Calvin’s POV
The first time I woke up, pain greeted me like an old friend.
It wasn’t the sharp, searing agony that had consumed me during Lorien’s punishment, but a dull ache that radiated through every nerve in my body. My head throbbed, my back burned, and even the shallow rise and fall of my chest felt like a battle.
I wanted to move, to sit up, but my body refused.
And then, I saw her.
Kamrynn.
She was sitting in the chair beside my bed, her hands resting in her lap. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and her eyes-Moon Goddess, those eyes-were filled with something I hadn’t seen in them for so long: concern.
For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating.
It wouldn’t have been the first time my mind conjured up images of her, especially in my darker moments when guilt and regret swallowed me whole.
But when she looked at me-really looked at me-and whispered, “You’re awake,” I knew she was real.
I tried to speak, but my throat was dry, and all that came out was a hoarse croak.
She reached for a glass of water on the nightstand, gently pressing it to my lips. “Here,” she said softly. “Drink.”
The cool liquid eased the dryness in my throat, but it didn’t stop the lump that had formed there.
“Kamrynn…” Her name barely escaped my lips, weak and shaky, but it was enough to make her lean closer.
“I’m here,” she murmured. “You’re okay now.”
I wanted to say so much-apologize, beg for forgiveness, tell her how much I still loved her-but the words were caught somewhere between my heart and my throat.
Instead, I just stared at her, letting her presence wash over me like a balm to my battered soul.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt… at ease.
My eyelids grew heavier with each passing second, and before I knew it, the world around me faded into nothingness.
But this time, when I fell asleep, it wasn’t the restless, haunted sleep I had become so accustomed to.
It was peaceful.
Because Kamrynn was there.
The second time I woke up, it wasn’t just the dull ache in my body that registered-it was Kamrynn.
She was still here.
She sat quietly by my bedside, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes distant as if lost in thought. There was something different about her-something heavy. She looked tired. No, beyond tired. Her face was pale, and the faint shadows under her eyes told me she hadn’t slept in a while.
She must have stayed with me the whole night.
I didn’t know what to say. Hell, I didn’t even know how to feel. Gratitude? Guilt? I wasn’t sure.
Before I could figure it out, the doctor’s voice stole my attention.
“Good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?” She asked gently.
I shifted slightly in bed, and pain shot through my side like a white-hot blade. My ribs protested the movement, and the wounds along my back throbbed in unison. Even my head felt heavy from the tight bandages pressing against my skull.
I winced and rasped, “Hurts.”
The doctor nodded, as if she expected that. “That’s normal. You’ve been through a lot.” She leaned in, her fingers cool against my wrist as she checked my pulse. Her hands were quick and practiced, moving efficiently as she assessed my vitals.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Kamrynn. She hadn’t said anything, but her presence alone was enough to ease the tension in my chest. She was like a balm to my soul, even when we weren’t speaking.
The doctor straightened, turning to Kamrynn with a small smile. “He’s stable now. He’ll recover in due time, but he needs plenty of rest. And make sure he takes his medication regularly.”
Kamrynn nodded once. “Thank you.”
Without another word, she stood up, smoothing her clothes absentmindedly before heading toward the door.
Wait.
She wasn’t even going to say goodbye?
My throat tightened as I watched her walk away, her footsteps soft but purposeful. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t look back. She just… left.
And I hated it.
I hated that she had to leave. That she felt like she had to. That things had gotten so messed up between us that she couldn’t even say goodbye.
But I didn’t say anything.
I couldn’t.
She’d already done more than enough by being here. By watching over me. By showing even a fraction of concern after everything I’d done.
The door clicked shut behind her, and I was left alone with the doctor.
She gave me a sympathetic look as she pulled on a pair of gloves. “I’m going to check your stitches and make sure everything’s healing properly, Alpha. This might sting a little.”
I barely registered her words. My mind was still on Kamrynn. She was my happy place and everytime I thought of her, life in general just became a little more bearable…
***
The meds kept pulling me in and out of sleep. I was never fully awake, never fully gone. Somewhere in between.
Each time I woke, the doctor or my mother would be there, checking my wounds, making sure I ate, adjusting my IV.
But it didn’t matter. Not really. Because every time my eyes opened, the only thing I looked for-the only person I wanted to see-was Kamrynn.
And she wasn’t there.
When I finally woke up that morning, my head was throbbing, my body aching, and I felt as weak as a newborn pup. But I forced myself to sit up. The bandages around my chest and head were tight, restricting every movement, but I didn’t care. I had to know.
“Franklin,” I rasped as soon as he entered with my breakfast tray. “Where’s Kamrynn?”
He blinked, like he wasn’t expecting the question, and then scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Uh… she left early this morning.”
My stomach dropped. “Left?”
“Yeah. With that dragon guy,” Franklin added with a grimace. “They flew off together. Didn’t tell anyone where they were going.”
I froze.
With Lorien?
Why? Where could she have gone with him?
Jealousy flared in my chest, hot and suffocating. I hated the way it felt, but I couldn’t stop it.
They’d been together for a whole month. Alone. And maybe they’d become close. Maybe closer than I could bear to think about.
I clenched my fists, trying to shove the thoughts away, but they kept creeping in, whispering things I didn’t want to hear.
Franklin must have noticed the change in my expression because he cleared his throat and said, “Uh… you good, man?”
I wasn’t.
But I forced a nod. “I’m fine. Just… leave the tray. I want to be alone.”
Franklin hesitated, like he wasn’t sure if he should, but eventually, he gave me a small nod, set the tray down, and left the room.
The door clicked shut, and I let out a shaky breath.
Alone again.
I stared at the food, but my appetite was gone. My body hurt, my head was pounding, and every time I closed my eyes, I saw Kamrynn.
With him.
Lorien.
I hated the guy. I hated the way he looked at Kamrynn, the way he acted like he was better than everyone else, the way he always seemed to be right there, by her side.
And maybe I had no right to be jealous. Maybe I’d already messed things up beyond repair. But I couldn’t help it. I still loved her. Goddess, I loved her.
And the thought of losing her to someone else… it was enough to break me all over again.
I spent the rest of the day sulking, wallowing in my own misery. The pain from my wounds didn’t help. Every breath sent a sharp jolt through my ribs, and my head felt like it had been split open, but none of it compared to the ache in my chest.
I didn’t realize how much time had passed until a maid came to collect the tray. I forced myself to eat a little, knowing I needed the strength, but it was mechanical. Tasteless.
Just as the maid was about to leave, the door opened again.
And my heart nearly stopped.
Kamrynn.
She walked in, looking as beautiful as ever, her silky blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, her eyes bright and clear. She looked… peaceful.
“Hey,” she said softly, taking a seat beside me. “How are you feeling?”
I blinked, stunned for a moment that she was actually here.
“I’ve been better,” I admitted with a weak chuckle, trying to ease the tension. “But I’m still alive, so that’s something.”
She smiled, and it was like the sun breaking through a storm.
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “Where did you go?” I asked, unable to hide the curiosity-and maybe a little bit of the jealousy-in my voice.
Her smile faded slightly, and she tilted her head. “Don’t worry about it,” she said.
But I did worry.
“I know we’re not on the best terms,” I began carefully, “but as long as I’m still your mate, I have a right to be worried about you. And you going off alone with that dragon is dangerous. It makes me…”
She cut me off, her eyes narrowing slightly. “It makes you what? Jealous?”
I blinked, caught off guard by her bluntness. But I didn’t back down.
“What if I am?” I questioned, my voice low. “I love you, Kamrynn. I can’t help that I get jealous seeing you with another man, especially someone as sleazy as him.”
She laughed-a genuine, soft laugh-and it made my heart leap.
Goddess, she was beautiful when she laughed.
Before I could say anything else, she reached out and ran a hand through my hair, smoothing it out gently.
“You don’t have to worry,” she said softly. “Lorien and I are just friends. As for where we went today… he was a huge help in putting an end to the root of our suffering.”
I frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”
There was a glint in her eyes, something fierce and determined. And suddenly, it started to click.
“You don’t mean…” My voice shook. “Sherelle is gone? She’s dead?”
She nodded, and I stared at her, trying to process the news.
When it finally sank in, I felt a rush of overwhelming relief, joy, and disbelief all at once. Without thinking, I reached out and pulled her into a hug.
It was a mistake.
Pain shot through my ribs, and I hissed, my grip loosening as I winced.
Kamrynn quickly pulled back, her eyes wide with concern. “Careful, you idiot,” she scolded. “You’re still healing.”
“Sorry,” I apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. “I just… I can’t believe it. She’s really gone?”
“Really gone,” Kamrynn confirmed.
I let out a shaky breath, feeling like a massive weight had been lifted off my chest.
But then Kamrynn’s expression turned serious.
“Before it happened,” she said slowly, “Sherelle told me everything. The whole truth.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She manipulated the mate bond,” Kamrynn divulged quietly. “And… she used a love potion on you so you were completely under her spell.”
I froze.
A love potion?
I stared at her, trying to wrap my head around the words.
It was no wonder I had been so blind, so angry, so filled with hatred. Looking back now, I could never understand why I had been so despicable, why there had been so much rage in my heart.
I had been manipulated.
And I had let myself be manipulated into hurting the person I loved most.
Guilt clawed at me, tightening around my chest.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “For everything. I-”
Kamrynn cut me off with a small shake of her head. “It doesn’t change the things you did,” she said softly. “Or repair the damage. But… I know now that you weren’t fully in control. And I’m not a saint, either.”
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding.
“Does that mean… there’s still a chance for us?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Kamrynn hesitated, her eyes searching mine.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I need time to think about it.”