POV: Asher Thorne
The moment Asher saw her—crumpled, unconscious, and barely breathing—something inside him broke. His heart, his soul… his wolf Orbit howled with relief and regret.
She was there.She was alive.But she wasn't okay.
He rushed forward, pushing past the haze of smoke that still lingered from the rogue king's escape. She looked like she was carved from snow—too pale, too fragile. Asher bent down, his arms sliding beneath her back and legs with the gentleness of a man cradling his entire world.
"Aira…" he whispered, pressing his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. Orbit whimpered in his head. "We found you. I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry."
Jack's hand was already clutching hers. He never let go. Silent tears slid down his cheeks, and Asher saw something he had never seen in the fierce warrior before—fear.
Lucien opened the back doors of the car, his voice sharp. "Get in. Now."
The ride back to Silver Fang was silent, except for Aira's shallow breathing. Asher held her like she was made of glass. Jack never once let go of her hand. And Lucien—his jaw was clenched so tight it looked like it might shatter.
When they reached the Silver Fang Pack grounds, the hospital was already on standby. It wasn't just any clinic—it was a palace of healing. White walls, golden trims, crystal lights hanging from above. It looked holy, like it didn't belong to this world.
Asher carried her in, refusing to let anyone else touch her.
The healer—an older woman with power in her aura—stepped forward. "Lay her here."
Asher placed her down, hesitating as her hand slipped from his. Jack took it immediately.
Lila came running in, breathless. Her face pale, her eyes bloodshot. "Is she okay?"
Asher stepped toward her. "What happened to her?" His voice was quiet, but it burned.
Lila swallowed hard. "The rogue king… he was searching for something. He kept repeating 'the white wolf.' He came into the cell, touched her face and said—"
She trembled. "—'I have been waiting for you,' he whispered, voice soft like a lullaby twisted with death. 'Little wolf.'"
The room filled with tension.
Three growls echoed at once. Asher. Jack. Lucien.
It was primal, pure rage.
"She's okay," the healer said softly. "But… it seems she was injected with a sedative. More worrying… her wolf isn't responding. The silver chains, the stress—it may have weakened her link to her wolf."
Jack's eyes widened. "Wait. Yesterday… she was rejected by her mate. Could that be the cause too?"
Lucien's head snapped toward him. "Rejected?" he said, voice like thunder. "Who rejected her?"
The room froze.
Asher's heart dropped to his stomach. His lips parted… and the truth came out like a bleeding wound.
"I did."
A long silence.
Lucien's eyes flared with fury as he stormed forward, grabbed Asher by the collar, and slammed him into the wall.
"You what?" he roared. "Do you even understand what you've done? Do you know what it means to reject a wolf like her? She's not just anyone—she's not some random omega! You could have broken her beyond repair!"
Asher didn't fight back. He couldn't.
"I didn't know…" he whispered. "I didn't know who she was… I thought she was just—"
"Just?" Lucien snarled.
And then Asher collapsed to the floor.
He couldn't take it anymore.
The tears came, hot and raw. He wept like a boy who'd lost everything.
Because he had.
And still, Aira hadn't woken up.