CHAPTER 107: CHAPTER 107

Chapter 107

Astrid’s POV

I stood in the middle of my quiet bedroom, the small, dark bottle from Elara feeling like a lead weight in my palm. The setting sun cast long shadows across the floor, and the house was silent. Too silent. It was the kind of quiet that allowed the whispers to creep in.

My hand trembled as I uncorked the bottle. A single drop. That’s what Elara had said. I filled a glass with water from the carafe on my nightstand and let one tiny, black drop fall into it. It swirled like a drop of ink in the clear water before dissolving completely, leaving no trace.

With a deep breath, I drank it down. It was tasteless, but I felt it almost instantly. It wasn’t a jolt or a shock, but a slow, creeping coldness that started in my stomach and spread through my veins. It was like sinking into cool, still water. The sharp edges of my anxiety began to soften. The faint, hissing whispers that had been starting at the edge of my hearing faded into absolute silence.

The exhaustion of the last few days hit me almost instantly. I didn’t even bother to change out of my clothes. I simply pulled back the covers of the large, empty bed and collapsed onto the mattress, my head sinking into the pillow. I only meant to rest my eyes for a moment, but the tonic had other plans. Sleep didn’t just come; it pulled me under into a deep, dreamless, and blessedly silent void.

When I woke, the room was bathed in the soft, silver light of the moon. I felt groggy, my limbs heavy, but my mind was clear. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I had slept without nightmares, without the feeling of being pulled into darkness. The relief was so profound it almost made me want to cry.

I sat up, stretching my stiff muscles, and glanced at the clock. It was almost ten at night. I had been asleep for hours.

Just then, a buzzing sound vibrated on the nightstand. My phone’s screen was lit up, in the dark room. I picked it up, my brow furrowing when I saw the screen.

Fifteen missed calls.

My heart leaped into my throat. Eight from Rebecca, five from Shadow, two from Yvonne. A cold dread, completely separate from the curse, washed over me. Something was wrong. Something had happened while I was lost to the world.

My thumb shook as I swiped the screen and immediately called the last person on the list. Yvonne answered on the first ring, her voice tight with stress.

"Astrid! Finally! Are you okay?"

"I’m fine, I’m so sorry, I was asleep," I said, my words tumbling out in a rush. "What’s going on? Is it Rebecca? Is she okay?"

"She’s... she’s okay now," Yvonne said, and the slight hesitation in her voice did nothing to calm my racing heart. "She had a scare. Some bad cramping, a lot of pain. Shadow brought her to the hospital. They’ve released her, but the doctor wants her on complete bed rest."

"Oh my god! Where is she now? I’m coming over."

"We’re not at the main house. We’re at her and Alex’s place, on the west side of the compound. Alex is a mess."

"I’m on my way," I said, already kicking off the covers and sliding my feet into the first pair of shoes I could find.

I ended the call and rushed out of the bedroom, my mind racing. Guilt gnawed at me. My best friend was in the hospital, and I was so wrapped up in my own problems that I was completely unreachable.

As I hurried down the main hallway, I nearly collided with a figure stepping out from a side corridor. It was Lila.

"Luna!" she said, startled. "I was just coming to check on you."

"Lila, I’m so sorry, I just heard about Rebecca—"

"It’s alright, Luna," she said, her voice soft and full of a surprising amount of understanding. "Alpha Kaeleen gave strict orders that you were not to be disturbed unless the pack was under direct attack. He said you needed your rest."

I stopped, taken aback. "He did?"

Lila gave me a small, gentle smile. It was the kind of look someone gives a person they are deeply worried about. "We’ve all noticed, Luna. The dark circles under your eyes. How tired you’ve seemed. We were worried about you. When we heard you were sleeping, we were all just... glad. We knew you needed it."

Her simple, honest words hit me harder than any expression of pity could have. These people, who barely knew me, were paying attention. They cared. My eyes stung with unshed tears. I wasn’t just the Alpha’s mate to them. I was becoming one of them.

"Thank you, Lila," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "Do you know where Rebecca’s house is? Yvonne told me, but I’m not sure I can find it."

"Of course," she said immediately. "I’ll walk you over."

She led me out a side door and into the cool night air. The pack grounds were peaceful at night. Lights glowed from the windows of the houses nestled among the trees. I could hear the distant sounds of laughter from one home, the soft melody of a piano from another. It was a community, a sprawling family.

We arrived at a beautiful, sturdy-looking house built of dark wood and stone. Alex’s car was parked in the driveway. Lila walked me to the front door. "They’re in the

bedroom, upstairs. Just go right in."

I thanked her again and slipped inside.

Rebecca was propped up against a mountain of pillows, looking pale and exhausted, but she managed a weak smile when she saw me. And standing in the corner, looking like a thundercloud in human form, was Alex. He was scowling at the wall, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, radiating an aura of pure, undiluted worry.

He turned as I entered, and his fierce expression softened just a fraction when he saw me. He gave me a single, tired nod of acknowledgement.

"I’m going to get you some more water," he said to Rebecca, his voice a low grumble that was meant to sound stern but was laced with obvious tenderness. He stalked over to the bed, kissed the top of her head, and shot her a look. "Don’t you even think about getting up. I mean it, Bec."

He gave me one last look, a silent plea for me to keep her in line, and then left the room, his footsteps heavy.

I rushed to Rebecca’s bedside. "Are you okay? What did the doctors say?"

"I’m fine," she insisted, waving a dismissive hand, though she couldn’t hide the weariness in her eyes. "Honestly. The doctor said it was just Braxton Hicks contractions, but a little more intense than usual. He thinks it’s probably just stress. Alex, of course, is acting like I’m about to explode."

I looked at my friend, my strong, fierce, fearless friend, looking so fragile in that big bed. I didn’t believe for a second that this was nothing.

But I saw the brave face she was putting on, and I knew that pushing her would do no good. Right now, she didn’t need an investigation. She needed a friend.

I pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and took her hand. It felt cool in mine. "Well, if you’re on bed rest, then you’re going to need someone to boss around. And I’m officially volunteering for the job. Do you need more pillows? A blanket? Do you want me to read to you from some boring pack ledger to help you sleep?"

A real smile finally broke through her tired expression. "You’re a good friend, Astrid, but the only people I’ll be visiting around are my overprotective husband and Shadow who called every single person dear to me. He even called Serena and we know she has a lot on her plate."she said,

"I was scared, okay? That was the first time I saw you like that." Shadow argued.

"And I told you it was nothing." Rebecca argued.

"And I also told you not to read the report until you give birth..."

"It would t have made a fucking difference." She argued with him.

Just then, Alex walked into the room and gave her the glass of water.

"Thank you but I don’t need it." She grumbled.

"You are mad at me." Alex pointed out.

"Ten points for that answer." She replied sparkly.

"I’m just going to excuse myself." Shadow said as he walked out of the room.

"Of course he’ll run away." Rebecca grumbled.

"He was just doing his job." Alex said to her.

"His job is what I tell him to do and he wasn’t doing that." She argued.

"And what if things got worse?" He asked her.

Rebecca sighed. "We’ll talk about this later, for now, I need time with my friend," she said as she gave my hand a small squeeze.

"Very well." Alex said as he turned to me as if pleading to me to help take care of her.

I gave him a nod of my own.

"Now," Rebecca said as he walked out. "What movie should we watch?"