Chapter 9

  The third day after my arrival, I fainted.

  When I woke up, dusk had settled over the room, casting long shadows against the walls. I wasn’t alone.

  Beta Julian.

  Alpha Brooks.

  And Lily, her eyes red-rimmed with unshed tears.

  I was too weak to speak, but I could hear her voice—soft, trembling, filled with emotion. Someone patted her back, murmuring reassurances. Not him.

  Never him.

  Sleep pulled me under again.

  The next time I woke up, it was midnight.

  The room was dark. Silent.

  My first instinct was to touch my hair, but before I could, a warm hand reached out from the darkness, stopping me.

  Soft fingers brushed over my hairline, smoothing the strands back in place. A quiet, shuddering breath.

  Then—a sob.

  My chest tightened. "When did this happen?"

  A pause. Then, a sigh. "Six months ago. Stomach cancer."

  The weight of those words settled in the space between us.

  "Why didn’t you tell me?"