Lines Are Drawn

Lines Are Drawn
POV Sage Winters

The shock of Vivienne's venomous words hit me like a physical blow, but I forced myself to stay calm. My wolf bristled beneath my skin, wanting to snarl back at the disrespect, but I held her in check. This wasn't about pride right now. Two people I cared about were fighting for their lives.

Before I could respond, Edwin's voice cracked through the room like thunder. "Enough!" He strode toward his daughter with fury blazing in his eyes. "Enough, Vivienne! You've already caused Marcus to have a heart attack with your accusations. Do you want to put me in a hospital bed too?"

Vivienne's face crumpled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "But Daddy, she—"

"I said enough." Edwin's tone brooked no argument. He turned to me, and the anger in his expression shifted to something closer to shame. "Sage, I apologize for my daughter's behavior. I will speak with her about this later, but right now—" He gestured helplessly at Marcus's prone form. "Please. He needs help."

Vivienne bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, her entire body trembling with barely suppressed rage. But she fell silent under her father's authority, though her eyes continued to burn holes through me.

I started toward Marcus again, but Elena stepped forward, her sleek black ponytail swinging as she moved to intercept me. Her voice was smooth, professional, with an edge of condescension underneath.

"Edwin, you can't let her do this. Vivienne's emotions might be running high, but she has legitimate concerns." She gestured toward me with barely disguised contempt. "If Sage really is the kind of person Vivienne described, then Vivienne has every right to be upset."

Elena's dark eyes fixed on me, and I saw calculation there mixed with defensiveness. Like someone protecting their territory.

"What accusations exactly?" Thorne's voice cut through the tension, cold and sharp as a blade. He moved to stand beside me, his presence a solid wall of support at my back.

Before Elena could answer, Celeste glided forward with her expression perfectly crafted into one of reasonable concern. She placed a gentle hand on Vivienne's arm, and Vivienne immediately leaned into the touch like they were old friends.

"Vivienne, please calm down," Celeste said softly. "I know you're worried about your grandmother, but getting this upset won't help anyone." She turned to face me with a perfectly sweet smile that made my teeth ache. "I'm sure Sage isn't the terrible person we might think she is. And besides, we're all here together now. Nothing bad can happen with so many witnesses present."

The words were meant to sound reassuring, but I heard the threat underneath them. We're watching you.

I met Celeste's gaze head-on, letting my wolf rise just enough that my eyes probably flashed silver. That perfect, practiced smile set off every alarm bell in my head. This was calculated manipulation, and Celeste was pulling strings I couldn't quite see yet.

Drake remained silent throughout the exchange, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He watched with cold, assessing eyes, not bothering to intervene. Just observing. Calculating.

I forced myself to take a deep breath and focus. "Whatever questions anyone has, we can address them shortly," I said, keeping my voice level. "But right now, the priority has to be Marcus and Lyanna's medical conditions. Nothing else matters until we stabilize them."

Thorne's hand found mine, his fingers lacing through my own. "Sage is right. Personal grievances can wait. Their health comes first."

Vivienne opened her mouth to protest, but both Elena and Celeste held her back. Elena's grip on Vivienne's shoulder was firm, almost possessive.

Edwin stood to the side with a conflicted expression, gratitude warring with concern and confusion.

I moved toward Marcus's bedside. Thorne stayed close, positioning himself protectively as he spoke quietly to Jason. "What happened exactly?"

"Lyanna suffered sudden increased intracranial pressure early this morning," Jason said, his voice low. "Dr. Rivers performed emergency surgery, but she hasn't regained consciousness. Elder Marcus came to the hospital as soon as he heard. He got into a heated argument with Vivienne about the changes to Lyanna's care team. The stress triggered a heart attack."

I checked Marcus's pulse at his wrist and throat. Too rapid. Too irregular. I examined the monitors, noting the telltale signs of unstable angina. "His heart rhythm is erratic," I murmured. "But this doesn't look like simple emotional stress. This pattern suggests he experienced an intense psychological shock—like his wolf reacted to something traumatic."

I moved to Lyanna's bedside. Vivienne tensed as I approached, but Celeste and Elena held her in place. I checked Lyanna's pupil response with my penlight, noting the sluggish but present reaction. Her vital signs were relatively stable post-surgery.

But something about the medication chart made me pause. I picked it up, scanning through the entries with growing unease.

"Elena." I kept my voice neutral. "You're the one Vivienne brought in to assist with Lyanna's care, correct? I need you to walk me through exactly what medications Lyanna has been receiving."

Elena's spine straightened, her expression shifting to defensive hostility. She crossed her arms, the medical chart pressed against her chest like a shield. "My formulations have been perfectly appropriate. She was actually improving before this morning!"

"I didn't ask if they were appropriate," I said evenly. "I asked what they were."

Celeste interjected, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Elena really is extremely talented, Sage. Dr. Rivers reviewed all her proposed treatments yesterday and gave his approval. Lyanna was even praising her work." She tilted her head with that perfect smile. "I'm sure you're not questioning Dr. Rivers's professional judgment, are you?"

The implied threat was clear—if I challenged Elena's competence, I'd be challenging Caius by extension.

Before I could respond, Vivienne's voice cut through the room like broken glass. "Stop pretending to care!" She jerked free from Elena and Celeste's restraining hands, her face twisted with fury. "You were jealous that Elena was getting recognition for helping Grandmother! So you had your disgusting lover Caius poison Elena's medications, and then you came back to play the hero!"