Chapter 271 The Alpha's Disgnosis

Chapter 271 The Alpha's Disgnosis

DANIEL

The high-pitched wail intensified, filling the room with a raw, demanding urgency that made my skin prickle.

I spun around, my eyes landing on the tiny, swaddled bundle that had, moments ago, been the image of peaceful perfection.

Now, her little face was scrunched into a mask of indignation, her limbs flailing against the confines of her blanket.

"What does she want?" I asked, my voice betraying my complete lack of experience.

I felt like I was facing a threat I couldn't neutralize, and that helpless feeling was worse than any battlefield tension.

Miss Moonrack let out a soft, breathless laugh, though it was tinged with exhaustion. "I don't know for certain, but she definitely wants to eat. Help me, Daniel. Bring her here so I can feed her."

I hesitated, standing like a statue.

Then, I took a step toward the crib and stopped. My shoes felt heavy on the linoleum, and the baby’s cries seemed to bounce off the walls, vibrating in my teeth.

I reached out a hand, hovered over the soft weight of her, and pulled back, my confidence crumbling.

"What is wrong with you?" she teased, though her eyes were gentle. "Don't tell me our powerful Beta, the man who commands thousands of wolves, is terrified of a tiny pup."

A sheepish, lopsided smile tugged at my lips.

She had caught me red-handed.

I took a deep breath, steeling my resolve. Come on, Daniel. She’s just a baby.

I scooped her up, my movements jerky and overly cautious.

The moment she left the security of the crib, she shrieked louder, her tiny body twisting in my arms.

My hands were visibly shaking, a ridiculous, frantic tremor I couldn't suppress.

I didn't dare hold her for another second; I hurried to the bedside and deposited her onto Miss Moonrack’s thighs as if she were made of fragile glass.

The change was instantaneous.

As soon as the baby sensed her mother’s warmth and scent, the wailing tapered off into a rhythmic, satisfied whimper.

Miss Moonrack chuckled, shaking her head. "I really can't believe you. Can't you even carry her properly? What would you do if she were your own child?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

The thought of that level of responsibility, of holding a future as fragile as this made my chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with war.

She must have seen the look in my eyes because she sighed and started to move, reaching for the hem of her top to prepare for feeding.

I turned away immediately, focusing on the sterile white paint of the wall to give her the privacy she needed.

The door creaked open, breaking the heavy silence.

A doctor stepped in, his expression grim.

"Beta," he said, his voice clipped. "The Alpha’s results are out."

My head snapped around. This was the moment of truth. I didn't want to discuss it in front of her, not while she was still recovering and nursing.

"Let's step outside," I ordered, already moving toward the door.

"No," Miss Moonrack said, her voice firmer than it had been all morning. "Let him say it here. I want to know about it."

I gripped the doorframe, I couldn't risk her health, not with her heart already so fragile.

"Don't worry about it now, I’ll tell you everything as soon as I have a handle on things," I said, refusing to look back at her.

"But..."

"Awwn... little Tyla is finally here!"

The door opened wider, and her mother bustled in.

I exhaled, a wave of relief washing over me.

Her arrival was the perfect distraction.

But before she could rush toward her daughter, her face illuminated by pure, unadulterated joy, she grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight.

"Thank you, Beta. Thank you."

I took that opening, backing out of the room.

As I stepped into the hallway, my entire world shifted back into focus.

I saw them: Marie and her mother standing near the nurse’s station.

My heart lifted, the sight of my fiancée grounding me.

She saw me, her expression melting from worry to relief as she hurried over. She kissed my cheek, her touch cool against my feverish skin.

"I’m going inside now," she whispered against my jaw. "Wait for me outside. I want to see Yelena and the baby first."

I nodded, unable to speak, and gestured for the doctor to follow me into the deserted, quiet alcove of the corridor.

As soon as we were isolated, my face hardened into a mask of predatory focus. "Talk. What happened to him?"

The doctor steadied himself, his hands trembling slightly as he handed me a thin, folded report. "He didn't just collapse, Beta. He was poisoned. It was a potent, slow-acting toxin designed to trigger a curse. Because he is an Alpha, his constitution fought it off for a while, but it’s beginning to take hold. It’s draining his wolf, weakening his essence."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

Poison?

My mind raced back to the restaurant, the expensive vintage the Alpha had ordered, the way the air had felt heavy and suspicious.

It was in the wine.

It had to be.

"And what is delaying the cure?" I asked, my voice a low, dangerous growl.

"He needs to be conscious. His system and his wolf need to be active, participating in the process, for us to flush the toxin out. If he remains in this coma, the poison will finish its work."

"Then do whatever it takes to wake him up," I commanded, stepping into his space, my eyes burning. "His woman has just given birth. He needs to meet the baby. He does not get to die."

"Yes, yes, we will do everything in our power," the doctor stammered, backing away.

I snatched the report from his hand, my anger manifesting as a physical ache in my chest.

"You better. If he doesn't wake up, there won't be a hospital left for you to practice in."

The doctor bowed and scrambled away.

I clutched the papers so tightly the corners began to crumple.

I wouldn't just save him; I would burn the world down to find out who did this.

I pulled out my phone, my thumb flying across the screen to dial my lead guard.

"Listen," I said when he answered, my voice ice-cold. "Go to the restaurant. Every single staff member who worked last night... bring them in. Not for questioning yet. You secure them. I want them all in the holding cells by an hour."

"Yes, Beta. Immediately."

"I’ll join you soon," I said, cutting the connection.

I turned back to the hallway, but before I could take a step, the heavy door to the ward swung open once more.

Luna emerged, her face a mask of grief and fury, her eyes searching mine with the intensity of a storm.

"What do you say happened to my son?" She demanded as if she was trying to attack me with the question.