第3章

Around noon there was a knock at my door.

It was Pavel's Beta, Silas.

Ten warriors stood behind him, each one holding a cage, and in every cage was a tiny Maltese puppy.

"Ashlyn, our Alpha found these for you. They look exactly like Annie did as a puppy, and they're just as gentle.

"Please stop being difficult. Our Alpha trained every one of these puppies himself. He stayed up all night to prepare them for you."

My hand tightened on the door handle.

All these years, every time Pavel neglected me for Vivienne, he would come up with some way to make it up to me afterward.

And he always avoided the one thing I actually wanted.

"Take them back. My Annie can't be replaced."

I shut the door in their faces.

I changed clothes and left for the Healers' Academy with the trial serum I had developed.

If the serum passed review and went into full production, my mother's brothers, poisoned on the battlefield and robbed of their sanity, might finally have a chance to recover.

I had barely stepped outside when Pavel called.

"Ashlyn, something came up and I can't get away. I won't be able to drive you to the academy."

"Fine. I'll get a rideshare."

Without that call, I would have forgotten he had promised to drive me at all.

Pavel was quiet for a moment.

"Text me when you're almost done. I'll come get you.

"Tonight, let's go to that barbecue place you love. Vivienne has been worried about you and wants to apologize. You two need to talk."

A sour ache rose in my chest.

This was his way of making peace, and every other time he offered me a way out, I accepted it without hesitation.

But Annie had paid with her life to show me that he wasn't worth it.

"No, thank you. I want an early night."

I hung up before he could answer.

My rideshare dropped me at the academy gate. Just as I was heading inside, something slammed into me hard enough to knock me down.

My forehead hit the steps. The vial in my hand hit the ground and shattered, and the liquid soaked into the pavement.

It was like being struck by lightning. I could not move.

Three years and countless experiments, gone just like that.

Footsteps came up behind me.

Vivienne ran over, out of breath.

"Ashlyn, I'm so sorry."

Tears spilled down Vivienne's cheeks.

"Pavel said you turned down the puppies he sent, and I was worried you were still hurting, so I thought I'd buy you a big dog instead.

"It could protect you, and another breed wouldn't remind you of Annie the way a Maltese would. But this dog was too strong for me, and I lost hold of the leash..."

I took out my phone and spoke coldly.

"That serum was a major research breakthrough tied to the future of the entire pack.

"Aren't you studying for your own healer certification? Don't you understand how important that serum was?

"I'm going to tell the academy exactly how it was destroyed. You'll answer for what you did."

Vivienne's pupils shrank. She clearly hadn't expected me to hold her accountable.

She rushed at me to stop the call.

"No, you can't tell them!

"I can't lose my chance to become a healer!"

I ignored her and kept dialing.

Vivienne set her jaw and crouched down to pick up the broken glass.

"I can help you make another one! I know how to make serums too!"

A second later a shard sliced her fingertip open and blood welled up.

When Pavel arrived, he ran first to where I was still sprawled on the ground.

He checked me over for injuries.

"How could you be so careless? Does it hurt?"

Watching him fuss over me, my eyes stung.

For a hazy second I remembered when we first got together, when Pavel had eyes for nothing but me.

Before I could say a word, Vivienne called out through her tears.

"Pavel..."

He turned and saw her cut finger.

It was a tiny cut, yet he crossed to her in a few quick strides, his voice equal parts scolding and tenderness.

"I look away for one minute and you do this to yourself."

"I broke Ashlyn's serum. It's all my fault. I really didn't think it would happen."

Vivienne cried so hard she shook, clinging to his arm.

By then, the commotion had brought a staff member out of the academy.

He recognized me as the healer who had come to submit a new serum, and he saw the broken glass on the ground.

"Ashlyn, how was the serum destroyed?

"If someone destroyed it deliberately, you have the right to file a formal complaint.

"But if you failed to keep it safe, you'll lose your healer certification."

I was about to tell him the truth when another voice cut in first.

"Ashlyn was careless. It was her own doing."

Pavel glanced at me. His face was conflicted, but the words came out firm.

I scrambled to defend myself.

"It wasn't me!"

His eyes filled with disappointment.

"Vivienne is hurt, and you still want more?"

All at once I felt ridiculous.

Even knowing that taking the blame for the serum could mean serious punishment, what did it matter now?

In Pavel's eyes, the truth didn't matter.

All that mattered was keeping Vivienne from being punished.

I turned and started for the gate.

Even without the serum, I wanted to make my case based on the research behind it and fight for one last chance.

Pavel stepped up suddenly and caught my wrist.

"You have no serum. There's no reason to go in."

I forced the words out through my teeth.

"That's none of your concern."

Then there was a thud behind us.

Vivienne had fainted.

Pavel bolted over without a thought and scooped her up.

"I'm taking Vivienne to the hospital. You're coming with me."

"I'm not going."

I turned to leave.

He put Vivienne in the car, came back for me, hauled me over his shoulder, shoved me into the seat, and locked the doors.

I pounded on the door like a madwoman.

"Pavel! Do you know how many people are depending on that serum for treatment?!"

He dropped into the driver's seat, his voice hoarse.

"I know I wronged you. Even if you lose your healer certification, you can still be my Luna. But if Vivienne loses hers, she'll have nothing."

With that he stopped hesitating and started the car.

My heart hurt until it went numb.

That was how much Vivienne mattered to him. He was so afraid I would tell the academy the truth about the serum that he would not leave without dragging me along.

To protect her, everything I had worked for and everything I wanted counted for nothing.

When we reached the hospital, a message came through on my phone.

"Because Healer Ashlyn Marlowe failed to appear on time and her serum was destroyed, the Healers' Academy has voted to revoke her certification."

I slumped against the car window, my mind blank.