Chapter 218

Summer's POV The scent of antiseptic and blood filled my nostrils as I slowly regained consciousness. My eyelids felt heavy, but I forced them open, immediately searching for Alexander. The space beside me was empty, the sheets cold. My wolf stirred anxiously within me—or what remained of her since my transformation. "Alex?" I called out, my voice raspy. Ethan appeared in the doorway, his expression carefully controlled in that way that immediately set off alarm bells in my head. "Where is he?" I demanded, already knowing I wouldn't like the answer. Ethan's shoulders tensed slightly. "Alpha Alexander received a message from Isabelle. She requested a private meeting." My blood ran cold. "And he went? Alone?" The realization hit me like a physical blow. "After everything that's happened, he still—" "He felt it was the only way to resolve things quickly," Ethan explained, though I could see the conflict in his eyes. As Beta, he was torn between loyalty to his Alpha's decisions and what he