Chapter 313. Not the Jade We Knew

Aurora’s POV

I stood by the wall with my arms folded across my chest, the dull throb of anticipation pulsing through me like a second heartbeat. It had been half an hour-thirty long, silent minutes that stretched and dragged with the weight of worry. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air like a ghost that refused to leave. My foot tapped anxiously against the tile floor, and I kept my eyes fixed on the door, praying that Maggie was okay. Every second without news chipped away at the fragile calm I was desperately trying to hold together.

Then finally, the door creaked open. I straightened up so fast it made my head spin, and when Maggie stepped out-bandaged and leaning a little to one side-I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Relief flooded through me, warm and dizzying, and I rushed forward just as Demitri, one of our pack’s doctors, followed her out.

“She’s alright,” he said, his tone calm and measured, but with a quiet weariness