Chapter 200
SOPHIA’S POV
The hospital corridor felt too cold, but my body was burning from the inside.
I stood outside Ashley’s ward. My back was pressed against the wall. My breathing was heavy.
Her cries still echoed in my ears. The sound of her crying broke my heart even more.
I could feel it deep inside me, not just as a mother.
My wolf stirred inside me. She howled loudly. She was as sad as I was.
She wasn’t calm at all. She was restless and agitated. She kept pacing inside me like it couldn’t bear the sound of Ashley’s fear. The bond between us wasn’t just human.
She was my daughter, my blood, my little wolf. And right now, she was in pain.
“I should be in there,” I whispered to myself, but my feet still wouldn’t move.
I felt guilty. I felt like I had failed her – not just as a doctor, but as a mother, as someone who was supposed to protect her no matter what. My wolf let out a low whine inside me, as if it was blaming me too.
The door suddenly opened.
Damien stepped out.
His expression was tense.
“She won’t calm down,” he said.
I looked at him, and something inside me snapped.
“Of course, she won’t calm down,” I said. “She’s terrified, Damien. She’s sick, and she’s scared, and she doesn’t even understand what’s happening to her p>
“I know that p>
“No, you don’t,” I shot back immediately.
He frowned. “What is that supposed to mean p>
It all came rushing out before I could stop it.
“It means you haven’t been there!” I said. My voice kept rising. “You’ve been too busy with Tiffany to even notice what was happening to your own daughter p>
Damien’s expression darkened instantly.
“Watch what you’re saying,” he warned. His voice dropped into a low, dangerous tone.
But I didn’t stop.
“I am watching what I’m saying,” I replied “Because it’s the truth p>
My wolf pushed forward, feeding off my anger, making my voice even louder. It made my emotions harder to control.
“She didn’t just get like this overnight,” I continued. “There were signs, Damien. There were always signs, but you didn’t see them because you weren’t paying attention p>
“I was handling things,” he said/
“Handling what?” I demanded. “Tiffany? Her condition? Her feelings? What about Ashley p>
“She needed me too!” he snapped.
“And Ashley didn’t?” I shouted back.
The corridor fell silent around us. A few nurses glanced in our direction, sensing the tension. Even without shifting, the Alpha aura around Damien had started to leak out.
But I didn’t care.
I had lived with that aura before. I wasn’t afraid of it anymore.
“You chose her,” I said. My voice was quieter now, but filled with pain. “Again and again, you chose her p>
He didn’t deny it.
“That’s not what this is about,” he said.
“It is. It’s exactly what this is about p>
My hands shook slightly, but I didn’t back down.
“You weren’t there when she needed you,” I said. “And now she’s lying in there, burning with fever, crying in fear and you want to act like this just happened p>
“I’m here now p>
“And it’s too late!” I shouted.
The words came out harsher than I wanted it to but I didn’t take them back.
They were true.
Damien’s expression hardened completely now. His wolf was close to the surface that I could feel it. The air around him felt heavier.
“Don’t push this too far, Sophia,” he said.
But I had already crossed that line.
“I’ve been holding back for years,” I said “Years, Damien p>
The pain I had buried for so long finally broke free.
“I stayed quiet when you ignored me,” I continued. “I stayed quiet when you pushed me aside. I stayed quiet when you made me feel like I didn’t matter p>
My vision blurred with tears, but I didn’t stop.
“But I won’t stay quiet about Ashley,” I said firmly. “I won’t p>
The silence between us felt suffocating.
For a moment, Damien didn’t say anything.
Then the door opened again. A nurse stepped out, looking flustered.
“We’re having difficulty inserting the IV,” she said quickly. “She keeps moving, and it’s not going in properly p>
Damien’s attention snapped immediately.
“What do you mean it’s not going in?” he demanded.
“She’s too scared,” the nurse explained. “We’re trying, but p>
“That’s not good enough,” Damien cut in harshly.
The Alpha in him moved forward. His anger was now fully visible. His aura filled the space.
“If you can’t do something as basic as this, then you shouldn’t be here,” he added coldly.
The nurse froze in fear. Her face went pale.
“I’m sorry, sir, I-” she started.
“Sorry doesn’t fix anything,” Damien snapped. “Do your job or p>
“Stop.” I cut in.
Damien turned to look at me, surprised.
I stepped forward, placing myself between him and the nurse. My heart was still racing, but my voice was steady now.
“That’s enough,” I said firmly.
“She’s incompetent,” Damien said.
“No, she’s trying,” I replied. “And Ashley is scared. That’s the problem p>
He frowned. “Then she needs to handle it better p>
“And you need to calm down,” I shot back.
The tension between us rose again, but I didn’t step back.
“This isn’t helping,” I said. “You’re making it worse p>
Damien didn’t respond immediately.
For a moment, it felt like he might argue again. But then he looked away. His jaw tightened as he forced himself to step back.
The nurse let out a quiet breath of relief.
“I’ll go in,” I said, turning toward the door.
My wolf steadied inside me. She wasn’t raging. Right now, she was focused.
When I entered the room, Ashley was still crying. Her small body was trembling. Her scent filled the air. Her scent was filled her emotions – fear, pain, and weakness all mixed together.
“Ashley,” I said softly, walking toward her.
She looked at me. Her eyes were red and filled with tears.
“I don’t want it,” she cried weakly.
I moved closer, sitting beside her.
“I know,” I said gently. “I know you’re scared p>
Her small hand reached out, but it hesitated. For a moment, I felt that distance again.
But then I took her hand anyway, holding it carefully.
“I’m here,” I said softly.
She didn’t pull away.
The nurse tried again, more carefully this time. Ashley cried again. Her grip tightened on my hand. Her small body kept shaking with fear.
I stayed there, even as it broke me inside.
After several attempts, the IV finally went in.
Ashley cried harder for a moment, then slowly, her energy faded. Her body relaxed slightly. She was exhausted.
I stayed by her side, watching her carefully.
Hours passed. Her fever went down, then rose again. It kept coming back, refusing to settle.
I didn’t leave. I stayed there throughout the night. I couldn’t leave.
I sat beside her bed. My body ached. My eyes were heavy, but I didn’t close them. Every time her temperature shifted, I noticed. Every time she moved, I was there.
Damien stayed too, but there was distance between us now. The argument hadn’t ended. It just… paused.
My wolf stayed awake with me. She was alert, watching over Ashley.
By the time morning came, I felt completely drained, but I didn’t move.
Because no matter how tired I was… I wasn’t leaving her again.