Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 182

Lisa's POV

I never thought the sound of hurried footsteps and muffled cries would shake me this hard, but it did. The packhouse corridors were filled with chaos that night, and every heartbeat felt heavier than the last. The faint coppery smell in the air made my chest constrict before I even reached the infirmary.

I was just about to step inside when Mira’s frantic voice cut through the noise.

“Lisa! Thank the goddess you’re here!” she cried, her eyes wide, sweat dripping down her forehead.

“What’s going on?” I asked, but before she could answer, the sight pulled the words out of my mouth.

Patients lay sprawled across beds and on the floor, their bodies jerking and trembling, blood seeping from their eyes, noses, and even their ears. Some choked on the thick fluid, some clawed at their skin as if something was eating them alive from the inside.

It was a plague, one unlike anything I’d seen before.

I swallowed hard, the air sticking in my throat. “What happened to them?”

“We don’t know,” Mira whispered, clutching her apron. “It’s spreading too fast. I’ve lost three already. I sent for you—” Her voice broke. “—because if anyone can slow this down, it’s you.”

I felt the weight of her desperation. I wanted to run from it, but running had never been an option for me. Not when lives hung on the edge.

“I’ll help,” I said, forcing strength into my tone. “But you need to prepare every herb, every tincture we have. I’ll need my hands free.”

I rushed forward, kneeling beside the first man convulsing on the floor. My palms glowed faintly as I pressed them to his clammy skin, the infection humming through his veins like a storm. My stomach twisted at the darkness crawling inside of him. This wasn’t natural. This was deliberate.

I was so focused that I didn’t see the small stool left carelessly by the bed. My foot caught it, and before I could steady myself, I went crashing down. The crack in my ankle was sharp, blinding. A pain so raw shot up my leg that I couldn’t even scream at first.

I gasped, clutching my ankle, my vision blurring.

“Lisa!”

The voice wasn’t Mira’s—it was Kael’s. I blinked up through tears and saw him standing in the doorway, his expression torn between shock and anger at himself for not being there sooner. He didn’t hesitate. In seconds, he was beside me, his hands sliding under my arms.

“What the hell were you thinking, running like this without watching yourself?” His voice was sharp, but his touch was gentle as he lifted me off the ground like I weighed nothing.

“I don’t—ah!” I tried to argue, but the pain silenced me.

“You’re not walking on this,” he muttered, adjusting me onto his back. His grip tightened on my thighs, his warmth grounding me. “Hold on, Lisa. Don’t argue.”

I buried my face against his shoulder, clutching his tunic as he carried me with a speed that felt like flying. My ankle throbbed with every step, but his back was solid, his heartbeat steady beneath me. For once, I let myself lean on him.

When we reached the infirmary again, the groans of the sick dragged me back to reality. I tried to push myself off him. “Kael, put me down. I can’t waste time. They need me.”

He ignored me, lowering me carefully onto a chair. His eyes burned into mine, stubborn and protective.

“Not until I fix that ankle,” he said, already tearing a strip of cloth. He pulled my foot gently, and I hissed, gripping the armrest. “Sorry,” he murmured, his voice softer now. “Just hold still.”

“Kael—”

“No, Lisa,” he interrupted firmly. “You can’t save anyone if you collapse. Let me do this. Please.”

His “please” caught me off guard. It wasn’t often I heard that word from him. I bit back my protest and let him wrap my ankle with careful precision. His hands were warm, steady, almost tender. When he finished, he looked up, his expression unreadable.

“There,” he said. “It’s not perfect, but you’ll manage. Don’t push yourself more than you have to.”

I exhaled shakily, then nodded. “Fine. But I can’t sit here. Help me to the patients.”

Without another word, he slid an arm around me, supporting my weight as I hobbled to the nearest bed. Together, we leaned over the young girl whose lips were turning blue. I pressed my hand to her chest, whispering softly, letting my healing flow into her. Slowly, her breathing steadied, the blood dripping from her nose slowing to a trickle.

The room grew quieter as I moved from one patient to another, Kael at my side, sometimes handing me cloths, sometimes steadying me when the pain in my ankle made me falter. We worked in tandem, and for once, there was no anger, no sharp words—only a rhythm of survival.

When the last patient finally stilled, when the last cry turned into a ragged sigh of relief, silence settled over the infirmary. Mira slumped against the wall, exhausted. The others left to burn the contaminated linens.

And then it was just me and Kael.

The silence was heavier than the cries had been. My heart thudded too loudly in my chest. I sat back on the chair, massaging my temple, when he spoke.

“Lisa.”

I looked up. His face was different—not the teasing grin, not the smug confidence he always wore. This was raw, stripped of everything I thought I knew about him.

“I need to say something,” he said, his voice low, almost rough.

I blinked, waiting.

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing once before stopping right in front of me. “I lied to you. I played with you. I thought it was just fun, thought it wouldn’t matter. But it did. It mattered more than I ever admitted, and I hurt you.” His jaw clenched, his eyes glistening under the dim light. “And I hate myself for it.”

I swallowed hard, the words cutting deeper than I expected.

“You don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do,” he interrupted, his voice trembling. “Because I can’t stand the way you look at me now, like I’m just another mistake. You’re not supposed to be my enemy, Lisa. You’re supposed to be—” He stopped himself, taking a shaky breath. “You’re supposed to be my best friend. My person.”

I stared at him, my throat tight.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver necklace, the one I remembered he always wore since we were younger. The chain dangled between his fingers as he stepped closer.

“This was mine since I was a boy,” he said softly. “I never took it off. Not for anyone. But I want you to have it, because I want you to know I’m not playing anymore. I’m done with lies, done with games. I’ll be a good father, Lisa. I’ll be there for our child, and for you—if you’ll let me.”

My breath caught in my chest as he held the necklace out to me, his hand shaking just slightly. His eyes begged in a way words couldn’t.

“Kael…” My voice broke.

“I don’t expect forgiveness right away,” he whispered. “But I need you to know I’m sorry. I need you to believe me when I say I’ll do better. I can’t lose you completely. Not when we could still go back to being what we were—best buddies, partners. Maybe even more if the moon wills it. But at least… at least let me stand beside you again.”

The weight of his words pressed into me harder than any wound. I stared at the necklace, then at him, caught between anger, sorrow, and the faint flicker of hope I hadn’t wanted to admit was still there.

The silence stretched, my heart pounding loud enough to drown out the world.