Chapter 222

ELORA'S POV It’s been two hours. Two painfully long hours, and Lucian still hasn’t opened his eyes. I pace the hallway until my legs ache, back and forth, over and over, like if I keep moving, something, anything, will change. My hands won’t stop trembling. Every few seconds, my eyes flick to the closed door like it might suddenly open on its own and prove all my fears wrong. It doesn’t. When Lucian’s grandmother arrives, her pain hits harder than my own. She doesn’t walk in…she rushed in, her breath uneven, her eyes wild with fear. “Where is he?” she cried. “Where is my baby?” I move toward her immediately, grabbing her hands. “Grandma, please calm down,” I said, though my own voice is barely steady. “The pack doctor is checking on him.” She clutched my hands like I’m the only thing keeping her upright. We all stood there; me, Nora, my aunt, my grandmother, and Aiden…lined up outside the room like ghosts waiting for permission to breathe again. The silence is unbearable. Every second