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"I wouldn't go that far, Miss. Cranes. Yes, your heart miraculously improved, but you are still in a lot of danger, and you still have a bad heart. Just keep taking the medications I recommended for you, including the ones you weren't able to afford the last time. Come back in a week or two, let's check for more progress, okay?"

"Okay, doctor." Her hope dashed to pieces, she laid back down sullenly.

"Remember to stay away from hyperactivities that will cause a spike in your heart rate, and don't forget the foods you aren't supposed to eat too."

"Of course, doctor." If this man thinks she'll put her life on hold while waiting for her death, then he has another thing coming.

So, what if there's slight improvements? It's in the doctor's job description to keep giving patients hope, even if the hope is hopeless.

She still has a bad heart.

She's still gonna die.

Thanks but no thanks, she's still gonna live her little remaining life to the fullest.

Hours later, Ismena sat in her own hotel and stared at all the new things she bought with sheer happiness on her face. And a new resolution in her mind.

She'd paid her medical bills—even paid an advance for a few visits to the doctor's, in the future—bought all her drugs too, even the ones she didn't have money to buy before; Beta blockers, aspirin, calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-modifying medications, nitroglycerin, her ACEs and ARBs. Everything.

She whirled around in excitement. Aah, life can't be any sweeter.

She'd also bought more tickets to the movie theater. She still has more than enough dollars to last her for the next two months before her time runs out.

But now, she has a new resolution. Avoid Big Bad Wolfe at all costs.

If she sees him by the road, she'll take off in a dead run. If she sees him in one direction, she'll go through another direction.

The good news is, it's a big world. There's no way she's running into him again anyway.

"So, time to cross off another thing from her list." She whirled around excitedly again, "What will that be, what will that be... Aah! Have a one-night stand with a total stranger!"

Tonight. Definitely tonight. She will be going to another nightclub and bagging a hot dude.

***************

As the sun goes down, the early evening came with fresh air that is very refreshing. Wolfariane walked out of his tower into the wild zone that is the heart of Naturiah.

He favored a good walk on a nice evening, to clear his mind a bit before he goes hunting.

Passing packmate homes and dwellings which gives ways to trailing edges of the forests and walked through the woods, he isn't surprised to see so many young children goofing around; laughing and playing chase.

Some of them were in their animal forms. Kittens, puppies, cubs chasing each other while screaming loudly, some of them were fighting and scratching each other. When a certain group of cubs saw him, they ran towards him with joy and excitement.

"Alpha King!" The boys shrieked as they flooded him while the cubs reached him faster because they are in their animal form, and threw themselves at him.

He caught as many as he could, while the others climbed his body. Some held on to any part of his evening garment they could grab.

"No tearing, no shredding, no scratching." He said his usual mantra to them whenever they flooded him, smiling at them with love of an Alpha to his packmates. Love of a King to his people.

These children are the only creatures that can easily make him smile. They love him so much, most of them are not afraid of him.

He loves them just as much, protects them, and so possessive of them all, even though he has no intentions of having any child of his own.

No mate. No child. Ever.

A few minutes later, the children said goodbye in their own ways before they deserted him to go off back to their playing in the wilds.

Normally, the sight of a cub away with a football in his mouth as his friends tried to bite down on his tail would’ve made Wolfariane smile and try to join them and play. But not today.