Derrick’s POV
I froze, as I clenched my fists so tight they hurt, as Elder Mara, the pack’s elderly healer, bent over a table littered with vials of powders and crumbling scrolls. Her twisted hands worked methodically, crushing something foul in a mortar. Serena’s life—her baby’s life—was in jeopardy, and every moment I spent standing around felt like I was failing the pack I’d sworn to protect.
“You are sure there is no other way?” My voice was sharper than I'd meant.
Mara didn’t look up. Her silver hair flashed as she churned the concoction, her eyes intent on the process. "The baby is promised to you, Alpha Derrick, but not in the way you assume. The spell to save it needs you, your essence…Your alpha blood, your power. You’d be linking your power to the child, handing over a fragment of the essence that makes you you.”
My chest tightened as I took in the heaviness of her words, and I swallowed audibly. “And what’s the cost?”
She stopped, meeting my eyes at last. Her eyes were mor
