Chapter 2 Blood Draw

After uttering those words, a chilling silence pervaded the room, sending shivers down my spine. Aaron's stern countenance bore down on me, and I could almost hear the tension in the air, as if his fangs were grinding together. "What did you say?" Alpha Aaron, exuding an untamed, wolfishness, was not someone I could afford to provoke casually. His anger was palpable, rendering me incapable of repeating myself while I locked eyes with his furious gaze. "Nothing," I replied, tilting my head, attempting to dispel the rage that enveloped him. Unfortunately, he had no intention of letting me off so easily. "Do you want a divorce?" he inquired, indicating that he had indeed heard my previous statement. Should I nod or shake my head? The decision weighed heavily on me. In the next moment, he abruptly seized my chin, his voice low and menacing, "Don't even dream about it." I found no surprise in his words; Aaron wouldn't entertain the notion of a divorce, not when I still served a purpose to him. As a pristine source of blood, my vitality was precisely what he required at this moment. "I didn't say that," I asserted, looking at him with unwavering determination. Contrary to my fading complexion, Aaron's spirits seemed to soar even higher, while I began to resemble a frail old woman. He released his grip on me and, in a distracted manner, remarked as he settled into his seat, "Why do you look as pale as a ghost?" Only then did he seem to notice something amiss in my demeanor. What exactly was I to him? Was I nothing more than a means to an end? I moved my numb arms and shook my head. "I'm going to take a shower." "No need, I'm running out of time," he said, firmly gripping my shoulders to steady me. "We need to go to the hospital now, or it might be too late." "You..." I began to protest, but he swiftly made an intercom call before I could get a word out. "Prepare the car. We're heading to the hospital." He was in such a hurry, and the world outside the car window seemed to blur by in a whirlwind. I gazed in a fixed direction, my eyes welling up with tears. I couldn't help but wonder, what if I were to open the window and leap out? What would happen if I died? Before long, Aaron grabbed my hand and asked, "What's on your mind?" My dear Aaron, I was contemplating what your reaction would be if I were to die right now. Would you be overjoyed? "Nothing," I replied. He scoffed and continued to study me, as if trying to decipher my thoughts. It wasn't until we arrived at the hospital that I could escape his rather intense scrutiny. Before long, he ushered me into the phlebotomy room. The nurse inserted the needle into my arm, causing a sharp, cold pain to shoot through me. Aaron glanced at the procedure, seemingly unfazed. But I couldn't help but wonder, if he knew that cancerous cells were coursing through my blood, would he be repulsed? Perhaps, by then, he might discard me like a piece of refuse. We had entered into this marriage as part of a peace treaty. He believed I had manipulated the situation to my advantage, which had bred his contempt for me. And now, I find myself facing a terminal illness. It feels like karma. As my pain continued to intensify, and a sense of resistance grew within me, he seemed to believe that I was unwilling. "Are you unwilling to do this for me?" "No..." I struggled to respond through the agony, my discomfort escalating as I leaned on the table. However, he didn't show any sympathy. Instead, he asked the nurse if she had drawn enough blood. How heartless. The nurse glanced at me with genuine concern when she touched my cold arm. It was a pitiable situation. A stranger who had seen me only once cared more about my well-being than Aaron did. I felt a burning sensation in my eyes. If the nurse were to look at me again, tears might have welled up. Fortunately, the seemingly endless process eventually came to a close. My arm was now numb, and I had lost all strength. When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital ward, entirely alone. There was a needle in my arm, and the IV dripped steadily into my body. Hunger gnawed at me, but I couldn't feel the pain. My phone had no battery, leaving me unable to check the time. I had no idea how long I had been asleep, but I could see the fading glow of the sunset through the window. I desperately wanted to leave the hospital. The pungent scent of disinfectant made me feel sick. Putting on my shoes, I got up and began to make my way out. As I passed the ward next door, I heard a familiar male voice. Aaron was still here. As if an invisible force held my feet in place, I stood frozen. I peered through the crack in the closed door and saw a nurse tending to him. There was another person standing beside his bed. It was a woman. I recognized her immediately, even though I could only see half of her face through the gap. Julie Hearst, the sole daughter of the renowned Hearst family. She must have had a longstanding connection with Aaron to be alone with him at a time like this. The intertwining interests of our families likely played a role as well. Their charisma even seemed to match, further emphasizing my sense of being an outsider. Unlike me, Julie possessed a stunning beauty and a gentle character. In Aaron's eyes, my status and identity were evidently lower. It was no wonder he was enamored with her. Comparing Julie and me was a tragic exercise. They were merely sharing the same room, but it ignited jealousy within me. I had been by his side for years, yet I had never witnessed him being so tender with anyone else. Reflecting on it, it had been many years since he last treated me with such gentleness. It had become a rare luxury for me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I observed their interaction. Even my stomach churned with discomfort. In reality, he possessed gentleness. He wasn't inherently cold-hearted, and I knew that well. It was just that he had rationed his gentleness and empathy, reserving them for someone other than me. I had never been fortunate enough to receive that side of him. I had been standing outside the ward for quite some time, lost in my thoughts. Only when the nurse emerged did I snap back to reality. Unfortunately, it was too late. The door stood wide open, and they had spotted me peeking inside, leaving me with no escape. When Julie saw me, she greeted me with a smile and nodded in my direction. "Laura is here, Aaron," she announced. Her tone conveyed a sense of closeness, making it seem as though she were his wife while I was just a passing friend. The plummet in my status filled me with a profound sense of despair. "Why are you lurking by the door?" he questioned loudly, his voice cutting through the room. Due to my blood, the Alpha's energy appeared to surge even more. It was a stark reminder of my dwindling usefulness to him. "Nothing," I replied with a smile as I greeted Julie, holding onto the last shreds of my dignity. She kindly invited me into the room, but I had no desire to go inside. Aaron noticed the clear distress on my face. My stomach churned painfully, as if scolding and warning me that I would pass out if I didn't leave immediately. I attempted to wave off Julie's invitation, but she insisted passionately, leaving me no room to decline. "I knew you were next door. I thought I'd check on you when you woke up," she said, displaying an unusual magnanimity, while I remained timid, resisting her warmth. This visibly upset Aaron. "Is this how you treat someone?" he asked. I lifted my head, and he saw my pale face. To him, I must have seemed repulsive, an unbearable object of ridicule, while Julie appeared as the sole embodiment of beauty.