KAIA’S POV Silver went to say something else when the door opened with a soft click. I turned, already knowing who it would be. “Morning,” I greeted as Dr. Grayson stepped inside, looking bright and calm as ever, his usual warm smile already in place. A nurse followed behind him, holding a clipboard. She gave a small nod in greeting. “Kaia,” Dr. Grayson said, smiling. “You look tired.” I gave him a half-smile. “You always say that.” “Well, that’s because it’s always true. You need to sleep more.” “I’ll sleep more when I don’t have duty calling on me every five seconds,” I muttered, rolling my eyes playfully. Dr. Grayson chuckled, shaking his head as he walked over to Silver’s bedside. “You must be Silver. You’ve gotten quite popular around here since your arrival yesterday,” he said gently, his voice friendlier than I expected. Silver blinked, clearly surprised by the kind tone. “Um…Yeah. Yes sir, I am.” Dr. Grayson laughed. “Sir? No need for that here, son. Just call me Grayson and we’re good to go. I’m the head doctor here at Moonveil Pack.” Silver nodded slowly, his eyes scanning the man’s face. “Alright… Grayson.” “So, how are you feeling today?” Grayson asked, picking up a small flashlight and beginning his check-up. Silver shifted a little. “Better than yesterday. The pain’s not much anymore. I can move way better. But my head still feels a bit weird… cloudy. Also, I get easily tired.” Dr. Grayson nodded, listening closely. “That’s normal. Your body’s doing a lot of work healing itself.” He checked Silver’s pulse, his blood pressure, and gently examined the healing bruises and cuts. The nurse scribbled down notes every time Grayson murmured something under his breath. Silver didn’t flinch during the exam, just sat quietly, watching them work. “You’ve made quite a recovery,” Grayson finally said, stepping back. I could already see the surprise on Silver’s face before he spoke. “Faster than expected?” he guessed. “Much faster,” Grayson said, clearly impressed. “Honestly, it’s unusual. Some of these injuries should’ve had you out for a week at least. But here you are—awake, talking, and healing like someone with a full connection to their wolf.” Silver’s eyes darkened. “Except I don’t have one right now.” Grayson sighed and glanced at me before facing Silver again. “We’ll get to that in a minute.” He paused, then said, “Kaia, would you mind stepping out for a moment? I need to ask Silver here a few private questions.” I stood up right away, heading for the door without protest, but Silver’s voice stopped me. “Kaia, it’s okay. You can stay.” I looked at him. He held my gaze and gave the smallest nod. I hesitated for a moment and then nodded back before returning to my seat. Grayson looked slightly surprised, but then smiled and nodded. “Very well.” He cleared his throat. “Before we go any further, Silver, I just want to say welcome. I know you’re not from this pack, but you’re not alone here. Not while Kaia’s around.” Silver blinked again, almost like he didn’t know what to say. “I see… Thanks. I guess.” Grayson gave a knowing smile. “You don’t feel welcome here. That’s not your fault, son. Most people don’t. But we’re not all as grumpy as Alpha Gareth, just so you know.” “Anyway,” he continued, more serious now. “Your recovery really is amazing, Silver. But there’s something strange we found in the tests we ran. I’d like to share it with you if you’re up for it.” Silver nodded slowly. “Go on.” Grayson looked at him carefully. “Can you feel your wolf at all?” Silver shook his head, his jaw tensing. “No. Nothing. It’s like he’s just… gone.” Grayson sighed, crossing his arms. “That lines up with what we found. There’s no trace of your wolf in your system, son. No link, no energy. It’s like something cut the bond between you two.” “But that’s not possible,” I said quietly. “Right?” Grayson hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “In very rare cases, deep trauma or dark sorcery can cause a separation between a man and his wolf. Usually temporary. But this is the first time I’ve seen someone heal this quickly without their wolf aiding the process. It really calls for research.” Silver sighed, shaking his head. “So… what does this mean? Will he come back?” Grayson’s voice softened. “I don’t know, son. That I can’t tell. I’ve never seen anything quite like this before, to be honest. We’ll have to wait and see. We’ll monitor you. It might take time. But your bond with your wolf—it’s a part of you. It doesn’t just vanish. Let’s just hope for the best.” Silver nodded but didn’t look convinced. There was a long pause before Grayson added, “There is some good news, though. Physically, you’re strong enough to leave the hospital. Maybe not to run a marathon, but enough to be discharged.” Silver looked up, a spark of relief crossing his face. Grayson raised a hand, stopping him before he could speak. “However—since you’re not a member of Moonveil, and we don’t know where you’ll be staying, we need Alpha Gareth’s approval before you can go.” I groaned inwardly. Oh goddess. Not this. Please not this. This is so not happening to me. As if the universe decided to ignore my pleas, Dr. Grayson pulled a paper from the nurse and held it toward me. “Here, Kaia. If you can get this signed by Alpha Gareth, we can let him go today.” I took it without hiding my frustration. “Great. Just what I wanted this morning—chasing down the world’s grumpiest alpha just after breakfast.” Grayson gave me a sad smile, already knowing my reason for not wanting to do this. “Go on, Kaia. Tell him I said hi.” “Yeah, I’ll rather tell him you said he needs a double dose of wolfsbane for breakfast,” I muttered with an eye roll, causing Dr. Grayson to chuckle softly. Silver looked between us, his brow raised in question. “You two know each other well, huh?” I shrugged. “Grayson’s been patching me up since I was five. He’s practically family.” “Family with a needle,” Grayson added, holding up a syringe with a wink. “That’s what she used to call me when she was younger.” Silver let out a small laugh that made my chest feel lighter for some reason. Grayson turned back to him. “You’re in good hands, Silver. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whatever you need. Okay?” Silver looked slightly taken aback by his words, but he nodded anyway. “Sure, Doc. Thanks for everything. I really do appreciate it.” Grayson clapped him gently on the shoulder. “You’re welcome, son. Just don’t scare Kaia too much—she bites.” “She does,” Silver agreed softly, giving me a glance that caused a strange feeling to stir in my chest. Grayson laughed, already turning toward the door. “I’ll check back in later. For now, get some rest—both of you.” And then he walked out, the door closing behind him. Then there was just me and Silver. And of course, the stupid paper in my hands that I was still trying to figure out what to do with. “He’s… friendly,” Silver said after what felt like forever of silence, and I chuckled softly. “Yes, he is.” Silver was silent for a moment before he spoke again. “Is he always like that? Nice to strangers, I mean?” he asked, and I sighed, replaying his question in my head. The thing is, Silver didn’t know Dr. Grayson. So he didn’t understand why he was acting this way around him. I should tell him. I should tell him why the poor man was being so nice and concerned about him. But I didn’t think it was in my place to do that. It was a long and dark story, but it wasn’t mine to tell. It didn’t feel right. And so I pushed the thought away and instead nodded. “Mmhmm. He’s a really nice person.” Silver shifted, looking at me. “What’s the deal with you and that other guy though? If you don’t mind me asking. The one from last night who didn’t seem to like me very much,” he asked, his eyes searching my face carefully. “He’s Gareth, isn’t he? The alpha the doctor just spoke about? I don’t know if it’s just me, but I gathered from what happened last night and the comments from just seconds ago that you two aren’t huge fans of each other.” My mood flipped as soon as he asked that question, and my expression suddenly grew cold. I folded the permission form in half and stood up. “I’ll go see Alpha Gareth and get this signed. Try not to make any trouble while I’m gone.” And without waiting for his response, I turned and headed out the door. That matter wasn’t up for discussion. Not today, not ever, and definitely not with a stranger.