Counterback of the Despised Luna by Diana West

Chapter 133 An Anxious Night

A chill settled deep in my bones.

A%97%]

Finished

The warehouse could have exploded at any moment–long before we arrived or long after we left. Yet, of all the possible times, it happened the instant Caden and I stepped inside.

Could that truly be coincidence?

The thought barely had time to take root before the emergency room doors swung open. A doctor emerged, his expression unreadable as he pushed a hospital bed into the hallway. Caden lay upon it, motionless.

A tightness gripped my chest. I rushed forward, my voice unsteady. “Caden! Can you hear me?”

But he did not stir.

He lay as still as stone, his face devoid of color, his usual warmth and strength stripped away. White bandages wrapped around his head and leg, darkened by the slow seep of blood beneath them.

Something twisted inside me, sharp and unbearable. My throat ached, and tears burned at the edges of my vision.

“Alpha, you must steady yourself.” Freya’s voice echoed in my mind, firm yet soothing. “Grief will not serve him now. Breathe. Stay clear–headed.”

She was right. I had to pull myself together. For him. I inhaled deeply, forcing the tremor from my hands before turning to the doctor. “Will he be alright?”

Even as I spoke, dread curled in my stomach, bracing for the answer I already feared.

The doctor met my gaze, his expression heavy. “Mr. Holbrook sustained severe injuries–head trauma and a fractured leg. The damage to his skull is our greatest concern. We’ve done all we can, but his condition remains critical.”

The words struck like a blade.

Critical. A word that meant everything and nothing.

Caden had thrown himself in harm’s way without hesitation, without thought for his own life. And now, because of me, he lay here, caught in the fragile space between life and death.

wake up?” My voice wavered,

doctor hesitated, then exhaled slowly. “It’s impossible to say. He

He

the underlying

wake at

guilt, helplessness. I could do nothing but hold onto him, my fingers wrapping around his hand as if sheer

1/3

Mon, 17

133 An

སོ,97%

Finished

it through this. But you need rest too, Ms. Sinclair. You’re injured yourself. Let

my voice steadier

and I followed, taking my place beside his bed. His face, so familiar, seemed impossibly distant

to wake

broken only by

door. I stood, crossed

is it, Jones?” I

the hospital bed. “Mr. Holbrook … is he stable?”

“He’s still unconscious.”

“I never imagined this would

“The warehouse exploded the moment we arrived in Fostrau. That can’t be a coincidence.

“It happened too fast. The firefighters discovered two bodies

voice steady but tight. “Two bodies? Do we know

assumption is that they were warehouse employees. We need DNA testing to confirm.” Jones paused, choosing his words carefully. “There’s a chance they were

nodded, jaw tightening. “Look into it. I need to know if they tampered

Sinclair.” He gave a sharp

bed. He lay motionless, his face

his hand, gripping it as if holding on could somehow

stretched on.

my bones, yet my thoughts refused to rest.

midnight, a knock broke the

and opened