Chapter 2

I turned, my eyes welling up at the sight of Andrew.

“Andrew!”

I reached for him instinctively, like always. He frowned and stepped aside, avoiding my touch. My hand fell empty, my heart following suit. A cold wind blew through me, almost bringing me to tears.

Andrew took the only human-grade healing salve from the medic and walked away without another word, without a glance, without a care for whether my wound would get infected.

I stood there, numb, as the medic laughed.

“I thought it was some great alpha-omega love story. Turns out you're just pathetic.”

The pack warrior tugged at the medic’s sleeve, but she wouldn’t stop.

“What? Am I wrong?”

“You’re damn right.”

Gabriel’s voice was ice. He glared at the medic, making her tremble.

“W-when did you get here?”

“If you knew I was here, would you be talking to her like that?”

“No, Alpha Gabriel, please, let me explain!”

“You’re asking for it.”

Gabriel’s fist was about to connect when I cried out. “Gabriel!”

Pack law forbade infighting. If Gabriel hit her, Andrew would punish him. After I lost my ability to shift, Gabriel was one of the few who were still kind to me. I didn’t want him to get hurt because of me.

Seeing my plea, Gabriel released the medic.

“If this happens again, even Elisabeth won’t save you!”

The medic nodded frantically, her legs shaking. Gabriel scoffed and turned to me. He was human again, but his eyes were still slitted, his scent still strong. His bare chest was a tempting bronze. His ripped pants were haphazardly held together by a vine, threatening to fall off at any moment. I wanted to laugh. The pain in my chest even eased a little.

He picked up his discarded jacket and carefully wrapped it around me.

“What’s so funny? You’re seriously injured.”

Afraid I’d aggravate my wound, he scooped me up. His warmth seeped through my thin clothes, and my face burned. “Gabriel, put me down! I can walk.”

“Don’t move.”

He looked down at me, his eyes unreadable. I stayed still all the way to the hospital.

Thanks to Gabriel’s pull, I got a private room. The doctor examining me frowned at my wound and scolded Gabriel.

“Sending an omega into battle is irresponsible.”

Gabriel shuffled his feet. "It was an accident."

The doctor sighed, handing him the supplies. "Stay. The wound is deep. She needs to be monitored for infection."

At the door, she paused. “Keep it dry. Andrew should probably take care of her.”

The mention of Andrew froze the air. Gabriel looked at my pale face and gave me a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go get him.”