Chapter 20 Sickness and Secrets
Zoe's POV"
I didn't sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it.
Sierra's lips on Ryan's.
His face. Her smile.
Over and over. Like a movie I couldn't stop.
My chest hurt. Not from my wounds. From something else.
Something deeper.
Jealousy.
I was jealous.
Me. Zoe. The girl pretending to be someone else.
I was jealous over a man who wasn't mine.
A man who belonged to my dead sister.
What was wrong with me?
I shouldn't feel this way. I had no right.
But I did. I felt it burning inside me. Hot. Angry. Painful.
Which was worse? That I was jealous? Or that I shouldn't be?
I didn't know.
I didn't know anything anymore.
...
The next evening, the pack held Pack Night in the great hall.
Everyone came together. To eat. To talk. To bond as a family.
Ryan asked me to come. Said it would be good for me. For us.
I didn't want to go. But I had to. I was the Luna.
Even if I was a fake one.
The hall was warm. Full of people. Full of noise.
I sat beside Ryan at the head table. Smiled. Nodded. Pretended everything was fine.
But it wasn't fine.
Sierra was there. Sitting close. Too close.
She kept looking at Ryan. Smiling at him. Touching his arm when she talked.
He moved away every time. Put distance between them.
But she kept trying.
And I kept watching.
Burning.
Then... everything went dark.
Not the room. My vision.
The walls started spinning. Tilting.
My body felt hot. Too hot.
"Olivia?" Ryan's voice sounded far away. "Are you okay?"
"I... I don't..."
I stood up. Too fast.
The room spun harder.
My legs gave out.
I fell.
People screamed. Chairs scraped.
"OLIVIA!"
Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground.
"Get the doctor! Now!" Ryan's voice. Panicked. Scared.
Everything went fuzzy. Blurry.
I felt myself being lifted. Carried.
Voices around me. Worried voices.
Then... darkness.
...
I woke up in bed.
Our bed. In our room.
My head pounded. My body ached. Everything hurt.
"She's awake." Scarlett's voice.
I turned my head. Slowly.
Scarlett stood beside the bed. Her face worried.
Ryan was there too. Pacing. Running his hands through his hair.
"What happened?" My voice came out weak. Rough.
"You fainted. At Pack Night." Ryan came to my side. Took my hand. "The doctor said you're sick. A fever. Your body is still recovering from your injuries. You pushed yourself too hard."
"How long..."
"Two hours. You've been unconscious for two hours." His thumb rubbed my hand. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Just rest." He looked at Scarlett. "Stay with her. I need to finish the pack meeting. It's important. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Of course, Alpha."
But then Scarlett's phone rang.
She looked at it. Her face went pale.
"It's my mother. She's... she's in the hospital. In the next town." Her voice shook. "I have to go. Now."
"Go." Ryan said immediately. "Family first."
"But the Luna..."
"I'll find someone to stay with her."
Scarlett looked at me. Guilty. Torn.
"Go," I whispered. "I'll be fine."
She squeezed my hand. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Then she was gone.
Ryan looked around. Thinking.
A knock on the door.
"Come in."
Sierra walked in.
Of course. Of course it was her.
I saw everything. Is she okay?" Sierra's voice was soft. Concerned.
"She has a fever. She needs rest." Ryan looked at her. Then at me. "I have to go to this meeting. It can't wait. But she shouldn't be alone."
"I can stay with her." Sierra stepped forward. "I'll take care of her."
No. No no no.
"Ryan..." I tried to sit up. "I don't need..."
"You need someone here. In case you get worse." His voice was firm. "Sierra, are you sure?"
"Of course. She's my friend." Sierra smiled. Sweet. Innocent. "I want to help."
Ryan looked relieved. "Thank you. I'll be back in two hours. Three at most."
He kissed my forehead. "Rest. I'll be back soon."
Then he left.
And I was alone.
With Sierra.
She stood there. Smiling. Watching me.
The door clicked shut behind Ryan.
And her smile changed.
Colder. Sharper.
She walked slowly to the bed. Sat on the chair beside it.
"So," she said. Her voice different now. "Here we are. Just the two of us."
I didn't answer. Just watched her.
"You know, it's funny." She leaned back. Crossed her legs. "When you first came back, I thought something was off. But I couldn't figure out what."
My heart started beating faster.
"The way you talked. The way you moved. The way you looked at Ryan." She tilted her head. "It was all... wrong. Different."
"I lost my memory..."
"Did you?" She leaned forward. "Or did you lose something else?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I've been watching you. Very carefully." Her eyes gleamed. "And I noticed things. Little things. Things that don't add up."
My mouth went dry.
"Like the scars on leg. Training scars. But Olivia never trained." Sierra smiled. "Like the way you hugged me in the garden. Olivia would rather die than touch me."
"The memory loss..."
"Explains some things. But not everything." She stood up. Walked closer. "So I did some digging. Asked some questions. Talked to some people."
She leaned down. Her face inches from mine.
"And I found out something very interesting about you, dear Luna."
My blood went cold.
"What... what did you find?"