Chapter 4 Lena's POV It was a full-grown tiger and a brown bear. They seemed to have caught a scent, and were thrashing wildly in their cages, growling in frenzy. "Argh-" The brown bear howled to the sky, its yellow-brown eyes glaring at me with vicious intent. I instinctively stepped back, the memory of that strange, pungent bouquet of flowers flooding my mind. Suppressing my fear and unease, I said, "Blake, I don't feel well. I want to go back to the room." In the past, when I said I wasn't feeling well, Blake would be incredibly anxious and take me back to the room immediately. But now, he only frowned helplessly, "Lena, don't be difficult. Kendra's been preparing this for a long time." My throat felt thick and heavy, and I forced a bitter smile. The performance began, and Kendra awkwardly directed the tiger and the brown bear. The two beasts weaved between the fire rings and the balance beam, and for a moment, everything seemed fine. "Great! Looks amazing!" Blake clapped his hands, his eyes fixed on Kendra, full of love. He never even considered the fact that I couldn't "see" this so-called "apology" performance he'd arranged for me. But that wasn't even the most important thing. My panic was growing stronger, my hands trembling uncontrollably. Because only I knew the tiger and the brown bear were turning to look at me more and more frequently... And in their eyes, there was a savage hunger. I backed away subtly, step by step. Just as I thought I was about to leave their strike range, I suddenly heard a sharp scream, "Ah!" The figure on the platform swayed violently, and Kendra fell, the chains in her hands suddenly loosened. At the same time, the tiger and the brown bear began to roar wildly, thrashing in frenzy. "Kendra!" Blake screamed uncontrollably, rushing forward like a bullet from a gun. The moment he left, I was completely exposed to the two wild beasts. The tiger and the brown bear froze, revealing their sharp fangs to me! My pupils dilated, and my breath caught in my throat. In the blink of an eye, the two massive black shadows lunged toward me! It hurt! It hurt so much! The agony as if my insides were being crushed! "Ah-!" A scream of agony tore from my throat. All I could see was a sea of red. Through my blurred vision, I could make out Blake tightly holding Kendra in his arms not far away. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital room at the largest hospital in the werewolf realm. The pain in my chest and legs made me groan softly. "Don't move." The nurse pressed gently on my shoulder. "You're lucky to be alive. Three broken ribs, internal bleeding in your liver..." "Last night, Dr. Graves was the only one in the emergency room. Another injured person's family member, seeming to be the Alpha from a nearby pack, insisted that Dr. Graves see his Luna first. He said she was pregnant." "Fortunately, she only had superficial wounds, so Dr. Graves could treat you in time." "By the way, where is your family?" I felt as though my whole body had been crushed by a car over and over, my voice dry and rough. "I don't have any family." The nurse froze for a moment, her eyes suddenly filled with pity. Outside, I could hear Kendra's voice. "Blake, I'm sorry! I don't know why they suddenly went out of control. It's my fault, I've hurt Lena." "Kendra, this isn't your fault. You're hurt too." Blake kissed away the tears at the corner of her eyes. "You're carrying our baby, don't cry. Go back to the room and lie down." Kendra sobbed harder. "I don't want to go back. I owe Lena an apology." The third time I heard the word "apology," I couldn't hold back anymore. I raised my hand and smashed the cup. The voices outside went silent, and Blake hurried into the room. "Babe, want some water? I'll get it for you." Looking at his seemingly genuine concern, I suddenly felt so tired. "Did you investigate? Why did they suddenly go wild?" My voice was hoarse, my eyes flashing with the last remaining glimmer of hope. The tiger and the brown bear clearly smelled something that set them off. And their target was only me. "It was just an accident," Blake answered without thinking, pulling the blanket over me. "Rest and don't think too much, okay?" The light in my eyes went out completely. I stared at him for a long time, my heart aching with each painful beat. Three years ago, I had gone out alone to save a mother cat in labor during a torrential storm, only to run into a group of rogues who had ill intentions. When Blake arrived, he saw the leader dragging me by my arm into the forest. His eyes flared with rage, and he yelled, "I want them hurt... but leave them alive." The screams in the forest lasted for three whole hours, the ground nearly soaked in blood. I had never seen him so furious. In the end, every single one of them ended up in the Pack Prison. The one who touched me had his arm broken before being tortured to death behind bars. And yet now... I had almost been beaten within an inch of my life, left covered in wounds. Blake hadn't investigated or showed the slightest suspicion toward Kendra. A cold emptiness settled in my chest. I turned my face away calmly, "Okay." Blake felt that something was off, but before he could think more, the noise from Kendra's room interrupted him. He stood up hurriedly. "Honey, I'll go get you something to eat. Wait for me." I lay there in silence, not even sparing him a glance. Blake left and never returned. I was both hungry and tired, and soon drifted into a deep sleep. In my dreams, it seemed I encountered sorrowful things, my brow furrowed the entire time. I woke up with a sharp pain in my arm, looking down to find it wrapped in a large, bloody bandage. "I'm changing your dressing. You just had a skin graft surgery." The nurse took out fresh bandages. "Skin graft surgery? What do you mean?" I asked, stunned.