Chapter 5: The Day My Heart Finally Stopped

Stella POV

"Thirty-six hours remaining."

The countdown no longer frightened me.

In the beginning, I had feared death.

I had feared losing everything.

Now I understood something important.

I had already lost everything seven years ago when I gave my heart to Kaelen Blackthorne.

The rest had simply taken longer to die.

Morning sunlight filtered through the hospital blinds.

The light felt strangely warm.

Peaceful.

Almost like a farewell.

"Physical deterioration at seventy-nine percent," the System reported.

"Cardiovascular failure accelerating."

"Can the Healers save me if they discover the truth now?"

"Negative."

"The Lycan blood has integrated beyond reversible parameters."

"Then it's over."

"Correct."

Oddly enough, I wasn't sad.

I was tired.

Seven years of loving someone who never loved me back was exhausting.

The hospital door opened.

The Head Healer entered carrying a stack of reports.

His face looked worse than before.

"Luna."

"Tell me."

"Your kidneys are failing."

"I know."

"Your lungs are beginning to collapse."

"I know."

"Your heart is under extreme stress."

"I know."

The Healer stared at me helplessly.

"Why are you so calm?"

I smiled faintly.

"Because panicking won't change the outcome."

His shoulders slumped.

"I contacted three external specialists."

"And?"

"None have ever seen a human survive a Lycan-grade transfusion."

"Then stop blaming yourself."

"Luna..."

"You followed orders."

The Healer looked like he wanted to argue.

Instead, he lowered his head.

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

After he left, silence returned.

"Dead-man's switch package complete," the System announced.

"Status?"

"One hundred percent."

A holographic screen appeared before me.

Thousands of files.

Videos.

Audio recordings.

Financial transactions.

Security footage.

Messages.

Everything.

Every secret.

Every lie.

Every crime.

"Release trigger confirmed upon biological death."

"Excellent."

"Would Host like to review final contents?"

"Show me the highlights."

Immediately, dozens of files appeared.

Selene altering my vehicle software.

Selene stealing Pack funds.

Selene bribing engineers.

Selene fabricating attacks.

Selene manipulating witnesses.

Selene deleting security footage.

Years.

Years of deception.

"How did nobody notice?"

"Most individuals notice only what they wish to see."

The answer sounded disturbingly human.

"Including Kaelen."

"Especially Alpha Kaelen."

A bitter laugh escaped me.

That was true.

Kaelen never wanted truth.

He wanted confirmation.

Confirmation that Selene was innocent.

Confirmation that I was difficult.

Confirmation that his choices were justified.

The door opened again.

This time it wasn't a Healer.

It was Kaelen.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Something looked different about him.

His clothes were wrinkled.

His eyes were bloodshot.

He looked exhausted.

"You look terrible," he said.

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I know."

Silence.

Kaelen stepped closer.

"Marcus says you're getting worse."

"Marcus is observant."

"The Healers claim your organs are failing."

"They're observant too."

His jaw tightened.

"Why are you speaking like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're saying goodbye."

Because I was.

But I didn't tell him that.

"Maybe I'm tired."

"Everyone gets tired."

"Not like this."

Kaelen looked away.

For the first time, uncertainty flickered across his face.

"Stella."

"What?"

"Did you really mean what you said?"

"About what?"

"Dying."

The room became very quiet.

"Do you remember what your answer was?" I asked.

"What?"

"When I asked what would happen if I died."

His expression hardened.

"You were being dramatic."

"Exactly."

The silence that followed was heavy.

"You think I don't care."

"Do you?"

Kaelen opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because neither of us knew the answer.

Eventually he turned away.

"Selene is worried about you."

I laughed.

Actually laughed.

The sound startled both of us.

"That's the funniest thing I've heard all year."

"She feels guilty."

"No."

"Stella—"

"No."

My voice sharpened.

"Don't insult my intelligence."

For a second, anger flashed across his face.

Then something else replaced it.

Frustration.

Confusion.

Maybe even fear.

"You've changed."

"No."

"You have."

"I've simply stopped lying to myself."

Kaelen stared at me.

As though seeing me for the first time.

As though the woman he ignored for seven years had suddenly become someone else.

"What happened to us?" he asked quietly.

The question almost made me smile.

"Nothing happened to us."

"Then why does it feel like you're disappearing?"

Because I was.

The answer sat on the tip of my tongue.

Instead I looked toward the window.

"Maybe because you're finally paying attention."

Kaelen had no response.

Minutes later his phone rang.

Selene.

Of course.

The name flashed across the screen.

He looked at it.

Then at me.

Then answered immediately.

"Selene?"

I closed my eyes.

Some things never changed.

"What happened?"

"Calm down."

"I'm coming."

There it was.

The answer.

The same answer it had always been.

He ended the call and turned toward the door.

"I have to go."

"I know."

"She's upset."

"I know."

"I'll come back later."

No, you won't.

Not in time.

But I didn't say that.

"Goodbye, Kaelen."

He paused.

Something about the words seemed to bother him.

"It's not goodbye."

"Maybe not."

Then he left.

The door closed behind him.

"Host emotional status?" the System asked.

"Nothing."

"Confirmed."

And for the first time, it was true.

The Mate Bond felt weaker.

Distant.

Fading.

Whatever tied me to Kaelen was dying alongside my body.

"Countdown update," the System announced.

"Twenty-four hours remaining."

One day.

Just one day left.

I looked at the completed dead-man's switch.

At the files that would destroy Selene.

At the truth that would destroy Kaelen.

Then I smiled.

Tomorrow, my heart would stop.

And their nightmare would begin.