Challenging the Doctor

POV: Callum

I grind my teeth together, fighting the darkness encroaching on the edges of my vision. Every uneven step the warriors take sends a fresh wave of torture straight up my thigh. My arms are draped over their broad, muscular shoulders, my weight dragging heavily against them as we trek through the dark forest. Beneath my flesh, the bones in my leg are a grating mess of loose shards. To my right, Lyanna walks with tentative, silent steps. Her sage-green eyes scan the dark, dense forest, measuring the distance between herself and the deep shadows of the trees. She is calculating, looking for a split second of distraction to bolt back into the wilderness. I cannot risk her slipping away.

"Flank her closely," I order two of my strongest warriors through the pack mind link. "Do not let her out of your sight. Keep her secured."

They shift their positions, moving to block any sudden escape routes she might attempt. Their broad shoulders box her in, forcing her to keep pace with us.

'Alpha?' Cedric’s voice cuts through my mind, sharp with curiosity.

'She’s my mate,' I reply, not bothering to cushion the blow.

There is a stunned silence on the other end of our mental link. 'Oh, shit.'

'Yeah.'

'Does she know? She doesn’t act like she recognizes you as her mate at all.'

'She’s a lone wolf,' I explain, keeping my eyes tracked on her shivering form. 'She doesn't know our ways, and she is skittish. But she’s going to school for medicine. Both human and veterinary.'

I feel Cedric's surprise ripple through our mental bond. He turns his head, his wolf eyes assessing her anew. 'Wow. A smart one.'

'Apparently.'

'What did she say about your leg?'

'She said I need surgery.'

'Well, no offense, Alpha, but I could have told you that.'

'Let’s see what she says when we reach the pack infirmary. But first, find her a shirt. I don’t like my warriors staring at her bare skin.'

Bram, my wolf, paces behind my ribs, snarling at the scent of other males too close to our mate, even if they are my trusted warriors. He is protective and possessive of her exposed body. Cedric nods, his wolf form darting ahead into the brush toward our pack lands. He returns minutes later, carrying a dark, oversized cotton shirt in his jaws.

I take it from him and hand it to Lyanna.

"We’re about to enter my pack's territory," I say, my voice raspy from the physical pain. "You’re an unmarked, unknown female. I thought you might want something to cover yourself."

If she refuses, I will command her to wear it. But she surprises me. She takes the shirt, her tense shoulders dropping in relief. She slides it over her head, the fabric swallowing her small frame, the hem falling past her thighs. Good. She is not a woman who seeks the attention of other males.

We cross the boundary lines, passing the guard posts where my sentries bow their heads in respect. We pass the training grounds and the central cabins, where the light of the moon casts long shadows across the dirt. The quiet of the forest gives way to the structured buildings of our pack lands. The warriors carry me straight to the pack infirmary. The sharp, clean scent of antiseptic and old paper hits my nose as the heavy double doors swing open.

Dr. Benson, our aging, notoriously irritable physician, rushes out of the back room. His brow is deeply furrowed, his lab coat wrinkled, and his mood is foul. He takes one look at my mangled leg and gasps, his face turning pale.

"Alpha, let’s get you into an exam room," Benson says, his voice gravelly. "We need to take x-rays."

"Yes, we do," I grunt, leaning heavily on the two warriors supporting my weight. "And the girl comes with us."

Lyanna hesitates, her feet dragging on the linoleum floor as she tries to take a step back toward the exit. "The girl has a name," she mutters under her breath.

I halt, forcing the warriors supporting me to stop. I turn my head to look at her. Her grey-green eyes widen, flashing with sudden panic. She isn't used to Alphas, or she has spent too much time among humans to remember how easily our kind can hear a whisper. It is amusing, even through the haze of my pain.

"If you give me your name, I will gladly use it," I tell her.

She swallows hard, her throat bobbing. "Lyanna."

"Lyanna," I repeat, the name rolling off my tongue like a long-awaited truth. "I am Alpha Callum. Come with me."

I turn back, and the warriors guide me into the stark, fluorescent-lit x-ray room. The sterile room is cold, the white paint peeling slightly at the corners, showing the age of our facilities. Benson is already pacing around the equipment, his irritation rolling off him in waves. When Lyanna steps through the door behind me, Benson’s face hardens.

"Who are you? Get out!" he barks, waving his hand at her. "This is a private medical evaluation."

"She stays," I say, my voice cutting through his bluster like a blade. "She is with me."

Benson mouths a silent protest but turns back to his machine. I watch Lyanna out of the corner of my eye. Hearing my defensive tone, she steps closer to me, seeking the safety of my protective aura. A surge of pride warms my chest. She might not fully accept our bond yet, but her instincts are already turning to me for safety.

The warriors lift me onto the cold metal table. The pain is a constant, throbbing roar in my ears, but I keep my focus on my mate. In the bright light of the clinic, her natural beauty is striking. Her sage-green eyes are deep, and her soft hair frames a face full of expressive emotion. I notice her brow furrow as she watches Benson drag the heavy, outdated x-ray machine over my leg.

Benson positions the tube directly above my shin, ignores the rest of my leg, and steps behind the lead shield. After the machine hums and clicks, Benson leaves the room to develop the film.

I beckon Lyanna closer with a finger. "What is that face for?" I ask.

"What face?" she replies, trying to play dumb.

I raise an eyebrow. The agony in my leg is stripping away my patience, and Bram cannot begin the healing process until these bones are set. "I don’t have the energy for games, Lyanna. What did you see?"

She looks toward the door to ensure Benson is out of earshot, then leans down. Her scent—sweet rain, wild herbs, and a hint of warm vanilla—fills my senses, dulling the sharp pain.

"Why is he only taking a top-down view?" she whispers, her face inches from mine. "He didn't take any lateral angles. You can't see the full extent of a fracture from just one direction."

Before I can answer, Benson strides back into the room. He slaps a single, wet film onto the lightbox. The image shows a chaotic mess of shattered bone.

Benson sighs, shaking his head. "Well, Alpha, the damage is severe. The leg is unsalvageable. We must amputate."

My stomach drops. A cold sweat breaks out across my forehead. An Alpha without a leg cannot fight. He cannot defend his territory, his pack, or his mate. I would be forced to step down, leaving my pack vulnerable to rivals.

I look past Benson, my eyes locking onto Lyanna. "Dr. Lyanna, what do you think?"

Benson scoffs, his chest puffing out. "Doctor? She is a student. What could she possibly know about complex orthopedic trauma?" He sneers, his old-school bias against female practitioners obvious.

Lyanna does not shrink back. Instead, her spine stiffens, and her eyes flash with determination. The timid girl from the woods vanishes, replaced by a confident medical professional.

"I am studying to be one," she says, her voice steady and clear. "And as a student, I know you cannot diagnose an amputation based on a single anterior-posterior view. I suggest taking lateral x-rays before you start cutting off limbs."

I look at Benson, backing her up. "You heard her. Side x-rays. Now."

Benson bristles, his face turning red. His jaw clenches, his fingers twitching as he looks from me to Lyanna. "Alpha, with all due respect, what are her credentials? She is an outsider, a student—"

"Her credentials are not the issue here, Benson!" I roar, letting my Alpha aura flood the small room. The walls seem to shake with the force of my voice. Lyanna flinches slightly, but Benson freezes, his eyes wide with fear. "I gave you an order. Side x-rays. Now!"

Muttering under his breath, Benson readjusts the machine, taking the side angles while glaring at Lyanna. When he returns with the new films, he slaps them onto the lightbox with an aggressive smirk.

"What do you think now, doctor?" he sneers, dripping with sarcasm.

Lyanna ignores his attitude. She walks up to the lightbox, her head tilting as she studies the shadows and lines on the film. "Do you have the original top-down view?" she asks.

Benson huffs and hands it to her. She places it alongside the new lateral views, stepping back to analyze the three images together. The silence in the room is deafening. My heart hammers against my ribs, hope and anxiety warring in my chest.

"Lyanna?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

She turns away from the screen, her eyes meeting mine with certainty. "We can save the leg."

"You are out of your mind!" Benson yells, throwing his hands in the air. "The bone is shattered! It is a jigsaw puzzle!"

"Yes, it is," Lyanna says, ignoring him as she steps closer to my table. She looks down at me, her gaze steady and unwavering. "And it will require an immense amount of time and patience to reconstruct." She pauses, holding my stare. "But Alpha Callum has the time, and I have the patience."

"Do it," I tell her, putting my entire future into this woman’s hands and hoping I won't regret it.