Roselia dreamed of her happy family before she ruined it. She dreamt of her father who used to be a guest amongst her teddy bears and bunnies during tea parties held in the garden. She recalled the softness of his calloused hands attempting to comb and braid her hair, his fingers trembling. He was always worried about hurting her physically, for she had always been small as a result of her early birth.
Beep.
The more Roselia grew, the longer Cecil kept her inside, trapped within the walls of their Pack House, instilling obedience and loyalty into her.
Roselia's final dream was of her older brother. During her imprisonment, she always replayed the memories of her happy family. The small moments kept her sane.
Beep.
Finally, Roselia stood in front of the light at the end of a tunnel. Abruptly, she blinked and found herself staring up at the ceiling. She released a groan, her body aching, and limps heavy as a trunk.
"Doctor, she's awake!"
Roselia turned her head to see Noah rushing out of his seat by the hospital bed. Half his body was out the door, and he poked it back in.
"You have no idea how worried we were, Lia," Noah stated, rubbing his nose where a light dusting of white powder was seen.
Roselia opened her mouth, but winced at her dry, cracked lips. He perked up instantly, quickly pouring water into a cup, dipping it in a napkin, and tabbing it into her mouth. She rapidly blinked at his ability to care for people. How often did the Tiberias Trio end up in hospitals for Noah to have the routine down?
"Kallum did this for me when I finally returned home and collapsed. It really helped," Noah explained, scrunching and scratching at his nose bridge. His eyes were slightly rimmed red, his hand shaking faster than her heartbeat. He offered her a crooked grin that made her turn her chin away from him.
"What are you doing?"
The duo's gaze snapped to the door, where Kallum stood with the team of doctors. They entered behind him, and Roselia registered their name tags. She swallowed, realizing they were Department Heads. Their expressions were grim, but a woman stepped forward to discuss the situation.
"Hello, Miss—"
"Mrs," Noah corrected her. "Mrs. Tiberias."
Her eyes widened briefly, pausing to glance down at her clipboard before rapidly nodding her head in agreement. She was in her late forties with smile lines barely hidden under her makeup.
"Hello, Mrs. Tiberias," she smiled. "I'm Dr. Vanessa and I've been in charge of your care. How are you feeling?"
"I don't feel so good," Roselia murmured.
"Are you able to sit upright?"
Roselia faintly nodded, clutching the hospital blanket tightly, her knuckles turning white. Dr. Vanessa took out a remote and pressed a button that slowly lowered Roselia upright.
"Do you remember what you consumed the day of your wedding, Mrs. Tiberias?" Dr. Vanessa asked. "We had to pump your stomach, Mrs. Tiberias. When we tested the content and your blood for various known chemicals, nothing came back positive for the poison you digested."
Poison…? Roselia's mind went blank, wondering who could've tried to hurt her before she even got to Tiberias Pack.
"All of the food presented to you came back negative as well," Dr. Vanessa stated. "The maid serving you was thoroughly questioned by Beta Kallum himself and there was no suspicious activity found."
A bitter chill crawled down Roselia's spine. She slowly turned to Kallum seated on the couch, knees spread, and occupied by his phone. Even from here, she could see the pink tinge on his tanned fingers, revealing washed-off blood.
Roselia flinched when he raised his head in her direction, revealing lifeless blue eyes simmering with hatred. His sharp features were devoid of light and emotion. They didn't call him the Silver Fist for nothing.
Kallum always did the dirty work of Pack Tiberias. He blurred the lines of torture and interrogation, was the first to draw blood, and was the fearsome right-hand man to the tyrant of Pack Tiberias.
"I-I didn't eat anything else," Roselia stated. "I was starved by Alpha Kerpan."
If the truth bothered Dr. Vanessa, she didn't show it. Instead, she revealed a soft, understanding smile and lowered herself a bit to be at eye level with Roselia. She increased the pitch of her voice, like some sort of mother to her baby. "Are you certain, Mrs. Tiberias? Even the smallest sip of anything from a cup or bottle, or even chocolate, candy—"
"She's not a child," Noah deadpanned. "No need to speak to her like that."
Dr. Vanessa waited for Roselia to say something, but she didn't. Then, Roselia's lips began to quiver, her eyes started to water, and she glanced at the bed in shame.
"That's enough."
Every pair of eyes snapped towards the door.
"Alpha!"
The doctors rushed forward, bowing deeply with their left fists crossed upon their hearts in loyalty. They remained in their trained position, even when Alpha Tiberias crossed the room, his presence sucking up all the air. He commanded attention and obedience wherever he went.
"Leave us." Cruden stopped directly at Roselia's bedside in time for her little nostril to twitch. The doctors scurried outside, closing the door.
Then, Roselia released into a sob. And quickly, Kallum left, his lips sneered in disgust. Noah was flabbergasted, frozen in shock, unsure of what to do before Kallum dragged him along.
Fat, choking tears dripped down Roselia's eyes. Cruden expected her to cover her face, but she was different. She curled into a ball on the bed and shook like an injured pup. She couldn't stop crying, but made almost little to no noise. She was silent as she broke down completely under the hospital sheets. Barely a whimper or hiccup. She sucked in gasps of air rapidly. If he hadn't seen her tears, he wouldn't have known what she was doing.
"I've never comforted someone before," Cruden suddenly said, taking a cautious step forward, the sound of his shoes resonating in the room.
Cruden calmly sat by the bedside. He kept his hands in his pockets, despite how much they itched to peel the blanket away from her. She hid underneath it, resembling a frightened child. "Kallum and I have raised Noah since he was a baby. Even then, neither of us knew what to do when he cried. So, eventually, Noah learned that tears did nothing."
"Go away…" Roselia forced out, her voice tiny as a pipsqueak. She hugged her knees tightly, face buried inside of it.
"Who poisoned you, Roselia?" Cruden's tone left no room for discussion. He wanted an answer, and he wanted it now.
Roselia didn't listen. She continued hiding from the world.
Cruden released a soft sigh. He rested his palm upon her shoulder, pausing when he felt how hard she quivered. Was she scared of him? She didn't cringe away from his touch. He patted her. She sniffled.
The thought of him trying to comfort her almost made Rosalia laugh. Cruden Tiberias was known to be a tyrant who controlled everyone around him mercilessly. His powerful frame towered over her, shielding the blinding hospital lights. His usual confidence had wavered, replaced by an awkward uncertainty that felt foreign to his nature.
A stiffening silence passed between the two of them, as Cruden patted her rhythmically. One pat. Two pat. Pause. One pat, two pat. Another—
"You're terrible at comforting people," Roselia finally said, her voice breaking off towards the end.
Cruden snorted, retracting his hand, but she poked her head out and he swore, his heart stopped. What a freight she had given him. Snot dripped out of her nose, her meadow eyes rimmed with red, her cheeks burning, and her hair stuck to it. He sighed, pushing her dark locks behind her ears and she turned away immediately.
"I told you, I've never done this before." Cruden's tone was tense, but his touch was patient as he smoothed back disheveled strands clinging to her moistened face.
"It must've been an allergic reaction." Roselia tore her eyes away from him. He was too distracting.
Cruden dropped his hand. The room turned cold. The tension was thick and choked the atmosphere. His body grew rigid, the muscles along his jaw ticking as he clenched. The air around him crackled, charged with the energy of a storm hellbent on destruction.
"Don't lie to me, Roselia."
"I wasn't," Roselia murmured, but couldn't meet his intimidating stare. His eyes, usually a mellow gray, were darker.
Cruden chuckled. She cowered away. The sound was foreign to his ears and lacked mirth. His expression grew grim at her reaction.
A heavy silence hung between them, his control being tested with each passing second. The enormous hospital room seemed to shrink under the intensity of his silent anger. The air grew thinner. He leaned closer to her, his movements deliberate.
When Cruden finally spoke, his voice came out in a controlled rumble. "Don't make me repeat myself, Roselia."
Roselia swallowed.
"Who. Poisoned. You?"