Masuk"You told me he would accept me."My voice was sharp. I stood by the window, my back to Cassien.I heard him settle into the chair behind me, the fabric rustled, he was comfortable and unbothered."He is acting strange Cassien, like he knows something.""Then he's finally thinking like an Alpha."I turned. "Don't mock me."Cassien smiled. "I'm not mocking you, I am spotting the truth."I walked toward him and stpped at the edge of the table between us. My hand pressed against the wood."He looked at me like he didn't know me, like I was a complete stranger.""Did he say anything?""No, that's what scared me."Cassien leaned back, his arms rested on the chair's armrests, relaxed."Silence doesn't mean anything, don't think too deep about it.""You don't know that.""Neither do you."I studied his face, calm, confident in the midst of the storm, I had once found it attractive.Now I found it unsettling."Why won't you tell me what's happening?""I tell you everything you need to know."
MELVIN"Your pulse is steady, Alpha."Old Yarrow's fingers pressed against my wrist. Her eyes were fixed on the wall behind me, avoiding my face.I sat on the edge of her examination table, the room was small, cramped. Herbs hung from the ceiling in dried bundles, dried flowers filled every shelf. A single window let in pale afternoon light, dust motes floated through the air.I had collapsed during training.I told myself it was exhaustion, even told my Beta the same thing and the guards who rushed to my side."I'm fine," I had said. "I am just tired."Now I sat in Yarrow's chamber, and she hadn't spoken in three full minutes.She walked toward her worktable. Her back turned to me, she picked up a vial, turned it over in her hands and set it down, she picked up another."Your bloodwork suggests otherwise Alpha," she murmured.I frowned. "Suggest what? How do you mean?"She didn't answer, I saw her eyes shift into shock, she busied herself with the vials. Arranging them and rearrangin
Selene POV"Alpha... you've been here since dawn, aren't you going to take a break?."I stood at the edge of the training grounds, Melvin didn't stop or turn around.His sword crashed against the training post again and again. His movements were harder than necessary, sweat soaked through his tunic, his breathing was ragged.Warriors passing by noticed, they exchanged quiet glances,their Alpha had changed.I waited until he lowered his sword, then I stepped forward.I smiled. "You're still training?"He looked at me, his face was tired and distant."Selene, what do you want?""I came to see you."He nodded. "Thanks for your concern, I will be finished soon.""You said that yesterday."He didn't answer.I walked closer, one hand rested on my stomach."You didn't come to my room again. Why do you keep doing this?"A long silence."There was work," he finally said."There was work yesterday too?" I snapped.Another silence."I don't have the pleasure of time Selene, that's what comes wit
"Dear healer Maelis"A palace servant bowed at the entrance of the Healing Wing."The Alpha requests yours and Auren's presence in the Great Hall."I looked up from the herbs I was grinding. "Now?""Yes, Healer."I wiped my hands on my tunic. "Did he say why?""No, Healer."I glanced at Maelis. She was organizing the supply shelf, her back to me. “What could he need us for?” I asked, dismissing the servants.“I don't know unless we find out”She wiped her hands clean and directed an apprentice to watch over the patients "We will be back soon."I followed Maelis through the corridors.The palace was different tonight. Lanterns burned brighter than usual, servants rushed past with silver trays, musicians tuned their instruments near the main entrance.Noble families walked through the halls in their finest clothes.I turned around, taking in the colorful surroundings. Everything was arranged with perfect precision, as though every piece belonged exactly where it was."Maelis, what is g
"Healer Auren?"I looked up from the patient's chart. One of Ronan's Betas stood at the entrance of the Healing Wing, his hands clasped behind his back."The Alpha requests your presence."I set down the chart. "Is something wrong?"He shook his head. "He didn't say."I glanced around the room, patients rested peacefully on their cots, apprentices moved between the shelves, organizing herbs and changing linens.Elara was grinding something in her mortar.I walked toward her."Continue checking temperatures," I said quietly. "Replace the herbs after sunset, alert me if any patient worsens."She didn't look up."Understood."She turned away before I could say anything else.I watched her for a moment, then I walked toward the door.Maelis caught my eye from across the room, she said nothing, but I saw her notice.***The Beta escorted me through Emberfall, the evening air was cool against my skin. Warm lanterns flickered along the paths, families sat outside their homes, eating togethe
AUREN"Elara, I need more yarrow, hurry please."I didn't look up from the patient's arm, the discoloration had spread overnight. Not as fast as before, but faster than I wanted.Elara didn't move, I glanced at her.She stood by the herb shelf, her back to me, reorganizing jars that didn't need reorganizing."Elara?""I heard you before, I am not deaf." She snapped.She pulled down a jar, walked over and set it on the table beside me."You need to crush it first," I said quietly. "It won't absorb otherwise.""I know how to prepare yarrow. I started healing before you thought about it.""I didn't say you didn't Elara."She said nothing and walked back to the shelf. I ended up crushing the leaves myself.***The morning passed without my knowledge, patients flowed in and out of the healing wing. Word had spread faster than I expected, Villagers from neighboring settlements had begun arriving. Not just from Emberfall, from places I had never heard of, places I couldn't find on any map.







