Barren

Elena’s POV

The heavy iron gates of the West-wash pack house swung open with a low, ominous groan. For a second, the air inside the car felt too thin to breathe.

Six years ago, I had crawled through the dirt of the forest, bleeding and broken, just to get away from this place. I had been a "rankless mistake," a girl whose seven years of devotion weren't worth a second glance.

Now, I was sitting in the plush leather interior of the Alpha’s luxury SUV, being driven through the front entrance with an armed escort. It felt oddly… nice.

"You're quiet, Doctor," Zack said, distracting me from my thoughts.

I didn't turn to look at him, but I could feel his gaze. It was heavy and probing, as if he were trying to peel back the disguise of my mask with his eyes alone. Since we left the city, he hadn't looked away once.

"I’m a doctor, Alpha. I’m thinking about the case," I replied. I kept my voice low and dry, carefully hiding away any hint of the girl who used to worship the ground he walked on.

"Most people, humans especially are intimidated by the size of this estate," he continued, his voice dropping into a low vibration.

"They usually have a lot of questions about our history, our power. You haven't asked a single thing."

"I don't care about your history," I lied, as my heart hammered against my ribs. "I care about results. The size of your house doesn't change the biology of my patients."

“Far enough,” he muttered.

I wanted to shut down whatever conversation he was trying to initiate. I didn't trust myself to keep up with the deception if I kept engaging.

As the car pulled into the driveway, a group of servants hurried out to open the doors. My breath caught in my throat. I recognized them. Mrs. Higgins, who used to yell at me for not scrubbing the baseboards well enough. Young Toby, who was now a man, standing tall in a security uniform.

I kept my head down, adjusting the wig and making sure the mask was secure. I stepped out of the car, my heels clicking on the floor; a sound of authority I never thought I’d possess in this territory.

Zack led me inside. The pack house was even grander than I remembered, but the warmth was gone. It felt like a museum; beautiful, expensive, and dead.

As we walked through the entrance, I glanced toward the kitchen hallway. I could almost see my younger self standing there, holding a tray, waiting for a smile from the boy who would eventually break me.

I thought of my small, cozy house in the city. I thought of the way the sunlight hit the kitchen table where Colin, Caleb, and Cindy were probably eating their afternoon snack right now.

They thought I was out on a long work trip to find their father. They had so many questions about their origin, about the man who gave them their dark hair and intense eyes. If only they knew their father was walking two feet in front of me, completely oblivious to the fact that he had three heirs.

"This will be your suite," Zack said, stopping in front of a set of double doors on the second floor.

He opened them to reveal a room larger than my entire apartment. It was filled with fresh lilies, my favorite. And the furniture was carved from dark, expensive oak.

"My staff is at your disposal," he said, his voice echoing in the large space.

"I expect the best care, Doctor. Money is no object. If you need equipment from the city, it will be here within the hour."

“Thank you. “I’m not worried about the money right now, Alpha.” I said, waving my hand in dismissal. “I want to see the patient.”

He hesitated for a moment, his jaw tightening, then gestured for me to follow him toward the west wing—the Luna’s wing.

We reached a set of carved doors guarded by two Enforcers. They bowed as Zack approached, but they looked at me with suspicion.

"The specialist," Zack barked, and they immediately stepped aside.

We walked into a bedroom that looked more beautiful and luxurious than anything I had ever seen. It was adorned with silk drapes, gold-leaf mirrors, and a bed that looked like it belonged to an empress. My heart stopped when I saw the woman lying under the covers.

It was Tiana.

She looked different. The arrogant, untouchable glow she’d worn the night she claimed Zack was gone. Her skin was sickly pale, and her hair, once her pride, looked dull. She looked up as we entered, her eyes narrowing as they landed on my mask.

"Zack? Who is this?" she asked, her voice thin and weak.

"The specialist I told you about. Dr. Willow," Zack said. He walked to the bedside, took her hand and kissed it.

Watching him touch her sent a jolt of old, bitter pain through me. He looked at her with a softness, a protective instinct that made my stomach turn. This was the man who had ordered his pack to "hunt me down" like a dog.

"Doctor," Zack said, turning back to me. His eyes were pleading, a look I had never seen on an Alpha's face.

"My Luna has been unable to conceive. We have seen every shaman, every wolf-physician, and every human specialist in the country. They all say the same thing; that she is healthy. And yet... there is no heir. After six years, the pack is becoming restless."

“She’s losing herself in the process too, as you can see..”

He wanted me to use my hard-earned skills to give Tiana the one thing I already had; his bloodline. I laughed bitterly inside me.

"You want me to treat... infertility?" I asked. The words felt like hot ash in my mouth.

"I want an heir," Zack said firmly. He squeezed Tiana’s hand, and she leaned her head against his arm. The sight was sickening.

"The West-wash line needs a future Alpha. My position is being questioned by the council because the Luna’s womb remains empty. If you can make her conceive, I will give you anything you ask for. Freedom, land, gold, name your price, and it’s yours."

I looked at Tiana. She was staring at me, her eyes filled with a desperate, ugly hope. She didn't recognize me. She didn't need to.

A cold, bitter strength began to rise in my chest. My heart had gone numb a long time ago, but now it burned with a new, dark purpose.

"I'll take the case," I said, my voice sounding like cracking ice. "But my price is high.”

Zack stepped toward me, his Alpha aura flared slightly in curiosity. "Then what do you want?"

"I want my loan to the Sinclair estate paid in full," I said, my voice gaining strength.

"And I want a legal, binding document signed by you, stating that I am free to leave this territory the moment the treatment is concluded.”

He looked perplexed at my absurd request.

“You’re not a prisoner,” he said.

“I know. You will never summon me, never track me, and never interfere with my life or my business again. Total freedom. Do we have a deal?"

Zack didn't even hesitate. "Agreed. If you give me a son, you can have your freedom and anything else you desire."

“I can only heal your Luna. I cannot give you a son,” I stated.

“Of course,” he muttered in embarrassment.

I walked toward the bed, the plastic of my surgical gloves snapping loudly in the quiet room. I had to touch her. I had to heal the woman I hated most in this world.

But I could already sense it, her womb could not carry pups.