Chapter 18: The Escaping Omega

The healer did not look intimidated. She rarely did. She straightened slowly from where she had been adjusting the blanket over the unconscious female and met Ryker’s intense stare with steady professionalism. “Alpha,” she said calmly, her voice steady despite the urgency in his expression, “I am still in the middle of my examination. I cannot leave my patient unattended. If your questions are not immediately related to her treatment, perhaps you could discuss them with Beta Kylian in your office first. Once I have completed my examination and ensured my patient is stable, I will gladly provide you with a thorough report.” Ryker’s jaw flexed. His wolf was pacing violently inside him, claws scraping at the walls of his control. "Mate. She is ours. They hurt her." “I need to know if she will survive,” Ryker said, his voice low but strained with barely restrained emotion. His eyes never left the healer's face, searching for even the smallest sign of hope. “My wolf is becoming restless. He can feel how weak our mate is, and every moment feels unbearable. Please... tell me honestly. Will she survive? My wolf and I need to know.” The healer did not rush. She wiped her hands carefully on a clean cloth before responding. “She will survive,” the healer said firmly, meeting Ryker's anxious gaze without hesitation. “But only if you allow me to do my job. Every instinct in you is telling you to stay close to your mate—I understand that. However, if you continue standing over me while radiating enough possessive Alpha energy to suffocate the entire room, you will make my job significantly more difficult. Your wolf may see it as protecting her, but right now, what she needs most is for me to finish examining her.” Kylian coughed lightly behind him, trying not to smirk. Ryker exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. “I need to know,” he insisted. “You will receive a thorough report,” the healer replied evenly. “Later.” She stepped around the bed and checked the pulse at the omega’s wrist again. “For now, what you need to know is this—she is severely exhausted. Dehydrated. She shows clear signs of recent rejection trauma. Her wolf is weak and curled inward, as if shielding something.” Ryker stiffened. “Shielding something? Shielding what?” he repeated. The healer gave him a look. “I am not speculating yet,” she said pointedly. “Which is why I need time to complete my assessment before you start issuing orders based on incomplete information.” His wolf growled. "Ask her. Ask what she means. Force her to tell us. Or let me ask her, she will tell me." Ryker ignored the urge to push further. The healer continued, voice calm and precise. “She collapsed from extreme physical and emotional strain. Her body is in shock. If she had run much longer, she likely would not have made it.” That tightened something sharp in his chest. “She crossed our border,” Kylian added quietly. “Silver Fang’s beta was less than a minute behind her.” Ryker’s eyes darkened. “They were hunting her?” “Yes,” Kylian said. “He demanded her return. I refused.” “Good,” Ryker replied without hesitation. His wolf’s presence surged. "No one takes what is ours. We can hunt those who hurt her. They hurt our mate. I want their blood. Let us show them what it consequenses in hurt our mate." The healer shot him a sharp look. “Alpha,” she said coolly, unfazed by the intimidating aura rolling off him, “until I complete my examination, she is my patient first. Whatever territorial claims your wolf is currently fantasizing about can wait.” She gestured toward the room, where the nurses had slowed their movements under the weight of Ryker's Alpha presence. “Look around you. My nurses can barely concentrate because of the pressure you're releasing. Their hands are trembling, and every second they hesitate is another second your mate goes without the care she needs. If everyone in this room stops working because of your possessiveness, it could very well cost your mate her life. If you truly want to protect her, then step back and let us do our job.” Kylian blinked. Ryker’s lips twitched despite himself. Only Bloodmoon’s healer would speak to him that way. He forced himself to step back from the bedside. “Very well,” he said tightly. “How long?” The healer returned to examining the unconscious omega’s abdomen, her expression focused. “Long enough,” she answered. “Go outside. Let me work.” His wolf bristled. "I am not leaving her. I need to protect our mate. Our mate needs us. I am not leaving her." “You are,” Ryker muttered under his breath. Kylian caught the exchange and wisely stayed silent. The healer adjusted something beneath the blanket and finally looked back at Ryker. “I will give you a full report once I am done,” she said clearly. “But staying in here demanding answers before I have them will not speed up her recovery.” Her eyes softened slightly. “She has been through something severe. The rejection alone could have killed her. Let me stabilize her before you start planning the future.” The rejection alone could have killed her. The words echoed heavily. Ryker stared at the fragile female on the bed. Someone had broken her. Someone had pushed her to the point where crossing into Bloodmoon territory was preferable to whatever she had left behind. His wolf’s voice dropped to a low, deadly calm. "Whoever did this will answer." Ryker inhaled slowly and nodded once. “Fine,” he said at last. “But the moment you know anything significant, I want to hear it.” “You will,” the healer replied. He hesitated one final second before turning toward the door. As he stepped into the corridor, the weight in the air intensified. Kylian followed him out quietly. The door closed behind them, leaving the healer alone with the unconscious omega. In the hallway, Kylian glanced sideways at his alpha. “Well,” he muttered. “That explains the growling.” Ryker did not respond immediately. His wolf was still pacing. Still alert. Still fiercely aware. “She is mine,” his wolf said again. Ryker looked toward the closed door. And for the first time— He did not disagree.