“I thought you said it was a wall,” I murmur.
“It all happened so fast,” Auren sniffles. “And my head hurts. I’m confused.”
The nurse hovers in the room, pretending not to eavesdrop.
Mark turns to me, his annoyance at my presence clear. “I’m not sure why you’re here, but you can leave. Auren is being dramatic, as always. I’m sorry he bothered you with his little tantrum.”
Behind him, Jacob shifts, his scent betraying the spike of frustration beneath his calm.
Auren clutches the blanket with his one good hand. “Em, don’t believe him. Please. You know me.”
And that’s the problem. I do. I know the well-timed tears, the trembling lip, the fragile act designed to muddle my thoughts and convince me to give in to whatever he wants. I know the way hebends truth until he makes you question what’s real.
Mark closes the distance between us. “Listen, we’re not trying to make this worse. But this is none of your business.”
The air grows thicker as rising emotions fill the room with pheromones. My head throbs with it all, tangled up with memory, resentment, and the old instinct to protect what already destroyed me once.
Footsteps sound in the hall, and two officers crowd into the room.
The woman wears her dark hair pulled back tightly. She takes the lead as her partner positions himself near the door, hands clasped at his belt, scanning each of us in turn.
“I’m Officer Chen.” The woman focuses on Auren as she flips open a notebook. “We received a call about a potential domestic dispute.”
Mark steps forward. “There’s been a misunderstanding?—”
“He pushed me!” Auren lunges upright in the bed, his hospital gown slipping from one delicate shoulder. “I want to press charges!”
Mark spins toward him. “That’s not what happened!”
I step between the two parties without thinking, my body acting on instinct to buffer the conflict.
Mark turns back to the officers. “He fell. The doctor confirmed it.”
Jacob murmurs agreement, shifting uneasily.
“Liar!” Auren trembles, drawing the blanket up as if to shield himself from them. “I’m done staying silent about your abuse. You can’t buy off every witness.”
The male officer steps forward, palm raised. “Everyone needs to calm down.”
Officer Chen raises a hand for silence. “We’ll take statements one at a time.” Her attention moves to me. “And you are?”
“Emily Wilson. I’m Auren’s emergency contact.”
Her eyebrows lift. “And your relationship is?”
Auren’s hand latches on to mine. “She’s my true Alpha.”
I flinch at the implication and try to pull free, but Auren holds on with tenacious strength. “Wewerein a pack together, but we never bonded. Our relationship ended nine months ago.”
Mark adjusts his tie. “Jacob and I are Auren’s Alphas. We’ve provided everything he could want. This accusation is…unexpected.”
“It’s not an accusation! It’s what happened!” Auren’s distress pheromones claw at my instincts despite my rational mind’s objections. “Em, tellthem you’re my true Alpha. Tell them how he treats me.”
All eyes turn to me.
“I can’t speak to their relationship,” I say, picking my words with care. “I haven’t been part of Auren’s life since our pack status was dissolved.”
Officer Chen’s pen stills. “And why did that happen?”