Chapter 27

Celia

I turn away from Bianca and take my place at Lily’s side. We move out of the way once Healer Anderson has everything he needs to treat the Warrior wolf. From behind, though, I can hear Bianca’s deep and ragged breaths slowly calm down.

The Lycan noble steps around Lily and I. Her composure is much more calm than it was just a few seconds ago. Her fists are no longer balled up at her side.

Bianca takes her spot on the other side of the bed, moving away one of the nurses. She does not look at Healer Anderson and instead listens to what he has to say.

“He’s too far gone. We are going to have to pull out all of the stops before he is stuck as half of a wolf and half human,” Healer Anderson begins. He looks up at Lily and I, his eyes trained on me. “We are going to need—”

“Go get us morphine and the wolfsbane potion that was just brought in. We can suppress his wolf form by relaxing his body and fighting back against his wolf,” Bianca interrupts Healer Anderson by announcing her words to the room.

I look at Lily, who sucks in a breath. She begins to move to grab what it is that Bianca needs, leaving me standing by myself. Bianca glances at me as she begins to feel the muscles of the Warrior’s leg. Her eyes move up and down my body, a flash of insecurity rushing through my veins.

“You can go. The less bodies we have inside, the better,” Bianca’s voice is filled with disgust and impatience. All I can do is bow my head and exit the room, closing the door behind me.

Nurses and Healers stare at me once the door quietly clicks shut. My lips press into a thin line, expressing my fake disappointment at their nosiness. I can see the truth of Bianca’s nature and qualifications settle into their eyes.

Their eyes are no longer bright with the awe and admiration that they held for Bianca. Their gazes are now faded, the truth seeping into their perception of her.

How could a noble Healer, a Lyncan one at that, miss such an easy diagnosis?

I make my way towards the break room, hands shoved into my pockets. My feet drag against the floor, a silent protest of me being kicked out of the room. I know that if I were to fight back against her in the room, though, that I would be labelled as the problem.

It is a strategic loss in my never ending war with Bianca. As a medical intern, I have no power against her. I am damned to forever be under her thumb, well, until I leave that is, and will be subjected to the grunt work inside the hospital.

Cleaning bed pans, being in charge of throwing away hazardous materials, and even being told to have one agonizingly long shift in the emergency room is bound to come my way. Bianca’s wrath is hard, yes, but I must push through it.

An hour passes by and I have made my rounds across the hospital rooms. I have checked in on some of Healer Anderson’s patients, which I am allowed to do since I am his student and special mentee, and even assisted other Healers with their own patients when they asked for the help.

Much to my surprise, I even received some praise from people who have never even spoken to me before, only communicating their distrust of me through side eyes and glances.

It feels strangely weird to be appreciated like this. No longer am I defined by my wolf-less status, despite my wolf awakening just a day or two ago. Instead, they see me as someone who holds value in their line of work, someone who knows what she is doing and is not the scapegoat for other people’s problems.

The question is, though, if the people in the hospital will remember the huge mistake that Bianca made. Will they remember her slip up or will they go back to loving and adoring everything that she has to offer, even if it is fake and covered in glitter.

I have caught myself smiling in the break room’s coffee pot, my grinning reflection staring back at me. I never would have thought that Bianca’s absence while I make my rounds in the hospital would bring me such joy. It feels nice to have people learn that they can depend on me.

A chuckle escapes my lips but I am quick to cover it with my hand. I pour myself a cup off coffee in a styrofoam cup, taking it on the go with me as I head towards Healer Anderson’s office.

I look up, my eyes connecting with Bianca’s. Her arms are crossed over her chest, a scowl written all over her face. I take a sip of my coffee, refusing to take part in this stand off that she has created, and walk towards her.

The door to Healer Anderson’s office is just at the end of the hall. If I can make my way around it, slip past her without causing a scene, I can break into freedom and not be subjected to her dirty looks and backhanded compliments.

I force a small smile onto my face, opting to play nice for the hospital’s sake, and begin to move around her. Bianca snatches my wrist in her hand, her nails digging into my skin. The coffee from inside my cup spills over, pouring onto my skin.

I wince and look into her eyes, tears welling in my eyes from the scorching pain in my arm. The hot coffee rolls down my arm, the stinging sensation traveling up my arm, pooling in the crook of my elbow.

“You will only be happy for the next couple of days,” Bianca whispers under her breath so her words cannot be listened to by passing hospital employees. “Soon enough, Soren is going to banish you from the pack. After that, I know you’ll be suffering. It is what you deserve.”

Bianca shoves my hand back into my body. She places a sickeningly sweet smile on her face and begins to walk away, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

I watch as she leaves. She casually smiles and waves at people, her charm obviously being kicked into overdrive after he mistake with the wolf Warrior. I sigh and turn around, shaking my head to myself.

I wipe my arm on my scrubs, slowly walking away from the center of the hallway. My head remains hung low, the sting of Bianca’s threat now looming over my head. The lump in my throat forms once again and I sigh.

Who am I kidding? These people will never remember me or the good deeds that I have done at the hospital. I will be nothing more than a footnote in their lives, a blank face attached to a body that was always in the way.

My legacy here at the hospital will be diminished as soon as I leave Soren’s pack and take the job overseas. I will be gone from their lives, never to be seen from again.

Maybe Bianca is right. Once I leave the pack, my life will be filled with nothing but struggles. Not even my assumed identity as the missing Lycan princess will bring me solace. As Healer Anderson mentioned, that life will only come with hardship and pain.

I look up just as I am about to cross the threshold into Healer Anderson’s office. Ethan stands down the hall and is in deep conversation with a nurse. I sigh and watch as he glances over at me. I wave, which he immediately returns, and go inside the office.

At least I have one thing to look forward to before I leave.