Summer’s POV
The days passed in a blur of domesticity and preparation. Alex balanced his Alpha duties with spending time with Felix and me, often joining us for meals or evening walks around the territory. The pack members had accepted my presence with surprising ease–though I suspected that had more to do with
their respect for Alex than any affection for me.
Lyra became a constant companion, helping me navigate pack protocols and introducing me to other members. As Wednesday approached, we returned to the hospital for Felix’s final pre–operative check-
- up. Miller seemed pleased with his condition and confirmed that everything was on track for the procedure.
The hospital room was sterile and bright, the scent of antiseptic making my nose twitch. Alex sat beside
me, his presence steady and reassuring as we waited for Felix to be called in for his procedure.
Felix, remarkably, seemed the most composed of all of us. Dressed in a hospital gown that swallowed his
small frame, he sat calmly flipping through a comic book Alex had brought him.
“Are you scared, Mom?” he asked perceptively.
“A little,” I admitted.
“Don’t be. Alex said werewolves heal super fast, so I’ll be okay.”
Speaking of the Alpha, he returned to us then, paperwork completed. “All set,” he announced, crouching down to Felix’s level. “Ready for your upgrade, pup?”
Felix nodded solemnly. “Will you take care of Mom while I’m in there? She’s nervous.”
Alex’s eyes met mine over Felix’s head, warm with affection. “I promise.”
A nurse appeared then, clipboard in hand. “Felix Thorn? We’re ready for you.”
My heart lurched as Felix stood, suddenly looking very small and vulnerable despite his brave face. I hugged him tightly, breathing in his familiar scent. “I love you so much.”
“Love you too, Mom.” He pulled back, offering a crooked smile. “See you when I wake up.”
Alex squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll keep your mom safe. You focus on getting better.”
Felix nodded, then followed the nurse through the double doors that led to the surgical ward. I watched until they disappeared from view, my heart in my throat.
“Come on,” Alex said gently, guiding me to a seating area. “It’ll be a few hours.”
The minutes crawled by with excruciating slowness as I waited for news about Felix. Every sound in the
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Chapter 60
+15 BONUS
sterile hospital corridor made me flinch–the squeak of nurse’s shoes against linoleum, the distant ping of elevators, the muted conversations of medical staff. I alternated between pacing the confined space and sitting rigidly in the uncomfortable chairs, my fingers worrying the hem of my sweater until Alexander gently covered my hands with his.
“You’re going to wear a hole through that,” he murmured, his thumb stroking soothingly across my
knuckles.
“I can’t help it,” I whispered, the scent of antiseptic burning my nostrils and making me queasy. “What if his wolf rejects the prosthetic? What if the neural pathways don’t connect properly? What if-”
“Summer.” Alexander’s voice held that gentle Alpha command that somehow calmed the frantic beating of my heart without making me feel controlled. “Felix is stronger than most pups twice his age. His wolf is resilient–he survived Foster’s abuse, he survived the initial injury. This surgery is his path to healing.”
I inhaled deeply, drawing strength from his woodland scent that somehow cut through the clinical hospital smell. “How do you always know exactly what to say?”
His lips quirked into a half–smile. “It’s an Alpha thing.”
“Liar,” I whispered, attempting a smile that felt wobbly at best. “You’ve always been this way, even before you became Alpha.”
Alexander’s expression softened as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering against my cheek. “Only with you, little wolf.”
The tenderness in his touch was my undoing. I felt tears welling up, the emotional dam I’d carefully constructed beginning to crack. “I’m so scared, Alex. He’s been through so much already.”
“I know.” He pulled me against his chest, one hand cradling the back of my head while the other stroked my back in long, soothing motions. “But he’s not going through this alone. Neither are you. Not anymore.”
I nestled into his embrace, breathing in his comforting scent–TRAN
