The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 367

The Healer’s Verdict

Claird

The Healer’s Verdict

The healer’s chambers were tucked away in a quiet corner of the estate, filled with the scent of dried herbs and ancient incense. The walls were lined with shelves of glass jars and leather-bound books, their contents a mystery to Iva’s eyes. Soft candlelight flickered across the room/casting dancing shadows that seemed to move with a life of their own.

Iva sat on the examination table, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her heart pounding with a

mixture of hope and dread.

Beside her, Nick stood close, his hand resting on her shoulder, a steady anchor in the storm of her

emotions.

The healer was an old woman, her face lined with years of wisdom and experience. Her eyes were

pale and knowing, and they seemed to see straight through Iva, reading the secrets buried deep

within her soul. She moved with slow, deliberate steps, her gnarled fingers hovering over Iva’s body as she performed her examination.

The minutes stretched into an eternity.

Finally, the healer stepped back, her expression unreadable.

Iva’s breath caught in her throat. She searched the old woman’s face, looking for any sign of hope, any glimmer of good news.

But the healer’s eyes were heavy with resignation.

She let out a long, slow breath, the sound filled with the weight of unwanted news.

“I am sorry, young one,” she said, her voice soft and gentle, but carrying the finality of a death sentence. “Unfortunately, your wolf has withdrawn completely. It was a protective measure-a

shield she created to protect you from the abuse memories that you went through.”

Iva’s eyes filled with tears.

She had known, deep down, that this might be the answer. She had felt the emptiness inside her, the hollow space where her wolf should have been. But hearing it spoken aloud-hearing the

healer confirm her worst fears-was a blow that nearly knocked her from the table.

Nick’s hand tightened on her shoulder, squeezing in silent support.

The healer continued, her voice gentle but firm.

“We can try again in a few months,” she said. “Sometimes, with time and patience, the wolf can be coaxed back. But I don’t want to give you false hope. There are no guarantees. Your wolf made a

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The Healers Verdict

choice to protect you, and that choice may be permanent.”

Claud

Iva nodded, her throat too tight to speak. She had really hoped-prayed-that there might be a way

to reach her wolf, to coax her back from whatever dark corner she had retreated to. She had

dreamed of feeling that connection again, of being whole.

But the healer’s words crashed over her like a wave, drowning her in a sea of despair.

The healer’s gaze shifted from Iva to Nick. Her eyes lingered on him for a long moment, her

expression unreadable.

“Now,” she said, her voice taking on a different tone-more serious, more pointed. “We need to

address the second matter of your visit.”

Iva blinked, confusion cutting through her grief.

“Second matter? I don’t understand…” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The healer’s gaze dropped to Iva’s rounded abdomen.

Iva followed her eyes.

And then the reality hit her like a sledgehammer.

Nick spoke, his voice low and urgent.

“Iva, please. I know you shut me down every time we spoke about this. But we can’t delay

anymore. This-this abomination growing inside you needs to go.”

Iva felt a choke in her throat, her head spinning with confusion, panic, disgust, and pain. Her hand

flew to her belly, protective and instinctive.

“I can’t,” she said, her voice trembling. “I can’t do that.”

Nick’s composure cracked.

For one of the first times since she had met him, she saw him rage. His face contorted with frustration, his eyes blazing with an intensity that made her flinch.

“Iva, listen to me,” he said, his voice rising. “The Lycans kept you prisoner. They made you a slave.

They took advantage of you, forced themselves on you, and even impregnated you. Despite

everything you’ve been through, you want to keep it? You want to keep the child of your captors?”

Iva’s tears spilled over, streaming down her cheeks.

“Your wolf sacrificed herself for you,” Nick continued his voice raw with emotion. “She withdrew to

protect you from the trauma, to shield you from the memories of what they did to you. And yet you refuse to get rid of it. You refuse to let go of the one thing that ties you to that nightmare.”

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The Healers Verdict

He stepped closer, his hands gripping her shoulders.

“Iva, you need to have an abortion. For your own sake. For your own healing. You can’t move forward if you’re carrying the weight of that horror inside you.”

Iva shook her head, her sobs choking her words.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t. It’s not-it’s not just-”

“It’s a reminder of what they did to you,” Nick said, his voice softening but still firm. “Every day, every moment, it will be a reminder of the pain they inflicted. You deserve better than that. You

deserve a fresh start. We deserve a fresh start…

Iva pulled away from him, her hand still pressed to her belly.

Claro

“I need time,” she said, her voice barely audible. “I need to think. I can’t-I can’t make this decision

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