Chapter 114 Elara's POV
"He is the best we have and he insisted that he needed to save her."
I resumed pacing the baby, clearly disturbed by my agitation. I murmured soothing words, trying to calm both of us down.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Damian emerged from the surgical wing. His scrubs were stained with blood and he looked exhausted.
"She's stable," he said. "The surgery went well. She will recover."
"Good, that's good." I moved toward him. "Now we need to talk to your office. Now."
"Elara, I'm covered in blood. I should clean up-"
"Now, Damian."
He saw the determination in my eyes and nodded. "Okay my office."
I practically dragged him there, my patience completely gone. Once we were inside with the door closed, I turned on him.
"Tell me everything, the truth, all of it."
He sank into his chair, suddenly looking older than his years. "What do you want to know?"
"Who is she? Why was she here? What happened in that alley?"
"Her name is Lyssa. We were... we were engaged. Sort of. It was arranged by our families when we were children. I never wanted it, never agreed to it but the engagement stood regardless."
"You were engaged?"
"On paper. In name only. I told her years ago that I wouldn't honor it that I was leaving the Dark Moon Pack and starting over. She apparently didn't accept that."
"So she came here to find you?"
"Yes. Xavier must have told her I was here. Told her I was working as a Blue Moon Pack's doctor."
Damian ran his hand through his hair. "She cornered me in town and started making demands. Said I needed to come back to honor the engagement with her."
"And when you refused?"
"She said she would die because loving me was killing her anyway and she might as well make it literal."
His voice was hollow. "Then she extended her claws and cut herself deep multiple times. I tried to stop her but there was so much blood-"
"Why would she do that? Hurt herself just to make a point?"
"Because she's been taught that manipulation works that causing pain even self-inflicted pain is a valid way to get what you want."
Damian looked at me. "The Dark Moon Pack has... unhealthy ideas about love and loyalty. About what people owe each other. It's part of why I left."
I studied his face, the exhaustion and the guilt. The fear that I wouldn't believe him.
"I believe you," I said quietly.
His head snapped up. "You do?"
"Yes. I've seen how you treat people. How careful you are how you would never hurt someone unless you had no choice."
I moved closer. "And I saw her face when she was being loaded into the ambulance. She wasn't scared of you. She was watching you. Waiting to see if you would come to her, that's not the face of someone who's been attacked."
"Thank you." His voice broke slightly. "Thank you for believing me."
"How can I help? What do you need?"
"I need... I need to figure out what to do about Lyssa. She can't stay here but if I send her back to Dark Moon Pack, she will just try this again. She is desperate and desperate people do desperate things."
"Can you talk to Xavier? Maybe he can help manage the situation?"
"Maybe but I don't trust him. He is the one who told her where I was in the first place."
Before I could respond, Damian stood and pulled me into a hug. "Thank you for believing me for not just assuming the worst. For being the kind of person who gives people the benefit of doubt."
I hugged him back carefully, aware of the blood still on his scrubs. "You are my friend, of course I believe you."
The office door slammed open.
Kaden stood there, his eyes immediately going to where Damian and I were embracing his expression turned thunderous.
"What the hell is this?" he growled.
Damian released me immediately. "It's not what it looks like-"
"It looks like you are holding my pregnant mate in your office while covered in another woman's blood."
Kaden crossed the room in three strides and pulled me to his side. "Care to explain?"
"Kaden, calm down," I said. "We were just talking-"
"Talking requires words, not touching."
"It was a friendly hug between two people who have been through a traumatic experience today."
"I don't care what kind of hug it was, you don't touch her."
Kaden turned to Damian. "And you what happened with that woman? The one who's claiming you attacked her?"
"She attacked herself. I tried to stop her. Elara believes me, maybe you should too."
"Maybe I would if you would stop putting yourself in situations that look suspicious. First confessing feelings for my mate. Now ending up covered in blood with another woman. What am I supposed to think?"
"You are supposed to think that I'm a doctor doing my job! That sometimes my job involves blood and difficult situations and complicated relationships with patients!"
"Lyssa isn't your patient. She's your ex-fiancée who came here to manipulate you into coming back to her. That's not a medical situation. That's a personal one you should have handled better."
"How was I supposed to handle it better? She cut herself! In public! What was I supposed to do, let her bleed out to avoid looking suspicious to you?"
They were squaring off now, both of them vibrating with barely controlled aggression.
"Stop it!" I stepped between them. "Both of you stop acting like territorial wolves fighting over-"
A sharp pain lanced through my stomach. I gasped, doubling over.
Both men were at my side instantly.
"What's wrong?" Kaden demanded.
"The baby-"
"Is it kicking again?"
"No different. It hurts."
I wasn't actually in that much pain. The baby had kicked, yes, but not unusually hard. But I needed them to stop fighting and this was the fastest way.
"We need to check her," Damian said, already moving toward his medical equipment. "Make sure the stress hasn't triggered contractions-"
"I'm fine," I said, straightening up. "It was just a kick, a strong one. I'm okay."
They both stared at me suspiciously.
"You're sure?" Kaden asked.
"Yes. I'm sure but I want to go home. I'm tired and I don't want to be here anymore."
"I will take you," Kaden said immediately.
"I should check your vitals first," Damian insisted.
"Tomorrow I will come in tomorrow for a full check-up. Right now I just want to leave."
Kaden practically carried me to the car. His movements were stiff, his jaw tight. He was angry and tried not to show it.