They got back to the hospital pretty quick. Facing what she had to do, Perry finally managed to calm herself.

She walked straight into the room, leaving Richard behind. Benjamin was still passed out but looking way better-his face had some color now. Perry took his hand and started treating the organs the virus had wrecked over the past month.

Richard told the other healers helping her that no one was allowed to question her decisions or spill anything about who she really was. If anyone crossed the line, they were out of the pack. The treatment went on until evening, and by the time it ended, Benjamin was waking up.

He struggled to open his eyes and saw the girl sitting by his bed. Perry let go of his hand, pushed her hair back, and her pretty face was completely visible. Benjamin had never seen a female wolf that stunning-he was momentarily stunned.

With a soft smile, Perry asked, "Feeling any better, Mr. Scott?"

"It doesn't hurt that much anymore," Benjamin replied without thinking. He couldn't help staring at her, his heart racing a bit. His eyes were clear, just a bit shaky, and his voice weak. "You saved me, didn't you?"

Perry nodded. She pulled the blanket up for him and tucked his hand underneath, totally missing the way his face had just turned pink. "You need to rest. Give it some time, and you'll be back on your feet."

"Thank you," Benjamin murmured with a gentle smile.

He kept his gaze locked on her big, bright eyes. He had no clue who she was, but he knew one thing-when he was hanging by a thread, she pulled him back. He suddenly felt like saying more.

Right then, Richard walked in. He'd been standing at the door, watching since Benjamin woke up. His expression was hard to read, not quite angry, but definitely off. He looked at Benjamin and said, "I'll send someone in to take care of you."

Richard saw the way Perry smiled at his brother, saw that look in Benjamin's eyes-so full of wonder and... something else. Jealousy hit Richard hard for a second, and he didn't like it one bit.

Perry didn't notice his mood at all. Her mind was still focused on Benjamin as she gave him one last check. Satisfied he was stable, she stood up and left without even glancing at Richard.

He was about to follow her when Benjamin called out, "Richard, can we talk for a sec?"

Richard hesitated, looked back at his brother lying weakly in bed, and decided to stay.

Meanwhile, Perry was already out of the hospital. Richard stood there distracted, feeling her presence fade. She left the Bloodmoon Pack without even telling him where she was going, and that hit him harder than he expected.

Right now, Perry was on her way to treat Tom Pierce for his syphilis. It was something they'd agreed on earlier. She didn't have a steady job, and healing werewolves was both her hobby and a way to make money.

Tom had managed to message her, and they'd arranged to meet at a restaurant.

As Perry stepped out of the car, she spotted him right away-sitting in a quiet corner, trying hard not to draw attention to himself. She walked over calmly and took a seat across from him without so much as a hello.

"Give me your hand. I need to check it."

Tom handed it over, and she placed her fingers on his wrist. After a brief moment, she let go, pulled out a folded note and a pen from her bag, and scribbled a formula down on it.

"You need to take this consistently. Find a healer to make it up for you."

"Got it," Tom said quickly, snatching the note like it was a winning lottery ticket. "Miss Lake, if this cures me, I'll owe you big time. Anything you need-just say the word. I mean it."

He looked up at her with gratitude shining in his eyes, but then suddenly ducked his head and turned his face toward the wall. Perry raised an eyebrow, thrown off by his odd move. She glanced around instinctively.

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," Tom answered, his tone rough. "Just thinking of a way to thank you."

Perry frowned, puzzled-until she spotted them: Richard Scott and Mara Morgan, not far off.

Mara had her arm looped intimately through Richard's, walking close beside him, smiling soft and sweet like they were the perfect mated pair. Perry's jaw tensed, lips pressing together before she looked away.

Her thoughts went in a million directions-flashes of Richard's kiss earlier, now replaced by the sight of him with Mara. Her chest tightened.

Once Tom saw they were gone, he finally turned back to her and lowered his voice.

"Miss Lake... you're Alpha Richard's mate, aren't you? If I'd known, I swear I wouldn't have made that stupid deal with Francis!"

He had clearly assumed Richard saved her because she was his mate. Perry felt her mood nosedive even more.

"No, I'm not. And Alpha Richard already has one. You saw her just now-that she-wolf next to him."

"What?" Tom looked like he'd seen a ghost. Sweat popped out on his forehead, and panic flickered in his eyes. The woman with Richard-Mara Morgan-was someone he'd slept with not long ago.

Shit. If Richard ever found out, it wouldn't just be him that paid the price-his whole pack could be dragged down with him.

Perry caught the fear radiating off Tom and found it weirdly amusing. She had no clue what he was really panicking about, though. She just assumed he misunderstood something.

"You thought I was his mate? Seriously? No way. And don't worry-I'm not gonna castrate you."

"Even if you keep quiet, Mara's gonna get Richard to kill me," Tom freaked out in his head.

He forced a shaky smile, clearly scrambling for words. "I mean... how could Alpha Richard even go for someone like her? She's got nothing on you. You're way more his type."

Perry didn't take the compliment well. Her heart sank, and she really didn't want to keep digging into this topic. So she moved on. "Well, as long as Alpha Richard's happy with her, that's all that matters, right? Why do you care so much about who his mate is?"

"You're right, yeah," Tom replied, voice low and full of dread. He got up too fast, clearly itching to bail, clutching the prescription tightly. He left in a hurry, muttering to himself about Mara the whole way out.

He remembered when Belen showed up with his guys-only then did he realize he'd messed up. He thought he'd slept with Perry, but nope, it was Mara. Belen's decision to keep it under wraps meant Silverfang Pack didn't want word getting out. As long as Tom stayed quiet, Richard wouldn't find out, so no revenge.

That calmed him down a little. But then his mind turned dark again. What if he'd given Mara his disease? And then she passed it to Richard? That would be a total disaster.

Tom shook off the thought, panicking. Whatever. Not his problem. He just needed to lay low.

Meanwhile, Perry watched him leave in such a fluster, frowning. Something about that whole conversation felt off... but she couldn't put her finger on what was missing. Letting out a sigh, she decided to just let it go for now.

Back at the hotel, Gina greeted her at the door, practically bouncing. She threw her arms around Perry in a big, excited hug.

"I still can't believe you actually managed to treat Alpha's brother! That's insane!" she beamed.

Perry chuckled, flashing a smug smile. "You know healing's my thing."

"Bet Pierce was scared out of his mind, huh? Dylan told me Richard beat the crap out of him. Oh-and what about that jerk Francis? After what he did to you, you're not just gonna let that slide... right?"

"Of course not," Perry said, voice sharp. "I've already got a plan. You'll see soon enough."

Getting Tom Pierce on her side was part of why she helped him at all. Francis would never guess she'd turn things around this way.

Now, with him in her corner, she could finally go after Francis with no worries.

That morning, Irene and Sarah headed to the hospital to check on Mara. They walked in, expecting to offer her some comfort, but instead were met with Mara excitedly talking about her and Richard's "romance" like she was floating on clouds.

"You guys just don't get it," Mara said dreamily. "Alpha Richard is so incredibly accepting of me."

Irene blinked at her, clearly confused. Sarah looked like she'd just been slapped, then snapped, "Wait, when did this start? You and Alpha Richard? Why haven't we heard a single thing?"

Mara missed the bitter edge in Sarah's voice, her own face lighting up with this shy little smile. She almost let slip what happened last night, but Belen had warned her to keep their plan under wraps. So instead, she improvised.

"Not too long ago. It was kind of love at first sight, you know? He never chose Perry as his mate because-get this-he's been into me all along! He even said last night I'm his destined mate."

It was a total lie, of course. What really happened was Mara found out Richard's schedule and "accidentally" ran into him. She claimed she had dinner plans with Belen, so she and Richard ended up walking in together.

She moved in close, grabbed his hand, and to her delight, he didn't pull away. Maybe he actually felt something too?

What made her even giddier was the idea that people who saw them would think they were together. If enough folks believed she was Richard's true mate, maybe she'd really become the Bloodmoon Pack's Luna one day.

Sure, Richard left her on the second floor and didn't invite her to stay for dinner, which irked Mara a little-his face looked like he was still figuring things out. But her excitement drowned out any doubts.

After hearing Mara talk, Irene clapped her hands. "That's amazing, Mara! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Mara hesitated, then threw out a quick excuse. "Richard told me to keep it quiet for now. We're still not official-just kind of... flirting, I guess."

Sarah glared at her like she'd just bitten into a lemon. The idea of Mara being loved by Richard while Sarah got completely ignored twisted her up inside. It just didn't sit right.

So she blurted out, "Yeah? Then does Richard know about you and Pierce?"

Mara instantly turned pale. Her eyes widened, and she hissed, "What are you even saying? There's nothing going on between me and Alpha Tom! Sarah, how could you just throw that out there like that?"

Irene jumped in, startled. "Exactly! Sarah, why would you say that? Mara doesn't even know Alpha Tom that well. The one who slept with him was Perry! That was totally her, Perry Lake. You've got it all wrong."

"Yeah, yeah," Sarah muttered, trying to hide her guilty conscience. She straightened up. "It was Pierce and Perry. I heard he kidnapped her again not long ago, took her to his villa. They might even end up being mates."

Irene gasped, putting on a fake cheerful front. "Really? Wow, good for her! That'd mean we'd have Stonepeak Pack's support. If Perry becomes their Luna, honestly, it's a win-win for all of us."

They both burst into laughter, but Mara suddenly felt uneasy. Her skin started to itch-especially her legs. She glanced down and saw red blotches popping up. She figured she must've eaten something she shouldn't have.

"What's going on with you?" Irene, sitting next to her, gave her a look.

Panic started bubbling inside Mara. She shook her head quickly. "I probably had something I'm allergic to."

"Just get the healer to look at you later," Irene said offhandedly. "You need to stay in top shape for Richard, got it?"

"Got it. Aunt Irene, are you sure Pierce and Perry are going to end up together?"

"Pfft, that lowlife isn't going anywhere. Give it time, and we'll see them stuck together as mates," Irene sneered.

Mara let out a quiet breath, reassured by Irene's smug confidence. Her thoughts drifted back to the run-in with Richard the night before-sweet and thrilling. Perry Lake was a threat to that. Annoying as hell. There was no way Mara was letting that woman mess with her shot at love.

After Irene and Sarah left, things only got worse. The itching intensified by the afternoon. She kept scratching at her legs and couldn't take it anymore-finally called in the healer.

He lifted her shirt slightly, frowning as he examined the rash. "This doesn't look like a typical allergic reaction. You might want a more thorough check-up."

"I-yeah, of course," Mara stammered, face draining of color. A sudden wave of dread hit her. Her mind flashed to Tom Pierce-he'd been with a lot of female wolves. What if he passed something to her?

-

Perry let go and looked closely at Benjamin's face. He looked a lot better today, and even his loose hospital gown couldn't hide his charisma. Benjamin watched her, his voice calm and smooth. "Miss Lake, I really appreciate everything you've done."

"Just doing my job," Perry grinned, visibly in a good mood. "I'm glad to see you recovering."

He locked eyes with her a little too long, and Perry, feeling nervous, quickly looked away-missing the flicker of disappointment across his face. Benjamin hoped for something more, but Perry always kept some distance.

And then, of course, Richard showed up. Again.

Right on cue, his brother walked in and immediately stepped between Perry and Benjamin. Perry had no choice but to stand. "What now?"

Over the past few days, the second it was just her and Benjamin, Richard would show up with any excuse. Today was no different.

"Nothing really," Richard said, avoiding her gaze. His jaw was tight, clearly irritated, and Perry didn't even know why. He shoved a box into her hands. "I wanted to give you something to thank you for helping Benjamin."

"I'd like to thank you, too," Benjamin said out of nowhere. He was still lying there but sat up a bit, flashing her a playful smile. "You've taken such good care of me. I owe you."

Just as Perry was about to turn them both down, Richard yanked her by the arm, pulling her back. She stumbled a step and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'll handle it," Richard said with a tight smile. "It's my responsibility."

He didn't even give Benjamin a chance to reply. Dragging a fuming Perry down the hallway, he stopped just outside the room. She shoved him off, tense with irritation. "I don't need you paying me off."

"You saved Benjamin," Richard said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The least I can do is pay you properly."

Before Perry could snap, he pulled a check out of his pocket. Her eyes widened at the amount, shock quickly replacing the irritation on her face. "This is way too much, Alpha Richard. I have my own rates."

"The extra's just a tip for everything else," he said firmly.

Perry let out a quiet sigh and crossed her arms. "There's no way that qualifies as a tip. Once Benjamin is fully recovered, I'll send you a proper invoice."

She didn't move a muscle to take the check, just stared at him with that stubborn look. Richard hesitated, then finally tucked the check back into his pocket. "Alright then. I'll find another way to make sure you get it."

"Relax, I don't overcharge," Perry joked casually.

Just then, her phone buzzed. She glanced down.

It was Tom Pierce. She gave Richard a quick apologetic wave and rushed off. Richard tried to follow, but she shot him a warning glare that stopped him in his tracks. In the end, she left the hospital by herself.

Once she was out of Bloodmoon territory, she called Tom back. He answered instantly, his voice upbeat and impressed. "Oh, Miss Lake, that formula of yours worked wonders. I'm seriously feeling a lot better."

"It's just the beginning," Perry said, her tone serious. "You need to keep taking it every day."

"I will," Tom promised, then switched gears. "Also, Francis came to me. Apparently he's desperate to borrow some deltas, asked for my help. You're his daughter, and yeah, you're helping me out medically-but with the kind of crap he's pulled on you? I'm not sure I can bring myself to help him. I'm kinda stuck."

"Me treating you has nothing to do with him. It's your call," Perry said softly, voice calm but distant.

"Good. I was gonna turn him down anyway and let him stew in his own mess," Tom said with a snort. "Honestly, what kind of man uses his own daughter as some bargaining chip? Even I think he's scum."

Perry didn't respond. Her expression twisted into one of disgust, but Tom couldn't see that.

She knew exactly what kind of man Tom was-slick, opportunistic, another manipulative alpha no better than Francis.

After hanging up, she took a ride back to the Crown Regent Hotel.

Perry sat in the lobby, waiting on Gina to finish getting ready. They had dinner plans tonight-Gina wanted to celebrate the fact that Perry was out of danger, and Perry had agreed.

Just then, some new arrivals stepped through the doors. Francis walked in with Sarah by his side. He had a dinner meeting at the hotel's fancy restaurant, and Sarah had asked-no, begged-to come along.

Francis started making calls right after stepping inside, while Sarah zeroed in on Perry the second she spotted her.

With her chin held high and voice shrill, she strutted over. "Well, well-look who it is. Perry Pierce?"

Perry slowly looked up, her gaze sharpening to a deadly edge.

Sarah had come to humiliate her, tossing out snide remarks about her being Tom's supposed mate-and that hit a nerve deep.

Perry glared at Sarah, fists clenched tight on her thighs. "What did you just call me?"

"I said, Mrs. Pierce," Sarah repeated smugly, leaning in like a snake ready to strike. She studied Perry's face with exaggerated interest. "You look terrible. Was alpha Tom a little too rough with you last night? I mean, sure, you guys just mated, but even so... he totally wrecked you, didn't he?"

Perry's jaw tensed. She shot to her feet and, in one swift motion, grabbed Sarah's throat with both hands before slapping her hard across the face with her right hand. A loud crack echoed as Sarah let out a shriek, red marks quickly blooming on her cheek.

"Watch your mouth!" Perry snapped, eyes flaming. "And don't ever call me that again!"

Sarah froze for a second, then slapped Perry's hands away while covering her stinging face. Her gaze turned poisonous. "You bitch! You backward freak! How dare you hit me?!"

"I damn well did." Perry sneered. "How's it feel?"

"You're dead!" Sarah exploded, lifting her hand to strike back. But Perry twisted, grabbed her wrist tightly, and flung her aside. Sarah stumbled awkwardly, yelping from the sharp pain.

Fury rolled off Sarah like a wave-her rage was boiling over. For a second, it looked like she was about to shift into her wolf form and go straight for Perry's throat. Perry stood rigid, ready to go head-to-head with her.

"What the hell is going on?! Stop this, right now!"

Francis's voice cut through the tension as he strode in, snapping his phone shut. The raw alpha pressure coming from him made Sarah flinch and retreat behind him.

Perry rolled her eyes in disgust. Francis's glare locked onto her. "Perry, you're her big sister-how could you hit Sarah like that? She just said a few words and you come at her like this?"

"You're all seriously sick." Perry let out a cold laugh and turned to leave before she lost it even more.

But Francis wasn't letting her go that easy-he followed close behind. "Perry! Look, fine, I'll drop what happened with Sarah. But you need to tell me-what did you say to Alpha Tom? He doesn't want to work with me anymore!"

"Not my problem," Perry said sharply. "I don't even know him like that."

"I heard he came to speak with you-" Francis growled.

"You mean when he kidnapped me? That?" Perry's face twisted in disgust. "Francis, the Ashen Pack has nothing to do with me. Whatever mess you're in, deal with it yourself. The stupid alliance thing is between you and Pierce, not me."

Francis opened his mouth to argue again, but Sarah stormed up and planted herself by his side, shooting daggers at Perry. "You should be grateful you're even alive-that's my dad's mercy. He gave you to Tom Pierce, and if Tom wanted you dead, Dad could've let that happen."

Perry met her stare with burning hatred and then turned that same look on Francis. "You sold me to him for a handful of deltas. That's all it took for you to give me away. I owe you nothing, Francis. As of today, we're done. I'm not your daughter. Don't ever pretend you're my father again."

"You?" Sarah screamed, nearly losing it. "You don't get to say that! You belong to the Ashen Pack-you owe us! If you still know your place, you better get Tom Pierce to agree, or I'll tell everyone he slept with you!"

Tom Pierce had such a trash reputation when it came to relationships that even the most reckless she-wolves avoided him like the plague.

Hearing that, Perry boiled with anger, but then it hit her-Sarah had actually slept with him that night. She shot a disgusted look at her sister, eyeing her up and down for any signs of illness, but oddly enough, nothing seemed off. Was it possible Sarah hadn't shown symptoms yet?

Clueless about Perry's gaze, Sarah kept taunting with a smug look. "Scared now, huh?"

"Oh my god, Perry! Why didn't you run when you saw a nutcase coming your way?" Gina suddenly rushed over, throwing an arm around Perry's shoulders as she stood firm by her side. "Come on, don't waste time on idiots."

The rage boiling inside Perry cooled instantly. She looked over gratefully, and Gina gave her a cheeky wink. Sarah, caught off guard, instantly turned sour. "Who are you calling an idiot?!"

"If the shoe fits..." Gina shot back without hesitation, rolling her eyes hard.

"You-ugh!" Sarah nearly shrieked. "Gina Layton! We're honorable guests at the Crown Regent Hotel! No wolf here has ever disrespected us like you! Do you really want to start beef with the Ashen Pack?"

Gina scoffed. "Like I'm supposed to be scared of you? Spoiler alert: rude wolves aren't welcome here."

Her pack's businesses didn't need a handful of guests like Sarah and her crew, so Gina couldn't care less about the threats. With that, she grabbed Perry and walked straight to the elevator. As the doors slid shut, Sarah's yelling was cut off mid-curse.

Once they were alone, Gina turned to Perry, looking relaxed but curious. "She still looks annoyingly energetic. Don't tell me Pierce's infection missed her? Ugh, I was so ready to roast her for that."

"I don't know either." Perry shook her head, confused. "Maybe it's just taking time to show."

Gina shrugged it off. Either way, Sarah's downfall was coming sooner or later. She grinned. "We don't need to stress about her. When that disease hits, she's gonna wish she kept her mouth shut. Karma's a beast, right?"

Perry thought about Sarah's arrogant attitude, and about her and Francis's disgusting schemes. All she felt was satisfaction, no pity. But neither of them knew Mara was the one who actually got infected.

A few days later, Perry made one last trip to the Bloodmoon Pack for Benjamin's final treatment.

Holding Benjamin's hand gently, she smiled warmly at him. "Mr. Scott, your body's almost fully recovered now. But you still need to stick with the meds, okay?"

Benjamin looked up at her, that lovely pale face-he never got tired of looking at her. In his eyes, she was the most breathtaking she-wolf he'd ever seen. Those clear, soft eyes of hers felt like springwater, pure and calming.

She made his heart race. Whenever she busied herself with his treatment, he felt both grateful and guilty. "Thank you, Miss Lake. Please, just call me Benjamin."

Perry blinked in surprise, then gave him a playful smile. Her voice was soft and teasing-it made his heartbeat go wild. "Alright, Benjamin. You can call me Perry too. Now get some rest."

She straightened her clothes, stood up, and turned to leave. Benjamin watched her back disappear with a sudden sadness in his chest. Before he could stop himself, he called out, "Perry! Will you come back tomorrow?"

She turned, surprised. The handsome wolf sat on the bed, those moody eyes filled with reluctant longing. Meeting his gaze, she gave a gentle, soothing smile. "Of course."

"Great," Benjamin said, lighting up with a smile. His cheeks flushed slightly. "I'll be looking forward to it."

Perry felt a sudden tightness in her chest. She nodded quickly and walked off without looking back.

After handing the new formula to the healer inside, she stepped out of the hospital. The midday sun was a bit too intense, and Perry lifted her hand to block the light as she squinted against it. Out of nowhere, her lower abdomen clenched with a sharp ache.

Sweat instantly broke out on her forehead. She gasped for air, her heart racing uncontrollably. Her vision blurred, and she sank to the ground, clutching at her chest. The world went black as she lost consciousness.

"Miss Lake!" That was the last thing she heard-Miles' panicked voice ringing in her ears.

Miles had just reached the entrance when he saw her collapse. He rushed over and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her swiftly into an empty ward. When Perry finally woke up, a few healers were standing nearby.

"Glad you're awake, Miss Lake," said Miles, his voice sounding a little off.

Holding her head, Perry slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. She had no clue what had just happened and guessed her exhaustion was just from overworking herself on Benjamin's case. "Did I just faint? Sorry... I must've scared you."

"It's alright. But... there's something important you need to hear." Miles exhaled deeply, the weight of his words obvious.

Perry stared at him, confused. "What is it?"

He gestured for the others to leave before turning to meet her gaze seriously.

"Miss Lake, did you know you're pregnant?"

It felt like the ground vanished underneath her. A cold dread squeezed her stomach. For what felt like forever, she couldn't speak. Then a raspy, barely-there voice escaped her lips. "What... did you just say?"

Miles shot her a sympathetic look. He could tell she hadn't had a clue. She didn't even have a mate, and now she was pregnant. For a single female werewolf, that was complicated, to say the least.

"You're pregnant. It's still early, which is probably why you hadn't noticed," he explained gently.

Perry felt off-completely off. She'd been pouring all her energy into Benjamin's treatment and hadn't paid attention to her own health. She just thought the fatigue came from the blood transfusions.

After a pause, she looked up sharply, nervous. "Does... anyone else know?"

"Relax. Just me," Miles assured her. "Do you want me to find your boyfriend?"

"I don't have one." Perry shook her head, biting her lip as she placed a hand on her belly. A tiny life was growing inside her, and she didn't even know who the alpha was that night. How was she supposed to find him?

Miles looked taken aback. He stared at her, clearly shocked. "Oh... then is there anything I can do?"

"Just... please don't tell anyone else," she whispered. Her voice was faint, her face pale. "No one can know."

Miles frowned, clearly uneasy with the idea, but finally nodded. "Alright. But you need to take it easy now. No more treating Mr. Scott."

"I get it... but I can't stop now." Perry sighed heavily. "If I quit, everything I did before is wasted."

"There might be other ways. You're pregnant-you shouldn't be exhausting yourself."

"Benjamin isn't just your patient. He's mine too," Perry said firmly. "I have to see this through."

Miles raised his hands in surrender. He knew better than to argue with her when she made up her mind.

She closed her eyes and lay back down, but her thoughts were a chaotic mess. That night kept replaying in her head.

This sudden pregnancy had hit her hard.

What was she supposed to do now?