Chapter 133 An Anxious Night
A chill settled deep in my bones.
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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.
“When will he wake up?” My voice wavered, my lips barely forming the words.
The doctor hesitated, then exhaled slowly. “It’s impossible to say. He might wake tomorrow … or…”
He didn’t finish. He didn’t need to.
I understood the underlying message.
He might never wake at all.
A storm of emotions crashed through me–fear, guilt, helplessness. I could do nothing but hold onto him, my fingers wrapping around his hand as if sheer will alone could pull him back to me.
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Chapter 133 An Anxious Night
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Bruce stepped forward, his voice quiet but firm. “He’s strong. He’ll make it through this. But you need rest too, Ms. Sinclair. You’re injured yourself. Let us handle things here.”
“I’m not leaving.” The words left me without hesitation, my voice steadier than I felt. “I’ll stay with him.”
No one argued. They understood it was useless. The doctor wheeled Caden into a private room, and I followed, taking my place beside his bed. His face, so familiar, seemed impossibly distant now.
Caden, you have to wake up.
The silence in the room felt vast, broken only by the soft, rhythmic beeping of the monitors.
Then, a gentle knock sounded at the door. I stood, crossed the room, and pulled it open.
“What is it, Jones?” I asked gently.
Jones hesitated at the doorway, his gaze flickering toward the hospital bed. “Mr. Holbrook … is he stable?”
“He’s still unconscious.”
A heavy breath escaped him. “I never imagined this would happen. But he’s strong–he’ll fight his way back.”
I met his eyes, thoughts churning. “The warehouse exploded the moment we arrived in Fostrau. That can’t be a coincidence. Did you find anything?”
His expression darkened. “It happened too fast. The firefighters discovered two bodies at the scene.”
A cold weight settled in my chest. I straightened, my voice steady but tight. “Two bodies? Do we know who they were?”
“First 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 behind the contamination in the raw materials.”
I nodded, jaw tightening. “Look into it. I need to know if they tampered with the materials–and if they had anything to do with the explosion.”
“Understood, Ms. Sinclair.” He gave a sharp nod and turned to leave.
Once he was gone, I sank into the chair beside Caden’s bed. He lay motionless, his face pale against the sheets, his breathing slow and even.
Gently, I pulled the blanket higher, tucking it around him. My fingers curled around his hand, gripping it as if holding on could somehow tether him to me.
The night stretched on.
The quiet settled into my bones, yet my thoughts refused to rest.
Then, sometime past midnight, a knock broke the silence.
I rose and opened the door.
Yale stood on the threshold, flanked by several werewolf warriors. At his command, they took their places outside the room.
Seeing him here sent a iolt of surprise through me. “You came all the way here?”
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Chapter 133 An Anxious Night
Shouldn’t he be in Rivemon?
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Yale stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over Caden before settling on me. “I came as soon as I heard the
news.”
His voice was measured, but urgency ran beneath it. “How is Mr. Holbrook?”
“He hasn’t woken up.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
Yale studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Try not to dwell on the worst.”
Easier said than done.
I swallowed hard and shifted the focus. “How’s the company?”
If he had left Rivemon, the situation had to be serious. I didn’t have enough space in my head to care, but now it was forcing its way in.
His expression cooled. “After the press conference, things stabilized. The stock was climbing again. But this explosion…” His jaw tightened. “The media’s tearing into us. Negative press is spreading fast, and the stock’s in free fall.”
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