Chapter 49 Masquerade Ball

Seraphina's POV:

Ever since Silas went all public with our engagement, my status at the hospital shot up. I had my own office, and a bunch of werewolves came to me for treatment.

But, of course, there was a pack of she-wolves giving me the stink eye. They acted all polite, but you could tell they were keeping their distance.

It used to be that a few nurses would chat with me, and we'd hit the cafeteria together. Now, it was like I had the plague—no one wanted to sit anywhere near me.

It was kinda frustrating, but what could you do?

Besides the jealous ones, there were also those nosy types who wanted to know how I snagged the Alpha King.

I couldn't exactly spill the beans about our fake engagement, so I just gave them some vague answers and made a quick exit.

Whenever that happened, I always hid out in Barbara Miller's room.

Her room was the only place in the hospital where I could catch a break.

When I walked in, she was sitting by the big window, nose-deep in a book.

She looked so tiny, just like Saki.

I went over, sat down, and gently stroked her hair.

"What were you reading?" I asked softly.

After some therapy, Barbara had been doing a lot better. She still didn't talk much, but she could respond a bit.

She didn't say anything, just pushed the book towards me.

She was reading a story about the Moon Goddess blessing the Wolf Clan.

Legend said every werewolf got some kind of talent from the moon at birth, called "omens." There were "tricksters" who shook things up, natural-born warriors, philosophers who settled disputes, seers who were all about wisdom, and poets who were full of passion.

But, you know, stories were just stories. They were as far from real life as fairy tales.

I didn't want to burst her bubble, so I smiled. "If you could choose, what talent would you want?"

She pointed to the seer staring at the stars in the illustration, a spark lighting up her usually empty eyes. "To foresee the future," she said, struggling with the words.

I nodded, thinking back on some old memories.

If you could see the future, would the past have turned out different?

"What about you?" Barbara asked, looking at me blankly.

"Me?" I glanced at the Moon Goddess in the book, not sure what to say, my mind wandering.

Just then, Edgar walked in with a grin. "What were you and Stella chatting about?"

Hearing this, I quickly stood up and gave Edgar a respectful nod. "Mr. Miller."

"Hey, no need to be so formal," Edgar said with a grateful smile. "Thanks to you, Barbara's doing a lot better. I really didn't know how to repay you.

"I never expected you to be Silas's fiancée. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to let you be Barbara's attending physician."

"I was a doctor first, Silas's fiancée second," I said with a light smile. "Saving patients was my job. Just treat me like any other doc in the hospital."

"Got it," Edgar nodded, still smiling. "I didn't mean to make it weird. Stella, to show my appreciation for taking care of my granddaughter, I'd like to invite you to the werewolf banquet in seven days."

Werewolf banquet?

I frowned a bit.

I remembered that day was a big werewolf festival, where they threw a banquet to thank the Moon Goddess. All the important werewolves would be there.

I wasn't sure if Cecilia's family would show up, but I definitely didn't want to bump into them.

Thinking of this, I smiled gratefully at Edgar. "Edgar, thanks for the invite, but I think I'll pass. First off, treating Barbara was my duty as a doctor. Second, I think the people at the banquet were all big shots, and it wouldn't be right for me to be there."

"Don't say that!" Edgar looked at me, clearly not agreeing. "You're the fiancée of the Alpha King. If you weren't proper, then no werewolf was."

I hesitated, frowning.

Going to the banquet wasn't a big deal, but I couldn't risk running into Cecilia's family. But if I kept refusing...

"If you were worried about people knowing who you were, don't be. It was a masquerade ball, so no one would see your real face," Edgar said, thinking I didn't want to stand out.

"I see." Hearing it was a masquerade ball, I felt a bit relieved and smiled. "Alright, I'll think about it and let you know."

Edgar didn't push it. He nodded and then went to read with Barbara.

On my way back, I thought about Barbara's question.

If I could really have a talent, what would I want the most?

It must be the ability to bring back the dead.

If I could, I would save my mom and Amy.

I could also stop the world from losing people to death.

Even if it cost me my own lifespan.

The sound of a car horn behind me snapped me back to reality. I realized the light had turned green and quickly hit the gas.

At the same time, I laughed at myself for being as fanciful as a kid.

There was no "if." Life was full of regrets and goodbyes.