Chapter 2

I looked up into Jacob's cold face, barely recognizing the man standing in front of me.

"Jacob, the team will never agree to this. You're the captain. You can't just gamble with their lives."

Jacob stared at me before letting out a chuckle. "Wendy, replacing the team healer was a unanimous decision. Did you really think they'd side with you just because you patched them up?

"Truth is, everyone's sick and tired of your bossy, overbearing attitude. They'd much rather have someone sweet and caring like Yelena as our healer."

I stood frozen, completely speechless. "That's… impossible…"

Every word they had said to me over the last five years flashed through my mind.

"Wendy, if it weren't for you, I'd have died from wolfsbane poisoning years ago."

"You're not just our healer. You're our guardian angel."

"With you here, we can fight off Rogue raids without fear."

The very people who once claimed they couldn't live without me were tossing me aside.

Perhaps sensing how pale I looked, Jacob took a step forward and pulled me into his arms. "Look, it doesn't matter who holds the healer title in the team. As long as you're by my side, what does your official title matter anyway?"

I didn't move. My eyes drifted down to the text Dad had just sent. "Your escort is on the way. They'll cross into the Silverfang pack in three days to bring you home."

I quietly set my phone down and replied to Jacob in a subdued voice, "Fine."

Jacob's body stiffened. "Wendy… Are you really okay with this?"

He had fully prepared himself for a fight. In the past, I would have thrown everything in sight at him, screaming and demanding to know why he was doing this to me.

But I didn't.

My compliance threw him off completely.

But moments later, as if he'd figured it out, a satisfied smile spread across his lips. "Don't worry. As long as you back Yelena up, I won't kick you off the team."

He knew how hard I had worked to join the patrol team. He assumed I'd bow my head just to stay.

"Make sure you show up early tomorrow. It's Yelena's first day, and she'll be nervous. Make sure you support her."

He kissed my forehead. His voice turned soft and gentle as he said, "Yelena's too anxious to sleep tonight. I'm going over to check on her. Don't be mad at me anymore. Even if you packed your bags, where would you even go? Just stay home and wait for me."

Jacob left in a hurry without giving me another glance.

I stood there for a long time. Only when his footsteps had completely faded outside the door did I slowly zip my bags.

When did Jacob change?

Back then, whenever I saved him from the brink of death, he'd look at me with tears in his eyes and say, "Wendy, I am so lucky. I have the most amazing mate in the world. With you by my side, I'm going to be the best patrol captain this pack has ever seen."

Back then, his eyes were always full of pride.

He used to brag about me to every member on the team, celebrating my new potion formulas even harder than his own promotions.

As my healing abilities grew stronger, I became indispensable to the patrol team.

The members used to say, "Jacob couldn't have made captain without Wendy."

"Without Wendy, there's no way we'd have a zero-casualty record."

"She's our savior, the real MVP of this squad."

Hearing those words, Jacob stopped smiling like he used to. Instead, he started nitpicking everything I did.

And then, Yelena came back.

My spiraling thoughts were shattered by a sudden phone ring.

My assistant Blair Lowery's panicked voice came through the speaker, "Wendy, Yelena altered your antidote formula without permission! She's about to give it to the poisoned guards!"

My brows furrowed. "The team was ambushed by Rogues and infected with wolfsbane during the last mission. Most of the toxin is already flushed out. All they need is the final standard dose to clear the rest. There's zero reason to tamper with the formula."

Blair replied, "I know! But… Yelena claims her new formula speeds up recovery! I tried stopping her, telling her it's untested and dangerous, but she won't listen. Even… Even Captain Fulton is backing her up!"

She was on the verge of tears. "Yelena is already preparing the doses! Wendy, please, you have to come back right now!"