Rejected Luna's Second Chance Mate

Synopsis

The antiseptic smell of the hospital had become my comfort zone. Ironic, considering most people found it unsettling. For me, it was the scent of normalcy, of my carefully constructed human life. Tonight was just another shift at Seattle General's trauma unit—or so I thought. "Ellis, we've got incoming! Multiple traumas, ETA three minutes!" I nodded at the charge nurse, pulling my hair into a tighter ponytail as I moved toward the trauma bay. Two years of practice had perfected my routine: check supplies, prepare IV fluids, mentally review protocols. All while keeping Lyra, my wolf, locked away in the darkest corner of my mind. *Stay down. Stay quiet. We don't exist in this world anymore.* My wolf had barely stirred in months. The rejection had damaged us both—me emotionally, Lyra physically. Medical science was clear: rejected wolves became permanently damaged, unable to form new mate bonds. It was why most rejected wolves either went rogue or died of heartbreak. I'd chosen a third option: pretending I was human. The ambulance bay doors burst open, paramedics rushing in with a gurney. "Male, mid-thirties, multiple lacerations to torso and neck, possible internal bleeding, BP dropping rapidly!" I moved forward automatically, hands already gloved. "Transfer on my count. One, two, three—" The patient was massive—all muscle and raw power even in his unconscious state. His black hair was matted with blood, his expensive suit torn to shreds. Deep claw marks raked across his chest and abdomen. Claw marks. Not knife wounds. My heart stuttered. These weren't human injuries. "What happened?" I asked, already cutting away the remains of his shirt. "Some kind of animal attack in the warehouse district," the paramedic replied. "His security team found him. They're outside—scary bunch, wouldn't leave