C5

Derek Hale POV

"The moonborn pup on the stone table looks completely white like snow, her lips are turning a scary blue color, and I cannot even smell her breath anymore," Noah Raeken says, looking down with a mean smile on his old face. "We tried all our pack magic and failed, so let us see how this weak little omega fails too."

"Yes, if Sydney Hale dies right now, we can tell the whole Hale Bloodclaw Pack that it is all Derek's fault for touching her," Liam Raeken whispers to his dad. "What do you think you can do that an elder healing master cannot do, Derek?"

"Give me the silver claw blade right now and shut your mouth, Liam," I say, not even looking at him.

"Oh my goddess, why are you cutting the pup's wrist?" Master Noah screams as red blood starts leaking onto the stone. "The child is already dying! How can you drain her lifeforce like a rogue killer?"

"Derek, what are you doing to my little sister?" Lydia Hale shouts, her eyes going wide as she watches the blood run down. "Are you trying to kill her?"

"The rogue poison is deep inside her veins now, Ms. Hale," I say, keeping my voice very soft and calm. "It was just skin-deep before, but these bad healers waited too long and let it mix with her wolf blood. Draining it is the only way to save her life."

"That is a giant lie!" Liam yells, shaking his fists. "If there was rogue poison in her veins, my alpha nose would have caught the scent instantly!"

"Wait, look at the stone table!" an old healer screams from the back. "The blood is not red at all! It is turning as black as a shadow wolf!"

"You see that, Liam? Your nose knows nothing," I say, watching Liam's face turn as red as a hot coal while everyone stares at him.

"Even if it is poison, Derek, she is just a tiny pup," Noah Raeken says, wrinkling his brow. "If you drain all that black blood out, her heart will stop beating before the poison is gone anyway."

"You are right for once, Master Noah, which is why we must push fresh true alpha blood into her other side while the bad blood runs out."

"That is impossible master magic! You cannot just swap wolf blood like water!"

"Stretch out your arm right now, Ms. Hale," I say, looking right into Lydia's eyes. "You are her true blood sister, and your wolf scents match perfectly. You are going to give her your own life force."

"Derek Hale, you are a madman!" Noah barks, trying to grab my arm. "You cannot do a direct wolf-to-wolf blood link without the sacred lunar bowls! It will make the pup's wolf spirit explode, and no elder in the Beacon Moon Territory will be able to save her!"

"Yes, Derek, this is too dangerous," another old healer says. "At least draw the Bloodclaw Pack Heiress's blood into the silver jars first so we can filter the wolf venom. That is the safe way."

"We do not have time for silver jars, old men," I say, connecting the hollow vine tube straight from Lydia's vein into little Sydney's arm. "The pup will be dead before the jars get warm."

"You love to talk big, Derek, but you are going to kill them both!" Liam laughs, showing his teeth. "The heiress will drain to nothing and the pup will pop!"

"You have been barking in my ear since I walked into this Moon Healers Sanctuary," I say, turning my cold eyes on him. "If you know so much about the Lunar Healing Order, why don't you step up and fix her?"

"Fine! Let us see you fail, smart guy!" Liam snaps, stepping back.

"Watch closely," I say, and with fast wolf speed, I punch five magic pressure points along Sydney’s spine.

"Look at that!" a nurse screams as the fresh red blood from Lydia flows perfectly into the pup, while the nasty black poison drains out of the other wrist into the dirt. "The balance is beautiful!"

"Her face is turning pink again!" another wolf shouts. "The death scent is going away!"

"Master Derek... is that the ancient Shadow Fang pressure technique?" Noah Raeken asks, his jaw dropping open. "The lost art of the secret legendary moon healers?"

"Yes, it is," I say, nodding my head.

"Dad, what is that silly tapping?" Liam asks like a total idiot. "It just looks like regular punching to me."

"Shut your mouth, you big fool!" Noah hisses, slapping his son's shoulder. "You are making us look like stupid pups! That pressure technique can stop a wolf's heart or bring a dead alpha back to life with one finger! It controls the very life force of the pack!"

"The poison is gone," I say ten minutes later, pulling the vine tubes away and wrapping clean white leaves around their wrists. "Let the pup sleep in the quiet den, and do not make any loud howls near her."

"Master Derek, please wait for me!" Lydia Hale calls out, running down the stone hallway after me.

"Is there something else you need, Ms. Hale?" I ask, turning around.

"I just want to give proper gifts to the helpers of the Silver Fang Healing Center," Lydia says, her face still a little white from losing blood, but she smiles beautifully. "Erica, bring the pack treasures forward."

"Oh, Ms. Hale, you are too kind!" Liam and Noah say, pushing past the young healers to grab the gold bags. "We always do our best for the Hale Bloodclaw Pack, and we are glad our sanctuary could help your family!"

"Move away from me," Lydia says, her voice turning completely icy. "I am giving these gifts to Master Derek and the nurses who actually helped him. You two did nothing but bark."

"Derek, please take this Silvermoon Token," Lydia says, holding out a shiny gold card that glows under the moon. "This gives you full power over the Bloodclaw Corporate Keep. It is yours."

"Ms. Hale! That is the royal alpha card of the Bloodclaw Dominion Group!" Liam screams, his breath coming out hot and mad. "Why are you giving that to a loser omega? If anyone gets that card, it should be my dad! He is the Elder Healing Master here, so all the credit belongs to our family!"

"Guards, throw this trash out into the dirt," Lydia commands coldly.

"Ah! Let go of my fur!" Liam yells as two giant shadow fang warriors grab him by his hair and drag him down the stone steps like a dead deer.

"You may have magic hands, Derek, but remember that without this sanctuary, you are just a packless dog!" Noah threats, his face looking very dark and ugly before he runs after his son.

"I cannot take your gold card, Ms. Hale," I say, walking away without touching it. "I do not take prizes for saving pups."

"Is that young healer just playing a game to look cool, Miss?" Erica Tate asks, wrinkling her nose.