Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 74 – I think I know which Zane we’re looking for

"Sera, thank God you’re here. I need to ask you something, and I need you to answer me honestly. Can you perform a surgery?"

Leon’s voice carried urgency the second she stepped fully into the corridor, and the way he stood in front of her, shoulders tight and eyes restless, made it obvious this was not a casual question thrown out of curiosity.

He had already checked her credentials on her first day, had combed through her paperwork carefully while processing her as a locum doctor, and although her file listed surgical experience, there were no detailed hospital records attached to confirm it.

That detail had lingered in the back of his mind ever since, but now it mattered more than ever. Seraphine froze for a fraction of a second.

She had performed surgeries before, yes, but none of them had been on humans.

At the pack, things were different. Their wolves accelerated healing, strengthened recovery, and stabilized the body in ways human medicine could never replicate.

Procedures that would require long hours of cautious stitching and monitoring in a human hospital were almost routine back home because their wolf handled half the burden. The body responded differently, just as the risks were calculated differently.

Humans had no wolves, no supernatural recovery cushioning their mistakes, and relying entirely on science, precision, and timing.

When she filled out her forms here, she had stated truthfully that she performed surgeries. She had told herself that with time, she would bridge the gap between werewolf medicine and human medicine, that eventually she would stand confidently in both worlds without hesitation.

She just hadn’t expected that moment to arrive this soon. "Yes, but—" she started, needing to explain, to clarify the context, but Leon did not give her room to finish.

told Ruth to cover your rounds while you assist me," he said quickly, already reaching for her arm and guiding her down the hallway with determined steps. "Two of my assistants have emergencies, and another case just arrived from another hospital. It’s complicated. I can’t be in two operating rooms at once,

fast, their shoes echoing against the polished floors, and as he spoke, she could

of it, Leon had remained professional, jovial

ready for surgery," she managed to say, forcing the words out just as they reached the doors of the

abruptly and turned

toward her with expectation. On the operating table lay a small body that seemed

was pale, almost translucent under the glare, his breathing shallow and uneven. The monitors beeped with alarming

hard. Leon’s voice cut through the sterile air, crisp and urgent. "Perforated appendicitis. His appendix ruptured hours ago. He’s septic and bleeding internally. If we don’t operate now, he won’t make it through the night. The other case is a congenital heart defect. I have to scrub into that one immediately, but I can’t leave

looked at her, waiting. Seraphine swallowed, her throat

no supernatural safety net, and no pack healers standing

say, surprised by how steady her voice sounded despite

blazed overhead as Leon offered her a brief nod filled with gratitude and disappeared after

her as she washed in carefully. For a brief second, her hands trembled under the running water, but muscle memory from years of

of her, pushing aside every doubt clawing at her mind. Blood pooled

the room when she sealed a vessel, smoke

ruptured appendix quickly, its inflamed tissue a grim reminder of how close the boy had come to death. Infection had

in rhythm with her

every second mattered. She flushed the abdominal cavity thoroughly, ensuring no trace of infection was left behind, her

attention,

chaotic sounds softened. The boy’s

safe ranges, as Seraphine tied the final stitch and stepped back, her