Dust coated my bare feet as I stopped near the bustling trading post just outside the pack borders. The scent of roasted meat and pine needles drifted through the air, masking the metallic tang of old blood still lingering on my skin. I pulled my tattered cloak tighter around my shoulders.

Two women stood near a fruit stall, their voices carrying over the noise of the crowd.

"Six months," the older woman, gray-haired and stooped, muttered. "Six months since the announcement, and still no wedding."

The younger one, holding a basket of apples, leaned in. "I heard Lupa ordered a dress from the city, but Alpha Kaelen refuses to set a date."

"It's worse than just a delay," the older woman whispered, glancing over her shoulder to check for listening ears. "My nephew works in the Alpha's guard. He says Kaelen loses his mind during the full moon. Turns completely violent. Destroys his own study."

"But he has Lupa. A Luna is supposed to calm the Alpha's frenzy."

"That's the strange part. When the madness hits, he won't let her near him. He snarls if she even steps into the room."

"Why?"

"He claims he's still recovering from the silver poisoning. Says he's afraid his claws will slip and hurt her."

Bile rose in my throat. I swallowed it down, forcing a dry, hollow laugh. It slipped out before I could stop it—a sharp, amused sound that didn't match the crushing weight in my chest.

My Alpha. My mate. The man I bled for, suffering in the dark while a liar wore my crown. He was rejecting her touch because his wolf knew the truth, even if his human mind had been deceived.

I stepped out from the shadow of the canvas tent. "Could it be because they don't have a real mate bond?"

Both women jumped. The younger one dropped an apple. It rolled into the dirt, stopping at my bruised toes.

"Are you insane?" the older woman hissed. She grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my sleeve, and yanked me behind the wooden stall. "Keep your voice down!"

I yanked my arm back. "It's a simple question."

"It's treason, is what it is," she snapped, scanning the crowd. "If Elder Thorne or anyone from Lupa's family hears you spouting that nonsense, they'll drag you to the dungeons. You want to lose your tongue?"

"Just observing the obvious," I said, my voice flat.

The older woman narrowed her eyes, peering at my face from beneath her shawl. "Who are you? I know everyone in this territory."

"I'm a traveler."

"Your face is a stranger's," she said, leaning closer. Her nose twitched. "But your scent... there's something familiar beneath the dirt. Like crushed herbs and pine. Have you been here before?"

I held her gaze, keeping my expression entirely blank. "No. I'm an orphan. A rogue."

The younger woman picked up her apple, wiping it on her apron. "A rogue? You shouldn't be wandering alone. The woods are full of feral strays."

"I heard from some border guards up north that this pack takes in strays," I lied smoothly. "I came here to join."

The older woman scoffed, dragging her eyes up and down my frail frame. The scars on my arms were hidden beneath the thick wool of my cloak, but my collarbones jutted out sharply. "You? Join this pack? You look like a strong wind would snap you in half."

"I'm stronger than I look."

"A pretty face won't save you during a border raid, girl. The Alpha only accepts fighters or workers." She shook her head, offering a pitying smile. "Good luck to you. You'll need it when the patrol turns you away."

I tilted my head, letting a genuine, cold smile stretch my lips. "They won't turn me away."

"And why is that?"

"Because I have a rare gift," I said, keeping my tone light, almost conversational. "An ability Alpha Kaelen desperately needs right now. Once he sees it, he will beg me to stay."

I didn't wait for her response. I turned my back on the stall and walked toward the towering iron gates of the pack territory.

Two guards stood at attention, their heavy boots planted firmly in the dirt. One held a spear, the other a crossbow. They crossed their weapons as I approached, barring the entrance.

"Halt," the spear-wielding guard barked. "State your business."

"I am here to join the pack," I said, keeping my chin high.

The guard with the crossbow snorted. "We don't take beggars. Move along."

"I'm not begging. I'm offering a trade."

"Trade what? The rags on your back?"

"Information on how to cure the Alpha's lingering silver rot."

The humor vanished from the guards' faces. The spearman stepped forward, lowering the tip of his weapon until it rested an inch from my throat.

"Who told you he's sick?" the guard demanded, his voice dropping to a lethal growl. "Speak, rogue."

Instead of flinching away from the sharp metal, I took a half-step forward. The blade pricked the skin of my neck. A single drop of blood welled up, sliding down my collarbone.

The guard's eyes widened in shock. He hastily pulled the spear back.

"Take me to him," I commanded. "Or watch your Alpha tear himself apart next full moon."

"You have a lot of nerve for a stray," the crossbow guard sneered, though his grip on his weapon trembled slightly. "I should shoot you right here for threatening the Alpha."

"Do it, then," I challenged. "Shoot me. And when Kaelen loses his mind again, when he finally hurts someone he claims to care about, you can explain to Elder Thorne why you killed the only healer who could stop it."

The two men exchanged an uneasy glance. They didn't know what to make of me. A weak, starving rogue who didn't fear death.

"Wait here," the spearman finally muttered. "Don't move a muscle."

He turned and jogged through the heavy iron gates, disappearing into the sprawling compound of stone houses and sparring pits.

I stood perfectly still, ignoring the stinging cut on my neck. The sun beat down on my shoulders, warming the chilled skin beneath my cloak. I had lost my position, my honor, and my blood. But I had not lost my mind. I knew exactly how to play this game. Thorne thought he had broken me. Lupa thought she had won.

They forgot one crucial detail. A wolfless healer relies on her wits, not her fangs.

Ten minutes passed. The heavy thud of approaching footsteps echoed from the other side of the gate. Not just one person. Several.

The heavy iron doors groaned as they swung inward.

A tall figure stepped out of the shadows, flanked by four elite warriors. His broad shoulders blocked the sunlight. His dark hair was slightly messy, and a fresh, jagged scar ran down the side of his jaw.

Alpha Kaelen.

My heart hammered against my ribs, a painful, frantic rhythm. He looked exhausted. Dark circles bruised the skin under his eyes, and his usual commanding aura felt jagged, unstable.

He stopped a few feet away from me. His nostrils flared as he took in my scent.

"You claim you can cure me," Kaelen said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that sent a shiver straight down my spine.

"I don't claim it," I answered, meeting his piercing gaze. "I guarantee it."

He stared at me for a long, silent moment. A flicker of confusion crossed his features, his eyes darting to the fresh cut on my neck.

"Who are you?" he asked softly.

Before I could answer, a sickeningly sweet voice called out from behind him.

"Kaelen, darling! Why are you out here speaking to trash?"

Lupa emerged from the compound, hooking her arm through his.

Lupa stepped in front of him, blocking my view. Her heavy, floral perfume assaulted my nose, completely masking the crisp pine and rain scent of my mate.

I shifted to the side, locking eyes with Kaelen again.

The moment our gazes met, an invisible tether snapped taut between us. The mate bond. It hit me with the force of a physical blow, vibrating straight through my ribs.

A rush of foreign emotions slammed into my chest. Paranoia. Gnawing exhaustion. A violent, restless itch crawling just under his skin. He was suffering deeply.

But as he stared down at me, the chaotic storm inside him settled. His rigid shoulders dropped a fraction. The frantic twitch near his left eye stopped entirely. I felt his immense relief wash over the bond, a soothing wave crashing against his jagged, poisoned edges.

"Who is this, Kaelen?" Lupa demanded, her voice shrill. She yanked on his arm, trying to break his focus.

Kaelen didn't look at her. His eyes remained fixed firmly on my face. "She claims she can cure the silver rot."

"A filthy rogue?" Lupa scoffed, dragging her gaze over my dirt-stained cloak and bare feet. "She is lying. Look at her. She has no pack mark. She possesses no wolf scent. She is entirely wolfless."

"I am a healer," I said quietly, keeping my focus entirely on the Alpha. "And your chest burns right now, doesn't it? Right over your heart. A cold, biting ache that makes you want to tear your own skin off."

Kaelen’s jaw flexed. He stepped away from Lupa, closing the distance between us. "How do you know that?"

"Because I know silver poison," I answered, holding his intense stare. "I know exactly what it leaves behind."

"She is a spy!" Lupa snapped, stepping forward to grab Kaelen’s shoulder. She turned her glare to the guards. "Seize her! Throw her out of the territory. If she resists, kill her."

The guards hesitated, gripping their weapons tightly, looking to their Alpha for confirmation.

"Stand down," Kaelen ordered.

"Kaelen, you cannot be serious," Lupa argued, stepping directly into his line of sight. "You are vulnerable right now. The silver poison makes you hallucinate. This rat is trying to take advantage of your weakened condition."

"I said stand down, Lupa." His voice dropped into a lethal, rumbling growl that vibrated the ground beneath my feet.

Lupa shrank back, her lips pressed into a thin, furious line.

I waited. The bond hummed between us, warm and undeniable. I expected him to step forward. I expected the recognition to dawn in his eyes, for his inner wolf to claw through the poison’s fog and claim what was rightfully his.

Instead, Kaelen crossed his massive arms over his chest. His eyes turned hard, calculating, and utterly cold.

"You arrive at my borders on the exact day my symptoms peak," Kaelen said, his tone laced with heavy suspicion. "You know about the silver rot, a secret only my inner circle shares. And you expect me to welcome you with open arms?"

"I expect you to want a cure," I replied.

"I want the truth," he shot back, leaning down until his face was inches from mine. "Which northern pack sent you? Was the assassin who plunged the silver into my chest your accomplice?"

My chest tightened. *You absolute fool,* I screamed in my mind. *I am the one who pulled the silver out! I bled for you!*

Anger burned hot in my veins, but I swallowed it down quickly. Screaming the truth right now would get me executed. Lupa's family held too much power here, and Kaelen’s mind was still compromised. I needed to play the game. I needed to survive long enough to expose them all.

I immediately dropped to my knees, bowing my head in a show of complete submission.

"No one sent me, Alpha Kaelen," I said, pitching my voice to sound meek and frightened. "I am just a wandering orphan. I heard rumors of your illness at a trading post down in the valley. I only came to offer my services in exchange for a safe place to sleep."

Kaelen stepped closer. The tips of his combat boots entered my line of sight.

"A convenient story," he muttered. "Too convenient."

"Please," I whispered, keeping my eyes firmly fixed on the dirt. "I mean you no harm. Test my skills. Bind my hands if you must."

Lupa scoffed loudly, a harsh, grating sound. "Do not listen to this filth, Kaelen. She is an assassin. Let my father's men dispose of her in the woods."

"No," Kaelen said flatly. "We do not execute people without a trial. Not even rogues."

"Then what will you do with her?" Lupa demanded.

"Lock her in the underground cells," Kaelen ordered the guards. "Strip her of any weapons. Give her no food. I will interrogate her myself tonight."

"Kaelen!" Lupa shrieked.

"My territory, my rules, Lupa," he snapped, the patience entirely gone from his voice. "Do not question my authority in front of my men again."

Lupa fell silent, though I could hear her grinding her teeth together.

The two guards hauled me to my feet. They gripped my arms roughly, their fingers digging hard into my fading bruises.

I didn't struggle. I let my shoulders slump forward, presenting the perfect image of a terrified, defeated stray.

"I will answer whatever you ask, Alpha," I murmured softly as they dragged me past him. "I have nothing to hide."

Kaelen didn't respond. But as I was pulled through the heavy iron gates, I felt a sharp pang of regret echo across our bond. He didn't want to lock me up. His wolf was actively fighting his human logic.

Good. Let him suffer the conflict.

The guards marched me through the bustling courtyard. Pack members stopped and stared, whispering behind their hands. I kept my head down, memorizing the layout of the compound. The armory sat to the left. The Alpha's manor loomed straight ahead. The healing ward remained tucked away in the eastern wing, exactly where I had nearly died for him.

They dragged me toward a thick iron door set into the base of a stone watchtower. The air grew instantly colder as we descended a steep spiral staircase deep into the earth.

The dungeon smelled of damp moss and old rust.

One guard unlocked a rusted cell door and shoved me inside. I stumbled, catching myself on the damp stone wall before I hit the floor.

"Do not try anything stupid," the crossbow guard warned, slamming the iron bars shut. The lock clicked with a heavy, final thud.

"I will be quiet," I promised, hugging my arms tightly around my chest.

They marched back up the stairs, leaving me in near-total darkness.

The moment the heavy door at the top of the stairs shut, my submissive posture vanished. I stood up straight, brushing the dirt from my knees.

*Idiot,* I thought, pacing the short length of the small cell. *Paranoid, blind idiot.*

I ran my fingers over the rough stone walls, checking for loose blocks. Nothing. The cell was entirely solid.

I sat on the edge of a narrow wooden cot, leaning my head back against the freezing wall.

I had to plan my next move carefully. When Kaelen came down here, I needed to give him just enough information to keep me alive, but not enough to let Lupa realize I was the girl from the healing ward. The heavy blood loss and dirt had disguised my scent and face today, but I couldn't rely on grime forever.

Hours crawled by. The sliver of light coming through a tiny grate near the ceiling faded from gold to gray, then to pitch black.

Night had fallen.

The damp chill of the cell seeped deep into my bones. My stomach growled loudly, a sharp reminder of how long it had been since my last meal.

Suddenly, the heavy iron door at the top of the stairs groaned open.

I froze.

The heavy thud of boots against stone echoed down the spiral staircase.

They were heavy, purposeful strides.

I strained my ears, trying to catch a scent, but the stagnant air of the dungeon masked everything.

Was it Kaelen, coming for his interrogation?

Or was it Elder Thorne, slipping down into the dark to finish the job his daughter started?

The footsteps stopped right outside my cell bars.

A tall shadow blocked the dim light of the corridor torch.

"Well, well," a low voice whispered from the darkness. "Look what we have here."