The Price of Healing
The Price of Healing
Scarlett’s POV:
After Lucian’s Alpha power slammed her into the wall for the third time, Lily collapsed to her knees. She clutched at her chest, face contorted in pain.
“It hurts,” she whimpered. “My heart… It hurts so much…”
Lucian ignored her completely. He gently scooped up Bobby’s broken form, cradling the injured dog against his chest.
“Jack,” he called to the Beta. “Get Dr. Kane here immediately. Tell him to bring his best medical supplies.
Lily’s face brightened slightly at the mention of the doctor. “I knew you still cared about me, Lucian. Even after everything-
“Tell him to bring everything he needs for treating severe canine injuries,” Lucian continued coldly.” Especially cardiac trauma.”
The hope drained from Lily’s face. She swayed once, then collapsed completely unconscious on the marble floor.
Lucian paused as he passed her crumpled form. His lipcurled in disgust.
“Get this trash out of my territory,” he ordered Jack. “When Scarlett comes back, I don’t want her to see this whore in our home.”
Jack hesitated. “Alpha… you think Luna will return?”
“Of course she’ll come back!” Lucian snapped, his eyes wild. “She loves me. She’d never leave me forever.”
I drifted closer, watching his descent into delusion with cold satisfaction. Even now, he couldn’t accept the truth of what he’d done.
Jack and the warriors around him were a bit shocked at his mental state, but none dared speak under the slight pressure of Alpha’s power.
Dr. Kane arrived within minutes, medical bag in hand. His eyes widened when he saw Bobby’s condition.
“Dear Moon Goddess,” he breathed, examining the little dog. “What kind of monster would do this to an innocent puppy?”
His gentle hands probed Bobby’s injuries as Lucian hovered anxiously nearby.
“The broken paw I can fix easily,” Dr. Kane said. “But I’m more worried about his heart. The impact was severe – there’s significant trauma to the cardiac muscle.”
Lucian’s eyes flashed red. “Fix it. Whatever it takes, fix him.”
“Alpha,” Dr. Kane chose his words carefully. “There might be one option, but the cost…
“Name it,” Lucian snapped. “Money is no object.”
The Price of Healing
+25 BONUS
“There’s a rare healing herb,” the doctor explained. “Ancient magle, incredibly potent. But one dose costs a billion dollars, and even then-
“Done,” Lucian didn’t even blink at the astronomical sum. “Get it now.”
The room fell dead silent. Even the guards stopped breathing for a moment.
“Alpha,” a council member stepped forward hesitantly. “That’s an enormous sum for a mere dog-
Lucian’s Alpha power crackled dangerously. “This isn just any dog. This is Scarlett’s dog. Her last gift to this world.”
He stroked Bobby’s matted fur with trembling fingers. The little dog whimpered, trying to lick his hand despite the pain.
“Lottie,” he whispered, and through our bond I felt his heart shatter all over again. “I failed to protect your heart. I won’t fail his too.”
Dr. Kane pulled out his phone immediately. “I’ll contact my sources. The herb is rare, but for that price…
Use my personal accounts,” Lucian instructed. “Price is irrelevant. Just save him.”
I watched as they carefully transferred Bobby to the medical wing. His breathing was shallow, each heartbeat irregular.
Lily groaned from her spot on the floor, starting to regain consciousness.
“Get her out of my sight,” Lucian ordered without looking at her. “And make sure she never enters pack lands again.”
“You can’t mean that,” Lily croaked. “After everything we shared-”
“What we shared,” Lucian’s voice could have frozen hell, “was nothing but my greatest shame. Now get out before I finish what I started.”
Two guards dragged Lily away as she sobbed.
“I never told you why I took him in, did I?” I whispered, though I knew he couldn’t hear me. “He reminded me of myself – unwanted, without a wolf, but still capable of love.”
Bobby whimpered again as Dr. Kane prepared his treatment.
“The herb will arrive within the hour,” the doctor said. “But Alpha… a billion dollars…”
“I would pay ten times that,” Lucian answered softly, to save just one thing she loved. One small piece of her heart.
Through our bond, I felt his desperate need for redemption. But one saved puppy couldn’t make up for a dead mate.
Let him spend his fortune. Let him try to buy back a fraction of what he’d lost. Some debts could never be repaid – not with all the money in the world.
I drifted closer to Bobby’s trembling form as they waited for the herb to arrive. In life, I couldn’t protect
+25 BONUS
The Pice of healing
myself. In death, I couldn’t even protect a small dog.
But maybe, just maybe, Lucian’s quilt would finally seive a purpose. After all, a billion dollars was a fitting start to his penance.
It wouldn’t bring me back. It wouldn’t erase his betrayal. But at least Bobby might survive his encounter with Lucian’s “protection” better than I had.
And that would have to be enough.
