Ninety-Nine Debts

My mentor, Steven Gilford, fell silent for a moment. When he spoke again, caution weighed down his voice. "Our research team is heading north, to the Fallen Temple. We are searching for a fragment of the legendary Serum Manuscript. That place is lethal. If you go, there is a real chance you will not come back."

He paused, then asked the question anyway. "Are you really willing to leave everything you have here and come with us?"

Another beat passed.

"And will the Alpha even allow it? Everyone in the pack knows how much Alpha Garrick Whitefang dotes on you. He has never been willing to let you out of his sight. Seven years ago, you gave up your post as an Archivist for him and became his Luna. Are you truly ready to walk away now?"

My chest twisted as if it had been cut open. The pain was sharp, but my resolve cut deeper. Only one thing held me back: how to tell him the truth.

I was pregnant.

This pup had cost me years of my life, paid through bloodline fusion rituals that burned away my lifespan one attempt at a time. I was not prepared to give it up.

In the end, I told him everything. My hand moved to my stomach without thought as I waited for his answer.

Silence stretched. When Steven finally spoke, his voice sounded rough.

"Congratulations. You are opening a new chapter," he said quietly.

"We will arrange family housing next to the lab," he continued. "The chief obstetrics specialist will be assigned to you. In the North, you will receive the highest level of protection we can provide."

I stood there with the phone clenched in my hand, stunned. There was no judgment and no blame, only support. My eyes burned as something long shattered inside me began to knit itself back together.

"Thank you, Steven," I said, my voice breaking. "Truly. Thank you."

Thank you for choosing to value me when I was at my most broken.

"Three days," he said briskly. "I will send a team member to escort you from the airport to the institute. No baggage handling. No waiting. You only need to be ready to depart."

When the call ended, the weight on my chest finally eased.

I packed in silence. Only after I zipped the bag did I realize how hungry I was.

I went downstairs.

A woman I did not recognize sat in the living room. Her belly rose high and round with pregnancy.

Garrick's mother, Helga Whitefang, stood beside her with a steaming jar in her hands, her voice gentle as she spoke. "Lyra, this is Moon-Silver Draught, a secret medicine of the pack. It soothes bloodline instability, restores strength, and reinforces your wolf nature. You and the pup both need it."

The woman accepted the bowl with visible nerves. "Madam Whitefang, you are too kind. If Rowena sees this, she will be upset."

Helga scoffed. "A woman who cannot bear pups has no right to my care. She does not have to suffer childbirth and still gets two adorable pups. That is a blessing. What does she have to complain about?"

Lyralei's lips tightened for a fraction of a second. She glanced toward Garrick in search of reassurance and found none.

He sat off to the side with a cigarette, deep shadows etched between his brows. Smoke blurred his face until I could no longer read his expression.

At the sound of my footsteps, he was startled. He crushed the cigarette, tossed it away, and crossed the room in long strides.

"Wena," he said quickly. "After Lyralei became pregnant, her bloodline turned unstable. She needs a powerful werewolf nearby to help regulate it. I only let her stay for a few days."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Do not be upset. Once she stabilizes, I will send her away immediately."

I had not answered when his mother cut in. "Garrick! The pup she is carrying is the Snowclaw Pack's future heir. How dare you talk about sending her away?"

She pulled Lyralei behind her like a hen shielding a chick, then turned on me with a glare sharp enough to cut. "You cannot give birth to pups. I already tolerated you as Luna because Garrick refuses to sever the mate bond. Now we are only keeping two bloodline heirs. That does not threaten your status at all. What are you unhappy about?"

Each word drove another spike into my chest. Something inside me went cold.

I lowered my head and answered softly, obediently, just as they expected, "Let Lyralei move in. I have no objections."

Garrick, who had stepped forward to shield me, froze. He turned to stare at me, disbelief written across his face.

"You…" His voice faltered. "You are agreeing?"