Chapter 100
Elowen's POV
I sprinted ahead of Casper and Cassian as we approached the medical wing. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a desperate plea that we weren't too late. The hallway stretched before us, too long, too empty. When I finally caught sight of the medical room door, I saw something that made my blood freeze—Cindy's silhouette through the frosted glass, her body hunched over, shoulders shaking with sobs.
"Wait," I called back to the brothers, throwing my arm out to stop them. "Stay there."
Cassian surged forward anyway, his face set in determination. "Like hell—"
"Stay with Casper," I insisted, meeting his intense gaze. "I have Cindy."
I knew Cassian needed to conserve his strength after the fight. But there was another reason I didn't want to admit—I wanted to reach Ethan before Casper did. I didn't want him seeing another person he loved hurt or worse.
"You need to stay strong," I added, my voice softening. "If there's danger, we can't all be compromised."
Cassian's jaw tightened, but he nodded reluctantly. The brothers stood their ground as I pushed through the door.
The antiseptic smell hit me first—sharp and clinical—followed by the unmistakable copper scent of blood. So much blood. My stomach lurched as I rushed to Cindy's side. She knelt beside a hospital bed, her beautiful dress soaked crimson, her hands pressed against Ethan's shoulder. His suit was stained dark red, his face ashen. A doctor stood nearby, his face grave with resignation.
"Save him! Please save my love! Save him!" Cindy sobbed, her voice breaking with each word.
The doctor shook his head slowly. "Miss Cindy, I'm afraid he's already gone. His heart rate and breathing have stopped completely, and with this type of wound suppressing his wolf's healing, the life signs disappeared so rapidly—"
I dropped to my knees beside Cindy, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through my injured body.
I leaned closer to Ethan, studying his still form. His chest wasn't moving. Wait—there! A slight rise and fall, almost imperceptible. The realization hit me with shocking force.
"He's alive," I whispered, then my voice exploded with fury as I grabbed the doctor's collar, yanking him so close our faces nearly touched. "HE'S STILL ALIVE! Are you blind?!"
The doctor's eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.
I pressed my fingers against Ethan's neck, feeling the weak but unmistakable pulse beneath my fingertips. Relief and rage flooded through me in equal measure. "Feel that?" I snarled, forcing the doctor's hand against Ethan's throat. "That's a pulse! He's ALIVE!"
"I—I thought—" the doctor stammered.
"I don't care what you thought!" I released his collar with a shove, my bloodied hands leaving marks on his white coat. "DO SOMETHING! SAVE HIM!"
My words cracked like a whip, and finally—finally—the doctor snapped out of his useless paralysis. His hands moved with sudden purpose, tearing open Ethan's blood-soaked suit to expose the wound on his shoulder.
"Get me gauze! Pressure bandages!" he barked to someone behind him, his professional instincts kicking in at last. "And call for a transfusion—he's lost too much blood!"
I watched, my pulse thundering in my ears, as he worked to stem the bleeding. Ethan's suit was soaked through with blood, but his wolf should have been healing him by now. Something was very wrong if his natural abilities weren't kicking in.
"His wolf isn't healing him," I said, my voice hoarse. The doctor's face paled as understanding dawned—this wasn't a normal injury.
He applied pressure to the wound, his movements quick and efficient now. "Miss Cindy, I need you to stay calm," he said, though his own hands trembled slightly. "We're going to stabilize him."
I stood back, my hands and dress covered in Ethan's blood, watching as the doctor fought to save him. Cindy grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin.
"Stay with him," she begged, her eyes wild with fear. "Please, El, don't leave him."
I looked at her, then at the doorway where I knew Casper and Cassian were waiting. A new determination settled over me. There was only one way to fix this.
"I will be damned if we lose anyone else!" I gripped Cindy's shoulders. "I am going to fix this, Cindy!"
"What? How? Where are you—"
"I'm going to find someone who might have some fucking answers," I said, my voice hardening with resolve. The memory of Drake's smug face flashed in my mind. If anyone knew what was happening, it would be him.
"You stay with Ethan," I told her firmly. "Keep him fighting."
Cindy nodded, wiping tears from her cheeks as she hurried after the men carrying Ethan. I watched them go, my heart heavy with fear and determination. Then I turned toward the door, squaring my shoulders despite the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm me.
When I stepped back into the hallway, Casper and Cassian rushed to me, their eyes widening at the blood covering my hands and dress.
"What happened? Is it Ethan?" Casper asked, his voice tight with dread.
"He's alive, but barely," I said. "His wolf isn't healing him—just like with your father."
Cassian's face darkened. "Same attacker. Same weapon."
"I think so," I agreed. "And I think I know who might have answers."
"Drake," Casper growled, his eyes flashing gold.
"Drake," I confirmed. "This ends tonight."
I looked between the brothers, drawing strength from their presence. The pain of my injuries faded beneath the burning need for answers, for justice. Tonight, someone had tried to destroy everything we loved. They'd nearly succeeded.
But they hadn't counted on us fighting back.
I stopped dead in my tracks, spun around, and looked at both of them, my voice low but rock-solid:
“Listen to me,” I said, “I’m going after Drake alone. You two go take care of the wounded—right now. Don’t follow me.”
They opened their mouths to argue, but I cut them off, eyes locked on theirs.
“Trust me. This time, let me do it by myself.”
Without waiting for an answer, I turned into the corridor.