Chapter 374

Olivia

“Miss Olivia?” The doctor’s eyes scanned the sparse waiting room before they landed on me.

Aside from a few other people, it was mostly empty.

There was a girl sitting next to her father, her head between her legs with a bag on standby for whatever stomach bug she was going through; her father was rubbing her back gently, his tired eyes fixed on the television. There was a guy about my age holding a bandage on his hand. And there was an old woman, coughing into a napkin.

And then there was me. Olivia. Alone, terrified, and my heart becoming so heavy in my chest that I was certain it would fall right out and bore a hole through the ground.

“T-That’s me,” I breathed, stepping closer. My hands gripped the hem of my shirt as I began to imagine the worst. Did Nathan die? Did his body give out? Should I have taken him to the hospital sooner?

The doctor shot me an apologetic look, then gestured for me to follow. “Right this way,” he said. “I think it’ll be easier for you to see it yourself.”

But I froze. “Is he dead?” The words tumbled out before I could stop him.

Thankfully, the doctor shook his head. “No. He’s alive.”

I let out a shaky breath. That was good; he was alive. For now, at least. Nodding, I finally followed the doctor.

We walked through the sterile, white corridors of the hospital, my heart pounding in my chest, a mix of fear and anticipation making my steps feel heavy. The doctor, a tall man with gentle eyes, led me to a room at the end of the hall, his expression solemn.

“Here we are,” he said softly as he opened the door.

The room was dimly lit, the only sound the steady beep of the heart monitor. Lying there on the hospital bed, Nathan looked so fragile, so unlike the strong and vibrant Alpha I knew. Tubes and wires were attached to him, monitoring his vitals, but he lay motionless, his chest rising and falling with each shallow breath.

My breath caught in my throat. “What’s… What’s wrong with him?” I asked, hesitantly walking closer toward the bed.

“He’s in a coma,” the doctor explained, his voice low. “We’re not sure what caused it. All the tests, the scans… they’ve shown nothing out of the ordinary. Theoretically, he should be as healthy as an ox right now.”

The doctor’s words took me by surprise. “But something is clearly wrong,” I said, my voice shaking as I gestured toward the bed. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Trust me, I’m just as baffled as you are,” the doctor said with a sigh. “But know this: the coma is helping him. It’s possible that his wolf put him in it to keep him alive. So perhaps it’s a blessing rather than a curse.”

I swallowed. “And how long exactly is he supposed to be in a coma?”

“There’s no telling. It could be a day, a week, a month, a year… some never come out of it.”

I felt my knees buckle, and I sank to the floor beside the bed, my eyes fixed on Nathan’s pale face. “How… how could this happen?” I whispered, my voice breaking.

The doctor crouched down beside me, offering a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I wish I had answers for you, Olivia. Sometimes these things… they just happen, and we can’t explain why.”

Tears streamed down my face as I reached out to take Nathan’s hand, feeling its coldness. It was as if he was slipping away from me, and I was powerless to stop it.

“I’m going to stay with him,” I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper.

The doctor nodded understandingly. “Of course. We’ll do everything we can. If there’s any change, we’ll let you know immediately.”

As the doctor left, the room fell silent, save for the monotonous beep of the machines. I stayed there, by Nathan’s side, holding his hand, praying for a miracle. Hours passed, but he remained still, his body fighting a battle I couldn’t see.

At some point in the night, a strange sensation pulled me from my reverie. The amulet around my neck, which Layla had given me, began to vibrate subtly. My heart raced as I touched it, the familiar sense of unease washing over me.

I knew I needed to call Layla. She had to know something about what was happening, about the amulet and its connection to Nathan’s condition.

Fumbling for my phone, I dialed her number, my hands trembling. The phone rang, and for a moment, I feared she wouldn’t answer. It was only four in the morning, far too early for most people to be awake. But then, her voice came through the line.

“Olivia?” she said, her voice sounding a bit hoarse from sleep. “What’s wrong?”

“Layla, it’s Nathan,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “He’s in a coma, and the doctors… they don’t know why. And the amulet, it’s vibrating again, just like it did before. I’m not sure if you got my voicemail, but—”

There was a brief pause on the other end, and I could almost hear Layla’s mind working through the information. “No,” she said softly, sounding both confused and regretful. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I didn’t get to see your voicemail yet.”

“No, don’t apologize,” I said. I ran my hand through my hair, shaking my head even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “Just…” I paused, biting my lip. “Would you consider coming to see him? I think… I think this coma might be magical in nature.”

Layla paused again for a few moments. I could hear murmuring on the other end of the phone, as though she was talking to her fiance for guidance. Finally, she spoke again.

“I’m on my way,” she finally said, her voice more firm now. “Hang in there, Olivia. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Thank you, Layla. Please hurry.”

As I ended the call, I turned my attention back to Nathan. His face seemed so peaceful, yet so distant. I leaned in, whispering words of love and encouragement, hoping that somewhere, deep inside, he could hear me.

“Nathan,” I murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead, “I’m right here. And I love you. Please hold on, okay?”

Of course, there was no answer. But I swore, for just a split second, that I felt his hand twitch; as though he was trying to squeeze my hand. It was only the tiniest of movements, but it was all I needed to know that even if his body had gone dormant, he was still in there somewhere.

The night wore on as I waited for Layla. Soon, the sun came up and the hospital fell into full swing again, but I remained motionless. Even as nurses drifted in and out to check on Nathan or offer me some comfort, I felt stagnant, like water in a pond on a windless day.

And all I could do was wait and hope beyond all hope that, whatever this was, we would find a way to solve it.