Chapter 0078

My eyes flutter open, and the first thing I notice is the surge of strength coursing through me. For a brief moment, Selene pushes forward, her presence warm and reassuring.

"The venom is weakening," she tells me. "It'll take another week for me to fully recover, but Victor's mark is gone. The bruises will fade slower—I prioritized healing the internal damage first."

The hospital room comes into focus. Genevieve, Nathaniel, and my father are all there. Dad's head snaps toward me the second he senses I'm awake.

"Sweetheart," he breathes, relief flooding his voice. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Better," I rasp, fingers instinctively brushing my neck. "Selene says she's fighting the venom, and Victor's mark is gone. Is that true?"

I tug the hospital gown aside. Their reactions are immediate—Genevieve practically leaps from her chair, gripping my shoulders as she examines my skin.

"Oh my gods!" she gasps. "Your wolf is incredible! Every single mark is gone!"

I blink. "Wait—all of them? How many were there?"

An uneasy silence settles over them. It's Dad who finally answers.

"Evelyn," he says carefully, "there were multiple puncture wounds on both sides of your neck. It looks like he was trying to flood your system with venom—to force your body into submission so he could solidify the bond."

I shouldn't be surprised, but the cruelty still stings. "Guess I owe Selene a thank-you."

I ask for updates—how they found me, what happened while I was unconscious. They tell me everything, including how Adrian and Sebastian played crucial roles in my rescue.

Fifty...

Dad leaves to grab real food from the packhouse, and I seize the moment to voice the question gnawing at me.

"I get that Adrian and Sebastian helped, but... neither of them has come by?"

Genevieve and Nathaniel exchange a look.

"What?" I press.

Nathaniel clears his throat. "Well... your dad might have gone full Guardian on them."

Genevieve nods. "Yeah. There was some kind of... standoff in your room. Your dad kicked them out and banned them from returning."

Nathaniel adds, voice tinged with awe, "He said if they wanted to see you, they'd have to go through him first."

I'm speechless. First, whatever tension exists between Adrian and Sebastian seems as volatile as the day Sebastian brought that bear to school. Second, my dad just asserted dominance over two Alphas.

"Alpha Alistair didn't intervene?"

"Nope," Genevieve says. "He just grinned and said it was good to see his old Guardian back in action. Did you know your dad's been training warriors?"

"What? What else did I miss?"

Genevieve groans. "You mean besides the fact that your father is trying to kill us with his insane training regimen? I've never been this sore in my life."

I'm laughing when Dad returns with Dr. Whitmore.

"That's a good sign," the doctor remarks, smiling.

"Hey, Doc," I say. "So? When can I get out of here?"

He checks my vitals, flipping through the nurse's notes before meeting my gaze. "You and Selene are something else. Your recovery rate is astounding. At this pace, I’d say you can leave tonight."

Relief crashes over me. I don’t want another second in this sterile bed. I need fresh air, my own room, my own space to heal properly.

"What do I need to do?" I ask, already sitting up straighter.