Chapter 82

Chapter 82
Violet's POV:

The fluorescent lights of Silver Ridge Clinic blurred past as Daemon kicked through the emergency room doors. His arms locked around me with a force that made breathing difficult. My body trembled against his chest. The warmth spreading down my thighs had stopped, but the cramping in my lower abdomen continued in waves.

"I need a doctor now." Daemon's voice cut through the noise, sharp with Alpha command. The pressure of his authority rolled through the space. I felt every wolf in the vicinity bow their heads in submission.

Within minutes, a tall woman in a white coat appeared. Dr. Helena Chase, according to her name tag. Her sharp gray eyes assessed me with clinical efficiency. I caught the subtle flare of her nostrils as she approached. She was testing my scent.

"Examination room three," she said. "Mr. Blackwood, you'll need to wait outside."

"I'm not leaving her." Daemon's arms tightened around me.

Dr. Chase's expression didn't change. "Hospital policy. The patient needs privacy during the examination."

Daemon's jaw clenched. Finally, he carried me into the examination room and set me down on the bed. "I'll be right outside," he said. Then he turned and walked to the door. I noticed he positioned himself where he could see through the small window.

The door clicked shut. Dr. Chase moved with practiced efficiency. She helped me remove my blood-stained pants. The evidence of what I'd been hiding was laid bare under the harsh lights.

"How far along?" she asked. Her fingers moved to palpate my abdomen with gentle pressure.

"Seven weeks," I whispered. "Is she—is my baby okay?"

Dr. Chase didn't answer immediately. She pulled over an ultrasound machine. Cold gel touched my stomach. The transducer pressed against my skin. Suddenly there it was on the screen. That tiny flicker of movement. My daughter's heartbeat, faint but present.

"The heartbeat is there," Dr. Chase said. Her tone was carefully neutral. "But it's weaker than I'd like to see. Your cervix is showing signs of early dilation. This is a threatened miscarriage, Miss Goldcrest. You need immediate hospitalization. Progesterone injections and complete bed rest for at least two weeks."

The words hit me like physical blows. I stared at the screen, at that tiny flickering light.

"I'm going to need to inform the father," Dr. Chase continued. She reached for the door. "Mr. Blackwood has a right to know about—"

"No." My hand shot out. I gripped her wrist. "Please. He's not my mate anymore. This is my choice to make alone."

Dr. Chase paused. Her gray eyes studied me. I could see the conflict on her face.

"I'll respect your decision," she said finally. Her voice was quiet. "But as your doctor, I'm strongly advising you to reconsider. The stress of keeping this secret alone could be just as dangerous."

She released my wrist and moved toward the door. When she opened it, Daemon immediately straightened.

"How is she?" he demanded. "What's wrong?"

"Miss Goldcrest is suffering from severe anemia and hormonal imbalance due to acute stress," Dr. Chase said smoothly. "She needs to be hospitalized for observation and treatment. I'm arranging a private room for her now."

Daemon's eyes narrowed slightly. But Dr. Chase met his gaze steadily. After a moment, he nodded and pushed past her into the room.

I'd been moved to a VIP single room within the hour. A nurse had administered the first progesterone injection. Now an IV drip fed nutrients into my system.

Daemon sat in the chair beside my bed. He'd been silent since Dr. Chase left. I could feel his gaze on me.

"You scared me tonight," he said finally. His voice carried an edge of vulnerability I hadn't heard in years. "I thought—" He stopped. His jaw clenched.

His hand moved toward mine where it rested on the blanket. But the moment his skin brushed mine, I felt my muscles tense. He must have felt it too. He redirected the gesture. He adjusted my pillow instead.

I looked at him then. I saw the genuine concern in those blood-red eyes. For a moment, I felt my resolve waver. Maybe I should tell him. Maybe he deserved to know about his daughter.

"Daemon," I started. "I need to tell you some—"

My phone buzzed loudly on the bedside table. Daemon's gaze flicked to the screen. I saw his expression shift. The caller ID read "Celeste."

He stared at it for several seconds. I knew what he was thinking. Celeste was hurt too. Celeste needed him too.

I made the decision for him. "Go," I said. My voice was ice. "She needs you."

Daemon's jaw clenched. "She's injured because of tonight's chaos," he said. "I need to make sure—"

"I said go." I cut him off. I turned my face toward the window. "I don't need a reluctant guardian."

I heard him stand. His footsteps moved toward the door. They stopped before reaching it. The silence stretched between us.

"I'll come back to check on you," he said finally.

I kept my gaze fixed on the darkened window. "No need. We're done, remember?"

The door opened and closed. He was gone.

My hand moved to my abdomen. Through the bond I shared with Ember, I reached out. She responded slowly, weakly, but she was there.

"Is she still there?" I whispered. "Is our little one still fighting?"

Ember's presence in my mind was warm but faint. "Her heartbeat is faint, but she's holding on. She's a fighter, like her mother."

The monitor beside my bed beeped steadily. I closed my eyes. Exhaustion pulled at me.

The night passed in a haze. Nurses came and went. By the time dawn light began filtering through the hospital blinds, I'd managed maybe two hours of sleep.

My phone buzzed around nine in the morning. Patricia, my supervisor at work.

"Violet, honey, how are you feeling?" Her voice was warm with concern when I answered.

"I've been better," I admitted. "I'm going to need some time off. The doctor said at least a week, maybe two."

"Take all the time you need," Patricia said immediately. "Actually, I wanted to let you know that Linda requested a transfer to another department. She submitted the paperwork yesterday afternoon."

I processed this slowly. "She's leaving the team?"

"She requested a transfer to the marketing department," Patricia said. "Effective immediately."

Marketing department. Where Celeste worked. Of course Linda would want to be close to the girl who reminded her of Aurora.

"I see," I said quietly. "Thanks for letting me know."

"Just focus on getting better. Whatever you need, you let me know."

I hung up and stared at the ceiling.

My phone rang again almost immediately. This time it was Sienna on video call.

"There you are!" Sienna's face filled the screen. "Beck told me you were hospitalized last night. What the hell happened?"

"Just some female issues," I said. I forced my voice to sound casual. "Nothing serious. How's the honeymoon planning going?"

Sienna's eyes narrowed. She knew I was deflecting. But she let me change the subject. "Lucian wants to do something ridiculously extravagant."

We talked for another twenty minutes before hung up.

The afternoon stretched into evening. My bleeding had slowed. Dr. Chase said this was a good sign. The cramping had eased as well.

I was dozing when I heard the door open. My eyes flew open. I expected a nurse. Instead, I found Daemon standing in the doorway.

"Why is it you?" The words escaped before I could stop them.

Something flashed across Daemon's face. "Who were you expecting? Beck?"

The name came out sharp. I almost laughed. As if I would ask Beck to come here. As if I was that shameless.

"Shouldn't you be taking care of Celeste?" I shot back. "Otherwise she might feel hurt again."

I was thinking of the post I'd seen last night. The one where Celeste had implied her heart hurt more than her ankle.

To my surprise, Daemon didn't get angry. Instead, he moved into the room and settled into the chair beside my bed. A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth. "So fond of mocking her? Why not play the caring older sister in front of her like you used to?"

"We've already laid everything bare," I said coldly. "Why pretend?"

Daemon's eyebrow rose. "So you told everyone she's the reason for our rejection?"

I let out an exaggerated sigh. "Yes, I specifically told everyone. I calculated the exact moment my colleagues would come find me. Then I loudly accused Celeste of being the other woman. I wanted her to be utterly humiliated. Satisfied?"

Daemon nodded slowly. "Satisfied."

I blinked. Before I could respond, I found myself saying, "Then hurry up and go be with Celeste. Tell her you came to get justice for her. Don't stay here being an eyesore. I need to take care of my health. A good mood is very important."

But Daemon made no move to leave. Instead, he leaned back in the chair. "How long do you need to stay? What's the problem?"

"Of course it's a major issue related to having children with my next husband in the future," I said. "I need to get my body in good condition to embark on a beautiful new marriage."

I watched his face darken. His jaw clenched at the mention of remarriage.

"Have you found a suitable candidate?" His voice was carefully controlled.

"Tsk, aren't they everywhere?" I waved a hand dismissively. "Don't forget when I was pursuing you, there were plenty of others pursuing me. I was just too stubborn to see anyone else."

Daemon's blood-red eyes bored into mine. "Why can we still talk so calmly like this?" he asked suddenly. "I've been thinking about something. Did you change suddenly, or gradually? My instinct tells me you changed overnight, but I don't know what triggered it."

The question caught me off guard. Daemon sensed the wrongness of it. The impossible speed of my emotional detachment.

Because I did change overnight, I thought. Because I died and came back.

But I couldn't say any of that. So instead, I shrugged. "What's so strange about that? Didn't you fall for Celeste at first sight too? It's just a matter of an instant. Who can explain it clearly?"

Daemon's eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Or is it because you have someone new?"

"Why do you care so much about whether I have someone new?" I shot back.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. The silence stretched between us.

Finally, I turned onto my side. I presented my back to him. "What you can't have and what you've lost will always seem the best, right? Don't come looking for me anymore. I don't want to be involved between you and Celeste. I wish you both happiness."

The silence that followed was so long I thought maybe he'd left. But then his voice came, low and rough: "If this is what you truly want, fine. I'll respect your choice."

I heard him stand. I heard his footsteps cross to the door. The handle turned. Then he was gone.

Three days passed in a blur of medical checks and enforced bed rest. Dr. Chase was pleased with my progress. The bleeding had stopped completely. The ultrasound showed my daughter's heartbeat growing stronger.

On the third day, I was scrolling through my phone when a notification from the Pack gossip forum popped up. The post was pinned at the top: "Alpha Daemon Blackwood has formally dissolved his mate bond with Violet Goldcrest. The separation was conducted according to traditional Pack law and is effective immediately."

I stared at the words. Reading them over and over. He'd done it. He'd actually made it public.

I closed the forum when my phone rang. The caller ID showed "Victoria Blackwood." My first instinct was to let it go to voicemail. But the phone kept ringing.

"Hello, ma'am," I answered. I deliberately used the formal address.

"Violet." Victoria's voice came through tight with concern. "I heard you were hospitalized. What happened?"

"I'm fine, ma'am," I said carefully. "Just a bit weak physically. I need to stay in the hospital for a while to recuperate."

Victoria sighed. "Violet, our family has wronged you. Daemon told me before that the rejection was a delaying tactic. He was worried you'd be depressed and it would harm your health. He said he'd find a way to win you back. But now it seems... he couldn't do it."

So that's why the Blackwoods hadn't reacted when we first divorced.

"I see," I managed.

"But I will never accept that Celeste," Victoria continued. Her voice rose with emotion. "Even if she gets pregnant with Daemon's child in the future, I won't acknowledge the baby. If she wants to enter the Blackwood family, she'll have to do it over my dead body!"

I was startled. Victoria wouldn't even acknowledge her own grandchild? She'd always seemed so eager for grandchildren. But I realized this was just anger talking. If Celeste actually got pregnant, Victoria might not be able to stay so firm.

"Ma'am, if Daemon and Celeste truly love each other, you should let them be," I said quietly. "Family harmony is most important."

"What true love?" Victoria's voice turned sharp. "That Celeste can't possibly be as innocent as she seems. I will never accept her. If the Blackwood family must have a daughter-in-law, you're the only one I recognize."

She sounded sincere. But I felt nothing. We talked for a few more minutes. When I finally ended the call, I felt exhausted.

I was still staring at my phone when a soft knock came at the door. Before I could respond, it opened. Celeste stood in the doorway.

She looked almost fully recovered. Her ankle was still wrapped but no longer in the dramatic cast. She carried a bouquet of white datura flowers. She immediately placed them on my bedside table.

"Violet," she said. Her voice was warm with concern. "Daemon said your condition is quite serious and you need hospitalization. I came to check on you. Are you feeling better?"

I just stared at her.

"He mentioned you needed to maintain a good mood," Celeste continued. She moved closer to the bed. Her expression shifted to something that might have been guilt. "But he's so careless, announcing that news at such a sensitive time. I'm sorry. I know he did it to put my mind at ease."