Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Going to the Hospital

Lila’s POV

Jasper sat on the edge of the bed. His towering frame seemed weary in the morning light. Those eyes, usually as sharp as golden light, were now as deep as a midnight lake, filled with a pain and hatred I couldn’t comprehend. I knew he had just returned, from the night that belonged to the Wolf King. And what he brought back wasn’t just the morning dew and chill, but truths so heavy they threatened to crush him.

In everyone else’s eyes, I was weak, someone who needed to be protected—the “ordinary girl” who couldn’t even control her magic. But he was different. He saw the perseverance beneath my timidity and the courage within my fear.

“Lila,” his voice was as soft as a feather, “we have to do something.”

He took my hand, raising it to his lips for a kiss. His gaze turned sharp and lucid, as if the fragile man from a moment ago had been a mere illusion. “That seal… it isn’t just magic. It seems to be affecting your physical functions, too. I want to know if human technology can detect anything. Perhaps medical data could give us an opening.”

I froze. ’To the hospital?’

I recoiled at the thought. Hospitals have never been good places for me. The smell of disinfectant, the cold instruments, and that desperate, rainy night fifteen years ago… all the memories haunted me like a nightmare.

“But…” I hesitated. “Won’t going to the hospital draw too much attention? You’re the patriarch of the Hale family. If someone were to get a picture of you taking me to the hospital…”

“No, I won’t be taking you as the Black Family Master.” He cut me off, a dark glint in his eyes. “I can’t even go with you myself.”

My heart plummeted, and panic welled up inside me.

He seemed to see right through me, his fingers gently caressing my cheek. His eyes were full of apology and helplessness. “Lila, I’m sorry. I can’t go.”

“Why?” I blurted out, my voice carrying a wounded tone that even I hadn’t noticed.

“Because I am the Wolf King.” He sighed, pulling me tighter. “My every move is watched by too many people. If I personally take you to the hospital, Derek’s men, or those old foxes in the family, will immediately sense that something is off. They’ll investigate you, your medical records, everything. I don’t want to tip them off, and more importantly, I refuse to let even the slightest hint of danger get near you.”

He cupped my face in his hands, making me look directly into his golden eyes, which were filled with unwavering resolve. “So, I can’t go with you. But I won’t make you face this alone.”

He paused before continuing, “I’ll arrange for my most trusted guard to take you. It’s a church-affiliated hospital—the most expensive, but also the safest. It’s free from infiltration by the dark forces of the Wolf Clan; it’s the most untainted place in the human world. I’ll have my guard protecting you from the shadows.”

Seeing the undisguised worry and pain deep in his eyes, I suddenly understood his dilemma. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be with me; it was that he had to make a sacrifice to protect me. He would rather endure the agony of waiting alone, facing the unknown, than expose me to the slightest hint of danger.

“Jasper…” I whispered, a lump forming in my throat. “I… I’m a little scared.”

’It was the truth. Faced with those cold machines and the tests that might reopen old wounds, I felt a fear unlike any I had known before. It wasn’t the examination I was afraid of, but the memories it might unearth—the past I never wanted to touch again.’

He pulled me into his arms, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe, yet it made me feel incredibly safe. “I know, Lila. I know. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry I can’t be by your side. But I promise, I will be right here waiting for you to come back.”

He released me, took a small communicator from his pocket, and pressed it into my hand. “Take this. If anything feels wrong, press the button. No matter what I’m doing or where I am, I will come to your side at once. Even if I have to level that hospital, I will bring you back.”

I clutched the small communicator, feeling its cold metallic surface, and drew a sliver of strength from it. It was his talisman, his silent promise.

“Okay.” I took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. “I’ll listen to you. I’ll go to the hospital.”

He looked at me, his eyes filled with gratitude and tenderness. He lowered his head and kissed my forehead, then my eyes, and finally, my lips. The kiss was tinged with the bitterness of parting and a sense of being cherished like never before.

“My guard is already waiting for you downstairs.” He took my hand and led me to the window. “Remember, don’t be afraid. I’ve got you.”

Through the window, I saw an inconspicuous black sedan parked downstairs. A tall man stood beside it. When he saw me, he gave a slight nod. That was Jasper’s guard. His gaze held a chilling intensity, but he had an aura similar to Jasper’s, which gave me a sliver of reassurance.

I turned and took one last look at Jasper. He stood in the morning light, his tall frame radiating a sense of solitude. He nodded at me, his eyes full of encouragement.

I took a deep breath, turned, and walked out of the bedroom.

The smell of hospital disinfectant was the first thing I noticed the second I stepped through the main entrance.

The scent was like a cold key, instantly unlocking a door deep in my memory that had been sealed for ages. Images from fifteen years ago flooded my mind uncontrollably—the glaring emergency lights, the doctors’ anxious faces, and my parents’ faces, pale as paper, as they were wheeled into the operating room.

“Miss Thorne, this way, please.”

The nurse leading the way had a sweet voice tinged with professional detachment. I had registered using my cousin Lilith Thorne’s name, so it took me a moment to realize she was talking to me.

I followed her mechanically down a hallway laid with thick carpet. It was frighteningly quiet—so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat thundering in my ears, faster and louder with every step.

“We’re going directly to Dr. Evans’s office. He’s this hospital’s top neurologist and internist, and he’ll be seeing you personally.”

I nodded, clutching the communicator in my hand so tightly my knuckles turned white.

Dr. Evans’s office was large and warmly decorated, with several landscape paintings on the walls in an attempt to create a relaxing atmosphere. But the computer screen behind his desk was glaringly bright.

“Miss Thorne, please have a seat.” Dr. Evans was an amiable-looking middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses and a warm smile. “I’ve received your request for an examination. We don’t need to perform any invasive procedures right away. We’ll start with some basic physiological data and imaging, alright?”

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