Seraphina’s POV

Each breath felt like broken glass scraping against my windpipe. The steady beeping of the heart monitor echoed through the sterile room like a death march. Deep within my chest, I could sense my wolf stirring restlessly, its presence growing more demanding with every passing moment.

The door creaked open once more. Mr. Jenkins appeared in the entrance, exhaustion etched into every line of his weathered face, yet his expression remained resolute. Without a word, he approached the bed and gently lifted Theo from where he rested against me. My son’s small body felt so fragile in his grandfather’s arms.

"I’ll keep him in the corridor," Mr. Jenkins murmured, his voice barely audible. "He’ll be protected there." I watched helplessly as he disappeared through the doorway, Theo’s soft breathing fading with their retreating footsteps.

Mrs. Jenkins remained behind. She dragged her chair across the linoleum until it scraped against the bed frame, then settled beside me. Her weathered hands found my shoulders, their warmth seeping through the thin hospital gown.

"You need to stop thinking only of yourself, Seraphina," she said, her tone gentle but unwavering. "You’re a mother now. Theo depends on you. He needs his mother to survive this, to stay alive." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

I attempted to respond, but the crushing weight in my chest made speech nearly impossible. My wolf snarled within me, ravenous for something I refused to acknowledge.

"Do I terrify you?" The words scraped past my damaged throat. "Does what the doctor revealed frighten you?"

She shook her head firmly, and I felt tears streaming down my face unchecked.

Mrs. Jenkins’s smile appeared tired yet unwavering. "I’ve witnessed countless strange things throughout my lifetime," she replied. "I cannot determine what’s truth or fiction. But I can share what my heart tells me." Her palm covered mine, steady and comforting. "You’ve been part of our family for six years. We’ve watched you nurture Theo, shared your joy and your sorrow. You’re not walking this path alone."

Her words wrapped around me like a protective shield against the bitter cold. A tiny spark of hope flickered to life, fragile as a flame in a hurricane. I desperately wanted to trust her, to believe I could somehow repair this chaos and shield Theo from harm.

Yet the physician’s diagnosis continued to haunt me: locate your mate. My wolf pulsed stronger, craving a connection I had no desire to forge. My thoughts could only focus on Theo, on the precious life we had carefully constructed together. The possibility of losing him felt unbearable.

The silence grew heavy between us until she reached for my phone, pressing it into my shaking hands. Though I silently pleaded with my eyes for her to stop me from what I was about to attempt, she simply shook her head with sad understanding.

The phone rang. My fingers trembled violently, and despite wishing I could disconnect the call, something deep inside compelled me to hear a voice from my buried past.

"Hello?" I whispered, my voice fracturing.

A sweet, childish voice responded. "Daddy’s not here right now," she said innocently. "He’s still working."

I stared at the phone screen in shock. For six years I had kept this number, wanting to call every single day just to hear his voice, but now that I finally gathered the courage, my heart felt like it might explode from my chest.

I caught the sound of gentle laughter behind the little girl’s words. "Wait a moment, Mommy," the child said, passing the phone to someone else. Another voice, mature and feminine, came through the speaker.

"Who is calling?" I managed to ask, my throat burning, tears blurring my vision.

A pause followed. I heard a woman’s tired exhale. "This is Roxanne," she said, though her words seemed to drift from another world entirely.

For a moment I wondered if I had dialed incorrectly, if the child wasn’t who I suspected. But the little girl had been their daughter, a tiny existence I had tried so hard not to imagine.

Part of me wanted to erase her from my thoughts, to pretend this reality didn’t exist, but the truth was undeniable.

My wolf released a devastating howl. Ice-cold dread washed over my skin, colder than the hospital’s air conditioning. I felt the mate bond attempting to stretch across the distance, reaching toward the connection I had abandoned. Panic flooded my mind as I searched desperately for escape from this agony.

My trembling hand lost its grip, and the phone crashed to the floor. The call ended abruptly. Silence filled the room.

"Please... please," I begged, my voice shattering. "I can’t... I can’t bear to hear this."

I collapsed back against the pillows, struggling for oxygen. Mrs. Jenkins’s hand tightened on my shoulder. "You’re suffering, Seraphina," she said quietly. "You’re in pain because you love deeply. A mother’s devotion burns like wildfire; it can consume the heart when it burns in isolation."

The ache in my chest intensified. My wolf’s crying grew quieter, as though it could hear my tears. I understood the torment would continue until I confronted the decision I had been avoiding.

Now there was no possibility of retreat, even if I desired it, because I wouldn’t just be destroying their happiness but devastating an innocent child who likely knew only a perfect, complete family.

"He’s built a new family," I whispered, the realization cutting through me like a blade.

Mrs. Jenkins leaned closer, her breath warm against my ear. "None of that changes anything. Focus on your child, consider his future," she whispered urgently. "The world will attempt to tear you in multiple directions. You must choose which road you’ll travel, for Theo, for your own sake, for the wolf that lives within your soul."

I shut my eyes, concentrating on my heartbeat and the mechanical rhythm of the monitor.

I remained completely lost. The woman I used to be would never have contemplated returning because she would have prioritized everyone else’s wellbeing. But the mother I had become would sacrifice everything for her son’s survival.