Chapter 15 Chapter 0015
•CASSANDRA•
The hospital discharged me later that afternoon.
A nurse helped me sign the papers and reminded me more than once that I needed rest. She gave me a small bag with my prescriptions and another with paperwork about the pregnancy.
Dante was waiting at the door.
He had barely left my side since I woke up. “You ready?” he asked when the nurse finally left.
I took a slow breath and nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
He grabbed my bag and helped me stand. My legs felt weak, but I managed.
We rode the elevator down in silence.
When the doors opened, sunlight streamed in through the glass entrance. Dante held the door open, and the warmth hit my face as we stepped outside.
His car was parked close by. He opened the passenger door for me, and I slid inside. The seat was warm from the sun.
We drove in silence at first.
The city looked nothing like Silvercrest. Tall buildings. Wide roads. Too many people and too many cars.
Everything moved fast, but no one looked at me twice. I wasn’t Luna here or a traitor. I was just another woman in the passenger seat.
After a while, Dante spoke. “I found you a place to stay. Close to my place and close to my clinic.”
I turned to him. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to,” he replied. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
I looked out the window again. “I’ve been alone for a long time.”
He didn’t argue.
We drove until the city thinned out and the buildings grew smaller. Eventually, he pulled into a quiet area near the edge of town.
“Before we go inside,” I cleared my throat.
He glanced at me. “What’s wrong?”
“I need a moment,” I replied. “Outside. Under the sky.”
Understanding crossed his face. “Of course.”
He parked the car and stepped out with me. The sun was already lowering, painting the sky in soft colors. I walked a few steps away, toward the trees, until the sounds of traffic faded.
When the moon started rising, pale and steady above me, I lifted my head.
This wasn’t pack land. There were no elders. No witnesses. Just the moon and me.
I placed a hand over my stomach.
“Mason,” I whispered, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “You don’t get to hurt me again.”
The memories rushed forward. His cold eyes, his words, and the way he had stood by while my name was dragged through the dirt.
“I will never forgive you,” I continued. “Not for what you did to me, what you took from me, and the lies you told. And this baby... you will never know her."
My hand tightened over my stomach.
“You don’t deserve her,” I whispered. “You lost us the moment you chose Nadia over the truth.”
The moon didn't respond, but I knew I had made my decision and had made peace with everything that had happened.
I turned back to Dante.
He hadn’t followed me. He stood by the car, giving me space, his gaze respectful. When I reached him, he searched my face.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied. And for the first time, I meant it.
We drove the rest of the way to the apartment he’d arranged. It was small, clean, and quiet. Nothing fancy, but safe. When he handed me the keys, I felt something close to gratitude and guilt all at once.
“I’ll let you rest,” he answered. “But tomorrow, if you’re up for it, I want to show you something.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re being mysterious.”
He smiled. “Just trust me.”
The next morning, I woke up sore but rested. Morning sickness had me by the throat, but I was surviving.
After a light breakfast, Dante drove us across town. We stopped in front of a modern building with large windows and a simple sign outside.
Dante’s name was on it.
“This is your clinic?” I asked.
“Yes, it is," he answered. "It's been two years since I opened it."
Inside, the space was bright and calm. The scent of antiseptic was familiar, comforting in a way I hadn’t expected.
Nurses moved with purpose, greeting Dante as they passed. A few doctors nodded at me, curious but polite.
“This is the emergency wing,” he said as we walked. “We handle a lot of trauma cases. Accidents, injuries, things bigger hospitals can’t always take quickly.”
My heart started beating faster. I couldn't believe that after all those years, he did exactly what he said he wanted to do.
“This is what you wanted,” I said.
He nodded. “And what you wanted too. Back then.”
We stopped in front of his office. He opened the door and gestured for me to sit on the chair.
“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” he said, leaning against the desk.
I folded my hands in my lap. “Okay.”
“We have an opening,” he started. “An attending physician position. Long hours, but good pay. Full benefits and flexible scheduling.”
I stared at him. “Dante—”
“I know,” he interrupted gently. “You just woke up in a hospital. You’re pregnant, and you were banished, and this is a lot.”
He met my eyes. “But you’re one of the best medical minds I’ve ever known. You always were. And we need someone like you here.”
The room felt quiet.
“You want to hire me?"
“Yes.”
I laughed softly, more out of disbelief than humor. “You don’t even know if I’m ready.”
“I do,” he answered without hesitation. “You were born ready.”
Emotion tightened my throat. “What about my past? My… situation?”
“You’re human here,” he replied. “Your past stays in the past. And your pregnancy stays private. Only if you want it known.”
I looked down at my hands. For the first time since everything had fallen apart, I saw something that looked like a future.
This was the life I had almost chosen once.
Before duty, betrayal, and before my name became something people whispered with contempt.
I lifted my eyes to Dante.
“I don’t know if I'm ready. I haven't been a doctor for years."
“You don’t have to be ready,” he replied. “You just have to start.”
I took a slow breath.
All my life, decisions had been made for me. By my uncle, the pack, and my mate.
Even my banishment and the claims against me were decided by someone who didn't want me there anymore.
“I’ll do it,” I answered.
Dante’s expression shifted instantly, relief and something close to pride crossing his face. “You will?”
I nodded. “I accept the job.”