Heather’s POV

Steam clung to the air as I stepped out of the shower, my body clean but my soul still weighed down. Fresh clothes covered my skin, but I couldn’t shake the cold emptiness creeping inside me. Doctor Lilith stood waiting in the dim hallway outside the suite. Her voice, calm and steady, pierced the silence.

“You’re doing fine.”

“I am.” The words were a whisper, a lie I told myself more than her. My hand instinctively rested on my stomach. “How is the baby?”

“Healthy as a horse.” Her answer brought a flicker of relief, but it was fleeting. Whitney, my wolf, purred softly in my mind, momentarily...