Chapter one

Aria's POV:

“Does it hurt much?” I asked softly, kneeling beside a boy no older than twelve, who clutched his side as I approached, his eyes wide and wary.

Letting my hands hover over the wound without touching it yet, I watched as he swallowed hard, and with a trembling voice he asked. “Will I get better?”

I smiled, the gesture meant to reassure him even though my own stomach twisted at the sight of the ragged cut on his arm. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t.” I said gently.

“Are… are you really a physician?” He asked, and I couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped me.

“Not exactly, but I know enough to help you.” I admitted as I cleaned the wound, and wrapped it carefully, all while keeping my tone light. “There

” I said finally, pressing a soft bandage over the gash. “Good as new.”

He blinked at me, then smiled faintly, and I let myself relax for a moment because this part of my work where I saw the relief in someone’s eyes, was what I lived for.

Before I could stand, another patient called from the next cot. A middle-aged woman, feverish and trembling. She had questions before I even reached her, one after another, but I answered every single one with a

smile.

And with each answer, my hands moved over her, checking her pulse, ensuring she was comfortable. But I barely had time to think about the exhaustion pooling in my muscles. There were still six more I had to attend to, and night was settling fast around the infirmary.

Suddenly a deep sliced through the murmurs of patients. “Aria, you should leave.” The head physician said, stepping into the room. “ It’s late.”

I froze for a second, looking at Dr. Malrick, the head physician, disciplinarian, and occasional friend who was standing there with his arms folded.

“Late?” I asked, a small frown tugging at my brow. “There are over six patients I haven’t even seen yet. I can’t just leave.”

“I have a live-in nurse who can handle them.” His eyes softened slightly, but the edge in his voice didn’t vanish. “You should go home, I don’t want you getting into trouble with your father again.”

“I… I suppose you’re right.” I murmured finally, then I packed my bag slowly.

While Dr. Malrick sighed and stopped me before I could leave. From the pocket of his coat, he pulled a few coins and held them out. “For your work today.” He said, and although it was something he did once in a while beyond my monthly wages, I still inclined my head.

“Thank you.” I said, tucking the coins away and forcing a smile.

Then I stepped out into the cold night, the moon high above, casting silvery shadows along the road and my boots crunched over the gravel as I walked, mind wandering to my father’s cabin, which lay deep within the forest.

The road eventually forked, as I took the narrower path to the right, the one that led into the trees and every step reminded me of how far we had fallen. And how my father, once a respected man, now a gambler who had traded comfort and dignity for fleeting excitement.

My chest tightened as I swallowed, thinking of the cabin that had become my home after he lost everything. Hissing under my breath, I paused after a while, stretching my legs, letting the air fill my lungs.

The forest was alive with the rustle of leaves, the occasional call of a night bird, and the whisper of wind through the trees. But as I took a step forward, ready to walk again, I felt a presence moving behind me.

My heart skipped, and I glanced over my shoulder and saw nothing but trees, shadows, and the faint shimmer of moonlight. I shook my head, trying to dismiss it because animals were normal here, but as a werewolf, they always avoided me.

‘So… who could it be?’ I thought, quickening my pace, because the feeling of being followed didn’t leave me so every rustle, and every snap of a twig made me tense.

I dared another look over my shoulder and still saw nothing. Accepting it all as my imagination, I rounded a bend in the path, only to see a hand shoot out from the shadows, and grab my shoulder as my body went rigid.

“Who… Who are you?” I asked, spinning around to face a broad-shouldered and dark-eyed man I hadn’t seen before, holding me with an unsettling grip.

Before I could react, two more figures dropped silently from the trees above, landing with near-perfect stealth, circling me and my heart raced.

My wolf sensed danger and my instincts screamed at me to run, which I did, only to be held back by the two men who had dropped down from the trees.

“Let me go!” I demanded, struggling, but their grip was iron and my pleas seemed to amuse him.

“I’d love to let you go.” The first man said, his voice low, almost taunting. “But unfortunately, your father decided to use you as collateral.”

My stomach lurched and my mind spun, trying to make sense of his words. “Collateral?” I whispered, disbelief freezing my tongue. “Wh… what do you mean?”

He tilted my chin up with one hand, forcing me to meet his cold gaze. “Your father owes a significant debt. You, my dear, are the repayment so I’m afraid that I have no choice but to sell you to the slave traders to settle it.”