29 - Everything That Hurts
ARIA POV
Aria arrives early at the hospital, already exhausted by days of tending to the wounded from battle. She moves between cots, treating torn ligaments, deep lacerations, broken bones. Her limbs ached in quiet protest, a low throb that settled into her shoulders and back from too many days without rest. But there was no room for exhaustion. Not yet.
She tied her hair back as she walked, already scanning charts and glancing at occupied beds. The once-overflowing trauma wing had quieted. At first, dozens of severely wounded Moonfang warriors, and some Nightclaw fighters had been pouring in after the battle. Now the tide has slowed—no longer chaos, just steady lines of pain and healing.
Her hands are steady, her voice calm as she soothes a frightened Moonfang child. She checks a Nightclaw soldier’s stitches, noting the disciplined precision in his bandaging. All the while, she’s aware of a deeper weariness in her bones.
Her older sister, now Luna of the pack, regal even in simple clothing, moved through the room with practiced ease. A woven basket hung from the crook of her arm, filled with fresh herbs and tinctures. She stopped at each bedside, her words soft but sure, her presence a calming force, placing a gentle hand or a reassuring smile on each patient.
Aria observes her sister moving with elegant professionalism, the weight of Luna status visible in her posture yet softened by compassion. Aria reflects on how Lyra has fully embraced her role, helping bind wounds both physical and emotional.
She’d moved into the packhouse days ago, stepping fully into her new life with Theron. And though Aria hadn’t had many quiet moments with her lately, it was clear her sister had found her place. Not just beside the Alpha—but within the heart of the pack.
In the far corner of the infirmary, her father sat with Alpha Theron. They met like this every day now—heads bent over maps, medicine reports, and territory schedules. She overheard them discussing the need to reinforce border posts, to distribute emergency supplies to camps.
They plan scheduling for the rising post-battle population—especially anticipatory needs, given the rogues may regroup.
“I’ll request additional doses from the Nightclaw reserves,” her father was saying. “We can’t wait until it’s too late.”
Alpha Theron grunted his agreement, rubbing a hand through his beard.
And then—Kael.
She felt him before she saw him. He sneaks in several times a day since Nightclaw’s medics joined.
He visits the wounded; his presence causes a low hum of curiosity. Aria catches glimpses of him— working at a bedside, then suddenly he’s gone. Each time, her pulse shifts.
Their stolen glances are brief but loaded with unspoken intensity. She hides behind a curtain, pretending to adjust an IV, yet feels the weight of his gaze lingering even after he leaves.
Their eyes met just once that morning. Their gazes locked, time faltering, breath catching. He gave the smallest nod. His eyes burned with something unspoken—something wild and knowing. She felt it like a spark down her spine. Her wolf stirred, restless beneath her skin. He didn’t move, didn’t smile, but she felt the tug between them like gravity. She said nothing, only turned and disappeared behind a curtain, her pulse thundering in her ears.
They danced this quiet line daily now. Neither of them crossing it, but neither retreating either.
Twice they nearly collided.
Once in the corridor near the infirmary kitchens. Aria rounded the corner, arms full of linens, just as Kael stepped through. They both froze—just a breath apart. She felt the heat of him, the scent that filled her dreams.
“Excuse me,” she murmured, stepping aside.
His gaze lingered. “Of course.”
And then he was gone again.
Running into each other again outside the herb cupboard—she reached for a satchel of dried chamomile at the same moment he pulled the door open. Her fingers brushed the back of his hand. Just a flicker of contact.
They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to.
The air between them thickened, heavy with everything they wouldn’t say. She watched his fingers curl slightly as if resisting the instinct to touch her again. So she turned first, her hands trembling.
By late evening, the hospital is quiet as the sun dipped beyond the treetops, casting golden light through the infirmary windows—only distant shifts from the border and soft beeping from monitors. Aria scribbled notes on patient charts, catalogued supplies that needed replenishing, and rolled her shoulders to work out the ache in her back.
The hospital was quieter than it had been in days. The stillness felt earned, like the lull after a storm.
And then—
A crash.
The peace is shattered by the doors crashing openFootsteps thundered down the hallway. A voice, raw and ragged, cut through the air. Beta Elias bursts in, panic etched into his face, "Where is he?! Where is he?" His voice echoes through the hallway.
Aria’s heart leaps and she jumps to her feet, pen clattering to the floor and rushes to his side. “Elias—” Aria reached him first, grabbing his forearm. “What’s going on? Who—who are you looking for?”
He turned toward her, breathless, sweat gleaming on his temples; his eyes wide and pleading, “Finn,” he rasped. “He’s been hurt. Near the border. It’s bad, Aria. I need—I need help—now.”
Aria’s heart seized.
Finn.
Before Aria can ask another question Kael rounded the hallway and appeared behind her, his face pale and tense. He grabs Elias’s shoulder with one hand. Aria’s breath catches, adrenaline surges. His eyes locked on Elias immediately. “ We will find him” Kael said, sharp and cold with urgency.
They race down the corridor toward the emergency wing. Kael in front.
Aria fell into step beside them, her breath shallow, her mind racing. Kael’s long strides led the way, Elias just behind, his voice cracking as he described what little he knew.
“He was scouting—helping move wounded to the outpost—there was an ambush. I got there too late.”
Aria’s vision blurred. No. Not Finn. Please, not him.
Down the hall, around the corner, the emergency wing loomed ahead.
And with it, whatever fate awaited her best friend.