Chapter 8

The emergency ward buzzed with the usual chaos, stretchers rolling past, monitors beeping, and the low hum of voices layered over the sharp calls of nurses. Sloane moved through it all with practiced calm, her white coat swaying behind her as she charted down vitals. Jeremy trailed behind her like a little shadow, his small hand clutching the edge of her coat. Eight years old and far too quiet for his age, he followed wherever she went. She didn’t mind, his presence had become something she’d grown used to, a steady rhythm in the whirlwind of the hospital. But then she noticed it. Near the far corner, an injured man lay on a gurney, surrounded by a wall of black-clad bodyguards. Their presence was a sharp contrast to the sterile hospital scene. The shadowclaw territory was deep in war like situation. The territory was rich therefore mant packs wanted the share of it. Sloane frowned. Security details weren’t uncommon, but the way they stood, unyielding, tense, made the air feel heavier. She straightened her shoulders and approached. “I need to check on him,” she said firmly, stepping closer. “I’m the attending doctor.” One of the bodyguards blocked her path instantly, his glare cold enough to burn. “You can’t touch our boss.” His voice was laced with disdain. “You’re not worthy enough.” Before she could react, his hand shoved her back, not hard enough to injure, but enough to humiliate. Sloane’s breath hitched, her jaw tightening. “Hey!” Jeremy burst out, stepping forward with his little fists balled up. But when he tried to shield her, the bodyguard shoved him too. The boy stumbled backward, almost hitting the ground. That was when the air changed. A surge of power swept through the ward, invisible yet suffocating. The hairs on the back of Sloane’s neck stood on end as a deep, primal energy pressed down on everyone present. Dominic had entered. His eyes burned with fury, his Alpha aura unfurling like a storm. The bodyguards faltered, their hands twitching, feet shifting nervously as fear prickled through them. Even the injured man on the gurney seemed to stir under the weight of it. But before the man could speak, before Sloane could even reach him, the bodyguards dragged him away in a rush, vanishing down the hall with mechanical efficiency. The tension lingered in the air like smoke after fire. Sloane turned, her pulse still racing, and found Dominic’s gaze locked on hers. For a heartbeat, the chaos of the ward seemed to fall away. His eyes held hers, dark, intense, carrying the weight of power and something else she couldn’t name. She felt it deep in her chest, a pull she hadn’t expected. Jeremy clung to her side, but neither she nor Dominic looked away. Something had shifted. Sloane fell into step beside Dominic as the gurney disappeared down the corridor. The silence between them pressed heavier than the Alpha’s aura still lingering in the air. Finally, she asked, her voice steady though her chest was tight, “Do you… know that man?” Dominic’s jaw tightened, his gaze fixed forward. But he didn’t answer. His silence was louder than any words. Sloane’s brows furrowed, unease pricking her. She shook it off and pushed open the doors to the emergency room. Inside, the atmosphere was tense, panic humming beneath the harsh fluorescent lights. The injured man lay pale and sweating on the table, his chest heaving, while several doctors and nurses clustered around him. Their hurried movements carried an undercurrent of fear, not competence. When their eyes landed on her, the shift was instant. “You shouldn’t be here,” one doctor snapped. “Leave at once.” “I’m a doctor,” Sloane replied firmly, stepping closer to the bed. The man groaned low in his throat, his hand curling weakly against the sheet. His aura was volatile, barely contained, as if his very presence burned. The male nurse nearest to him rounded on Sloane. “Can’t you see his anger? You’ll only make it worse. Step back before you endanger us all.” Another doctor moved toward her, hand raised to usher her out. “You’re too young. Treating him isn’t something you can shoulder.” They were seconds away from physically escorting her out when the door slammed open behind them. Dominic entered. The room stilled immediately, his presence commanding silence. His gaze cut through the doctors before settling on Sloane. “What’s happening here?” One of the senior physicians spoke quickly, nervously. “Alpha, with respect, letting her near him is a risk. She insists she can treat him, but she isn’t experienced enough. This is beyond her capacity.” Dominic’s eyes flicked back to Sloane, his expression unreadable. “Are you confident you can treat him?” Every gaze in the room turned toward her, the weight of skepticism pressing down. Sloane lifted her chin. “Yes. I am blessed with the Moon Goddess’s divine power.” Her voice did not waver, even as the room erupted in disbelief. “That’s reckless!” one of the doctors argued. “My Alpha, trusting her is a gamble. If she fails, the consequences” “Enough.” Dominic’s tone cut like steel. He didn’t look at them. His eyes never left Sloane’s.