Chapter 3

"The silver poisoning affected the bond. It'll recover in a few days."

I made up an excuse on the spot.

Logan stared at me. "Is it really just the poisoning?"

I met his gaze without flinching.

"You shut off pain-sharing too. There's nothing unusual about the bond acting up."

His fingers went still for a second.

"The situation was critical. I just couldn't afford to be affected by your pain while commanding the battle. It's not that I didn't care."

I nodded.

"I know."

His expression eased, and then he gave me an order as casually as if he were assigning a routine task.

"Maggie has a follow-up at the medical tower today. Go with her."

I looked down at my own wound, still seeping blood, and found it absurd.

"Why me? The silver poisoning in my shoulder hasn't even cleared."

Logan said it as though it were obvious. "Your bloodline is stronger than hers. She's fragile. Even a small wound could get infected."

"Do as I say. I'll bring you honey cake tonight."

I used to love the cakes from that shop.

Except Logan never remembered that I was allergic to peanuts.

At the medical tower, Maggie held out her arm to me.

"Wendy, would you take off my bandage? Logan insisted on bandaging my arm. I couldn't exactly say no."

Under the bandage was nothing but a faint line.

She pulled a golden vial from her pocket.

"Logan said this is the best healing serum. He told me to apply it once a day."

The healer's face darkened when he saw the vial.

"That's the silver-toxin purge. There's only one vial left in the entire territory."

"But I don't have silver poisoning."

Maggie covered her mouth and turned to look at me.

"Wendy, do you need this?"

I stared at the vial, the ache in my chest sharper than the wound itself. "Who gave it to you?"

"Logan delivered it personally."

She held the vial out to me. "I had no idea it was so important to you. Here, take it."

Logan walked in at that moment and stopped her from handing it over.

"I gave it to you. Keep it. She can keep the silver poisoning under control."

I looked at him, my eyes stinging, but I refused to let the tears fall.

"Do you know this is the last vial in stock? Do you know she only has a scrape? I've been in pain for five days."

Logan took my hand, his thumb carefully avoiding the fresh cut on my palm.

"Maggie has always been in poor health. Let her keep it as a backup. The next shipment arrives the day after tomorrow. I'll set two aside for you. Wendy, don't pressure a patient into giving up her medication."

Maggie's eyes reddened. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have accepted anything from Logan."

"It has nothing to do with you." Logan turned to me, his tone still even. "You've always been strong, so I know I can give her what little we have first. Most people couldn't earn that kind of trust from me if they tried."

That line used to comfort me.

Now I heard it for what it was. His so-called trust was simply his certainty that I could bear being sacrificed.

I let go of the vial.

"Then give it to her."

Logan's brow smoothed. "That's my Wendy."

He handed me a paper bag. "Honey cake. Got it just for you."

I opened the box.

A thick layer of peanut butter filled the middle of the cake.

Maggie smiled.

"Logan even remembered that I love peanut butter. He had the bakery add extra when he bought it. Try some, Wendy. It's really good."

"She can't eat peanuts," the healer cut in.

Logan's smile faded. "Since when are you allergic?"

"Since I was a child."

"I've been too busy. Slipped my mind." He took back the cake. "I'll make it up to you next time."

"But you remembered that Maggie likes peanut butter?"

Logan fumbled for an answer. "She mentioned it yesterday."

I pushed the bag back toward him.

"Then let her have it."

Outside the medical tower, a border soldier caught up with me, his expression grim.

"Ms. Ashford, something's wrong with the attack! The hostiles knew your exact patrol route. Only you, the Alpha, and Ms. Hale had seen it. The Alpha says Maggie was in the car too, so she wouldn't have risked her own life, and he ordered us to end the investigation."

The soldier handed me a communication stone.

"I kept a backup. It has a voice transmission from her."

Maggie's voice came through clearly.

"Wendy will pass the old bridge on the south side at three in the afternoon. Don't hurt me. The rest is up to you."

I gripped the stone.

Blood seeped through the bandage over my wound.

That evening, I handed the herb vault key and the patrol roster to Karl, the Vice Alpha.

"From now on, these are your responsibility."

Karl stared at me in shock.

"Is this permanent? Does Logan know you're leaving?"

I pressed the items into his hands. "He doesn't."

Karl took the key and asked in a low voice what to do about the communication stone.

I lowered my eyes.

"Tomorrow, I'll give him one last chance."

My phone screen lit up.

Maggie had sent a photo.

She was eating the honey cake layered with peanut butter.

Beneath the photo was a single line.

"Wendy, Logan said you don't like sweets, so I shouldn't let it go to waste."