Chapter 163

Chapter 163
{Ronan’s POV}

Everything I attempted doing in order to calm myself failed.

Humming songs Lisa loved. Thinking back to the best moments with Lisa. Even going through pictures of us.

The smell of antiseptic clung to the air, mixing with the sharp tang of my own fear. I had been pacing in front of the emergency doors for so long the nurses had stopped sparing me nervous glances.

My boots beat against the tiles in a rhythm that matched the pounding of my heart, every step echoing with silent prayers.

Inside, Johan and his team worked on Lisa. I could not see her. I could not touch her. All I could do was wait, and the waiting was its own kind of torture.

I felt so powerless. All the money. Power and services in the world and this was the best I could do for her.

‘Please be fine.’

The doors opened with a hiss and a doctor stepped out, her mask hanging low on her neck. Her expression was steady, a bit too professional for comfort.

“Alpha Stormrider,” she said, “we need your decision. There’s internal bleeding, and we’ll need to operate immediately. If there are complications, you must choose who we prioritize, the mother or the baby.”

My throat locked up, and for a second, the hallway seemed to tilt. The choice was impossible, yet in that moment, I knew there was only one answer.

And I said it firmly, without hesitation. “Lisa. Save Lisa.”

The doctor studied me for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if weighing my conviction. “We’ll do everything we can to save them both. But we needed your answer.”

She disappeared back through the doors before I could ask more.

I pressed my palms against my temples, my chest heaving. The baby was important. More than important. Without an heir, the Council might strip me of the chance to stand for Alpha King. Yet none of that mattered in this instant. Titles and power meant nothing if Lisa was gone.

The doors swung open again, and Johan appeared this time. He was still in his scrubs, gloves pulled halfway off, his face flushed from the rush.

“Ronan,” he started. “Sorry for having to put you in such a position. It must be hard having to choose so quickly... Lisa is strong, she is fighting to stay with us.”

He repeated after himself “Stay with us.”

I grabbed his shoulder, grounding him. “Do whatever it takes, Johan. Please.”

His eyes softened. “We’ll do our best.” Then he turned, vanishing back into the storm behind those sterile doors.

I leaned against the wall, every muscle in my body taut. My wolf prowled inside me, restless, aching to break through, but there was no battle to fight here, no enemy to tear apart. This was a war of patience, and this patience was agony.

The pounding of footsteps drew my gaze as Sean and Colt arrived, both looking as if they had sprinted from the gates of the estate. Both fixed their attention on me.

“Ronan,” Sean said, out of breath. “We came as soon as—”

I cut him off. “Colt, I need you back at the scene… It didn’t look like whoever ran into the cab was still there.”

I considered my next words carefully. “I'm inclined to believe this wasn’t just a random accident. So I need you to search the parameters. .”

Colt gave a short nod, his jaw tight. “Consider it done.” Without another word, he turned and hurried out.

I faced Sean. “You stay here until I say otherwise.”

Sean bristled. “With respect, Ronan, you need protection. If this was deliberate, then whoever did it might—”

“I am Alpha,” I snapped. “I can take care of myself. Your duty is to the people under my roof. Heri must not be left unguarded. Ok?”

He hesitated, clearly torn between duty and instinct, but finally lowered his head. “I-I will.”

“Good. Go home. Stay with her. Make sure she doesn’t sense anything is wrong.”

I turned to face the ER. “If she asks, tell her we’re at an event and will return soon. Do not let her worry.”

Sean met my gaze, his own steady. “I’ll guard her with my life.”

“I know.”

With that. I was the only one left again.

Hours stretched on after that, a suffocating silence broken only by the occasional call over the hospital intercom. I paced until my legs ached, sat for a moment only to shoot back up again. Every time the ER doors creaked, my head whipped toward them, hoping it was about Lisa. Hoping she was fine. That the baby was fine. I could scold her for leaving afterwards.

The clock on the wall seemed frozen, taunting me with its slow hands. I had fought wars, torn through enemies, faced betrayals, but nothing compared to this helplessness.

Finally, the doors opened again, and Johan stepped out, stripping his gloves fully off this time. His face was pale, but not grim.

I was at his side in two strides.

“Surgery successful.,” he said, his voice quick, the echo of his condition folding the words over themselves.

“Both Lisa and your baby. Both of them are stable.”

Relief crashed into me so hard I nearly staggered. My knees threatened to give out, but I held my ground, clinging to every syllable he spoke.

“You can see her for a bit. We'll be moving her to the ICU after.”

“The ICU after.” He echoed.

I squeezed his shoulder, the closest thing to gratitude I could muster in the moment. “Thank you, Johan.”

He nodded, twitching with his habitual repetition. “Thank you, Johan.”

Without waiting another second, I pushed through the doors, my chest tight, my hands trembling in a way they never did on the battlefield.

The room was still buzzing with the aftermath of the surgery, nurses adjusting equipment, machines beeping steadily. My eyes found her instantly. Pale, fragile, but very much alive.

That was all I could ask for.

I moved to her side, taking her hand carefully in mine, as though she might shatter if I held too tightly. Her skin was warm. Not a spec of blood or char on her.

My chest loosened, a weight finally lifting. She had fought through the wreckage, the odds, the pain. And she was here.

I leaned closer, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. Her lashes flickered, the smallest movement, but it was enough to send another rush of relief through me. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”