Chapter 35 I closed the door behind me. I drove straight to Moonridge General, grabbed a stale sandwich from the cafeteria vending machine, and threw myself into pre-op preparations. Within an hour, I was scrubbed in and ready for Gabriel's surgery. Caelan's POV I sat in the hospital cafeteria's far corner, a baseball cap pulled low over my eyes and sunglasses completing my laughable disguise. Like baseball caps could hide the fact that I was six-foot-four and built like I could bench press a truck. Yesterday I kicked Darrell across this lobby. Today I'm lurking in corners wearing amateur spy gear. My third cup of coffee had gone cold while I stared at the surgical board across the lobby. Gabriel William's surgery had been running for an hour now. According to the digital clock above the information desk, they should be in the critical phase. I promised not to interfere with her work. But I never promised to leave. What if that bastard Darrell shows up again? Suddenly, a nurse burst through the double doors, her face pale and urgent. "Help! We need emergency support!" She nearly collided with the counter at the nurse's station. Another nurse looked up, startled. "What happened?" "Gabriel William's surgery is in trouble! The patient's been poisoned! Dr. Crawford might be held responsible!" Her voice trembled, barely holding back panic. My heart hammered in my chest. Poisoning? During surgery? My fingers tightened around the cold coffee cup. I forced myself to listen, every sense sharpening. "If the patient dies, this will be a major medical incident!" the young nurse blurted out. I was already moving, my chair scraping against the floor as I stood. The baseball cap and sunglasses hit the table as I strode across the lobby. The young nurse turned, startled by my approach. I can help, I said. Recognition flickered in her eyes, and then instinct took over. She bowed her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your Majesty." "Take me to the operating room. Now! I followed the young nurse through a maze of hospital corridors. If Gabriel dies, Sable will carry the blame. The thought carved through me like a blade. Medical malpractice investigations would destroy her career. Her reputation would be shattered. Every patient she'd ever helped would become meaningless in the face of one death. But that wasnt the worst part. She'll never forgive herself. 1/4 7:18 pm Chapter 35 I knew Sable. She'd replay every moment of that surgery for the rest of her life. The guilt would eat her alive from the inside out. I can't let that happen to her. Sable's POV The monitor's shrill alarm cut through my concentration like a scream. Gabriel's blood pressure had dropped to dangerous levels. His heart rate was erratic. "What the hell? Dr. Peterson's voice cracked with confusion. He was stable thirty seconds ago!" I looked down at Gabriel's face. His skin had gone gray, and cold sweat beaded across his forehead. Something was very, very wrong. "Check his vitals again," Peterson barked to the surgical nurse. "BP dropping fast. Pulse is thready." My hands moved automatically, checking the surgical site. No excessive bleeding. No obvious complications. The heart repair had been textbook perfect. So why is he dying? "Dr. Crawford. The anesthesiologist's voice carried an edge of panic. "Did you check the pre-op medications personally?" My blood turned to ice. "Of course I did. Every single one." "Check the vials, Peterson ordered the surgical nurse. She moved to the medication cart, her face going pale as she examined each container. When she reached the third vial, her hands started shaking. "Doctor… this isn't what it's supposed to be." Peterson snatched the vial from her hands. His face went white beneath his surgical mask. "Someone switched the medications. This is aconitine." Wolfsbane extract. Pure poison. The room went dead silent except for Gabriel's struggling heart monitor. "Sable Peterson's voice was gentle but devastated. You checked these medications before surgery?" The weight of every eye in the operating room pressed down on me. T… yes. I checked everything myself But I must have missed something. I must have… "This isn't your fault. Peterson said firmly. Someone deliberately sabotaged this surgery." But his words fell hollow. I was the resident whod prepared everything. I was the one who'd assured everyone that Gabriel was ready. I was responsible. If he dies… My voice came out strangled. "He's not going to die Peterson's hands worked frantically over Gabriel's chest. We ll figure this out But the monitor told a different story. Gabriel's vital signs were failing faster than we could compensate. 2/4 Chapter 35 I thought about the patient who'd specifically requested me. The man who'd said I was the only doctor who'd ever treated him with dignity. I failed him. The one person who trusted me completely, and I failed him. My hands felt clumsy as I assisted Peterson. Every movement seemed wrong. "I should have caught this, I whispered. 'I should have noticed something was wrong with the medications." "Stop. Peterson's voice cut through my self-recrimination. 'You did everything right. Someone else caused this." But knowing that didn't make the guilt easier to bear. Then the operating room door burst open. A figure in full surgical scrubs, mask, and cap entered. Tall. Broad shoulders. I recognized him immediately. Caelan? What is he doing here? Peterson's instruments clattered against the surgical tray. "Your… Your Majesty?" Every person in the operating room froze. The only sound was Gabriel's failing heart monitor. Our eyes met across the sterile room. I saw the question in his gaze, the subtle tilt of his head. He was asking permission - should he pretend we were strangers? Yesterday s scene in the main lobby was chaotic enough. These surgical staff probably didn't hear about it since they work in the restricted areas. I'm leaving this pack soon anyway - better to keep things simple and avoid more gossip. I gave the slightest shake of my head. Understanding flickered in his blue eyes. He nodded almost imperceptibly. He turned to Peterson. "What's the situation?" "The patient's been poisoned, Peterson explained rapidly. "Someone switched his pre-op medications with aconitine. He's going into cardiac arrest." I closed my eyes against the truth of it. When I opened my eyes, Caelan was staring at me with an expression I couldn't read. Pain? Determination? Use my blood to save him." The words dropped into the operating room like stones into still water. Peterson's mask alofted as his mouth fell open Your Majesty? Your blood?" Lycan King blood can neutralize aconitine poisoning 3/4