Athissa stood outside the door, breathing deeply as she prepared herself to enter.
She knew the ones inside the room were waiting for her, but she didn’t give a single shit if they complained about her being late.
‘I can do this… again,’ Athissa thought before the door creaked open.
What greeted Athissa were two smiling faces.
“Ah, my daughter.
You’ve finally decided to arrive after a few long hours,” a man sitting behind the office table spoke, but the corners of his eyes twitched.
“Father,” Athissa greeted, then her eyes shifted to the side.
Another man was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.
“And alpha.
How are you today?” She asked respectfully.
“I am doing well, dear,” Richard, the alpha, replied, giving a weak smile.
Richard shifted on his seat comfortably, but his aura was still dominant in that room; even Athissa could feel the tension and got an itch to leave.
Athissa lowered her head, a sign of submission before facing his father.
She walked closer, until she reached a meter from the table.
“What do you need?” Athissa asked, her voice changing into an irritated tone.
“Athissa, is that a way to talk to your father?” Donovan, Athissa’s father, raised his brow as he didn’t like how she spoke to him.
Athissa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
“If this is about me getting myself a dumb husband, please, save yourself from that thought,” she firmly communicated her rejection of the idea.
For years, since Athissa was 18, she was forced to find a decent man to marry and be intimate with if she failed to find her fated mate.
Athissa felt pressured at the time because she knew it could lead to a series of disappointments, and she didn’t want to be with a person she disliked.
“We are not here for that…” Donovan muttered, looking at Richard.
There was hesitation in his eyes, but he had no other choice.
“A pack that has not been formed in a long time was gaining strength and size,” Richard stated, rubbing his chin.
His eyes stared into space as if he was in deep thought.
Athissa’s brows furrowed.
“And?
What does it have to do with me?”
“Have you heard of the Ravenfort Pack?” Donovan asked, grunting.
“I heard of them.
They’re a pack obsessed with birds,” Athissa rolled her eyes.
She didn’t care about them since, for her, it was none of her business to sniff other packs’ problems.
“They sent us a letter,” Richard stood up from the sofa and walked toward’s Donovan’s table.
“A letter?”
Athissa’s skin crawled upon hearing those words.
She felt like she was going to be used.
“The letter stated that they request us to provide someone with the capability to heal,” Richard continued.
“Which is why we called you here.”
“To be sent there?”
Athissa forced herself not to roll her eyes at the alpha.
“Why me?
I’m pretty sure I’m not what they need since I’m basically not a traditional healer.
I’m a doctor.”
“It’s still the same thing, Athissa,” Donovam retorted.
“Both professions help sometimes.”
Athissa fell silent for a few seconds, trying to think of a solution since a part of her didn’t sit well with the idea that she was the one going to an unknown pack.
“The Ravenfort pack, as far as I’ve heard, has been suffering from a rogue attack since their territory is close to the forbidden forest where most wild animals and rogue wolves reside.
What they need is a healer to strengthen their wolves and help them increase their healing capabilities.
It’s not me that they need,” Athissa explained calmly.
Donovan and Richard looked at one another, sharing words through their mind link.
Ensuring Athissa would hear none of it.
Athissa looked down at her dirty shoes.
Even though she didn’t want to go there, she didn’t have much choice if the alpha king demanded it.
“My sister, Althea, is practicing to become a healer, but you choose me instead,” Athissa muttered.
Her heart felt like it was broken to pieces.
Athissa knew her family favored Althea because she was the youngest of four siblings.
Even her two brothers favored their little sister over her.
“Althea is still young, and she was not a fully pledged healer.
It’s too dangerous for her to go there, and what if something bad happens to her?
I can’t forgive myself if that happens!” Donovan slammed his fist on the table.
He was angry that Athissa even mentioned it.
“Then what about me?” Athissa looked up, meeting her father’s gaze.
Even though she knew the answer, she still wanted to hear what he would say.
“You’re the older sibling, and you need to take responsibility for the family.
This isn’t a question, Athissa.
This is an order from your pack leaders!” Donovan stated as if he wasn’t talking to his own blood.
Athissa’s eyes reddened as she tried to stop the tears from escaping.
She knew she wasn’t the favorite daughter to begin with, and they lost all hope for her.
But what hurt Athissa most was how they all decided that she was the one they would throw away without asking her first.
“Or is it because I’m already 28 years old with no prospect of finding a mate?” Athissa whispered softly.
Her voice was barely there, but it was enough to be heard.
Richard cleared his throat.
“Athissa, I hope you understand.
My oldest son, the heir, fancied Althea, and we hoped that if she came-of-age, they would be mated.”
Athissa chuckled softly, shaking her head.
She looked straight into Richard’s eyes, unafraid even though he was her alpha.
“Your oldest son, David, is already 30 years old, older than me, yet you hoped my younger sister, who is still 15, would marry him?” Athissa said with disbelief.
In their world, a she-wolf would come-of-age at the period of 16, which would unlock their hidden sense and find their mate.
No one batted an eye at those who married young.
However, if a she-wolf reached the age of 25 without finding a mate, she would be considered trash.
A woman undesirable.
But that rule didn’t affect males.
They could find or marry at any given age they wanted.
There was no rush for them.
For Athissa, she didn’t mind if Althea would find her mate, but the age gap between the possible union of the alpha heir and her younger sister bewildered her to the core.