Chapter 2

Silvia I sprinted toward Noah's study— and froze. My brother lay collapsed on the floor, his tall frame twisted in agony. His skin was pale, slick with sweat, and his body trembled with violent spasms. "No, no, no!" I dropped to my knees beside him, pressing trembling fingers to his neck. A pulse—faint, erratic—fluttered beneath my touch. "Noah, please! Don't leave me too!" My voice broke. My hands shook so hard I nearly dropped my phone as I called the pack doctor. He was all I had left. My last piece of family. I couldn't lose him too. While I waited for help to arrive, I cradled Noah's head in my lap. His breathing came in shallow, broken gasps. "Stay with me," I whispered, stroking his damp hair back from his forehead. "I can't do this alone. Please." Within minutes, the pack doctor burst in with his team. The room filled with the sterile scent of medicine and fear. They moved fast—checking vitals, inserting IVs, calling out orders. I stayed beside him, numb, useless, terrified. "What's wrong with him?" I asked when one of them paused, tears streaming down my cheeks. The doctor looked at me with grave sympathy. "His heart's in severe distress. Has he experienced any significant trauma recently?" Trauma. The word almost made me laugh. "Our parents just died," I managed hoarsely. "And… his heart's always been weak." The doctor nodded slowly. "I'm sorry. Pack bonds can amplify loss. Sometimes the heart can't take it." They lifted Noah onto a stretcher. I gripped his limp hand, whispering over and over, "Hold on, Noah. I'm right here. I won't leave you." —— The hospital corridor was a sterile nightmare. My pacing had probably worn a path in the linoleum floor as I waited outside the emergency room where they'd taken Noah. The antiseptic smell burned my nostrils, and Keal paced restlessly within me, sensing my distress. "Miss Brown?" A nurse approached, clipboard in hand. "The doctor will speak with you shortly about your brother's condition." I nodded, unable to form words past the lump in my throat. My fingers nervously twisted the sleeve of my rain-soaked sweater. After what felt like hours, a tall doctor with salt-and-pepper hair and tired eyes emerged from the double doors. "Ms. Brown? I'm Dr. Mitchell." He extended his hand. "Would you mind stepping into a private room?" I nodded and followed him into a small consultation office, my heart pounding against my ribs like a war drum. "Your brother has just suffered a major cardiac event," he said, his tone steady but edged with concern. "The external injuries—though concerning—appear to be blunt force trauma, most likely from a fall after he lost consciousness. Given the severity of his heart condition, I strongly recommend emergency surgery." "Is he going to be okay?" I asked, barely recognizing my own voice as it cracked. Dr. Mitchell hesitated. "With immediate surgery, yes, his chances are good. But..." He cleared his throat. "I have to discuss the financial aspects. Without insurance, the procedure costs $58,000." The number hit me like a physical blow. "$58,000?" I whispered. "I don't... I can't possibly..." "I understand this is difficult." His eyes reflected genuine sympathy. "But we need to move forward with treatment within 24 hours. Beyond that, the damage may become irreversible." My mind raced frantically. "What about payment plans? There has to be something—" "The hospital requires at least half the amount upfront to schedule the surgery." Dr. Mitchell handed me some paperwork. "These forms explain your options. Do you have any other pack members who might help?" I shook my head numbly. "No. Just Noah and me now." "I'm truly sorry." He squeezed my shoulder gently. "Call this number when you've made arrangements. But please don't wait too long." After he left, I collapsed into a chair, my body trembling. My fingers hovered over my phone. Zack’s name flashed in my mind.He was wealthy—his family owned the massive Nightfang Pack territory and businesses. But the thought of crawling back to him after what he'd done... And worse, the look of humiliation on Noah's face if he learned I'd begged my cheating ex-mate for money... "No," I said aloud. "Never." My gaze drifted to the waiting room television where a business news segment was playing. "What are we going to do?" I whispered to Keal. "We first need to calm down and things will turn around," Keal said. "Alpha Sherman Carter, CEO of Carter Enterprises, has just announced a merger valued at over two billion dollars," the news anchor reported. "This marks the third major acquisition this year for the Nightfang Pack Alpha, solidifying his position as one of the wealthiest werewolves in North America." The camera panned to show a tall, imposing man with piercing blue eyes and golden hair, dressed in an immaculate suit. Alpha Sherman Carter. Zack's half-brother and greatest rival. Memory flashed through my mind—six months ago at the Carter family gala. I'd gone as Zack's mate, uncomfortable in the formal setting among wolves who clearly saw Blackwood Pack members as beneath them. "So you're the little omega who's caught my brother's eye," a deep voice had said behind me while Zack was fetching drinks. I'd lifted my chin, meeting his intense gaze directly. "I am Silvia of Blackwood Pack, yes." A smile tugged at his lips, sharp and knowing. “Sherman Carter. Alpha of Nightfang Pack. Tell me, how does an omega from a fading pack ensnare an Alpha heir? Even one as… unremarkable as my dear brother?” The insult to both me and Zack had stung. "The Moon Goddess chooses our mates, not social status or wealth." He'd laughed then, the sound both beautiful and dangerous. "The Moon Goddess has an interesting sense of humor, then." His eyes had traveled over me in a way that made my skin heat uncomfortably. "Though I can see the appeal. You have spirit, little wolf." "I'm not interested in your approval," I'd replied coldly. "No? But perhaps you're interested in something else?" He'd moved closer, his scent—A rich rum flavor—enveloping me. "My brother could never satisfy a wolf like you. When you tire of being his pretty little ornament—come to me. My door is always open." I'd stepped back, disgust evident in my expression. "I would never betray my mate." "Not even for someone who could give you everything he can't?"Alpha Sherman had challenged, his eyes flashing with something primal and possessive. "Think about it, little wolf. You deserve better than playing second fiddle to every omega that catches his eye." I'd walked away, disgusted by his arrogance and dismissing him as just another rich playboy. But now, watching his face on the TV, something inside me shifted. Power. Wealth. And a hatred for Zack that ran deeper than blood. "He could help us," Keal whispered. The thought was madness. Dangerous. And yet—completely logical. I stood slowly, my reflection staring back from the dark window: a drenched, exhausted omega who had lost everything. Money was the means. Power was the shield. And one man held both. I had no choice anymore. I had to find Alpha Sherman Carter.