Ch. 151..155: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 151-155

Chapter 151 Dangerous visit BECKY Before my brain could start spinning out with the possibilities of this revelation, I gestured to the cots pressed up against the walls. “Why don’t you take a seat and tell me more about this,” I advised gently. “I’ll go grab a stool and then we can talk.” The mother nodded, and as they got situated back in their beds, I stepped into the office and grabbed the stool in front of the desk, along with a notepad and a pen. I carefully wheeled the chair out into the hallway in front of their beds and opened the pad to a fresh sheet of paper once I sat down. “So, before we start, what are your names?” I asked with a small smile. “I’m we start, what are your names?” Becky, and I’m a researcher and healer in training from Anemond.” “Anemond?” the mother asked in surprise, and when I nodded, her eyes widened. “Wow. I’ve never been to the capital before. Is it as amazing as they say?” “Parts of it are alright,” I admitted, and then I leaned in closer. “But from what I’ve seen of Wild Crawler… it’s much better here.” “Really?” she gasped, and her hand fell to her chest. “My goodness. That’s quite a compliment. Well, anyways, my name is Angela, and this is my daughter, Marina.” Marina smiled and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” I said genuinely. “Now, could you tell me more about what you said? That the disease came from the mountain? What does that ean?” Marina and Angela glanced at one another and then Angela cleared her throat. “I didn’t believe the rumors when I went there for a visit,” she explained quietly,

1/4 and she folded her hands in her lap. “But it seemed to be true. Otherwise, why would Marina and I have gotten infected so quickly after our trip?”

“If that’s the case, why didn’t I see that same pattern in other patients’ records?” I asked respectfully. “I didn’t see any evidence stating that the patients. here all came from near the mountains?” Angela let out a small sigh and then shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I know that not all of the people who got infected came here for help because they knew this wasn’t going to be cured. I know a few people, neighbors, friends, people I’ve known my whole life… they chose to stay home rather than die in this cold, dark clinic.” At the mention of death, Angela’s eyes started to well up with tears. “Hey, don’t cry-” I tried to soothe her, but it was no use. The tears spilled onto her pale cheeks, and when I looked over at Marina, I was saddened to see that she was crying as well. My heart began to ache as sadness knawed at my belly. This was a terrible situation that no one deserved to be in. Both Angela and Marina were far too young to have to worry about death. Though I nearly joined them in their fit of upset, I managed to pull myself together. I needed to stay under control and put them at ease to keep the other patients from panicking as well. “Shhh,” I attempted again to soothe them. “Please, don’t cry. It’s going to be alright. I promise I’m going to visit the mountain area and try to find some evidence to corroborate your theory. I’ll take some samples, interview some people, and do everything in my power to get us closer to some answers.” “Thank you,” Marina sniffled, and after she wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve, she turned to her still-weeping mother. “Please, Mother. Take a deep breath. Let’s try to get some sleep, alright? You’ve been awake for hours.” Angela nodded, and eventually, she layed down in her col. As Marina tucked her in and wrapped a blanket around her, recurring memories flashed in my mind. I’d 2/4 spent countless nights doing the same for my own ailing mother. I would wipe her tears, tuck her into bed, and soothe her cries. It was a difficult job, but I would do it a million times over. “Get some sleep,” I said gently. “Good night, ladies.” “Good night, Healer Becky,” Marina said, and as I walked back down the corridor, a smile reached my

lips. Healer Becky. No one had ever called me that before. When I returned to the office, I closed the door and lay down on the couch. Though I was physically tired, my mind raced. I didn’t know how much I believed in a “curse of the mountain” but there had to be something behind Angela’s belief, and I wanted to find out what it was. When Dic kson arrived at the clinic early the next morning, I felt like the walking dead. I was awake, but just barely, and hadn’t left my perch on the office couch. “Good morning,” he greeted me chipperly, and he gestured to me with a brown paper bag. “I brought us some breakfast.”” “That’s very kind of you,” I said, and I stifled a yawn as he rifled through the bag. He handed me a fragrant pastry, and my mouth began to water as I accepted it gratefully. “Did something happen last night?” he frowned as his blue eyes trailed over me. “Your eyes have dark circles. Did you get any rest?” 1 took a bite of the pastry and then shook my head. “No,” I said. “Not exactly. But I do have something I’d like to discuss with you.” “Of course,” Dic kson replied seriously, and he dragged a chair over to me. He took a seat and then studied me closely. “What’s going on?” 3/4 I took a breath and then told him what Angela had told me last night. Dic kson. listened carefully, and once I was finished, he frowned. “I’ve heard of this before,” he admitted, and his eyebrows knitted together. “But I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time. People tend to believe in superstition when they find medical science unable to clear their doubts and fears. What do you think, Becky? Is this something you find any validity in?” I looked at him for a moment and then answered. “Dic kson, have you heard anything about sorcery before?” I wondered. His frown deepened and he shook his head. “No.”

I sighed and decided to be frank. “I don’t completely believe in what Angela said,” I began. “But me and my colleagues in Anemond highly suspect that this disease is related to old sorcery.” Dic kson looked shocked, to say the least, but I continued anyway. I briefly told him what we had found in Anemond- the poison and the suspicious sorcerer, but I didn’t give him all of the details. As I finished the story, Dic kson remained silent. I knew he probably didn’t believe me. Just as I was about to say something else, he let out a heavy exhale. “This definitely isn’t what I expected you to tell me,” he said slowly. “And it’s hard for me to believe in the existence of sorcery. But I agree with you, Becky. Since we have no clue yet how to cure the disease, any information is worth investigating.” I nodded. “We should visit the mountain area,” Dic kson decided. “But I think you should report this information to the Alpha first. He needs to be aware and evaluate the risk of it all. If what Angela says is true, it’s highly possible that we could get infected by visiting the area.” 4/4 BECKY

Chapter 152 Angela’s friend I went to Wild Crawler’s Pack House immediately after our conversation. Dic kson remained at the clinic in my stead. He’d gotten plenty of rest the night before, so he was awake enough to handle the patients while I was away. The entire walk there, I tried to formulate a plan. I needed Alpha Rayden’s permission and blessing to leave since I was a guest in his Pack, and I wanted to speak with him in a way that demonstrated that I was up to the task of investigating the mountain area of Wild Crawler. Being younger than most of my peers presented me with a challenge when it came to most things. While I wasn’t as experienced as most, I was a hard worker and quick on my feet. Once I reached the Pack House, Jasper escorted me to the Alpha. Rayden was sitting in his library and when I entered the room, his eyebrows knitted together. “Becky,” he greeted me as his dark eyes studied me with concern. “Is everything alright? You look exhausted.” “It was a long night,” I admitted and I managed a small smile. “I appreciate you asking. I’m okay, though.” “Good,” Rayden noted, and then he tilted his head slightly. “How can I help you then?” I took a breath and then explained everything I had heard from Angela and Marina in the clinic. I told the story in vivid detail so Alpha Rayden could get a clear image of what was happening, or at least what could be happening. When I asked for his permission to leave, he simply nodded. “Of course,” he said. “But I must insist that you take extra guards with you. The 1/5 strange. I don’t want you to go alone, not when you’re a guest of mine.” “Thank you, Alpha Rayden,” I replied gratefully. “I appreciate it.” With his blessing in mind, I asked to use one of the Pack House phones to call Cas sandra in

Anemond. Since this project was hers, I wanted to make sure she knew what was happening here and get her advice since she had once lived here. Erika answered the clinic phone and after some brief small talk, she handed it over to Cas sandra. “Becky?” she asked in surprise. “Is everything okay? How are you?”

“I’m fine,” I noted. “Though, I do have some news.” I told her everything, and once I was finished, she let out a soft exhale. “Be careful,” she urged me gently. “This could be a highly dangerous situation. The last thing we need is for you to get infected.” “I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “I promise you, Cas sy, I’ll take extra care and wear a mask so I can limit exposure.” “Okay,” the healer replied. “Remember, Becky, your safety is the most important thing. If it gets too bad out there, I want you to leave.” “I will,” I promised. Once I finished my conversation with Cas sandra, I went back to the clinic. I needed to prepare for the visit to the mountains and get some more information from Angela about where to go. spent a good amount of the day treating patients alongside Dic kson. It was mostly uneventful and Dic kson didn’t seem too talkative. I tried to get a read on his emotions, but it was difficult. I chalked it up to residual tiredness and didn’t think much of it. E But at the end of the day, when we retired to the office for a breather, Dic kson cleared his throat and crossed his arms against his chest. “Becky, I’ve been thinking about it and I think it would be best for me to go alone,” he announced. “You could stay here in the clinic while I’m gone-” “No way,” I blurted out immediately. “No, I’m not letting you go alone-” “Please, at least take a moment to think about it,” he sighed. “Who is going to take care of the patients

and continue to figure out a cure if we both get infected? We don’t need to increase the risk by all of our eggs in one basket.” I wanted to fight against his words immediately, but he had a point. I considered his proposal for a moment but ultimately shook my head. “No,” I decided. “I understand what you’re saying Dic kson, but I think we have to do this. We need to make the utmost effort to figure out the source of the disease. And I think we need to do it together. I know you’re worried about me, but I’m not vulnerable. I’ve been working on this research for a while. I’m not going to sit behind and do nothing.” I raised my chin slightly and waited for his response. After a moment of silence, Dic kson exhaled. “Okay,” he said. “Then we’ll both go.” *** We left the next day. Jasper and a few se rvants agreed to take care of the patients in our stead, so Dic kson and I were free to leave. Alpha Rayden assigned a driver to take us, and thankfully, it didn’t take long for us to arrive at the mountain area. Only one road led in, and was surprised when we arrived. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected from Angela’s description, but I was surprised at the sight of the place. The mountain area was more like an isolated village tucked 3/5 away amongst tall ridges. It was lovely and idyllic up here. When we reached what the driver told us was the residential area, I spotted a small lake through the window. It was right in the center of the residential district, and as we got closer, I noticed a few villagers taking water from the lake. “Can we stop here?” I asked the driver politely, and though he seemed surprised by the question, he nodded and the car came to a stop. Dic kson frowned. “What are we doing?” he asked. “I want to talk to them,” I announced, and I quickly pulled a mask from my

medical kit. “I’ll be right back.” After I got out of the car, I slipped the mask on and approached the villagers. The trio of women halted their conversation at once and widened their eyes as I walked over. “Hello,” I greeted them. They glanced at one another and didn’t say anything. They appeared timid and I couldn’t blame them. I was a stranger, after all, so I couldn’t blame them. “My name is Becky,” I tried again. “What are you gathering the water for-” Before I could even finish my question, the women ran away. I stood there in shock for a moment. What was going on? Dic kson appeared a moment later. “Should we go after them?” I shook my head. “No. I don’t want to scare them further. Let’s get back in the car and get to Angela’s friend’s house.” We got back to the car and then asked the driver to take us to our original destination. It wasn’t too much further, and we stopped at a small yellow house at the edge of the residential area. It was no bigger than the one I shared with my mother, and I 4/5 admired the wildflowers planted along the path. Dic kson and I grabbed our masks and then got out of the car. We headed up the drive and my heart pounded in my chest. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was nervous all the same. I knocked on the door and moments later, it opened to reveal a pretty middle-aged woman. Her green eyes trailed over me as her eyebrows knitted together. “Hello?” she asked in surprise. “Who are you?” “Hello, ma’am,” I said politely. “My name is Becky-” Before I could finish my sentence, the woman tried to close the door. Instinctively, I tried to stop her, and my hand got caught in the door. I let out a cry of surprise and the woman’s face grew apologetic.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she apologized but she still didn’t seem eager to speak. My hand throbbed but I forced myself to ignore it. “Please, can we speak with you?” I asked. “I’m a healer and researcher from Anemond. I was hoping to talk to you and get some answers about something I’m currently working on. I won’t take up much of your time.” The woman hesitated for a moment and then glanced down at my reddened hand. “Okay,” she decided, and she held the door open for us. “Please, come in.” 5/5

Chapter 153 Water from the lake BECKY Dic kson and I stepped into the woman’s home, and the moment we did, the strong scent of herbs tickled my nose even through my mask. The scent was pleasant but erring on the side of too potent, and winced slightly. The woman led us to her parlor, and as we stepped through the kitchen, I was reminded of my home back in Anemond. Her house was cozy and simple, and my heart ached a little as I thought of my mother. Once we entered the other room, the woman stared at me for a second. Though her eyes were bright, the rest of her looked exhausted. Her skin was deathly pale, and though she wore a top with a high collar, I could see a prominent back mark that spanned from her neck to her ear. “Please, take a seat,” she said, and she gestured at the round white dining room table. “Can I make you some teap Dic kson and I glanced at one another as we took a seat. “No thank you,” I said as I shook my head politely. “I appreciate your hospitality, but we’re here to ask you a few questions. We won’t take up much of your time, ma’am, I promise.” The woman’s expression sank even further and her lips curled down slightly. “I don’t have any answers for you,” she whispered. “Anything can help,” I tried to coax it out of her. “Angela sent us. She said you might be able to help us. We’re on your side here. We just want to help.” At the mention of Angela’s name, the woman’s lips parted in surprise and then she took a long, deep breath. 1/5 “You can’t help us, miss,” she replied, and she gripped the back of one of the dining room chairs tightly as she stared at the floor. “We’re cursed. No one can help us.”

“How do you know that?” I asked, and I leaned forward in my seat and rested my hands on the table. The woman’s chest heaved up and down and her lower lip trembled.. “D-d-d-don’t you see h-healer?” she asked as she gestured at her neck, and her voice grew louder as she began to emotionally break down. “Everyone here was infected with this…thing. It’s been so long and no one has been able to cure the disease. People have been dying left and right. There are so few of us left now.” As she dissolved into tears, I started to stand, but Dic kson gripped my arm and shook his head. I wanted nothing more than to soothe the poor woman, but if the disease was really as rampant in this part of the country as she was making it seem, then we couldn’t get too close. We remained silent until the woman calmed down a bit. She took long, deep breaths until finally, she was able to raise her head and look at us again. “Whatever questions you have, I’m not sure if I can help you,” she said. “I know very grew little. No one knows how the disease got started so no one knows why it more severe.” I was about to ask a follow-up question, but before the words could escape my mouth, the woman spoke again. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to take care of my husband. He’s far iller than I am. If your hand is better, miss, you should leave.” Dic kson and I shared another look and then I nodded. We rose from our seats and just as we prepared to follow the woman out, another question escaped me. “Why are people taking water from the lake?” I wondered. “When we arrived, we saw women there filling up containers. As far as we know, the whole village has tap water. So why draw from the lake?” 2/5 The woman didn’t appear as if she were going to answer, and then finally, she sighed. “By taking the water, we can slow the progress of the disease.”

“How?” I asked. The woman huffed impatiently and gestured toward the door. She glared at me angrily. “Please leave,” she demanded. “Immediately.” Dic kson and I wasted no time and nodded. We scrambled out of the house quickly and once we reached the lawn, I released a heavy sigh. “Well, that didn’t go how I thought it would,” I murmured. I stared back at the house and my mind began to spin. I hadn’t intended Angela’s friend to give us all of the answers we required, but I’d expected far more than she’d given. At the very least, at least we got to witness the disease. It was obvious that the people of the mountain really were sick. Had Angela been correct? Had the disease originated from here? “Are you okay?” Dic kson asked as he gestured at my still-red hand. I nodded. “I’m alright. I appreciate you asking.” “Of course,” he said. “Come on. Let’s go to the village and see if we can find someone else to help us.” After we shared a nod, we walked further into the residential area. As we meandered through the village, it seemed obvious that everyone was trying to avoid us. I wasn’t sure if it could be attributed to our masks or the fact that we were outsiders, but either way, we couldn’t get much information. 3/5 “Dic kson, what do you think about what the woman said?” I asked after a while. “I don’t know,” he admitted, and he took off his glasses and wiped the fog from the lenses on the hem of his shirt. “But I doubt the water from the lake could be effective.” I nodded. “I figured as much. But there’s no reason for the woman to lie. Since there are villagers taking water from the lake, we should try to collect a sample. We can test it in the lab and make sure there aren’t any properties we weren’t aware of.” We decided that since we weren’t making good progress with the villagers and it was unlikely anyone

would give us information, we should head back to the clinic. On the way out, we asked the driver to take us back to the lake. When we arrived, I was surprised to see another group of women collecting water in buckets. I grabbed a test tube from my medical kit and Dic kson and I approached the lake, but when we got closer, the women rushed away. I fought back a sigh. I wished we could speak to them, but I wasn’t going to force them into a conversation. So, I took a sample of the water, and once it was collected, we returned to the car and headed back to the clinic. Our drive was silent but short. When we arrived back at the clinic, I wanted to go to sleep, but before I retired to the office’s couch, I decided to check in with Angela. Thankfully, she and Marina were still awake, and they offered me smiles as ! approached. “Healer Becky,” Angela said. “You’re back.” “I am,” I said with a small smile. “I went to the mountain area. I tried to speak with your friend but she didn’t want to answer any questions.” ΕΠ

 

Chapter 154 Water sample BECKY Angela stared at me in disbelief and her eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean?” she asked confusedly, and she glanced over at Marina. Her daughter shrugged and stared at me with the same expression. “The water in the lake,” I clarified, and when she still didn’t seem to understand what I meant, I took a breath and then relayed what her friend had told me about the water and its supposedly healing properties. “Did you know anything about this?” I asked once I finished. Angela shook her head slowly. “No, I didn’t. No one ever said anything about it, especially not her. Besides, when I was there for a visit… Pauline just kept crying. She was so upset about her health and her husband’s that I was hardly able to get a word in otherwise. All I could do was try to soothe her. She used to be so happy before, but since the illness set in, she hasn’t been the same.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” I remarked. I couldn’t blame Angela’s friend in the slightest. Any person would feel the same in her situation, and my heart ached at the thought of so many citizens in Wegalla suffering a similar fate. This feeling motivated me as a researcher and healer in training. I would do all I could to help Ca ssandra cure the mysterious disease. Suddenly, an idea crossed my mind. “This might be a silly question, but did you drink anything there?” I wondered. “Anything in your friend’s house? Either of you?” Angela frowned but nodded as if it were completely obvious. “Of course. I was there half a day. Pauline made me tea.” 1/5 Of course. Tea would have been made with water, which meant there was a strong chance its source was from the lake. I had a bold suspicion.

The disease could be spreading from the water in the lake. Of course, I wasn’t entirely positive that this was the case. It was a bit of a long-shot and I had little to no evidence, but I decided I would run the idea by Dic kson first. I bid goodnight to Angela and Marina and then quietly returned to the office. Dic kson was there waiting and once the door was shut, I told him my idea.

He was a little surprised by it, ut agreed that my suspicion had a point. We hadn’t suspected the water because we had all assumed that the Wild Crawler members drank tap water, which should be from the same source. But if the villagers in the mountain area drank water from the lake, it could be the source of the disease. I thought then of the sorcerors. Did someone poison the lake? A chill traveled down my spine at the idea. Di kson and I spent the rest of the evening speaking with the many patients in the clinic, conducting interviews about what they knew to see if my theory had any legs to stand on. Luckily for us, many of them were native to the districts near the mountain area. Some remembered they took water home with them after a visit because the lake was clean, and they believed it represented good luck. Others couldn’t remember if they had consumed or gotten wet from the waters at all. Unfortunately, these varying stories didn’t make much of a difference. My suspicion couldn’t be proven by mere conversation alone. If I wanted to know more, I had to test the water sample. 2/5 *** I went to the Pack House with Dic kson. Once we arrived, we were greeted by some guards who immediately escorted us to Alpha Rayden. I was tired from my visit and longed for a nap, but I knew my business took precedence. I could sleep later once my findings were made known to the Alpha.

But just as we were about to meet with him, Dic kson touched my arm. “I can handle Alpha Rayden,” he decided. “I’ll update him on everything we’ve learned. In the meantime, why don’t you call Cas sandra Keller in Anemond? I’m sure she wants to know what’s going on and she might have some insight that could help us.” “Good idea,” I said, and I offered my fellow healer a smile. “Thank you, Dic kson. I appreciate all of your help.” “Of course, Becky,” he replied. A se rvant escorted me to an empty office, and once the door was closed behind me, I dialed the clinic in Anemond’s number. As I waited for an answer, a lump formed in my throat. I was experiencing some lingering nervousness about all of this and was worried about what Ca ssandra would say about my theory. Luckily, she picked up quickly. “Cas sy?” I prompted her. “It’s Becky.” “Becky?” Cas sandra said in surprise. “What’s going on? Did you visit the mountain area?” “I did,” I confirmed. I told her everything about our visit and our working theory about the lake water. Cas sandra was silent for a little while and then cleared her throat. 3/5 “Becky, I think it’s time for you to return to Anemond,” she said reluctantly. I frowned. “What do you mean? I want to stay here and help-” “I know you do,” Cas sandra interrupted gently. “But-” “Alpha Rayden is going to be visiting Anemond soon,” I spoke quickly. “He cou. take the sample back with him.” “The sample needs to be tested immediately,” Ca ssandra insisted calmly. “And I can’t find another trustworthy healer as excellent as you, Becky. I need you. Besides, I spoke with the Alpha King and he said he’s going to send more healers to Wild Crawler. He also said that more soldiers will be sent to the

Pack to keep things under control.” I fell silent as her words set in. I wanted to argue and remain here. But she was right. We needed Anemond’s equipment to test the sample. “Okay,” I said. “You’re right. I need to finish some business here and then I’ll return as soon as possible.” Once the conversation concluded, I left the office and when I stepped out into the hall, Dic kson was waiting for me. He frowned slightly. His expression told me that he’d likely heard what I’d said to Cas sandra about returning to Anemond. But the healer didn’t say anything. Instead, we left the Pack House quietly and started walking back to the clinic. After a minute or two, I spoke up. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I said I would stay to help and now I can’t keep my promise.” “It’s okay,” Dic kson replied, but his eyes remained fixer on a point beyond us. “Cas s andra told me more healers are on the way,” I continued. “So you won’t have to fight this alone. I know I’m leaving, but I’m going to do everything in my power to find a cure.” 4/5 This time, he finally looked at me and his lower lip twitched. “I believe you,” he said. We fell into silence again until we reached the clinic. “When are you leaving?” Dic kson asked. I I “Maybe the day after tomorrow?” I guessed. “I want to get organized and check. the patients’ data once more before I leave.” He nodded. We didn’t speak for the rest of the day. I could tell as we worked that Dic kson was distressed but I couldn’t figure out why. I wanted to ask him outright, but like always, we were extremely busy.

So, I put my head down and concentrated on my work. 5/5

Chapter 155 Suspicion ASHER “Checkmate,” I announced with a small smirk, and when I looked at Finnick, I had to fight a laugh. The poor boy pouted as his big gray eyes stared down at the board and appeared disappointed. “Shoot,” he muttered. “Don’t be sad,” I chuckled, and I reached across the table and touched his arm gently. “You’re making excellent progress, Finnick. You’re learning chess in such a short amount of time. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before you will defeat me.” The young boy didn’t seem all that convinced and continued to study the board carefully without saying a word. Meanwhile, I looked at Finnick and began to wonder whether I should let him win the next time we played. It was incredibly tempting, but I remembered Cas sandra’s advice that Finnick was a proud child who wouldn’t be happy if he found out I’d deliberately lost the game. Just as I was about to say something to cheer Finnick up, Cas sandra finished her call and entered the room. Her emerald eyes were full of worry and her fair cheeks were even more pale than usual. She tugged at a strand of her long copper hair and then turned to Finnick. “Honey, I need to speak with the Alpha King alone,” she requested politely. Finnick nodded right away and rose to his feet. He was far more polite than most boys his age and I admired how easily he seemed to understand his mother’s needs. Erika stepped in to play with the boy while Cas sandra gestured for me to follow her. I stood up and once we were in the hallway, I tried to read her expression. 1/5 “What’s going on?” I asked. Cas sandra remained silent but took my hand and led me to the meeting room. Once the door was closed behind us, she let out a small sigh.

“I just spoke with Becky on the phone,” she revealed. “It seems like the situation in Wild Crawler is far worse than we imagined.”

“What do you mean?” I said as my eyebrows came together in confusion. I was well aware that C ass andra’s former Pack was in rough shape. I’d sent a group of royal healers to aid the singular clinic, but from the look on her face, it was clear that it hadn’t been enough. Cas sandra carefully took a seat on the edge of one of the leather sofas and stared vacantly in the distance. Distress painted her features, and while I wanted to push to find out what had happened, I knew I needed to grant her some space to gather her thoughts. We lingered in silence for a few minutes until she relinquished a sigh. “Becky went to visit the mountain area in Wild Crawler,” she revealed finally. “She got Alpha Rayden’s permission to go investigate. She got a tip from one of the patients in the clinic who mentioned that the disease originated from there.” My lips parted in surprise. “The mountain area,” I repeated back. Cas sandra nodded. “There’s a lake there that’s a prominent water source for the Pack. Becky thinks there’s a chance that the waters are infected. We aren’t sure how many people have drank from it, but it seems to be a high amount. As such, Becky took a sample of the waters. We want to test it and see if it holds any properties that could support her theory.” “A tainted water supply,” I breathed, and as the word, sank in, I ran my hand through my hair. This wasn’t good at all. 2/5 I could see the worry in Cas sandra’s demeanor. She had a deep attachment to Wild Crawler after living there for five years. I could tell her heart was aching for her people. I reached out and gently squeezed her hand. When her beautiful eyes met my gaze, I pulled her closer and then into my arms. I rested my chin on her head and rubbed her back to soothe her.

“More healers and soldiers are ready to support Wild Crawler,” I assured her gently. “I promise, Cas sandra, we’ll get to the bottom of this and make sure that the people of the Pack are taken care of.” She nodded quietly. We remained locked in each other’s arms. I snuggled her close and buried my face in her sweet- smelling hair. When Cas sandra spoke again, she said something that made me freeze in surprise. “If the disease came from the water, someone must have poisoned it,” she whispered. Though she didn’t name names in her declaration, I knew at once that we likely had the same suspect in mind. Emmett Keller. Cas sandra’s former husband. I could feel her heart pounding in her chest and squeezed her tighter. I knew this was all almost too much to bear. She had been Emmett’s friend and mentee. It was probably hard to even consider him to be a villain. “I’ll be by your side no matter what the truth is,” I assured her. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.” “Thank you, Asher,” she replied, and when we pulled apart, she offered me a 3/5 tiny smile and wiped her eyes. They were red and wet with tears. I hadn’t even realized she had been crying. Just as I was about to say something more, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Cas sandra called out, and she quickly regained her composure. The door opened to reveal Erika. “Cas sandra, there’s a guard here who wants to report something to the Alpha King,” she said with an apologetic look. Cas sandra nodded and then turned to me. “Go ahead,” she urged me. “We can talk more later.” I nodded and after Erika stepped back out into the hallway, I kissed Cas sandra on the forehead. After

she smiled at me, I headed out of the meeting room. A pair of guards stood waiting for me, and after they offered me bows respect, one of them spoke. “Your Majesty, the Beta Silas wishes to see you,” he declared. “He has an urgent report.” “Thank you,” I said, and without hesitation, I left the clinic and followed the guards back to the palace. Once we reached my study, I was surprised to see Silas waiting outside of the doors. My brother-in- law’s face was deadly serious and his golden eyes appeared troubled. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said, and I held the door open for him. The Beta and I went inside, and once the door was closed, I released a short breath. I had no idea what this was about, but Silas wasn’t one to call an impromptu meeting. Silas took a seat on the chair opposite my desk, and once I was seated, he cleared his throat. 475 Your Majesty, I received a report from the border about Ector Felix’s illness,” he revealed solemnly. “His condition is deteriorating and the healers at the border couldn’t provide the necessary medical care. I worry that if there isn’t some kind intervention on Anemond’s royal healer’s behalf, he may not survive much longer.” As his words crashed over me, I rubbed my temples. I would need to visit the border sooner than planned. I had intended to go after Kaleb returned to the North, but now I had to expedite the trip.