Chapter 78

Arthur & Iris

Arthur

I check my watch for the third time in as many minutes as I sit in the conference room. The meeting was supposed to begin nearly twenty minutes ago, and Iris still isn’t here. Even her lawyer arrived before she did.

Maybe she’s decided against this, a tiny voice in the back of my head says. I try not to give myself false hope, but I can’t help it. The last thing I ever wanted was this. I just wish she would listen to me.

“You know, this can all go away if you just sign the papers,” the lawyer says, pushing the contract toward me—the one that would relinquish any and all custody of Miles forever.

I grit my teeth, refusing to do it. No. I shouldn’t have to sign a paper to convince Iris that I’m not trying to steal our son. I want both of them. My family. Just then, my mind buzzes with an incoming Mindlink from Ezra.

“Alpha, there’s been an accident.”

My blood runs cold, and I sit up straight. “What kind of accident?”

“It’s Iris. She was in a cab on her way to the meeting. Another car ran a red light and T-boned them at the intersection of 5th and Maple.”

The world tilts beneath my feet. I don’t remember jumping up. I don’t remember rushing out of the building or speeding down the street in my car. The only thing I’m aware of is the pounding of my heart and the desperate prayer running through my mind: Please let her be okay. Please let her live.

The hospital is even more mazelike than it should be. I bulldoze my way through, ignoring the startled glances from staff and patients alike. Nothing matters except finding Iris.

Ezra is waiting for me outside the ICU.

“Where is she?” I demand.

“Alpha, you need to prepare yourself. She’s in critical condition.”

I push past him, but he grabs my arm. “Listen to me,” he says firmly. “The doctors say she has internal bleeding and a traumatic head injury. They’re trying to stabilize her for surgery, but…” He hesitates.

“But what?” I growl.

“They’re not sure if she’ll survive it. Her blood pressure keeps dropping.”

The world narrows to a pinpoint of light, everything else fading away. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. Iris, my Iris, my light, my fate, might die.

“I need to see her,” I say, my voice barely recognizable to my own ears.

Ezra nods, releasing my arm. “I’ll take you to her.”

We’re met by a doctor outside the trauma room. “Alpha President,” she says, looking surprised. “I didn’t realize you were—”

“How is she?” I cut her off.

The doctor’s expression turns grave. “She sustained severe injuries in the crash. We’re doing everything we can, but her condition is critical.”

“What are her chances?” I ask, dreading the answer.

“It’s touch and go. We’ve managed to slow the internal bleeding, but she’s lost a lot of blood already. Her body is going into shock.” She glances at her chart. “Unfortunately, we’re facing a shortage of her blood type in our blood bank.”

A wild, desperate hope seizes me. “What blood type does she need?”

“She’s AB negative, which is extremely rare. We’ve put out a call to other hospitals, but—”

“Take mine,” I interrupt. “I’m a universal donor.”

The doctor hesitates. “Alpha President, with all due respect, werewolf blood is different from human blood. The compatibility isn’t always—”

“We’re fated mates,” I blurt out. “My blood will help her.”

Her eyes widen, recognition dawning on her face. Right now, I don’t care if word gets out about Iris’s identity. Iris and I are bound. My blood will heal her in a way no other transfusion can. It’s a known fact that a mate’s blood can heal the other.

“But she’s a human,” the nurse points out.

I clench my jaw. “I don’t care. We have to try.”

Without further question, the nurse ushers me into Iris’s room. I catch my first glimpse of her then, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. She looks so small, so fragile. Her beautiful face is marred by cuts and bruises, and there’s a ventilator tube snaking down her throat. The sound of the monitors beeping sounds like gunshots going off in my head.

Goddess, I don’t even want to look at her. Bile rises up in my throat just at the thought of something happening to her, and I have to look away to keep myself from retching.

The nurse slides the needle into my arm, and I watch as my blood begins to flow through the tube. Let it heal you, I think desperately. Let it bring you back to me.

As the transfusion continues, Ezra steps closer to my side.

“I’ve been looking into the accident,” he says in a low voice. “Something doesn’t add up.”

I tear my gaze away from Iris. “What do you mean?”

“The driver who hit her cab ran a red light at high speed, then fled the scene. Traffic cameras caught part of the license plate, but it was covered with mud. Almost as if someone was trying to hide it.”

My blood runs cold. “Are you saying this wasn’t an accident?”

Ezra’s expression hardens. “I’m saying it’s suspicious. Especially given the timing… with the custody battle just starting.”

A murderous rage begins to build up inside of me. “Find out who did this,” I order, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “Check every traffic camera, every witness statement. I want to know who was driving that car, and I want to know why they targeted Iris.”

With a nod, Ezra quickly leaves the room. I make a silent vow that if I find who did this and it wasn’t just a freak accident, I’ll kill them with my bare hands.

…

Iris

I’m floating in darkness for what feels like an eternity. Voices come and go, distant and muffled, as if I’m underwater. Sometimes I think I hear Miles calling for me, sometimes it’s Arthur’s voice. But I can’t reach them. I can’t find my way back.

Then, slowly, I become aware of pain coursing through my body. My eyelids feel like they’re weighed down with concrete, but I struggle to open them anyway.

The first thing I see is a blurry ceiling. Where am I? What happened?

I try to speak, but my throat is raw, and all that comes out is a hoarse croak.

“Iris?”

That voice. I know that voice.

With tremendous effort, I turn my head toward the sound, and through the haze of pain and confusion, I see him.

Arthur.

He looks terrible. His usually perfect hair is disheveled, his clothes rumpled like he’s slept in them. There are dark circles under his eyes, and several days’ worth of stubble shadows his jaw. But his eyes—those familiar green eyes—light up when they meet mine.

“You’re awake,” he breathes, surging from his chair to my bedside. “Oh, thank the Goddess, you’re finally awake.”

I try to speak again, but my mouth is too dry. Arthur seems to understand, reaching for a cup of water with a straw and holding it to my lips. The cool liquid is a blessed relief on my parched throat.

“What happened?” I manage to ask. It hurts just to say the words.

“There was an accident,” Arthur says, setting the cup aside. “Your cab was hit at an intersection. You’ve been unconscious for days.”

Days? My mind reels, trying to process this information. I remember getting into the cab, heading to the lawyer’s office, and then… nothing.

“Miles,” I gasp. “Where’s Miles?”

“He’s safe,” Arthur assures me quickly. “He’s with Brian at your apartment. I’ve been checking on him every day.”

I try to sit up, but a sharp pain lances through my ribs and head, forcing me back down.

“Don’t try to move,” Arthur says, placing his hand gently on my shoulder. “You have three broken ribs, a concussion, and you needed surgery for internal bleeding.”

The description of my injuries makes me dizzy. I close my eyes, but it doesn’t make the pain go away.

“How am I alive?”

Arthur’s hand finds mine on the hospital blanket. “You almost weren’t,” he admits. “You lost a lot of blood. The doctors…” He swallows hard. “They weren’t sure you’d make it.”

I open my eyes again, looking at him properly for the first time. The anguish on his face is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. “Then how…?”

“I gave you my blood,” he says simply. “As your fated mate, my blood has healing properties for you. Even though you’re human, the bond between us somehow… it helped save you, even though you don’t have a wolf.”

His blood. Inside me now. The thought makes something warm and tender flutter in my chest, but I’m also confused, because blood transfusions between mates should only work if both are werewolves. It’s not known to work on humans. Maybe I just got lucky.

“You stayed,” I observe, noting the makeshift bed of blankets on the small couch by the window.

“I haven’t left since they brought you in,” he says with a nod. “I couldn’t.”

A nurse enters then, breaking the moment. She brightens when she sees I’m awake, hurrying over to check my vitals and ask questions that I struggle to answer through the fog.

When she leaves, promising to return with the doctor, an awkward silence falls between Arthur and me.

“I should call Brian,” he finally says. “Let him know you’re awake. Miles has been so worried.”

At the mention of our son, tears spring to my eyes. “How is he?”

Arthur’s expression softens. “He misses you. He’s been asking about you constantly.” A small smile tugs at his lips. “He made you a get-well card. It’s right there.” He points to a colorful piece of construction paper propped on the nightstand, covered in crayon scribbles and what looks like an attempt at a drawing of me.

The sight of it breaks something in me.

He’s been by my side. Checking on Miles. Giving me his blood. Running himself ragged for fear of losing me. Even though I’ve been giving him the cold shoulder and fighting him in this legal battle, he’s been so… selfless.

The wall of ice I’ve built around my heart forms a tiny crack.