Chapter 2 Chapter 2
MICHELLE
"Michelle?"
That voice pushing through the fog of my brain had me opening my eyes, staring at the scuffed floor tile. The lobby had mostly emptied out, the dramatic spectacle over, leaving only a few stragglers who paid me no mind. My body was still aching from the severed bond, a dull, throbbing pain radiating from my sternum, but I had no choice.
Forcing myself up, I pulled my body off the floor and wiped my face. I couldn't afford to miss my routine check-up; if Father found out I skipped a medical appointment, the lecture would last for weeks.
A nurse in crisp blue scrubs gestured for me to follow her down a corridor I didn't quite recognize.
I trudged behind her, hanging my head low, too consumed by the lingering sting of Nathan’s words to pay much attention to my surroundings. But as we kept walking, passing double doors that required keycard access, a strange thought breached my haze.
Is this where they usually do routine bloodwork?
I hadn't been here in two months, but the routine check-up rooms were usually right off the main lobby. This hallway was quiet, lined with private recovery suites and specialized equipment. I gave a small shrug to myself. They probably remodeled or shifted departments, I thought. Hospitals were always changing layouts.
The nurse stopped outside a sleek room and knocked before opening it. “Doctor, Miss Michelle is here.”
“Ah, excellent! Come in, Michelle,” a middle-aged man in a white coat called out warmly. He had a stethoscope draped around his neck and a clipboard in hand. “I’m Dr. Dan.”
“Hello,” I mumbled, stepping inside.
Around us, two other nurses were moving quickly, prepping trays of sterile instruments and organizing IV lines. The entire room smelled intensely of antiseptic. It felt chaotic, but as a nurse myself, I knew how crazy hospital shifts could get. I didn't question it.
“All right, Michelle, we’re going to make this as smooth and painless as possible,” Dr. Dan said, gesturing to the examination bed. “We’ll just go ahead and...”
His voice faded into background noise because my mind simply checked out.
I stared blankly at the beige ceiling tile above the bed as I laid back, tuning out his explanation entirely. My brain retreated into a dark, safe void where Nathan’s cruel laugh couldn't reach me.
Why couldn't I just be different? I thought bitterly as tears pricked the corners of my eyes. Why couldn't I be normal?
My sisters, Clara and Lydia, were breathtaking. They were slender, graceful, possessors of fierce wolves, and adored by every single person in our pack. Especially our father. Alpha Hawthorn did his basic duty as a parent—he provided me a roof, food, and security—but he never looked at me with pride. Never held me the way he held them. To him, I was just a flaw in his perfect bloodline.
Goddess knows I had tried. I had starved myself for weeks at a time, surviving on water and raw vegetables, praying to wake up with the delicate waistlines my sisters had. But nothing worked. My body clung to every pound, defying every diet, every routine.
Would it really be so bad to be loved? I swallowed hard, staring at the flickering fluorescent light overhead. Just once... to be looked at with desire instead of disgust?
“Alright, all done!” Dr. Dan’s cheerful voice suddenly snapped me out of my trance.
I blinked, returning to reality just in time to feel a cold, slick sensation between my thighs. I frowned as I saw him pulling a long, specialized metal speculum and insertion tool away from my lower body, placing it onto a stainless-steel tray with a sharp clink.
A strange discomfort settled in my abdomen, but before I could process it, the nurse handed me a paper slip.
“Here are your post-procedure instructions, sweetie,” she said kindly. “Make sure to take it easy for the rest of the day and drink plenty of fluids.”
Post-procedure instructions? For a routine check-up and blood draw?
I stared at the paper in confusion, but my brain was too drained to push the issue. Doctors are probably just over-complicating things today, I reasoned with a tired sigh, sliding off the examination table. I just wanted to go home, climb into bed, and hide under the covers forever.
I thanked Dr. Dan quietly, adjusted my oversized sweater, and hurried out of the room.
Navigating back toward the main entrance, I kept my eyes glued strictly to the floor. Even in the hallways, I could feel the lingering stares of staff and patients who had witnessed my public humiliation earlier. The whispers followed me like a shadow.
Shrink down. Make yourself invisible.
I pulled my arms tight around my chest, trying to make my large frame as small as humanly possible, and picked up my pace toward the exit glass doors. I was moving so fast, desperate to escape, that I didn't even notice the small figure stepping directly into my path from around the corner, until I collided hard with the obstacle.
“Whoa!” My body lost its balance completely, and I tumbled forward, falling right on top of whatever—or whoever—I had hit. We both crashed onto the floor loudly.
Panic instantly saw me scramble to push myself up, realizing the weight of my body had pinned the person beneath me.
“I’m so sorry! I’m so–“
My voice cut off mid-apology and my blood ran dead cold because underneath my weight was a tiny, frail boy no older than 17years old, and he was gasping for air.
