Chapter 99: A Step Toward Healing
The air was crisp as we moved through the woods, our boots crunching over fallen leaves and winding roots. The forest was quiet except for the rustle of trees above and the occasional snapping of a twig underfoot. My heart pounded with each step, not from exhaustion but from anticipation.
Somewhere beyond the treeline was the Hollow Fang Pack — a notoriously cold and isolated group, especially when it came to outsiders. And today, we were delivering a cure to save their people.
I took the lead, not because I was the strongest or most experienced, but because this mission had been my idea. My mates walked close behind me, Liam ever alert, and Luther silent but watchful. Rowan and a handful of his best warriors flanked our group, each carrying a case of the serum that Dr. Boyd had finally perfected.
The cure wasn’t from me—not directly, anyway. Boyd had synthesized the immunity from my blood and saliva, isolating the trait that made me resistant to the disease that had nearly killed Luther. He’d turned that discovery into an injectable serum, one that could potentially save the werewolf race.
And today would be our first test outside of our own pack.
We crested a small ridge, and the dense woods opened into a wide clearing. At the far edge stood a tall iron gate flanked by watchtowers. The Hollow Fang Pack’s compound loomed behind it—tall stone buildings, trimmed with moss and guarded like a fortress. We were met with suspicion. At least a dozen warriors stood alert, weapons ready, their expressions hard.
“State your business,” one of them barked, stepping forward.
I lifted my chin. “We come bearing a cure for the disease. We’ve brought enough doses to help all of your infected.”
A murmur rippled through the guards. One of them turned and disappeared into the compound. Minutes later, the Alpha himself emerged—Alpha Rhys.
He was tall and broad, with weathered skin and icy eyes that pinned me in place. I’d heard he was cruel, untrusting of anyone outside of his territory. He looked at us like we were nothing but a threat.
“You claim to have a cure.” His voice was gravel and steel. “Many have claimed that. Why should I believe yours works?”
I stepped forward. “We cured our Alpha, Luther, with this serum. We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t certain. You have my word.”
I hated lying to the Alpha when she was asking for his trust, but her mates and Rowan warned her against telling the Alpha that it was her bit that saved Luther. They didn’t want to risk news of that spreading too far and making me more of a target.
Alpha Rhys crossed his arms. “Then prove it.”
He motioned to a few guards. They returned moments later with five sick wolves—weak, barely walking, their skin pale and marred with the telltale signs of the disease. Their presence tugged at my heart. I could see their pain, their fear.
“You’ll administer your cure to these five,” Rhys said. “You’ll remain within our borders for twenty-four hours. If they begin to recover, we’ll talk. If not…” He didn’t need to finish that sentence. The warning in his tone said enough.
Liam growled low in his throat, but I raised a hand to stop him.
“We accept,” I said softly.
The serum was injected into each wolf under Dr. Boyd’s supervision. Once it was done, the sick were taken back to their bunks to rest, and we were escorted to a guesthouse on the edge of the compound.
Guards remained posted outside, watching us with sharp eyes.
***
Later that night, as we sat quietly in the sparse stone-walled guesthouse, Alpha Rhys paid us a visit. “What do you want in return for this cure?” he asked me directly.
The question startled me. “Nothing. We only want to end the suffering that is ravaging the werewolf community and bring about peace.”
He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “No one does something like this for free. What’s your angle?”
I looked him dead in the eyes. “I’ve watched too many people die. I’ve held a child as she slipped away because we didn’t get the cure in time. I’m not here for politics or favors. I’m here to help.”
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he turned and left without another word.
***
The next day dawned slowly. I barely slept. I spent the morning pacing the narrow path behind the guesthouse, anxiously awaiting news. Then, just before noon, Alpha Rhys arrived again—but this time, his face was different.
Softer.
“I’ve seen the change,” he said without preamble. “They’re improving. The fever’s broken in all of them. One of them stood this morning—for the first time in days.”
Relief nearly brought me to my knees.
Alpha Rhys looked at me in a new light. “Perhaps you’re not here to manipulate or deceive. Perhaps… you really are what they say.”
“What do they say?” I asked, voice trembling.
He paused. “That you’re a gift from the Moon Goddess. That your blood might save us all.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded.
That night, we dined with the Hollow Fang Pack. The atmosphere had shifted—no more suspicion, just cautious curiosity and budding respect. I caught Alpha Rhys watching me across the fire, and when I met his eyes, he offered the smallest nod.
It was a start.
As we prepared to leave the next morning, he pulled me aside. “You’ve earned my trust. If you need allies, Hollow Fang will answer your call.”
Tears burned at the backs of my eyes. “Thank you.” I knew it was not proper for Luna’s to hug Alphas, but I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around him and give him a tight squeeze.
He didn’t say a word as we separated, but I could see the gratitude in his eyes and that was enough. We made plans to send enough serum to give to the rest of his pack and then we set off back home.
Liam and Luther stood beside me as we headed back into the woods, Rowan taking the lead. The cases of unused serum were packed away safely. We would visit the next pack soon. There was so much more to do—but we had taken the first step.
The world was beginning to heal.
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