Sweat beaded across Rowan's forehead as pain ripped through his gut like a rogue claw. He pressed a hand hard against his stomach, fighting for breath, each wave sharper than the last.
Not again…
He remembered this pain from years ago—back when Audrey slipped bitter herbs into his tea and the agony vanished almost instantly.
Audrey…
Instinctively, Rowan dug out his phone and dialed her number.
"The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again."
He froze. He had expected her to answer immediately—as she always did.
What? Did she block him?
A low growl rumbled in his chest. How dare Audrey cut him off?
The flare of anger only twisted the pain harder, and Rowan doubled over, convinced he might actually die right there in his own den.
"Rowan! Something's wrong! Fen's having an allergic reaction!"
Lisa burst into the room, clutching Fen in her arms.
The boy's face was flushed red, rashes crawling across his skin. He whined in pain, his small body weak and trembling.
Lisa's eyes widened when she saw Rowan half-collapsed on the couch. "Rowan—what's happening to you two?"
Fen too? This couldn't be a coincidence.
Rowan forced himself upright, panting. "Maybe… the BBQ was too spicy for my stomach. I—"
Before he finished, Lisa dissolved into tears. "I didn't know! I just wanted to celebrate our new home… I'm so sorry…"
Her crying only worsened the pounding in his head, like someone beating a war drum between his ears.
If Audrey were here, she would be calm. Quick. Efficient. She always knew exactly what to do.
Damn it.
Why was she on his mind again?
Did she really think blocking him would drag him back to her?
Rowan's vision dimmed with anger. He snatched his phone and called his assistant. "My stomach's tearing itself apart. Get an ambulance. Now."
He expected the hospital to fix it. But the pain was worse than before—deep, gnawing, primal. Even the injectable pain meds didn't touch it.
Rowan snapped at the medical staff like a cornered wolf. "Are you all incompetent? Can't you treat a simple stomachache?"
"Please calm down, Alpha—Mr. Blackthorne," the doctor said carefully. "Maybe we should… call Mrs. Blackthorne. She might—"
"Shut up."
He barked it so sharply the room went silent.
So that was Audrey's game—cutting off contact so he'd crawl back begging for her help?
Absolutely not.
Hours later, the storm finally passed. The pain eased. Fen's allergic reaction settled too.
But they both looked like they'd been dragged through hell and rolled in it.
"Dad…" Fen whispered from his hospital bed. "I feel awful. Can I have some water?"
Rowan sat slumped on the nearby couch, pale as moonlight. Irritation prickled up his spine. "Can't you see I'm sick too?"
Ungrateful pup. Couldn't he suffer quietly for once?
"Rowan, don't be angry," Lisa rushed to say. "I'll get it."
She brought Fen a cup of water, but he took one sip and sputtered it right back out.
"This water's bitter! I want sweet water!"
Lisa's face crumpled. "What? It's just plain water."
"It's bitter! I don't want it!" Fen wailed, thrashing in frustration.
Rowan ran a hand over his face, temper thinning.
Ned, his Beta, cleared his throat. "Alpha… when Fen got sick before, Mrs. Blackthorne always made him honey water."
Lisa blinked helplessly. "Where am I supposed to get honey here?"
Rowan sighed sharply. "Ned. Honey. Now."
Ten minutes later, Ned returned with a jar. Lisa mixed it quickly and handed it to Fen, but after one sip he gagged again, crying harder.
"It doesn't taste right!"
Lisa stood frozen, tears streaming down her face. "Rowan, what do we do?"
Rowan rubbed his temples, ready to explode.
How should he know?
Audrey always took care of Fen. She never asked him for help, never let him deal with these small, constant pack issues.
Finally, at the end of his patience, Rowan almost snapped at Fen—almost ready to smack some discipline into him.
Fen's crying eventually wore him out, and he drifted to sleep.
Rowan pinched the bridge of his nose. Nothing was going his way that night.
Fen was a handful. Lisa was useless—only knew how to cry along with him.
Then Ned stepped back in. "Alpha… the company has a situation."
Rowan rose immediately. "Stay with Fen. I'm going to the office."
Lisa's voice cracked. "Rowan, it's so late… If you leave, what do I do? I can't manage Fen alone!"
She had never cared for him even one day by herself. That night's chaos over a single cup of water had already broken her.
Rowan let out a long exhale. "Audrey's still angry. She's not coming back anytime soon. You'll just have to endure for a couple of days. Once she regrets it and returns, you won't have to worry."
Lisa sniffled. "Alright…"
***
Meanwhile, Audrey and Dorian ate the takeout he had ordered. She hadn't expected her birthday to unravel this way—free yet oddly hollow. She had lost her husband and her son on the same night.
Her phone rang.
Audrey answered reluctantly.
Before she even spoke, Lisa's panicked voice burst through. "Audrey! Fen had an allergic reaction! He's in the hospital! You need to come take care of him!"
Audrey set down her fork, lips curling into a cold smile.
"How exactly did that happen?"
"I—I don't know! Maybe he ate something wrong!"
Audrey knew Fen's allergies better than anyone. She had guarded his meals, ensuring he never came close to danger.
He hadn't had a single attack in years.
And after one night with Lisa, he ended up in the hospital?
Laughable.
"If you won't tell me the truth, then forget it," Audrey said, moving to hang up.
Lisa panicked. "H-he ate… spicy BBQ. Just a little!"
Audrey let out a sharp laugh. "More like half the serving."
Lisa whimpered, "Audrey, your son is sick. Don't you care?"
My son?
The words sliced Audrey cleanly.
She had poured her heart and soul into Fen. Loved him. Protected him. Nursed him through every fever.
But he was never hers.
He was Lisa and Rowan's pup—never hers.
Audrey's expression hardened. Her voice went cold. "I can't come. Take care of him yourself."
And she hung up.
She inhaled deeply, steadying the roaring storm inside her. She would not break. Not there. Not now—not with Dorian and his daughter nearby.
When Audrey finally lifted her gaze, Dorian was watching her carefully, his dark wolf-eyes steady, concern etched in every line of his face.
"You alright?" he asked softly.