Chapter 282 The Distance Between Us

Chapter 282: Chapter 282 The Distance Between Us

Alpha Sebastian didn’t spare Serena another glance. He turned to the doctor.

"Start treatment. I want to know exactly what happens next."

The doctor reviewed his results. "At this stage, there’s no surgery involved. The standard treatment is an intramuscular penicillin injection, followed by blood tests and follow-up visits. Do you have any medication allergies?"

"Not that I know of."

"We’ll also test for HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted infections. Until your treatment is complete and your doctor clears you, no sex. You’ll need to notify anyone you’ve had sexual contact with recently so they can be tested too."

Alpha Sebastian’s jaw tightened. "Send me the instructions by email. I want the full list."

The clinic took his information, administered the injection, and sent his prescription to a nearby pharmacy.

Alpha Sebastian left as soon as the paperwork was finished. He couldn’t stand being in the same room with Serena for another minute.

She stumbled after him, still calling his name.

"You can’t just abandon me!"

Alpha Sebastian didn’t turn around. A moment later, the car pulled away, leaving Serena in the exhaust fumes.

In the back seat, he stared through the window, tense and pale.

His parents and Isabella had shared meals, bathrooms, and the same house for years. He knew ordinary contact did not spread syphilis, but he still wanted them tested. He needed certainty.

At Mercy General, Margaret immediately noticed his troubled expression.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing. Mom, New Year’s is coming up. Since we’re all here, I think everyone should get their annual physical done."

Isabella frowned. "Now?"

"Yes. From now on, we do annual checkups. If we’d caught your tumor earlier, you might not have suffered this much."

Margaret’s face softened. "He’s right. Let’s do it."

Alpha Sebastian quietly asked the staff to include infectious-disease screenings and routine cancer follow-ups. He waited near the lab, checking his phone until the results arrived.

Everyone tested negative.

Relief left him weak. He dropped into a plastic chair, the reports trembling in his hands.

Roger reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

Alpha Sebastian flinched away.

The reaction was sharp enough to make Isabella stare, but no one commented.

For days, he had been carrying too much. The hearing. His mother’s surgery. Serena’s demands. The possibility that his own mistake had put someone else’s health at risk.

Then a name surfaced in his mind.

Eira.

His blood ran cold.

They had shared a bed for four years.

If he had been infected before their divorce was finalized, then she could have been exposed without ever knowing.

--

That night, Alpha Sebastian reached Number Nine just as the porch lights came on.

The two dogs rushed to the fence the moment they caught his scent, their barks turning into low, warning growls.

Alpha Sebastian barely noticed.

He stopped at the security gate and addressed the guard.

"Is Ms. Crawford home? I need to speak with her. It’s about her health."

The guard gave him a hard look. "She doesn’t want visitors."

"I know. Please. This is important."

After a brief exchange, the guard went inside.

A few minutes later, Eira stepped onto the porch with Mrs. Jones beside her. Alpha Sebastian looked past them.

Killian wasn’t there.

"Eira..."

"Something about my health?" she asked calmly. "You found out you’re infected."

Alpha Sebastian went pale. "How did you—"

"Did you get tested?" he demanded, taking a step forward.

A guard immediately moved between them.

"I’m fine," Eira said. "I got tested."

Alpha Sebastian’s shoulders dropped with relief, then tightened again. "When did you know?"

"I heard Serena and Ryan talking at Mercy General. I also saw Ryan’s lab report."

"Ryan Sullivan?" Alpha Sebastian’s eyes widened. "He has it too?"

Eira said nothing.

His stomach turned. Serena had been sleeping with Ryan, and Ryan had still tried to recruit him as if nothing were wrong. The whole deal had been another trap.

"How long ago?" Alpha Sebastian asked.

"This month."

His expression tightened. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Eira stared at him. "I can barely stand to look at you. Did you expect me to send out a group text announcing that Serena might have an STD?"

Mrs. Jones folded her arms. "And don’t even think about blaming Ms. Crawford for protecting private medical information."

"I wasn’t blaming her."

"You were about to," Mrs. Jones said. "You’re upset because she didn’t give you a courtesy warning?"

Alpha Sebastian’s anger collapsed into shame. "No. I just...asked without thinking."

"Then think before you speak," Mrs. Jones replied. "Habitual deflection is still cruelty."

Alpha Sebastian looked back at Eira. "Your results were clear?"

"Yes. I was lucky I left when I did."

Before he could respond, Eira’s phone rang.

She answered, listened for a moment, and said, "All right. Then we’ll move tomorrow."

Alpha Sebastian’s face changed.

"Move?" he asked. "You’re moving? Where?"

Eira ended the call and looked at him.

"Why does it matter?"

He had leased Number Eleven just to stay close to her. If she moved away, even seeing her from a distance would become impossible.

"Eira," he said, his voice rough. "Where are you going?"

She gave him no answer.

Behind the gate, the dogs started barking again.

Alpha Sebastian stood beneath the cold California night, realizing he might lose even the small comfort of knowing where she was.