Chapter 12
May 15, 2025
A sharp pain shot through Ace’s abdomen, forcing her awake.
Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, she was disoriented. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar. The room was dimly lit, and the air smelled faintly of herbs and something metallic—blood.
Her blood.
Ace groaned and tried to sit up, but a burning pain flared across her torso, making her suck in a sharp breath. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to breathe through it.
Memories crashed into her like a tidal wave.
The fight. The bulky man grabbed her chest. Her blade sinking into his throat. Rowan’s furious command to have her dragged to the torture room.
But then… Rowan had stopped them.
He had looked her in the eyes and asked her to fight for him, for his pack.
And she had.
That was the last thing she remembered.
Ace lifted her trembling hands and hesitantly peeled up her tunic. Her stomach was wrapped in tight bandages. Someone had treated her. Someone had seen her wounds.
Her heart pounded. Did they see past my disguise? Did they realize I’m not a boy?
Ace’s fingers dug into the blanket as panic clawed up her throat.
She looked down at herself. She was still wearing the same clothes she had left home with. No signs of being undressed. That gave her some relief. But what if someone had noticed something while treating her injuries?
She had to find out.
Ignoring the pain, she swung her legs off the bed, biting her lip as another sharp jolt shot through her abdomen. The bed was ridiculously high, making her descent slower and more awkward than she liked.
The moment she reached the floor, she took slow, steady breaths and made her way toward the door.
Two guards stood just outside.
Ace’s pulse spiked. Would they stop her? Drag her back to bed?
Instead, to her utter shock, they bowed.
Ace blinked, momentarily stunned. “What—?”
The guards straightened, their expressions unreadable.
“Who treated me?” she asked, keeping her voice steady.
“The Alpha’s specialist,” one of them answered.
Ace nodded, pushing down the unease in her gut. “Where can I find him?”
“The specialist is just a stone’s throw from here,” the second guard replied.
Before Ace could demand to be taken there, the first guard added, “I can bring him here if you wish. The Alpha instructed us to ensure you eat first. The medications the doctor prescribed will work best on a full stomach.”
Ace frowned. Why was Rowan suddenly so concerned about her recovery?
More importantly, she didn’t want the doctor to come to her—she wanted to go to him. She needed to look him in the eye, see if he knew anything.
But drawing too much attention to herself now would be dangerous.
So, instead of arguing, she nodded. “Fine.”
The guards opened the door for her.
Ace hesitated. Why were they treating her like royalty?
Shrugging off the weird feeling, she stepped back inside and sat on the high bed just as two maids entered. One carried a tray filled with various dishes, the rich aroma making her stomach twist in hunger. The other held a set of new, clean clothes.
Ace’s brows furrowed. Food? New clothes?
This was too much.
The maids set everything down and left without a word.
Her stomach growled loudly.
It had been nearly two days since she had last eaten anything substantial. She had only been surviving on water.
Her father had prepared her for this day- the day something would happen and Ace would be faced with a situation where she would have to go days without food or water.
Ace hesitated for a moment, then gave in, grabbing the food and eating quickly. The warm meal filled her empty stomach, giving her a sense of strength she hadn’t felt in a while.
She ate until she was full, then set the tray aside just as the door creaked open again.
Ace turned her head sharply.
The doctor had arrived.
The man who had seen her body.
Her muscles tensed as he stepped inside.
The woman doctor was older, with graying hair and calm, observant eyes. She smiled at her. “You’re awake. That’s good.”
Ace studied her carefully. Her face was relaxed, his expression unreadable.
“How do you feel?” She asked Ace.
She hesitated before answering. “Fine.”
The doctor nodded. “Your wounds weren’t too deep, but you lost a lot of blood. It’s good you woke up this soon.”
Ace watched her closely, trying to detect any signs that she had seen something she shouldn’t have. But her demeanor was the same as any healer treating a soldier.
Still, she had to be sure.
“You were the one who treated me?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Ace narrowed her eyes. “Were you… around when I was brought in?”
The doctor nodded. “I had just walked out of the prison cells when the guards rushed you in.”
Ace stiffened. “Prison cells?”
The doctor chuckled. “Yes. I was attending to another patient who got into a fight last night when I heard someone was hurt from the war. Poor man nearly had his breath short-circuited.”
Ace’s blood turned to ice.
She swallowed. “Who?”
The doctor tilted his head. “A bulky man. The scar on his left brow. Goes by the name Donovan.”
Ace’s entire body locked up.
It was him.
The same man she had fought. The same man she thought she had killed.
He was alive.
Her breath hitched, and for the first time in years, she felt a flicker of fear.
