reflected the glaring lights, making the room feel unbearably bright.
“You’ve been unconscious for several days, Luna,” the doctor informed me. “I’m going to administer something through your IV to help restore your strength.” I nodded weakly, keeping my eyes closed. At this point, I didn’t care what he gave me, as long as it wasn’t another attempt on my life.
Memories surged forward, dragging me back to the moment that led me here. **Leona.** The name echoed in my mind, bringing with it a flood of disbelief and betrayal. My closest friend had driven a dagger into me. Leona had tried to kill me. Oliver had mentioned something about a sister, but could it really be Leona? She, who had once stood by my side against Oliver and Gabriel? She, who had a mate-how could she violate the mate bond like that?
Nothing made sense, yet the images replayed in my mind, undeniable and horrifying. I felt a cold sensation as the doctor injected something into the IV, followed by a surge of strength that coursed through my veins.
“This should help your wolf wake up as well,” the doctor added, and I sensed Rose stirring in the recesses of my mind. She was sluggish, trying to block out the traumatic events that had landed us here.
“What the hell happened to us?” Rose groaned, her voice thick with exhaustion.
I shook my head, “You don’t want to know.”
“Leona. That bitch,” Rose snarled, anger flaring to life within her.
I couldn’t help but sigh, sharing her sentiment. “Get it out of your system. She’s probably long gone by now.”
“Stupid, two-faced, no-good human bitch,” Rose muttered, launching into a tirade of curses that I mostly tuned out.
Somehow, I found the will to open my eyes. Tears pricked at the corners as I adjusted to the blinding light of the room. The pack doctor stood to the side, scribbling notes on his clipboard.
“So, Doc, am I going to make it?” I asked with a half-hearted chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
He glanced up, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I’m pleased to tell you that you will, indeed, make it.”
I tried to laugh at his words, but the motion sent a sharp pain lancing through my torso. The doctor noticed my wince and frowned.
“You were in bad shape when you arrived. Your healing has sped up significantly, especially since the Alpha sat with you for two days straight,” he mentioned casually, but I felt Rose’s ears perk up at the mention of our mate.
“He sat with me?” I tilted my head, a pang of longing seizing me. I missed Dominic desperately. Every part of me yearned to leap from this bed and find him.
The doctor nodded. “He’s the one who found you-just in time, I might add.”
“Did he-did he find Leona?” The question slipped out before I could stop it, though I already knew the answer.
The doctor’s frown deepened as he shook his head. “She escaped before he arrived.”
I scowled at his response. I was certain I had heard the door slam open right after I was stabbed. If it wasn’t Dominic, then who had it been?
“She’s probably long gone by now,” I muttered, bitterness lacing my words.
“Alpha will find her eventually. She’ll be on the run for the rest of her life,” the doctor said confidently, his respect for Dominic clear in his tone.
A small smile formed on my face as I pictured Dominic. “You’re right about that.”
“Now, back to your wound,” the doctor continued, “With minimal movement, you should be fully healed within two days.”
“The last thing I want is bed rest,” I sighed, shaking my head in frustration.
“I know, Luna,” he replied with a knowing smile. “But you’ve narrowly escaped death more than once now. A day or two of rest will do you good.”
“I don’t know about you, but I want bed rest-with Dominic,” Rose smirked, and I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in shock.
“We almost die, and that’s what you’re thinking about?” I sighed.
Rose rolled her eyes. “Don’t pretend you weren’t thinking the same thing.”
Ignoring her, I turned back to the doctor with a reluctant smile. “Where is Dominic, anyway?”
His frown returned, and for a moment, my heart skipped a beat. “I don’t want to worry you, Luna.”
“Where is Dominic?” My voice came out strong, firm-surprising even myself. I sounded like a Luna who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
The doctor sighed. “Werewolf hunters have been spotted in the forest. Alpha has led a group of warriors to the northern part of town. There’s going to be a battle, and that’s where it’ll take place.”
My breath caught in my throat at the thought of Dominic facing those hunters. I was seconds away from jumping out of bed when the doctor placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
“Luna, he’s the best fighter any of us have seen,” the doctor reassured me. “He will come back to you.”
I let out a shaky sigh, his words bringing me a small measure of comfort, but my heart still ached. My place was by Dominic’s side, fighting with him, not lying here, helpless in a hospital bed.
“I have another patient to attend to, but I’ll be back shortly,” the doctor said, giving me one last smile before leaving the room.
I sighed and leaned back against the pillow, the sterile smell of the hospital adding to my discomfort and anxiety. I felt restless, on edge, desperate to be anywhere but here.
“Dominic?” I called out through the mind-link, hoping against hope that he would answer.
Seconds later, his voice flooded my mind, filled with relief. “Katarina, baby, you’re awake!”
“I am,” I replied, smiling despite the situation. His voice alone was enough to calm the storm inside me.
“I wish I could be there with you,” Dominic said, his sadness palpable through the bond. I could feel the guilt weighing on him.
“Dominic, it’s not your fault,” I said, frowning. “Leona betrayed us all.”
“If I’d gotten there sooner, you’d be in my arms, not in a hospital bed,” he growled, the frustration clear in his voice.
I closed my eyes, reaching out through the mate-bond to soothe his guilt. “You can’t dwell on what might have been. I’m alive because of you.”
“I miss you, little mate,” Dominic sighed, his voice low and husky.
“I miss you too, Dominic,” I whispered, savoring the connection between us.
Suddenly, a cacophony of sounds flooded my mind through the link-gunfire, wolves growling, the pounding of feet on wet earth.
“Dominic?” I called out, panic rising in my chest. “Dominic, what’s happening?”
“The hunters are here, baby,” his voice came through, calm despite the chaos I could hear. I flinched as the sound of tearing flesh reached my ears. “I have to go. I’ll come to you when this is all over. I love you, Katarina.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, my throat constricting with emotion. “I love you too, Dominic.”
The mind-link ended with an abrupt click, like a phone being hung up, leaving me with nothing but the deafening silence of the hospital room. I knew Dominic was a skilled fighter, but the thought of him facing those hunters filled me with a constant, gnawing fear.
My mind raced, thoughts spiraling as I wondered about Seraphina and her friend. “Seraphina?” I called out through the mind-link, my voice tinged with desperation.
As my thoughts swirled with anxiety, my mind kept circling back to Seraphina and her friend. I reached out through the mind-link, my voice tinged with urgency.
“Seraphina?” I called, the desperation in my tone betraying the calm facade I was trying to maintain.
Her response came rushing through the link, full of excitement and relief that I could practically feel.
“Katarina! Oh my goddess!”
A small smile tugged at my lips despite everything. “I’m still here,” I replied softly, a hint of laughter in my voice. “Are you and Tori okay? Are you both safe?”
“We’re both safe,” Seraphina assured me, and a wave of relief washed over me.
I could almost sense the guilt that lay just beneath her words, even though I couldn’t feel her emotions directly. I knew Seraphina well enough to understand how she must be blaming herself. “This isn’t on you, Seraphina,” I said firmly. “None of us could have predicted this. None of us expected her to betray us like this.”
“She’s only human,” Seraphina murmured, her voice heavy with regret. “We should have been quicker, should have seen it coming.”
I sighed, shaking my head. “She was right there in front of me, Seraphina. Even as werewolves, some things are beyond our control.”
“Dominic will find her,” Seraphina growled, her voice filled with determination. “There are at least five Lycans who want her dead.”
The thought of Seraphina joining the fight made me uneasy. “Are you… are you fighting too?” I hesitated, dreading the answer.
“No,” she replied, her tone resigned. “Dominic made Lucian, Tori, and me stay back at the pack house. He didn’t want us involved in this fight.”
A deep sense of relief settled over me. “Thank goodness. It’s already bad enough that Dominic is risking his life out there.”
“I hate it too,” Seraphina admitted, the frustration clear in her voice.
A stray thought crossed my mind, and I couldn’t help but voice it. “Do you have any idea how Leona managed to escape? There’s no way she was fast enough to out run two werewolf.”
“She didn’t,” Seraphina began, but then her voice faltered. “I tried to tell Dominic, but our connection cut out. Someone barged into the-”
Before she could finish, the mind-link abruptly severed, leaving me in suspense. I barely had time to process the interruption when the door to my hospital room creaked open.
It wasn’t the pack doctor.
“Hello again, Katarina,” a voice greeted, sending a chill down my spine.