Luna Thalassa's Awakening

Chapter 9

_Thalassa's POV_

I slowly opened my eyes, the brightness of the room causing a dull ache in my head. I found myself in an unfamiliar room. The sterile scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, and a soft hum surrounded me. I attempted to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced me back down. Confusion clouded my thoughts, and I attempted to make sense of my surroundings. My gaze wandered, revealing the stark white walls and medical equipment that surrounded me. The rhythmic beeping of machines echoed in the room, creating a disorienting symphony. As my vision cleared, I realized that I was in a hospital bed.

A nurse noticed me and approached with a gentle smile. "Good to see you awake, dear. How are you feeling?" she asked, adjusting the IV lines connected to me.

"I... I'm not sure," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. My head throbbed, and a general sense of fatigue weighed down on me.

The nurse reassured me, "You had a momentary loss of consciousness. The doctor will be here shortly to explain. Try to rest in the meantime."

With that, she left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. As I lay there, the fragments of recent memories slowly stitched themselves together. I recalled the encounter with the rogue werewolves, the terror that had gripped me, and Matteo's timely intervention. The memory of his strong arms enveloping me, his voice cutting through the chaos, provided a tether to reality. He had brought me to his pack, a place I had never imagined finding refuge.

The door opened and a doctor entered. "Good, you're awake," he greeted, reviewing the charts at the foot of the bed. "I'm Doctor Kayden. You experienced a fainting episode. How are you feeling now?"

I mustered a small smile, "A bit disoriented, but I suppose that's to be expected."

Doctor Kayden nodded understandingly. "You had us worried there for a moment. Now, when I examined you, I found something unusual. I couldn't sense your wolf at all."

The mention of my wolf sent a shiver down my spine. "What do you mean? Is something wrong?" I asked, a trace of concern in my voice.

He sighed, choosing his words carefully. "You see, Thalassa, I ran some tests and the results indicate that you are wolfless. Are you sure that you're not human?"

I furrowed my brow, perplexed by his question. "Of course, I'm not human. I'm a werewolf. I can feel my wolf," I asserted, my voice tinged with uncertainty.

Doctor Kayden studied me intently. "That's the strange part. When I examined you, I couldn't sense your wolf at all. It's as if it's not there."

He continued, "How old are you? You should be at least eighteen for the Alpha to feel the mate bond with you."

His words hung in the air, and a knot tightened in my stomach. "Yes, I am eighteen," I replied, my voice shaky.

He sighed again, "At that age, werewolves typically have a strong connection with their wolves, especially during moments of stress. The fact that I couldn't sense your wolf is highly irregular. It's almost as if... as if you don't have a wolf."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "That's not possible. I can feel my wolf. I am a werewolf."

As Doctor Kayden's words hung in the air, a sudden deep voice cut through the tension. "When will you stop lying?"

I didn't need to turn toward the door to know that it was Matteo. His presence filled the room with a mixture of concern and, perhaps, a hint of frustration. I swallowed nervously, feeling the weight of his gaze on me.

"I am not lying," I insisted, meeting Doctor Kayden's eyes before glancing at Matteo.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were human?" Matteo's voice held a mix of disbelief and frustration, and I felt a pang of guilt.

"I am not human," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "I am a werewolf."

Matteo's eyes bore into mine, searching for answers. "Can you prove that you're a werewolf?"

I looked at him, confusion and uncertainty marring my features. "What do you want me to do?"

"Shift. Right now, in front of us," he demanded, his gaze unyielding.

"But—" I started to say, my words faltering under the weight of his insistence.

He cut me short, his tone firm. "This is the only way to prove that you're not lying."

A knot formed in my stomach, a mixture of anxiety and frustration. Doctor Kayden observed the exchange, a silent spectator to the unfolding tension in the room. Matteo's eyes bore into mine, awaiting my compliance. I took a deep breath, attempting to steady my nerves. Closing my eyes, I focused on the connection with my wolf.

"Kiera," I whispered internally, the name of my wolf echoing in my thoughts. "Please, come out. Help me shift."

Silence met my plea. Panic crept in as I tried to summon the familiar presence of my wolf. In that moment, the absence of Kiera's reassuring energy left a void within me. It was as if a vital part of my essence had gone silent.

"Kiera, where are you?" I pleaded, the desperation evident in my thoughts. The bond I had shared with my wolf, the connection that had been a source of comfort and strength, now seemed elusive. As I reached out to my wolf, searching within the depths of my being, a chilling realization settled in—I could not feel her anymore.

"Kiera, please," I whispered again, the words escaping my lips as a desperate plea. The room seemed to close in around me, and the weight of uncertainty bore down on my shoulders. The bond with my wolf, once as natural as breathing, had been severed, leaving me standing on the precipice of an unfamiliar and disorienting reality.

Panic flickered in my eyes as I met Matteo's gaze. "I... I can't," I admitted, my voice barely audible.

He frowned, a mix of disbelief and frustration etched on his face. "What do you mean, you can't?"

"I can't feel my wolf," I confessed, the admission hanging heavy in the air. "I don't know what's happening, but it's like a part of me is gone."

Matteo's expression darkened, and for a moment, silence enveloped the room. His eyes bore into mine, the weight of his disappointment palpable.

"So, I was right," he finally spoke, his voice laced with a bitter realization. "The truth is that you're wolfless, and you've been keeping that from me."

I felt a lump forming in my throat, and my gaze fell to the hospital sheets beneath me.

"I can't accept a weak and pathetic mate like you," Matteo declared, his words cutting through the air with a finality that echoed in the hospital room. The reality of his rejection hung heavy, and the ache in my head seemed to intensify, mirroring the ache in my chest.