I stared at my trembling hands.
The truth felt humiliating in a way I couldn’t explain.
Lily had always been my person. The one who understood every version of me—the good, the bad, the ugly truths I hid from everyone else.
And somehow, in the middle of everything collapsing, I had shut her out.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Everything became so heavy that I stopped thinking past the next hour. I lost track of everything.”
My voice broke.
“Even you.”
Her expression softened slightly.
She sighed and reached out to squeeze my hands.
“Don’t apologize,” she said more gently. “I was angry, yes. But I understand. No wolf should carry this much alone.”
Her gaze shifted toward the infirmary doors.
“How’s our little prince?”
The dam inside me shattered instantly.
“There’s been no improvement,” I whispered. “The healer believes… he’s given up.”
The rest of the sentence died in my throat.
Lily didn’t press me.
She simply pulled me into her arms.
And the moment she did—
I broke.
“I can’t do this anymore,” I sobbed, clutching her cloak like it was the last solid thing in the world. “Caleb destroyed everything. Marcus lies in there like a ghost and I can’t even save him.”
“That bastard,” Lily muttered darkly, her anger rumbling beneath her voice like a low growl. She rubbed my back gently the way she used to when we were young and the world felt survivable.
“You’re not alone anymore,” she said firmly. “We’ll fight for our little prince together.”
I wiped my face.
“The pack advocate says we have almost no chance,” I admitted quietly. “Caleb has allies everywhere. No one wants to challenge a Lutherford Alpha.”
I lowered my voice.
“I have no work left. Marcus’s treatments cost more than I can earn. Caleb wants me to crawl back to him.”
Lily grabbed my shoulders and forced me to meet her gaze.
“And you won’t,” she said with iron certainty. “Not for money. Not for mercy.”
She leaned closer.
“I want to help you. But you’re right—alone, I can’t stand against the Lutherfords.”
My brows furrowed.
“So what do we do?”
A slow smile curved her lips.
“I know someone.”
My chest tightened.
“Someone powerful,” she continued. “A wolf whose name carries weight among Alphas. One even Caleb might hesitate to provoke.”
I blinked.
“We don’t know anyone like that.”
“You know Luca,” she said.
I nodded.
“He serves this Alpha.”
My stomach twisted.
“Lily… I’ve never met this man.”