“Bryce, I need your help again,” she purred, glancing at me in mock surprise. “Oh, Isla! You really broke your leg? How careless of you. Bryce must be devastated.”
I wanted to scream, but I swallowed it down, refusing to let her see me break.
“I’ll visit you later, okay?” Lucia continued, her voice sugary sweet. “But I need to borrow Bryce now. You don’t mind, right?”
I bit down the bile rising in my throat. “No, I don’t mind.”
Before they went, Bryce repeated his offer, "I know the food here isn't that good. I’ll bring you some food later, alright? Rest up. Gotta go now."
But as the hours passed and my hunger grew, it became clear he’d forgotten.
Later that evening, I overheard the healers chatting outside my room.
"Lucia's really lucky. She has Bryce to cook for her. I'm so envious!"
"True! And it's not just some random wolf, huh, it's Bryce!"
The tears came without warning, burning my eyes as I stared at the ceiling. Bryce, who’d always prided himself on using his hands only for healing, had refused my simple requests in the past. He’d said cooking was beneath him. But now, he was cooking for Lucia.
It was then I realized something painful: I’d always been second to her.
Isla's POV