Olivia’s POV

“Levi!” I cried, dropping to my knees as his body slumped against me. “Levi, wake up!”

But he didn’t move. He felt ice-cold and terrifyingly still. Something in me cracked. I pressed my hand to his chest, feeling a faint, but present, heartbeat.

I placed my palm firmly, trying to do something—anything—maybe unleash my ability, but nothing worked.

Footsteps pounded behind me.

“Alpha!” a guard shouted. “Is everything alright?”

“No, get help!” I snapped. “He needs a healer—now!”

Before the guard could react, two familiar scents hit me. Lennox and Louis emerged from the darkness, worry etched on their faces.

“What the hell happened?” Louis asked, his eyes narrowing as he knelt beside me.

“I—I don’t know,” I stammered. “He just collapsed. I tried to stop him—he said he was fine—he lied.”

Lennox’s jaw tightened. For a split second, his expression wasn’t surprised; it was grim, as if he’d expected this.

“Get the healer,” Lennox barked at the guards, his voice sharp with Alpha authority. “Now.”

Two guards shifted into their wolf forms and raced off.

Lennox effortlessly lifted Levi into his arms. “Come,” he said, already moving. “We need to get him back to his room.”

I scrambled to my feet and followed, my heart pounding with every step. The walk felt endless, but finally, we reached Levi’s room.

Lennox gently laid him on the bed, adjusting his head on the pillow. I hovered at the edge of the mattress, unsure, afraid, watching Levi’s pale face as if it might vanish.

Louis opened a drawer, found a small glass vial, uncorked it, and held it to Levi’s nose. A sharp, herbal scent filled the air.

Levi didn’t move.

“What is that?” I asked urgently.

“Stimroot extract,” Louis replied, still watching Levi. “Supposed to wake him. It usually works.”

Usually? That single word amplified the panic inside me.

My frown deepened. “What’s happening to him?”

They hesitated. The air in the room felt still, as if everything held its breath.

Then Lennox sighed and leaned against the wall. “He has a condition. It started when we turned twelve.”

I blinked. “What kind of condition?”

Louis answered softly. “It’s called Lunar Respiris. A rare magical illness. It runs in our lineage. Our grandfather had it; our father didn’t, nor did we. But Levi… he inherited it.”

“What does it do?” I whispered.

Lennox’s voice was tight. “Sometimes, his lungs simply stop responding. Like they forget how to breathe. It comes with warnings and signs. Sometimes once a year; sometimes not at all.”

I stared at Levi’s chest; his breath was slowing.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “He just… stops breathing? Just like that?”

“Yes,” Louis said. “And when that happens, his body shuts down.”

My breath caught.

“You’re lying.”

“We’re not,” Lennox said evenly. “He didn’t want you to find out. He thought you’d pity him.”

I blinked, shaking my head. “But… he was fine. He looked fine.”

Louis glanced at Levi, his voice softer now. “He’s been hiding it for years. No one knows except family.”

I couldn’t breathe. All these years… and I never knew.

“But why?” I whispered, almost to myself. “Why not tell me?”

Lennox met my gaze; sadness filled his eyes.

“Because, Olivia…” he said slowly, “he didn’t want you to see him differently. He didn’t want your pity. He wanted to remain Levi—the strong one, the one you admired.”

Louis nodded. “He’s been hiding it since we were twelve. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does… we’re always ready.”

I frowned, my eyes flicking between them. “What do you mean, ready?”

Louis rubbed the back of his neck. “He recognized the early signs—chest tightness, dizziness, a subtle tremor in his hands. You probably never noticed, but he did. Whenever that happened, he’d glance at us. That was our silent signal.”

“And then what?” I asked, worried but curious.

Lennox answered. “He’d excuse himself from the crowd. Say he needed water, or to relieve himself, or just—walk. We’d follow quietly, making sure he took the cork leaf blend to open his lungs. It worked… most times.”

I stared at Levi, a memory flashing through my mind. Those afternoons he’d disappear during bonfires or vanish after laughing too hard. I’d always assumed he needed the bathroom. I never noticed. I never knew.

“And when it didn’t work?” I asked slowly, a knot tightening in my throat.

Louis exhaled. “If he fainted before he could take it… we’d catch him. Revive him fast.”

“And I was never told?” My voice cracked.

Lennox looked away, his jaw tight. “You weren’t supposed to know. He made us swear. He’d wake up, catch his breath, and be back beside you as if nothing happened. Sometimes you didn’t even notice he was gone.”

The knot in my throat burned. I sank down beside the bed, my fingers curling into the sheets near Levi’s hand. I wished I could stop the worry and pain in my heart, but I couldn’t.

I looked down at Levi’s face again. His breathing was slow… but it was there. His chest rose ever so gently.

“What if I hadn’t followed him?” I whispered. “What if I’d let him go?”

“Thank you,” Lennox said firmly. “Thank you for following him.”

Just then, the door opened, and hurried footsteps rushed in.

“The healer’s here,” one of the guards said.

I looked up and immediately recognized the man being escorted in. The same healer who had helped me when I’d lied about my amnesia. He paused, his eyes scanning the room, then focused on Levi. His gaze sharpened, his brow furrowed.

I moved away as he swiftly went to Levi’s side, checking his pulse, lifting his eyelids, listening to his chest.

“I assume this is Lunar Respiris again?” he asked without looking up.

“Yes,” Lennox replied. “He fainted just now. We gave him Stimroot. It didn’t work.”

The healer frowned slightly. “Has he passed out already this year?”

Lennox nodded. “Yes. A few months ago.”

The healer stilled, his eyes flickering briefly to Levi’s face. “Then he shouldn’t be having another episode so soon.”

“What does that mean?” I asked, stepping closer.

The healer began pulling out tiny pouches of herbs, grinding and mixing them with practiced ease. “Lunar Respiris is unpredictable, but most sufferers experience only one serious attack per year. Two in such close succession usually suggests something else… an external trigger.”

Louis shifted uneasily beside me. Lennox remained silent.

“What kind of trigger?” I asked quietly, a chill settling in my chest.

The healer didn’t look at me. “Emotional strain. Sudden shock. Magical imbalance. Something that disrupts the body’s rhythm—especially something tied to the heart or a bond.”

My heart stuttered. Bond. Emotional strain.

My lips parted slightly. My mind flashed to the moment in the woods—Gabriel’s hands on my waist, his mouth on mine. The overwhelming heat of the kiss. The guilt that followed…

I swallowed thickly.

“You’re saying… someone could’ve triggered this?” I asked, trying to remain steady.

“Not necessarily intentionally,” the healer said gently. “But yes. If he was already weakened… anything deeply emotional could’ve pushed him over the edge.”

My stomach twisted. I glanced at Levi’s still face, his lashes dark against his cheeks. The way he’d looked at me afterward… the way his voice trembled when he asked if Gabriel and I were seeing each other. I thought he was just hurt. I didn’t realize…

It seems my kiss with Gabriel has done far more damage than I ever imagined.