The morning air inside the pack house was quiet, almost peaceful, as if the events of the past days had never happened. Raine knew better. They hid somewhere, waiting for the right moment to surface again.
She was finally allowed to leave her room after being told to stay put for three days. Most of her wounds have healed. However, the skin on her back would never be the same.
The first time she saw her back in the mirror, she almost shrieked at the horrific sight. But after some time, she shrugged. The wound would eventually heal, and she didn’t feel the need to dwell on it; she needed to focus on the problem at hand.
She stood near the small wooden table in her room, carefully grinding dried herbs inside a stone mortar. The mixture sent a faint natural scent into the air.
Behind her, Brianna hovered near the doorway. The young omega could barely contain her excitement. She looked both excited and nervous, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she watched Raine work.
Today, everything felt brighter to her. Raine had agreed to let her help. Brianna had spent most of the night awake thinking about it, wondering what kind of work Raine would give her and whether she would be useful at all.
The omega had never assisted a healer before, or anyone, specifically, to say the least, but the idea alone filled her with a strange warmth.
Raine noticed the movement without looking up. "You’re going to make a hole in the floor if you keep doing that."
Brianna froze. "S-s-sorry."
Exhaling and setting the mortar aside, Raine finally turned to face her. "You don’t need to apologize every time you breathe."
"I-I’m just... h-happy." Brianna gave a shy smile. Her brown eyes were shining with excitement. "When the A-alpha said I c-could assist you..." she continued, her voice trembling slightly, "I-I thought maybe I could be u-useful."
Leaning her hip against the table, Raine frowned. "Useful, hm?"
"I-I can clean herbs, carry things, b-bring water—" Brianna said eagerly.
Raine raised a hand, and Brianna immediately stopped talking. She studied the omega’s glowing expression. "You look far too happy."
"I—I am?"
Raine’s lips curved faintly, though it was the kind of smile that never quite reached her eyes. "Yes. That’s exactly the problem."
Looking at Brianna tilting her head in confusion, Raine sighed and crossed her arms. "Brianna," she said, "make sure you are not dead if I fail to cure the poison from Landon’s body."
The words struck Brianna.
She was stunned. "W-What?" Her eyes widened, and the cheerful light that had been dancing in them vanished almost immediately. Brianna didn’t expect Raine to remind her about her agreement with the Alpha straightforwardly. "I—"
"I’m just reminding you."
"You... y-you scared me." Brianna swallowed with difficulty.
"Good. I’m only making sure you’re not too happy."
Brianna looked genuinely confused.
Raine only shrugged her shoulders as if she were discussing the weather. "Make sure you are not being dragged down with my failure, because if Landon dies, the pack will want someone to blame." Brianna’s smile slowly faded, but Raine continued. "And since you’ll be helping me, there’s a good chance they’ll drag you down with me. This isn’t a safe place."
For a moment, Brianna didn’t know what to say. She knew Raine had enemies in this pack. Everyone knew that much. But hearing it said so casually made her stomach twist. "I know." Brianna lowered her gaze.
"Do you?" Raine gestured toward the pack house around them. "Landon is poisoned. The Alpha is furious. Someone tried to hide a deadly plant in his son’s room." She paused. "Nothing about this situation is simple or safe."
Brianna’s fingers twisted nervously together. After a few seconds, she straightened her shoulders. "But... I-I still want to help."
Raine looked at her. Really looked at her this time. The girl looked fragile, and yet, there was a quiet determination in her eyes. For a brief moment, something unreadable flickered in Raine’s green eyes before she picked up the mortar again and resumed grinding herbs.
"Suit yourself."
***
Across the pack house, the atmosphere was far less calm.
In the Alpha’s study, Ariana was crying. "I swear I didn’t know," she cried, clutching the fabric of her dress as tears streamed down her face. "I thought they were water lilies. I didn’t know they were poisonous. I would never hurt Landon. I would never do that to him."
Her long red hair clung messily to her cheeks, her baby bump rising and falling quickly with every shaky breath.
Across from her, Alpha Janson remained seated behind his desk, his broad shoulders rigid with restrained anger.
Beside Ariana stood her mate. Beta Dexter kept one arm firmly around her trembling shoulders, holding her steady while she cried.
"She’s telling the truth," Dexter said in a calm but firm voice. His eyes met the Alpha’s steadily. "My mate wouldn’t have done something like this, Alpha. She would never harm Landon. She’s cared for him since he was a boy. She sees him like her own son."
Janson remained silent. The tension inside the room thickened. His gaze shifted between the two of them. "You’re asking me to believe that it was a mistake."
"Yes," Beta Dexter replied, while beside him, Ariana nodded frantically. "Yes."
For a long moment, the Alpha said nothing, thinking about this matter carefully.
Everyone in the pack knew that Ariana was six months pregnant. And Dexter was not just any wolf. He was the beta of the pack—a valuable one. Putting the beta’s mate into the dungeon, especially given her condition, would send a very negative message to the rest of the pack. It would reflect poorly on the beta and, to some extent, on him as well.
"I will not send her to the dungeon," he said.
Relief washed over Ariana, and Dexter’s grip on her tightened. "T-thank you, Alpha."
"However," Jason continued, his voice turning sharper, "this matter is not over." He shifted his attention to Dexter. "You will investigate everything."
Dexter nodded. "I will find the truth."
"Make sure you do."
***
Later that afternoon, Raine walked down the familiar corridor toward Landon’s room. Brianna followed nervously behind her, carrying a wooden tray with a simple lunch for Landon: fresh bread, a bowl of stew, and a small cup filled with a bitter herbal mixture.
The young omega kept glancing around the hallway as if expecting someone to suddenly appear and accuse them of something, while Raine walked without hesitation.
The guards outside the door stepped aside when they saw her approach.
Raine knocked once before pushing it open. "I brought—" She stopped mid-sentence.
Landon was not alone. Another man with copper hair stood inside the room near the window. He leaned casually against the wall with his arms crossed, watching with open curiosity.
Raine frowned slightly. She didn’t recognize him.
Landon was sitting upright in bed, looking far more alert than he had been the previous days. His blue and black eyes shifted toward her. "Good," he said flatly.
Raine stepped inside, and Brianna followed her like a shadow.
Raine looked at the man near the window and Landon gestured toward her. "Come here."
Knew this would probably take a long time, Raine asked Brianna to place the tray down on the table and for her to return to the kitchen.
At first, Raine didn’t move. Her eyes narrowed. "I only brought your food and medicine," she said.
"I wasn’t asking." Landon’s gaze remained steady. "Come here."
"I’m not your servant." But Raine asked anyway. "What do you want? If this is another ridiculous request—"
Landon cut her off. "I want you to do something."
"That sounds suspicious." Raine frowned suspiciously, she was unhappy. It was only a few days ago that she managed to survive this pack, she didn’t have any intention to get into another trouble so soon.
The man near the window made a quiet sound that might have been a suppressed laugh. Raine’s eyes flicked toward him sharply. But Landon didn’t even look in the stranger’s direction. His gaze stayed locked on Raine. "Come here," he repeated.
Raine felt irritation rising in her chest. Slowly, reluctantly, she walked closer to the bed. "Now what?" she muttered.
Landon leaned back against the pillows. And needless to say, she already hated it.