Chapter 2

After that, I cut off all contact with the outside world.

Seventeen missed calls from Slade. I ignored every single one.

At three in the afternoon, the door to my healing lab was violently thrown open.

Standing in the doorway was Lucas, Slade's most loyal Beta. Behind him were two stone-faced pack warriors.

"Miss Eloise," Lucas's tone was respectful, but his muscles were tense, ready for action. "The Alpha wants to see you."

I didn't look up, continuing to grind herbs with the pestle in my hand. "Tell your Alpha I'm not seeing patients."

"I'm afraid this isn't a request," he said. "It's an order."

I set down the pestle, wiped my hands, and stood up straight. "So, you plan to drag me back by force, like capturing prey?"

Lucas's gaze shifted, but he didn't deny it. "You know the Alpha doesn't like to wait."

"He said not to make him carry you. It would be undignified."

I was forced into an SUV that came to a stop before the gates of the Alpha's manor.

This place was once the home I dreamed of. Now, I only wanted to escape.

I was "escorted" to my herb garden behind the main house. But the moment I pushed open the gate, I froze.

The garden I had spent ten years cultivating, which held some of the rarest medicinal herbs in all of North America, was now a scene of utter destruction.

Life-saving Silverleaf plants had been ripped out by the roots, their damp stems tossed carelessly into the mud.

In their place, hundreds of garish red roses were being hastily planted by workers.

"Stop!" I screamed, rushing forward and cradling a trampled Moonlight Orchid. "What are you doing? These are for saving lives!"

"Rosalind found these weeds an eyesore," a familiar, lazy voice said from behind me. "So we're doing a little redecorating."

I turned to see Slade approaching, with Rosalind Thorne on his arm.

He wore a dark, tailored shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong forearms.

Rosalind, dressed in an expensive silk gown, snuggled against Slade's powerful arm.

"Slade, darling," she cooed, "I don't like the smell. As your future Luna, I think this place should be a proper garden, not some common vegetable patch."

I looked at Slade, my nails digging into the dead orchid, mud and water seeping through my fingers.

"Slade, this orchid can neutralize wolf venom. I watched over it for three whole nights just to get one," my voice trembled. "You promised me this garden would always be under my care."

Slade didn't even glance at the flower. His gaze was fixed on Rosalind's satisfied smile.

He simply shrugged, indifferent. "Oh, stop being so dramatic, Eloise. It's just a few plants. I can buy you a whole greenhouse full of them later if you behave."

"Rosalind is the lady of the house now. We should let her have her fun, don't you think?"

"But..."

"Shh," Slade placed a finger on my lips, "Don't spoil the mood with that frown."

As if just remembering to introduce me, he turned his head. "Rosalind, this is Eloise. She's the Blackwood Pack's... most useful medical asset. As long as they have a pulse, she can pull them back from the brink."

He had called me... an asset.

Rosalind raised an eyebrow, her eyes sweeping over my mud-stained dress.

"I've heard so much about you. He says he'd be lost without you to handle all the common injuries. It must be so trying, being a little human. You look so out of place here, like a pet that wandered too far from home."

She deliberately stressed the word "human," a hint of pity on her face.

"It is my duty to serve the Blackwood Pack," I forced myself to remain calm.

Slade nodded, satisfied. He turned to Rosalind with a gentle expression. "Let's go, my love. The Elders are waiting for us."

He wrapped his arm around her waist, and I followed behind them like a servant.

The Elders were already waiting in the main hall.

One of them, Elder Marcus, stood up when he saw me.

"Last month, my son was attacked by rogues, his guts were nearly spilling out. It was Eloise who snatched him from death's door. She is so important to this pack, we all thought you would..."

Slade set his glass down, the sharp clink echoing through the hall. He laughed softly, shaking his head as if Marcus had told a funny joke.

"Elder Marcus." His tone was light, but dismissive. "You're getting sentimental in your old age."

"Eloise is a fantastic healer, truly a treasure," Slade smiled at me across the room, raising his glass in a mock toast. "But let's not get carried away. She's human, after all."

"The Luna needs to be a warrior, someone with... pedigree. You understand, don't you, Eloise?"

I lowered my eyes, forcing a flawless smile.

"Elder Marcus, you misunderstand. The Alpha and I have always maintained a strictly professional relationship."

Slade hadn't expected my easy compliance. He raised an eyebrow, looking pleasantly surprised.

The tension in the hall dissipated. Rosalind shot me a triumphant smirk.

Slade passed by me. He raised his hand, as if out of habit, to stroke the back of my neck.

But he stopped mid-air, turning instead to smooth a stray hair from Rosalind's head.

He leaned down, his warm breath ghosting over my ear as he whispered in a voice only I could hear,

"My healer, I knew you'd be sensible. I'll reward you later."

During the dinner, I sat alone at the far end of the long table, watching Slade and Rosalind in the seats of honor, accepting the pack's congratulations.

From time to time, Slade would turn his head and wink at me, his eyes holding the look one might give a well-behaved dog.

But I never once met his gaze.

Enjoy your victory, Slade.

Your most precious treasure has already planned her escape.