"Dr. Adams, we need you in Trauma One!"
Emma dropped her half-finished coffee and sprinted down the Seattle Grace Hospital corridor, her sneakers squeaking against the polished floor. Friday nights in the ER were always chaos, but something in Sarah's voice set off her instincts. Not just urgency—fear. Her wolf, usually dormant during her hospital shifts, stirred uneasily beneath her skin.
Five years of emergency medicine had taught her to read the signs. The way the nurses avoided her eyes. The peculiar tension in the air. The subtle shift in scents that her weakened supernatural senses could still detect. Whatever waited behind those trauma room doors wasn't a typical case.
She caught the metallic scent the moment she pushed through the doors. Wolf blood. The distinctive copper-and-lightning smell hit her like a physical blow, making her wolf surge forward with recognition.
"Male, early thirties," Sarah rattled off, falling into step beside her. Her friend's usually steady hands shook as she passed over the chart. "Multiple lacerations, severe trauma to the chest and abdomen. BP's dropping fast. Found unconscious outside the emergency entrance."
Emma's wolf stirred beneath her skin, recognizing one of their kind despite the broken mate bond that had left her supernatural senses dulled. She pushed the feeling aside, forcing herself to focus on the clinical details. She was a doctor first, wolf second. Five years of practice had perfected that balance.
"Stats?" Her gloved hands moved efficiently, assessing the damage. The wounds were deliberate—too precise to be from a fight. These were torture marks, methodically inflicted. Her stomach churned at the implications.
"BP 80/40 and falling. Pulse 130, thready. Temperature—" Sarah hesitated, double-checking the readout. "Temperature's reading 105.2."
A human would be dead with that fever. But this was no human, and these were no ordinary wounds. The flesh around each cut was darkened, veined with black that spread like poison through his system.
"Start him on broad-spectrum antibiotics," Emma ordered, keeping her voice steady despite her racing heart. Her hands found the worst of the wounds—a deep slash across his abdomen that reeked of something chemical. Something wrong. Her wolf recoiled at the smell, recognizing an ancient enemy. Wolfsbane, but wrong somehow. Modified.
The patient convulsed suddenly, his eyes snapping open. They glowed amber in the harsh hospital lights, wild with pain and fear. A nurse gasped, dropping a tray of instruments.
"Clear the room," Emma barked, her voice carrying the unconscious authority of a born healer. "Everyone out except Sarah."
The nurses hesitated only a moment before complying. They were used to Emma's occasional unusual requests. In five years, she'd earned their trust by saving seemingly impossible cases. They'd learned not to question her methods.
"Emma." Sarah's voice shook slightly as she read the incoming lab results. "His blood work... I've never seen anything like it. These markers aren't human."
The monitor screamed as his heart rate plummeted. Emma's hands pressed against the wound, her healing magic responding instinctively despite its weakened state. But something fought back against her power, something that burned like acid where their energies met. The modified wolfsbane wasn't just poisoning his body—it was corrupting his very essence.
"He's been poisoned," she muttered, more to herself than Sarah. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she fought against the darkness spreading through his veins. "Some kind of wolfsbane derivative, but it's been modified at a molecular level. It's attacking his shifting ability."
"Wolfs—" Sarah cut herself off, eyes widening as pieces clicked into place. "Emma, what aren't you telling me? What is he?"
The patient seized again, more violently this time. As Emma fought to stabilize him, his head turned toward her. Recognition flickered in those pain-glazed eyes, followed by desperate urgency.
"Healer," he gasped, blood staining his teeth. "Alpha Kane... they got him too. Rochester warehouse. You have to—" His words dissolved into a wet cough that sprayed crimson across his chest.
Emma's world tilted on its axis. Steve. The name she hadn't let herself think about in five years slammed into her like a physical blow. Her broken mate bond flared with phantom pain, remembering its other half.
The monitor flatlined with a terrible, sustained note.
"Starting compressions!" Sarah moved with practiced efficiency, but Emma barely heard her. Her mind raced with implications. Rochester warehouse. Modified wolfsbane. They got him too. Someone was hunting wolves—hunting her former pack.
Her hands moved automatically through the resuscitation protocols, muscle memory taking over where conscious thought failed. But her wolf was fully awake now, clawing at her consciousness with desperate intensity. After five years of silence, after everything he'd done, Steve was here in Seattle. And he was in danger.
"Time of death, 23:47." The words tasted like ash in her mouth. Another wolf dead, another life she couldn't save. The poisoned wounds already turning black, spreading even after death.
Sarah's hand touched her arm, warm and steady. "Emma? What's going on? What was he talking about?"
Before she could answer, her pager shrieked with urgent demand. Another trauma incoming. Multiple victims. ETA three minutes.
Emma stripped off her bloodied gloves, her decision made before she consciously realized it. The past she'd run from had found her anyway. "Sarah, I need you to trust me. What you saw tonight—"
"Goes in my personal files, not the hospital records." Sarah's dark eyes were steady, unflinching. "I've worked with you for four years, Em. I know you have secrets. Whatever's happening... whatever he was... be careful."
The overhead speakers crackled with artificial urgency. "Dr. Adams to Emergency Bay One. Dr. Adams to Emergency Bay One."
Emma squeezed Sarah's hand once before running toward the bay doors, her wolf surging with each step. Every instinct she'd suppressed for five years screamed to life, sensing what was coming.
The ambulance sirens grew closer, their wail carrying another sound beneath—a pain-filled howl that resonated in the hollow space where her mate bond used to be.
Steve.
The name echoed through her mind like a curse, like a promise, like fate's cruelest joke. She'd spent five years building a new life, becoming someone stronger than the rejected mate who'd fled into the night.
But destiny, it seemed, wasn't finished with her yet.
Emma's hands didn't shake as she snapped on fresh gloves. They couldn't. Not now. Not when every second mattered. She'd spent five years building walls around her heart, learning to be Dr. Adams instead of just Emma, the rejected mate. But all that careful distance threatened to shatter as the ambulance sirens grew louder.The trauma bay doors burst open with a bang that made her wolf flinch. Paramedics wheeled in the gurney, their voices clipped with urgency. "Male, multiple lacerations, possible chemical exposure—"The words faded to white noise the moment she saw him. Steve Kane lay unconscious, his proud features twisted in pain. Blood soaked through his torn shirt, turning the fabric from navy to black. That same wrong chemical scent clung to his wounds, stronger now, more potent. Someone had wanted to make sure the Alpha didn't survive this attack."Start two large-bore IVs," Emma ordered, her doctor's training taking over where her emotions threatened to fail. Her voice remaine
"Three dead wolves in one night." Emma stared at the toxicology reports spread across her office desk, the numbers blurring after eighteen straight hours on shift. "All with the same modified poison."Sarah locked the door behind her, carrying fresh coffee. "The labs came back on the latest victim. Blood work's identical to the others.""And getting worse." Emma pulled up the molecular analysis on her computer. "The poison's evolving. Each batch is more sophisticated than the last."Through her office window, she could see Steve's room across the hall. He'd finally fallen into a restless sleep, his fever hovering at dangerous levels despite her magical intervention. Even unconscious, he commanded attention—the Alpha in him refusing to be diminished by something as mundane as near-fatal poisoning."You should get some rest," Sarah said, studying her face. "You've been running on fumes since they brought him in.""I'm fine.""Right." Sarah's tone dripped skepticism. "That's why you've b
It was more serious and deadlier than she thought. “Put them under a lot of morphine,” Emma hastily ordered the interns as she jogged back into the intensive care unit ward. Her heart wrenched as she watched Steve shiver in pain with his eyes rolled up into his dead. For the first time in after five years, she was at loss at what to do.See this as a challenge. She told herself. You are a healer, and one of the things that comes with it is solving the problem. Now, what is the problem?She looked at the charts monitor and saw that Steve’s fever was getting higher by the minute.“What do we do?” Sarah asked as she looked at Emma pensively.“A CT scan immediately,” Emma said. “We need to see exactly how this virus works, we need to see how it multiplies, we need to see how it regenerates, from there, we will know what to do from the results.”Sarah left the room to get the interns to wheel the Alpha to the lab.“Interesting,” Emma whispered. The Viruses were actively working and attache
“What is this shinning cell?” Sarah asked, her voice tinged with awe and wonder.It was the werewolf gene and what was also responsible for making bonds between other wolves possible but Emma was not going to say that. It was not yet time for Sarah to know about her world. It was too dangerous.“Please send the result to my office right away, I need to go see one of the patients,” Emma said and left Sarah’s lab.There was a lot of questions on her mind as she walked and passed by other nurses and patients being prepped for surgeries or scans. It was a really busy night for her and like always she was spending it in the hospital. In all honesty, there was no one waiting for her at home.Her work as a healer and doctor was her life. She was a neurosurgeon at the hospital but a healer and user of wolf magic off duty. Sometimes she combined to the two which was rare.However, she knew that she was going to have to use both her medical and healing abilities to help Steve. But first she nee
Emma had no idea if what she was about to do was going to work but she had to try. From her discussion with Steve, she had realized that she needed to slow down the attack of the virus until she could find an actual cure. She already had everything she needed. The blood sample and the biological make up of how the virus worked. However, she still had no idea about the main substance used to engineer the virus but she knew that werewolf DNA was involved. She had left Steve in his ward and was finding her way back to Sarah’s office.Sarah almost bumped into her as he got to the entrance of her lab.“Emma!” Sarah cried out in excitement. “You are not going to believe what I have found.”“I hope it is a miracle, Sarah, because I need all the help that I can get.” Emma replied as she fully entered the lab. “What did you find?”Sarah sat on her work stool and pushed her microscope towards Emma to look. “I extracted the virus itself to see what it was specifically made of.” Sarah said. “I c
“I don’t believe it,” Sarah exclaimed as she watched the charts connected to Steve’s body. The werewolf was stable and his blood pressure was back to normal. Well, not human being normal but a win was a win.Emma could believe it because being a healer was a large part of her identity. A knock brought their attention away from Steve. It was a female nurse who had a puzzled expression on her face.“Um, Doctor Emma, the patients that came in all seem to be doing just fine,” she said. Emma nodded, relieved. “Thank you and keep a close watch on them for any changes.” Emma replied. The Nurse nodded and left.“Mercury Chloride,” Sarah murmured and shook her head, still amazed.Steve stirred awake and moaned a little. His eyes flew open and he looked around until his gaze fell on the woman that he had rejected a long time ago. “Emma,” he groaned and tried to get up.Emma ran to his bed side and gently pushed him on his back. A small jolt of electrical current passed through her as she did.
Steve watched his surviving pack members with a haunted expression on his face. He had failed them all with his foolish decisions. If he could turn back the hands of time, he would without any hesitation.The only thing he could do now was make do with the hand that he was dealt. He had to find a way to salvage his losses.There were six men on the hospital beds in a large ward with the chemical Emma prescribed entering into their system.He could still feel their pains as they slept through the pain.When he could not bear to gaze upon their prone bodies any longer, he walked out of the hospital.His pack was decimated and he needed to find whatever was left of his surviving werewolves.He could still see flashes of the day the vicious attack took place, how the virus brought down the strongest of his men and women before he escaped.The sun was rising and he realized that Emma had spent the night making sure he and his pack members were stable. It pained him that he had to see Emma
PROTECT THE QUEEN.In a game of chess, when the king is compromised, the game ends. However, the queen holds most of the power because if used well, she can change the tide of the game.Steve was compromised and Emma was his queen. Even though she did not know it yet. He was going to do whatever was necessary to keep her safe so she could focus on finding a cure for him and his pack.These four dubious looking werewolves went to together to the receptionist and Steve got within earshot. His wolf hearing was not what it used to be because of the infection so he had to strain himself really hard to pick up what was being said.“…Doctor Adams...” Steve ears perked up at the mention of her name. Shit! They were here for her!The good thing was that he had put the whole map of the hospital to his memory before going to meet Emma the first time he had entered the hospital. It was an habit of his. Steve preferred to know the lay of the
Emma took good care of Steve for the next few days. The Alpha lost a lot of fluids during his transformation as the berserker and was bed ridden due to the stress. Anytime Steve fell asleep, Emma would use the time to explore Long’s mansion. The Dragon had amassed wealth during the long span of her life.Emma found her in one of the expensive rooms in the mansion. This one was filled with books kept in very high shelves arranged in a circle of maze with expensive soft cushions in the middle. Long was seated carefree in one of the seats with her head hidden behind a book.“How are you feeling today?” Emma asked as she took a seat. Long dropped the book on the small mahogany table in front of her. The healer felt responsible for the Lady’s wellbeing even if she had no reason to.“I feel renewed,” Long said with a beaming smile. “I have to thank you properly, Emma.”“Giving us a place to rest is more than enough Long,” Emma replied.“How is the wolf doing?” Long asked in a dismissive ton
Heaven had a king-sized bed, soft sheets, and the lingering scent of jasmine.That was Steve’s first thought as consciousness returned to him. His second thought, arriving with considerably more force, was that heaven shouldn’t hurt this goddamn much.Pain crashed over him in a merciless wave. It felt as though every nerve ending in his body had been flayed open and doused in salt. His muscles screamed in protest at the slightest movement. His skin felt too tight, too hot, like he’d been burned all over and was still smoldering.The room around him slowly came into focus—opulent furnishings, tasteful art on the walls, sunlight filtering through gauzy curtains. Definitely not heaven, but certainly not any place he recognized.He attempted to sit up, only to fall back with a strangled groan as the movement sent fresh agony coursing through him.“Fuck,” he growled through gritted teeth.“Steve?” Emma’s voice came from the doorway, and he turned his head—car
Darkness. Cold. Pain.Steve Kane floated in a void of agony, his consciousness adrift in a sea of torment. The darkness was absolute, pressing in on him from all sides like a living thing. Each labored breath sent shards of glass through his lungs. His skin—what he could still feel of it—was a road map of suffering: deep bruises that throbbed with each heartbeat, burns that seared with constant fire, and jagged cuts that pulsed with their own rhythm of torment.He couldn’t see a damn thing, but he knew exactly where he was.Trapped.Imprisoned deep within the consciousness of the War Beast—a monster of his own making, or rather, a monster made by generations of his cursed bloodline. The realization settled in his gut like lead. Calling upon the beast had been a desperate gambit, a last resort when the pack of werewolves had swarmed toward the Lady’s Lair. A choice between certain death and unleashing something far worse.And now I’m paying the price, he thought bitterly, curling his f
Emma watched in horror as Long unleashed a wave of fire at the charging Alpha. “No!” She yelled in panic but it was too late. The force of the fire knocked the war beast far away till it crashed into a car which exploded.The show of power stopped the fighting and every was forced to pay attention to the naked dragon lady whose arms were covered in blazing fire. Her eyes were obsidian black with fiery slits. Red scales lined up the spine of back and her nails grew longer and curved.Her black flowing hair was also streaked with red fire. She looked terrifying and beautiful at the same time. She walked into the midst of the fighting werewolves and stopped to look around.“Impossible,” Emma heard a bald-headed man with a sword mutter in horror. He was heavily scarred across the face and covered in blood. “You should be dead.”Long raised her fiery right hand and shot flames at the man who tried to block it with his sword but it was a useless move. The Dragon flame ate him up and he unle
Emma stared in disbelief at the hot and glowing body of Lady Long. There was no sign of life except for the pulsing of light and heat. She reached for the needle she had pressed into the dragon’s chest but found that it had melted and was no longer there.Emma smelled something burning and shockingly realized that the couch was burning from the contact of the Lady. Her body was literal fire. The healer tried to find a pulse but jerked back her hand in pain due to the burning sensation.She is alive. Emma realized. The room was also heating up and she was finding hard to breathe. She wondered how Steve was doing as she began to gasp for the ever-reducing air in the room. The glow and pulsing began to increase and before Emma’s eyes, Lady Long began to levitate slowly into the air.The healer knew that something was about to happen and it was going to be dangerous. However, she could not predict what it was. She just stared in awe at the unconscious rising form of Lady Long. The light g
“You are an outsider,” A heavily scarred bald werewolf said as he glared angrily at Steve. “This war does not concern you.”Steve looked behind the man and saw the ninety-nine men suited with drawn swords standing behind him. It was going to get bloody. He knew this.“Do you really care if I am here or not?” Steve asked. “Because there are people inside who do not even know that a war is brewing, they came to have a good time, and from the look of it, you are going to kill them either way.”“All is fair in war,” The man replied impatiently.“So, it is only fair that I fight for the dragon lady,” Steve replied.“She is dying as we speak,” The werewolf sneered confidently. “This is going to be a massacre and I will enjoy cutting you from limb to limb.”“Then there is no need to waste more words,” Steve said.“What is your name?” The werewolf asked.“Steve Kane,” The Alpha answered. It was just him, Marcus and the two men. Four against a hundred men
Steve was beyond mad at what Emma had proposed. He had no idea the crazy wheels turning in the healer’s head. “Why do you believe that you owe her your life?!” Steve demanded. “I am healer, Steve,” Emma answered calmly. “And I will try my best to heal anyone if there is a chance.” “What makes you think that there is a chance?” Steve asked. “Because she should be dead, Steve. That poison should have killed her but it didn’t. Something is keeping her alive.” Emma said thoughtfully. Steve sighed wearily and shook his head. “You should believe more in your healer, Alpha Kane,” Lady long said as she watched the distraught werewolf. “I believe in her, but I do not trust you,” Steve growled. “I have no need for your trust, wolf,” Lady Long replied with a causal shrug. “It means nothing to me, you Kanes are all the same.” The respo
Emma was mesmerized by all she was seeing. She had been to few bars and clubs but never had see seen such explicit event like this. It was like a carnival but in an enclosed space. There were different hues of light shining darkly in the room. Dark shades of purple, red, blue and green filtered throughout the whole place. It gave the club a surrealistic ambience. “What now?” Steve asked. “We party,” Emma replied. “She will come and see us when she wants to,” “We do not have the time to party, Ms. Emma,” Marcus grumbled as he looked around with interest. “I do not think she cares much for what you want, Marcus,” Emma replied with a shrug. “But I can see that a few of the guests have caught your eyes.” Marcus jerked like he had been caught with his pants down. Emma had caught him looking at some female creatures swaying seductively to the music blaring from the speakers. “When last have you, guys let loose?” Emma asked as she noticed how uncomfortable, Steve was as he looked arou
“Do you know where a poison like that can be found?” Sarah asked an attentive Emma and Steve. “Golden poison frogs.”“So, you are saying that a frog poisoned the dragon,” Steve replied, his face etched in disbelief. Even Emma wanted to laugh at how ridiculous the statement was.“That or someone secreted the poison off the frog and used it on the dragon by either injection of through eating or drinking.” Sarah replied.“She did say that she was betrayed,” Emma recalled.“But she did not say exactly how she was betrayed,” Steve said, his voice filled with distrust. Emma suspected that he was distrustful of the dragon lady because she used to work for the Sentinel.“And you said that there was no cure,” Emma said.“Yes, but the human body can cleanse the toxin from it’s system if the dosage is very small.” Sarah stated.“We have to go,” Emma said as she paced the basement.“Can I come?” Sarah asked excitedly.Steve shook his head. “That is not a good idea, Doctor Sarah, we are being hunt