Elvira As soon as the door shut behind him, I rose from the bed like a ghost rising from still waters. I crept forward, my bare feet silent against the wooden floor. Slowly, I opened the door just wide enough to peek down the stairs. He was still there. Alpha Jaxon’s frame looked heavy with thought as he descended each step, his broad shoulders tight, his movements calm but unreadable. When his form finally disappeared around the bend, I let the door fall shut behind me and rested my forehead against the cool wood. Breathe, Elvira. I turned to the bed and sat on the edge, fingers brushing the bandages on my leg. I gently peeled back the corner, only to find the wound still red, still raw. Why wasn’t it healing? My kind healed in hours—even faster with the Alpha blood in our veins. Som