Chapter 32

Sebastian’s POV

“Thank you for being with me, Sebastian,” Emily said, peering up at him with sad eyes.

Emily has been in the hospital for a few days, and he was trying to do whatever he could for her. He sat at her bedside in a small chair with his leg crossed. He only met her eyes for a moment before turning his gaze to the television across the room.

He stayed silent.

Nancy had just finished doing a brain scan because Emily had mentioned the severity of her recent headaches. They are waiting for the results from the lab. He was trying to be as patient as he could, but Eric was persistent in getting out of there and seeing Hannah. Even Sebastian was starting to feel guilty for not seeing Hannah as often. But they both knew they couldn’t just leave Emily without knowing the results.

“I mean it,” Emily said, trying to avert his attention back to her. “It means a lot that you’re here.”

“You were always there for me growing up,” he told her without meeting her eyes. “It’s only right that I’m here for you as well.”

She fell silent and she stared down at her long slender fingers; she was thinking about something intently, that much was obvious.

“Do you ever think about what would have happened if I never left?” She surprised him by asking.

He felt more annoyance boiling within him; this wasn’t the type of conversation he wanted to have. If he could have it his way, he would just sit there silently and watch the television while they waited for the test results.

“No,” he told her; uninterested.

She sighed and looked defeated for a moment.

“I think about it all the time. If I hadn’t left the way I did… would we have gotten married?” She asked.

He stayed silent for a moment longer; he wasn’t sure how to answer her questions. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to answer her question.

“What is she thinking?” Eric growled. “She’s being ridiculous.”

Emily was like a little sister to him; it was true that at one point he did see her as something more. He even wanted to marry her for a brief time, but that changed over time, and he no longer sees her like that.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” he muttered.

He didn’t owe her a further explanation and after a long silence, it was obvious she wasn’t going to hound him for anything further.

“I have to tell you something,” she said hesitantly; her voice trembled nervously, and he finally met her gaze for a moment, without saying anything. “I didn’t leave because I didn’t love you,” she told him. “I discovered I was sick before I left to study abroad.”

“What?” He asked, he squinted his eyes and stared at her questionably.

She had told him that she was leaving to study abroad and she no longer wished to be with him. At the time, it hurt him. But he also understood why she wanted to leave. It was out of fear. She feared being around him and couldn’t stand to be with someone as hideous and disfigured as he was.

He never resented her for it, though, because of all those times she was there for him during his time of need. She was there when his mother died, and he never forgot that.

“I didn’t think I was going to live this long. But my condition had gotten better,” she continued. “Until it got worse again. That’s why I returned. I felt guilty for how I left things and I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I wanted to make things right with us…”

He processed all she said before responding. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Release yourself of that guilt,” Sebastian said, keeping his tone even and looking away from her once again. He could feel her eyes still on him; she was confused by what he was saying, despite how direct he was trying to be. “You no longer need to feel guilty for leaving,” he further explained. “I understand why you left, and I don’t blame you.”

“You don’t?” She asked, her voice soft and she blinked at him a few times with confusion.

Sebastian could tell this wasn’t the way she was hoping this conversation would end, but he wasn’t sure what else to tell her. He was only there because she was dying, and she needed serious medical attention. As the king, and as an older brother figure, he couldn’t just have her deal with something like this by herself.

“No,” he answered.

“Oh…” she breathed.

She turned away from him and stared up at the television; they stayed silent for a long while. He wasn’t sure how long they have waited in the room for Nancy, but he could hear the clock ticking in the background and his patience was beginning to run short.

Before he thought he was going to lose his mind, Nancy came strolling into the room with her clipboard. Sebastian was indifferent to Nancy because of how poorly she treated Hannah. But she was taking care of Emily, so he couldn’t be too hard on her.

He straightened his stance in his seat and eyed her carefully as she glanced at him nervously. His presence was intimidating, and he was used to those around him tensing and fearing him.

“I’m sorry to keep you both waiting,” she said, clearing her throat and trying to maintain her professionalism. “The scans have returned and you’re experiencing some swelling in your brain. Which explains your recent headaches. You’ve also mentioned that your wolf is gone as well. Is that still correct?”

“Yes,” Emily said hoarsely. “She’s been gone for a long time. I thought it was just hibernation, but I fear it’s been far too long and it’s far too late.”

“I’m going to take some more blood work. Do you need more medicine for your pain?” Nancy asked.

“Yes,” Emily said.

“I’ll send a request right away and get that to you as soon as I can,” Nancy assured her.

She came around the bed with a large needle and a tube she was going to use to collect Emily’s blood. Emily had never been one to enjoy needles and looked away, flinching, as Nancy stuck it into her arm.

“These results will arrive probably by later tonight, if not tomorrow,” Nancy explained. “We are testing for a couple of different virus options. We won’t investigate anything more until we get the results. Have your fevers returned?”

“Not yet,” Emily answered. “I’m anticipating within the next day or so. It’s been over a week since my last serious fever.”

She glanced up at Sebastian who had looked at the clock and stood to his feet.

“Is there anything more you need from me for tonight?” Sebastian asked them; his tone was formal as it often was.

Nancy looked surprised that he was leaving, and Emily looked saddened, but she shook her head.

“No,” she answered softly. “Thank you again for being here with me…”

He nodded to her and then nodded his thanks to Nancy before turning to the door.

“I’ll be back in the morning to check on you,” he told her over his shoulder. “If anything changes, you have my number.”

“Yes,” both Nancy and Emily said at the same time before he disappeared out the door.

As he left the room, the scent of Hannah filled his nose and calmed all his senses. He knew she was nearby, and it was only a matter of time before they ran into one another. He began walking in the direction that Eric was tugging him in.

As he rounded the corner, her scent only grew more intense. He stopped as he spotted her at the entrance of the hospital. She was smiling up at that doctor who she was seen in photos with. Sebastian’s heart stopped in his chest and a quick rise of fury rose through him.

They were saying something to one another that Sebastian couldn’t hear but he was nearly shaking in his skin. He tightened his jaw and seethed through his teeth.

“What the fuck is going on?” Eric hissed, fury rising through him.

Before Sebastian had the chance to say anything to his wolf, he watched as the doctor opened the doors to the exit and allowed Hannah to walk through before following her out.

“They left?” Eric asked, he was at his boiling point. “TOGETHER?”