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"How are you going to do it?" I asked Radhe nervously as we trotted down the hilly path that led to the hospital.

Radhe made a sound between a snort and a scoff. "Did you already forget I'm the son of a witch? I too have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Before I could ponder too much on the possibilities of his distraction plans, he shared one of them on his own. "Listen, Urvi, Deepam and Rita are guarding Ved. Even if something happens and everyone leaves to investigate the issue, there's zero to no chance, Deepam and Rita will leave Ved's side. Alpha has given this responsibility to them and they'll rather die protecting Ved than betraying their duty. Safeguarding Ved is their utmost priority right now, and you don't take their commitment to this task lightly. It's practically unwavering. Even if it means sacrificing their own lives, they won't leave Ved's side."

"Then how the hell are we going to enter his room?" I asked frustrated as we hurried down, while stumbling on the loose rocks and thorny bushes from time to time.

Radhe's wolf was slightly hunched over as he strode forward, his fur blended with shadows and moonbeams played upon the dense forest. "You do realize that breaking into the hospital is madness while so many wolves are on high alert. I have to amass my nerves so I can face the pack without chickening out and don't give us away. Once inside, we'll be at a great risk of exposing ourselves."

I realized the severity of the situation. "Then what do we do?"

Radhe's growl rumbled through the night air as he spoke, "I'm going to try my luck in challenging Veer's position as Alpha."

As soon as the words entered my ears, I tripped and almost fell. But Radhe caught me midway from kissing the earth and pulled me up.

"WHAT?!?" I squealed. "Whatever the HELL DO YOU MEAN?"

He chuckled at my reaction. "Chill! It's just bullshit to buy us time."

I reached forward and grabbed his furry arm. My hand only could wrap around his massive arm half-way through. "Don't beat around the bush! Tell me your plan!"

He turned and fixed his eyes on me, they were glowing in the dark. "We're going inside and meet Veer and the rest of the pack. No matter what I'm going to do there, you'll not distract yourself from doing what we've come to an agreement to do."

I frowned. "What are you going to do?"

"You'll see," he responded mysteriously. His wolf-head tilted up toward the sky as if he was challenging the moon.

Though I didn't approve of his vague response, I remained quiet. One thing I knew is, he knew better than me and I would have to follow his instructions no matter what.

"Urvi, do you trust me?"

I frowned while observing the syn-wolf in front of me. He was still looking at the moon. I didn't have a single clue what he was thinking, but somehow, I knew, he won't betray his pack.

"Yeah, but I still have doubts. What if we fail... it's very risky..."

"Trust me, it'll be alright. I also can't afford to lose my alpha as much as you don't want to lose him." Radhe looked down at me as our eyes locked. We stood there for a few seconds holding each other's gaze before he blinked, averted his gaze and grabbed my wrist tightly. "Let's go. We can't wait any longer."

Radhe took me out of the forest shortly.

The wolves that were guarding, gave us a brief glance before going back to their job. Radhe had shifted fully to his wolf before coming out of the forest, so when we were about to enter the hospital, he shifted to his human form and donned his clothes quickly.

We traversed the corridor and reached the intensive care unit where Ved was kept. I took a mental note on the pack members, a total of seven people were there. I didn't see alpha or beta. They must have left to take care of the mess. Triveni and Vishal were seated at the far end of the corridor. Triveni was still crying while Vishal provided comfort to her. Deepam and Rita were guarding the door of Ved's room while Veer was pacing back and forth restlessly. There were two more pack members standing close by. As we approached, everyone turned their eyes on us. Veer stared between me and Radhe with his wild looking eyes before finally settling on me. I blinked, lowered my eyes while Radhe took a step forward. Before anyone could predict anything, Radhe plunged forward and connected his fist to Veer's jaw with an unexpected malefic force. Veer stumbled back at the sudden attack but soon regained his stance and focused his furious eyes on Radhe. His eyes instantly darkened while his brows formed a severe frown.

"Radhe!!" There was a unified scream and everyone rushed forward in an eye-blink.

My eyes went wide in shock at the scenario. I had no space to predict that Radhe was actually going to attack Veer.

Veer yelled aloud, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

Radhe didn't respond but took another step forward and again launched another strike, directing it to Veer's stomach. But the pack members were quicker this time. They lunged at Radhe and caught him by both his arms. Veer's expression changed to more animalistic. He came forward and raised one of legs and kicked on Radhe's chest. Right where his heart was supposed to reside.

I screamed aloud while Radhe's head elongated to that of his wolf as he jerked it to the side and opened his jaws wide and bit on the pack member's neck to his left. He let go of Radhe's arm and crashed on the wall behind him. Radhe's head replaced by his human head once again. Veer charged forward and launched a fist at Radhe's stomach violently. Radhe crumbled forward while Veer reached forward, grabbed Radhe's collar in his fists and kneed his stomach a couple of times.

Radhe coughed up blood.

Another fist connected to Radhe's chest and he fell back with a loud thud, and lay there in an inelegant manner. Both his hands clutched his abdomen instinctively. His lips smeared with blood as he tried not to raise his eyes.

My hands turned cold. I recognized the pain in my chest. I couldn't afford to lose my family once again. Radhe's my only family I've ever come across. I- I had to save him!

I was about to run toward them when I remembered what Radhe told me. My feet froze as I noticed everyone in the vicinity gathering around the fighting figures. No one was paying any heed to my presence. Even Deepam and Rita had come forward, leaving the door to Ved's room unguarded. Clearly, everyone was at a shock at the abrupt violence.

This was my chance.

Veer roared. "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?"

The air crackled with tension as Veer stood over Radhe's crumpled figure. The scent of blood mixed with the antiseptic tang of the hospital, creating a surreal atmosphere.

Veer's eyes, normally a deep shade of forest green, were ablaze with an otherworldly fury. He quivered with restrained rage while Radhe, once a trusted member of the pack, now lay at his mercy, defeated.

"You dared to challenge me, Radhe?" Veer's voice rumbled like distant thunder, reverberating through the hospital corridor. "You attacked your future-alpha, and for that, you will pay."

The fearsome pack members, loyal to their future-alpha, surrounded Radhe in a flash. Their eyes reflected the anger and frustration that flowed through Veer.

"Kick him!" Veer bellowed, his command slicing through the air. The pack members hesitated, glancing at each other, uncertain about the severity of the punishment. But the unyielding determination in Veer's eyes brooked no disobedience.

With a collective, reluctant nod, the pack members began to deliver kicks to Radhe. Each blow echoed in the sterile atmosphere, mingling with the sounds of the hospital equipment, creating a grotesque symphony of pain.

Veer watched, his expression unyielding. The anger within him seemed insatiable, fueled by the betrayal of one of his own. I recognized the emotion. He had to maintain dominance, not just for the pack but also for Ved, who fought for his life in the bed nearby.

The punishment continued, but Radhe seemed to make no attempt to resist. The pack members, despite their loyalty to Veer, couldn't shake the discomfort etched on their faces. The line between justice and brutality blurred in that moment.

My chest burned furiously for Radhe. But I had no means to stop Veer at this moment. I had a bigger task at hand. I took the opportunity and inched closer toward Ved's room and slid through the door. My vision blurred as I fought hard to focus on my undertaking. My heart pounded with the weight of the responsibility that now rested on my shoulders. Tears fell freely down my cheeks as I closed the door quietly behind me.

As I turned, my eyes fell on Ved making my heart squeeze inside my chest painfully. Ved lay unconscious in a hospital bed, tethered to life by a thin thread. The heart-monitor's rhythmic beeping provided a haunting counterpoint to the impending violence outside. His beautiful face was pale, his cheeks had shrunken making his handsome appearance look misshapen.

I rushed to his bed. The sterile, cold air of the hospital room hung heavy as my gaze fixated on Ved's unconscious form lying on the bed. Tubes and monitors surrounded him, a lifeline that connected him to the sterile, clinical world of the medical facility. The urgency to help him surged within me as I clutched my hands, my blood coursing with the power to heal.

My eyes scanned the room, desperate to find a syringe, the vessel through which my healing blood could reach Ved's frail form.

A stainless-steel tray caught my attention near the bed, holding an assortment of medical instruments beside the bottle of drug he was being given. I hurriedly rifled through it, my heart raced, fear and determination intertwining like a delicate dance.

Shortly I found what I was looking for. The syringe. Relief surged through me as I gingerly picked it up. The translucent tube seemed almost mundane, but within it lay the potential to bring life back to Ved.

With the syringe in hand, I approached Ved's bedside. The rhythmic beeping of the machines provided an ominous soundtrack to my mission. His stillness tugged at my heart, and I vowed to do whatever it took to save him.

I removed the lid and pushed the needle into my vein gently, allowing the healing essence of my blood to fill the syringe. It stung for a fraction of second before I pulled my blood out along with the needle. I realized just then. My blood was darker in color. Almost like wine red.

Urgency filled my mind. I had no time to waste. The needle punctured his IV line, seamlessly integrating my healing blood into the medical apparatus that was already sustaining him.

Time seemed to slow as I watched the infusion of my blood into Ved's veins. The liquid flowed through the tube, a lifeline connecting us. The soft beeping of machines took on a reassuring rhythm, complementing the anxious beats of my own heart.

In that moment, as the healing essence of my blood mingled with Ved's, the hospital room transformed into a sanctuary of possibilities to defy the very boundaries of life and death.

I shifted my gaze on Ved's face and my heart ached. Tears streamed down my face as I sat down beside him and whispered while holding his hand into mine, "I can't let you die. You can't die, not on my watch. Just don't. Don't leave." A sob forced out of my lips while I leaned over and placed my forehead on our joined hands.

A realization washed over me while I sobbed uncontrollably, my shoulders trembled. The burden of my emotions fell down as tears into our interlinked hands. I didn't know when I developed feelings for him. But I do like him, and couldn't imagine my life without him in it.

But now, I could only hope that he would be alright and wake up soon to reciprocate my feelings.

Because I did what my heart told me.

As I was gathering my hopes to see Ved fully recovered, I heard a loud crash outside the door. My head turned hastily toward the noise when it dawned on me. Radhe.

I had to save him.

I let go of Ved's hand and got up swiftly. Glancing one last time at the unconscious future-alpha, I turned and dashed to save my cousin.

Once outside the room, I stumbled across a scene I thought never was possible. All the pack members lay on the feet of Radhe, growling from pain, clutching their stomach, while Radhe was kneeling in front of Veer, hanging his head, completely at his mercy. All his wounds were bleeding profusely through his torn clothes.

From where I stood, I couldn't see his face properly but I noticed blood and drool dripping from his mouth. My chest squeezed inside my chest seeing his bloody and broken state. My eyes flew up at Veer as I saw the animalistic fury on his face. He looked livid. Although he remained mostly unscathed by the violence happened to the others, it was evident how outraged the situation had made him. He wasn't expecting that sort of incident at this moment, also, that from a trusted pack member and his friend.

For a few seconds I stood there benumbed by the situation in front of me until a swift movement caught my attention. Veer raised his hand and it turned into a black paw mid-air. The nails elongated as he was preparing to severe Radhe's head from his torso. I couldn't stand like a statue anymore. I needed to do something! I-I...I needed to...

I panicked with the scene in front of me. My blood throbbed in my veins and heart pounded frantically. I instinctively dug my nails into my palms drawing blood out instantly.

"Veer!" I screamed aloud and raised my hand toward him.

Veer froze.

His eyes found their ways to my face and our eyes locked. Tears fell freely down my cheeks as I shook my head pleading him to spare Radhe's life. I mouthed 'please' before I collapsed on the ground.

Veer's trance broke as soon as I hit the ground. He left Radhe there and rushed to my side in a single breath.

"Urvi!" A throaty wild sound escaped his lips as he collapsed beside me and took me into his arms. I raised my left arm slowly and touched his cheek with my bloodied hand. "Lick it. I'll heal you." I whispered looking into his eyes. "Please."

Veer's eyebrows furrowed for a fraction of second but he obeyed my pleading soon after. He leaned forward and placed a feathery soft kiss on my forehead before lapping onto my bloody palm insatiably.

I watched him for a quiet moment, then channeled my magic through my blood and commanded it to calm him down. His eyelids shot up exposing his eyes and saw the prominent red rings around his irises. They glowed brighter this time.

With an intake of the thick air between us that smelled strongly of blood, I apologized quietly, "I'm sorry."