Chapter 158
AYLA’S POV
The day started like any other, but by mid-morning, Logan was showing signs of coming down with something. His usually boundless energy had been replaced by sluggishness, and he kept rubbing at his nose and eyes.
I sat him on the couch, bundled up in a blanket, while Lily kept herself busy with a coloring book at the table. She was as vibrant as ever, but every so often, she’d glance at her brother with concern.
“I think he’s catching a cold,” I muttered to myself, brushing Logan’s hair back from his forehead.
Lily piped up. “Logan doesn’t like being sick. He gets grumpy.”
I smiled at her. “Well, we’ll try to make him feel better before he gets too grumpy, okay?”
My mind immediately went to Tammy. With her surprising medical knowledge from the last time we had a health scare at the pack house, I figured she’d have advice on what to do.
I found Tammy in the greenhouse, carefully tending to a row of plants that I assumed were herbs. She had dirt on her hands and a smudge on her cheek, but she didn’t seem to care.
“Tammy,” I called, stepping into the warm, earthy space.
She turned to me, wiping her hands on a rag. “What’s up?”
“Logan’s catching a cold,” I explained. “He’s looking miserable, and I don’t know if it’s something I should be worried about or if he just needs rest. You seemed to know a lot about this sort of thing before... I thought you might have some tips.”
Her expression softened. “Of course. Let me grab a few things.”
\---
By the time Tammy joined me in the living room, she had a small bundle of herbs and a determined look on her face.
“Okay,” she said, sitting down beside me. “First things first: he needs fluids. Lots of fluids. Do you have chamomile or honey tea? That’s a good start.”
I nodded. “We do. I’ll make some in a minute.”
“Good,” she said. “And these herbs—” she held them up—“can be steeped in hot water to help with congestion. Just make sure it’s lukewarm before you give it to him.”
She leaned over to check Logan’s pulse and temperature with a precision that surprised me.
“You’re good at this,” I said.
Tammy shrugged. “I’ve had practice.”
I tilted my head, curious. “Where did you learn all this?”
For a moment, her face clouded, but she quickly masked it with a small smile. “My mother taught me.”
I blinked, surprised. Tammy never talked about her family unless it was to complain about her father.
“She was really into herbal medicine,” Tammy continued, her tone turning wistful. “She loved teaching me about plants and their uses. We used to spend hours in the garden together.”
“That sounds lovely,” I said softly.
“It was,” she admitted. “She was... special.”
I could see the pain in her eyes and didn’t press further, but after a few moments of silence, Tammy started talking again.
\---
“My mother died when I was young,” she said, her voice distant. “She fell off a balcony.”
I froze, unsure of how to respond.
“She was out there one night, arguing with my father,” Tammy continued. “And then... she just fell.”
Something about the way she said it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“Your father couldn’t save her?” I asked carefully.
Tammy shook her head. “He was right there, but it all happened so fast. She fell, and then she was gone.”
I didn’t say anything, but the story didn’t sit right with me. Tammy and her family were werewolves. Falling from a balcony shouldn’t have been fatal. I knew from experience that werewolves could survive much worse.
But Tammy didn’t seem to notice my unease.
“My father’s never been the same since,” she said, her voice bitter. “He wanted a son, you know. Someone to carry on his legacy. Instead, he got me.”
“That’s not fair,” I said, my chest tightening with sympathy.
Tammy laughed, a hollow sound. “Fair? My father doesn’t care about fair. He cared about my mother... until he convinced himself she was cheating on him. After that, he cared about nothing but his pride.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken pain.
“I’m sorry,” I said finally.
She waved a hand dismissively, forcing a smile. “It is what it is. Let’s talk about something else. Something happy.”
I nodded, sensing she didn’t want to dwell on the past any longer.
\---
The rest of the day passed quietly. Logan perked up a little after the tea and herbal concoction Tammy had prepared, and Lily spent most of the afternoon keeping him entertained with her stories and games.
Tammy stayed close, offering advice when needed but mostly keeping to herself. I found myself watching her, trying to make sense of the puzzle that was Tammy.
She could be harsh and calculating, but moments like this made me wonder if there was more to her than I’d given her credit for.
By the time evening rolled around, Logan was asleep on the couch, and Lily was nodding off beside him.
“You’ve been a big help today,” I said to Tammy as we cleaned up the living room.
She shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
“No, really,” I insisted. “You’ve got a talent for this. You should think about pursuing it more seriously.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s in the cards for me.”
“Why not?”
She hesitated, her expression guarded. “Let’s just say I have... other priorities.”
Her words reminded me of the weight she carried, the secrets she held close.
“Well,” I said softly, “if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
Tammy looked at me, something unreadable in her eyes, before nodding once.
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
As I climbed into bed that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about Tammy’s story. Her mother’s death, her father’s cruelty—it all painted a picture of a life filled with pain and loss.
I didn’t trust her completely, but I couldn’t help feeling a pang of sympathy for her.
And as much as I wanted to believe she was turning over a new leaf, there was a nagging voice in the back of my mind that warned me to stay on guard.
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