I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 37

**TITLE: I Left Before He Learned My Worth**
**Chapter 37**

**ARIA**

I had been drifting in and out of a restless slumber, caught in a haze where sleep and wakefulness blurred together, when suddenly, a searing agony erupted throughout my entire being. It was as if I had swallowed wolfsbane—an intense, burning, toxic sensation that felt like it was tearing through me, much like it would a wolf’s insides. But then, with a growing horror, I understood the source of this torment. It was Kael’s pain, surging through our bond with such ferocity that my own body reacted instinctively, tightening in sympathetic agony.

Breath eluded me. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t do anything except curl up into a tight ball on my bed, as wave after wave of torment crashed over me like relentless tides. My vision flickered, first blinding white, then deep black, as consciousness threatened to slip away completely. My body seemed to be trying to shut down, seeking refuge from the unbearable pain.

*Kael,* I desperately attempted to reach out to him through our bond, but it was a tumultuous storm of suffering that drowned out my thoughts, leaving me helpless.

Time stretched in a disorienting manner. Each second felt like an eternity as the pain escalated, and I was convinced I would not survive it. My heart raced erratically, and my lungs felt as if they were being crushed under the weight of despair. The darkness crept closer, threatening to engulf me entirely.

Then, slowly, the relentless agony began to ebb away. It wasn’t completely gone, but it became bearable, just enough for me to gasp for air into my scorched lungs. I could feel my muscles loosening, allowing me the freedom to move, albeit with great effort.

I rolled out of bed, but as soon as I did, I crumpled to the floor. My legs betrayed me, refusing to support my weight. Every inch of me ached—muscles, bones, nerves all howling in protest. But I had to get to Kael. I needed to understand what was happening, whether he was alright, and if that pain meant the treatment had succeeded or if it had spiraled into disaster.

With great determination, I crawled a few feet before finally managing to get my legs beneath me. The world spun around me, dizzying and disorienting, and I had to lean against the wall for support to prevent myself from collapsing again. But I pressed on, each agonizing step fueled by fear and an overwhelming need to reach him.

The corridors were deserted at this early hour, the faint light of dawn beginning to seep through the windows, casting a gentle glow. I stumbled through the passageways, still feeling the echoes of Kael’s pain resonating through our bond, my body trembling from the remnants of what I had experienced.

Kael’s den was located in the lower levels of the pack house, a spacious room he had claimed as his sanctuary when the curse rendered shifting impossible. I had never dared to enter; it felt like an invasion, a space too intimate for someone who had yet to officially become his mate.

Yet, driven by instinct and an all-consuming dread, I found myself heading there now.

As I approached his den, I was halfway down the corridor when I heard it—a grunt of pain that caused my heart to lurch in my chest. Then another followed, and finally a scream that pierced the air, sounding wrong in a way that sent chills down my spine, as if it were being wrenched from a throat unaccustomed to such cries.

Panic surged within me, propelling me into a run, despite my weakened legs protesting with every step.

Two guards were stationed outside Kael’s den, and they immediately moved to obstruct my path as I approached.

“Luna Aria,” one of them—Marcus, if I recalled correctly—spoke with caution. “You can’t go in there right now.”

Minutes dragged on, stretching into what felt like an eternity. I wore a groove into the stone floor as my mind spiraled through worst-case scenarios. What if the treatment ended up killing him? What if I lost him before we had even bonded, before I had the chance to discover whether what we were building could become something real?

What if Ivory had orchestrated this deliberately, convincing Kael to undergo this treatment knowing it might end his life, thus removing any obstacle between her and whatever ambition she harbored within the pack?

*No,* I chastised myself firmly. *That’s just paranoia. Irrational fear. She’s a healer; her goal is to help him. Just because you don’t trust her doesn’t mean she intends to harm him.*

Then, suddenly, the screaming ceased.

The abrupt silence was almost worse than the cacophony had been. I froze mid-pace, straining to catch any sound from within the den.

I heard gasps—multiple voices expressing shock or disbelief. Ivory’s confident tone rose above the rest, but I couldn’t quite make out what she was saying.

And then, astonishingly, I heard a voice I didn’t recognize. Deep and masculine, rough with pain yet unmistakably human. Unmistakably speaking rather than communicating through our mindlink.

“Did it work?” the voice asked, husky and uncertain. “Am I—”