The Sickened Luna's Last Chance - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Alexander & Ella
Alexander
One moment I was ducking beneath Gabriel’s wild punch, and the next I heard a soft thud behind me. I spun around, my fist still raised, and my heart stopped when I saw Ella crumpled on the ground.
“Ella!” I shouted, immediately abandoning the fight and rushing to her side. I dropped to my knees beside her, cupping her face in my hands. “Ella? Can you hear me?”
She didn’t respond. Her pulse fluttered weakly beneath my fingers as I pressed them to her neck.
Fucking hell. How did I miss this?
Without hesitation, I scooped her into my arms. Her body felt fragile and light, as if she’d lost about ten pounds in the last five minutes.
“Where are you taking her?” Richard asked.
“The hospital,” I growled. “Get out of my way.”
Richard stepped back, but Margaret reached out to stop me. “But what about our discussion?”
I gave her a look that made her hand drop immediately. “Your daughter just collapsed, and all you care about is money?” I spat. “Get the fuck away from me before I do something we’ll all regret.”
They wisely backed off, and I carried Ella through the gathering crowd and to my car. I gently placed her in the back seat, buckling her in before racing around to the driver’s side.
Gabriel appeared at my window just as I was starting the engine. Blood was dripping from his split lip, and his left eye was already swelling shut.
“Alpha, I—”
“Not now,” I cut him off. “Call Liam. Tell him to meet us at Ashclaw General.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened at the mention of Liam. Frankly, I wasn’t even sure why I’d told him to get Liam—maybe because I knew Ella would want him there—but he nodded and stepped back as I peeled away from the curb.
I drove like a madman through the night streets, hands gripping the steering wheel, eyes constantly darting to the rearview mirror to check on Ella. She had begun to stir, groaning softly from the back seat, but was still too out of it to register what was happening.
By the time we reached the hospital, Ella had begun to return to consciousness. As I lifted her from the car, cradling her body in my arms, her eyes fluttered and she hazily blinked up at me.
“Wha…?” she mumbled.
“You passed out,” I explained as I carried her through the emergency room doors. “I’m taking you to see a doctor.”
Ella just furrowed her brow, confused.
The hospital staff sprang into action as soon as we entered. A nurse rushed forward with a wheelchair, but I refused to set Ella down, insisting on carrying her myself. They led us to an examination room where a doctor was waiting. Her nametag read, “Evelyn”.
I reluctantly placed Ella on the examination table, but I didn’t step back, remaining by her side as the doctor checked her vitals.
“What happened?” Dr. Evelyn asked as she shone a light into Ella’s eyes.
“She collapsed,” I said. “There was a… commotion, and she just fell. I think she had a panic attack or something.”
The doctor frowned and checked Ella’s pulse. “Do you think it was caused by her condition?”
I blinked. “Her… condition? You mean the panic attack?”
Dr. Evelyn stared at me as if surprised, but before she could answer, Liam rushed in, followed closely by Lilith. His eyes went straight to Ella.
Ella stretched her hand out toward Lilith, who whimpered and rushed forward, clutching it and kissing her knuckles.
“Oh, my dear girl… I’m here…”
“What happened?” Liam demanded, turning to me.
“She fainted,” I said. I didn’t miss the way Liam immediately took Ella’s other hand in his upon hearing this, or the concern etched deep into his brow. It made my wolf bristle with jealousy yet again, but I pushed it down. This wasn’t the time.
Dr. Evelyn continued her examination, asking Ella questions about how she felt, when she’d last eaten, if she’d been drinking. Ella answered everything. Thank the Goddess she hadn’t hit her head.
After a few minutes, the doctor stepped back with a troubled expression. “Luna Ella, I’m concerned about your condition. It’s getting—”
“I’m feeling much better now,” Ella suddenly interrupted, cutting the doctor off. “Really. It was just the stress and the alcohol. I’m fine.”
The doctor looked taken aback. “Luna, I really think we should discuss—”
“Please,” Ella said. “I’m okay. Just tired.”
Evelyn hesitated, staring at Ella for a long moment.
…
Ella
Dr. Evelyn stared at me for a long time. I held her gaze, silently pleading with her—don’t tell him. Please, please don’t tell him.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, she nodded slowly. “Well, I still want to keep you overnight for observation,” she said.
“That’s fine,” I agreed quickly. “Thank you.”
The doctor stood, giving me one last concerned look before turning to Alexander. “I’ll arrange for a private room. She should rest now.”
He nodded, and Dr. Evelyn left the room. I let my head fall back onto the pillow. My head was pounding, and my entire body felt like it had been steamrolled. I felt like utter shit, but I didn’t want Alexander or Liam to know that.
I heard footsteps as someone approached the side of my bed. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find Alexander standing over me with a concerned look on his face.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked softly.
I stared at him, surprised by how nice he was being. I had expected him to turn cold and distant after our brief tryst in the alleyway—a tryst that both of us would likely regret very soon. “A soda would be nice,” I said after a moment.
Alexander nodded and stepped out to find a nurse. Liam followed him, muttering something under his breath. Now, it was just me and Lilith left. She folded her arms and glared at me.
“Go ahead,” I sighed. “Scold me.”
“Why did you stop the doctor from telling him about your condition?”
“You know why,” I said quietly.
Lilith sat down on the edge of the bed, her silver hair catching the harsh fluorescent light. “Ella, if you’re getting worse, they need to know. Especially Alexander.”
“No, they don’t,” I insisted. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You just collapsed in an alley. Your condition is clearly worsening.”
“It was just a panic attack,” I lied. “The fight, my parents, the alcohol… It was too much.”
The truth was, I knew exactly what was happening to me. The dormancy was progressing, and I was no closer to being marked or rejected.
I was dying, just like Dr. Evelyn said I would.
Weak, pathetic excuse for a Luna, Gabriel’s voice echoed in my head. The memory created a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe I was weak. I was wolfless. I fainted at the slightest provocation. They would only think even less of me if I told them the truth.
How could I tell them that I was dying just because my mate wouldn’t mark me?
“Ella,” Lilith said gently, “you need to tell Alexander the truth about your condition.”
“I already told him about it the day I found out. He didn’t believe me.”
“That was then,” Lilith replied. “This is now. Alexander just witnessed your pain firsthand—and if the doctor confirmed it, then he would have no reason not to believe you now.”
I laughed bitterly and shook my head, looking away. Of course. Of course, even after he’d nearly been inside of me in that alleyway, Alexander would only believe me if a doctor confirmed my condition. He wouldn’t take my word for it.
The truth was, what had happened in the alley was just biology. Alcohol, jealousy, the fated mate bond we still shared despite not being marked… that was all that had driven us toward each other.
Not love. Only lust and wolves.
And when it really mattered, when I had been begging him to stop fighting before I passed out, he had still chosen his own desires over me. He had chosen to fight Gabriel, simply because the Beta had insulted his Luna in public. He was only worried about his pack’s image and the campaign. Not me.
Meanwhile, he likely thought the same of me that Gabriel did. Weak. Pathetic. Desperate.
“No,” I finally said, making my decision. “I won’t tell him.”
“But Ella, he might mark you—”
“I don’t want him to mark me anymore.”