Elara POV

The morning mist still clung to the damp earth as I walked down the packed dirt path toward the Pack's center. My mind was still reeling from the surreal events of last night.

Gamma Desmond had actually brought Alpha Kalen Lancaster to our cramped, drafty shack for dinner. Sitting across from the most powerful wolf in the Bloodmoon Pack had been suffocating. Because of my wolfless body, I couldn't understand the strange, heavy tension in the air. I only knew that his overwhelming scent—a potent, dizzying mix of cedarwood and violent storms—had made my heart race in pure, inexplicable panic. I had kept my head down the entire time, intimidated by his sheer Alpha presence.

"Well, well. Look who it is."

A sharp, grating voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Martha stepped directly into my path, her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were narrowed, practically burning with a toxic mix of curiosity and bitter jealousy. The news of our high-ranking guests had clearly spread through the Omega quarters like wildfire.

"An Alpha at an Omega's table..." Martha sneered, her voice loud enough to draw the attention of passing Pack members. She looked me up and down with blatant disgust. "You must have some special tricks, even for a wolfless girl. Too bad no wolf wants to Mate a burden like you."

A few months ago, those words would have crushed me. But today, the ancient, quiet strength of my dormant White Wolf steadied my heartbeat. I didn't flush, and I didn't look away.

"My path is guided by the Moon Goddess, Martha," I replied, my voice calm and ringing with a quiet, unyielding authority that made her flinch. "I am dedicating myself to the ancient healing arts under Albin Todd. And I will wait for the Fated Mate the Goddess has chosen for me, rather than rushing into a desperate Pairing just to prove my worth to gossips."

Martha’s jaw dropped. The sheer, unwavering faith in my response made her petty, worldly insults sound incredibly shallow. The surrounding onlookers murmured, their judgmental stares shifting from me to her. Suffocated by her own embarrassment, Martha turned red and scurried away without another word.

I adjusted my frayed cloak and continued my walk, a new sense of dignity settling into my bones.

However, the moment I pushed open the heavy wooden door of Albin Todd's herbalist shop, that peace shattered.

"You poisoned me!" a hysterical voice shrieked.

Rosalie Vance was standing in the middle of the shop, sobbing uncontrollably. Albin stood behind the counter, looking completely overwhelmed. When Rosalie turned to me, my breath hitched. Her usually pretty face was covered in angry, inflamed red spots.

"My Pairing Ceremony is tomorrow!" Rosalie cried, lunging toward me. "I trusted you, you wolfless fraud! You ruined my face! You ruined my life!"

"Rosalie, please, breathe," I said, keeping my voice perfectly level as I stepped toward her. "I am so sorry I didn't warn you. The Glow Salve contains wolfsbane extract. It's pulling the deep-seated toxins and impurities to the surface. It's a purge, not a poison."

"I don't care about toxins! Look at me!" she wailed, her panic blinding her to reason.

"I can fix it right now. Let me help you," I offered softly.

Before she could slap my hands away, I gently cupped her inflamed cheeks. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Deep within my chest, the newly awakened White Wolf stirred. A faint, incredibly pure energy—cool as winter snow and smelling faintly of wild freesia—flowed from my core, down my arms, and pooled into my palms.

It was a Healer's Touch, but magnified by a divine bloodline.

Under my fingertips, the angry heat of Rosalie's skin rapidly cooled. The inflamed red spots visibly shrank, the swelling melting away like ice under the sun.

Rosalie’s sobs hitched. She opened her eyes, feeling the soothing, miraculous relief washing over her skin. She rushed to the small brass mirror on the counter. The angry breakout was entirely gone, leaving behind a flawless, radiant complexion.

"By the Goddess..." Rosalie whispered, her hands trembling as she touched her own cheeks. She turned back to me, her anger completely replaced by profound awe and shame. "Elara... I... I am so sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."

After profusely thanking me, Rosalie practically floated out of the shop, her confidence fully restored.

I let out a long exhale, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead. When I turned around, Albin Todd was staring at me. The gentle, grandfatherly affection he usually showed me was gone. In its place was absolute, unadulterated reverence.

"That wasn't just herbalism, Elara," Albin murmured, his aged voice trembling slightly. He looked at my hands as if they held the moon itself. "That was ancient magic. You... you are something this Pack hasn't seen in centuries."

He straightened his posture, a fierce determination settling into his weathered features. He knew, just as I did, that a gift like this couldn't stay hidden in the shadows of the Omega quarters for long.

Elara POV

The lingering reverence in Albin Todd’s eyes from yesterday had settled into a quiet, watchful pride by noon the next day. The shop smelled of dried sage, crushed mint, and the rich, savory aroma of the leftover venison bone broth my mother had brought us for lunch. It was a peaceful, grounding atmosphere—until Diana shattered it.

My mother was pacing the worn floorboards of the shop, her hands throwing exasperated gestures into the air.

"I swear, that boy is going to put me in an early grave!" Diana fumed, her eyes flashing with the residual irritation of a recently severed Mind-Link.

I paused my mortar and pestle, exchanging an amused glance with Albin. "Desmond again?"

"Who else?" Diana huffed, planting her hands on her hips. "I finally managed to pin him down through the Pack link to demand he bring a date to the full moon gathering. And do you know what your stubborn cousin had the nerve to say to me? *'Aunt Diana, I'm busy! The Warriors need me!'*"

She mimicked his deep, authoritative Gamma voice perfectly, though her maternal annoyance completely undermined it.

"He's the Gamma, Mom," I offered gently. "He probably is busy."

"Busy avoiding a Pairing!" Diana countered fiercely. "But that wasn't even the worst part. To get me off his back, he actually tried to deflect by offering *you* up to his Alpha!"

My hands froze. The heavy stone pestle slipped, clattering against the bowl. "He did what?"

Diana sighed, her anger melting into a complicated, protective frown. "He thought he was being clever. He told Alpha Kalen, *'She's just a wolfless Omega, Kalen. Fragile. She needs a quiet life, not the burden of being an Alpha's Mate.'*"

A sharp, unexpected sting pierced my chest. I loved Desmond, and I knew he was fiercely protective of me, but hearing those words spoken aloud felt like a heavy iron chain wrapping around my throat. *Fragile. Wolfless. A burden.* Even to my own family, that was my defining identity.

"And... what did the Alpha say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Diana shook her head, her expression tightening. "He shut it down instantly. He just said, *'Don't be ridiculous. Get back to training.'*"

*Don't be ridiculous.*

The Alpha's cold, dismissive words echoed in my mind. To the most powerful wolf in the Bloodmoon Pack, the very idea of being paired with someone like me was an absurdity. A joke not even worth entertaining. Deep within my chest, my newly awakened White Wolf bristled. A low, silent growl vibrated against my ribs, rejecting the insult from a wolf who didn't even know my true nature.

Before I could process the heavy weight of their dismissal, the bell above the shop door chimed frantically.

A figure stepped inside, moving with a hurried, almost frantic energy. They were wrapped entirely in a heavy, dark wool cloak, the oversized hood pulled low to obscure their face completely. The scent of nervous anticipation rolled off them in waves.

My heart plummeted straight into my stomach. I recognized that scent.

It was Rosalie Vance.

Oh, Goddess. Panic seized my throat, suffocating me. Did the Glow Salve have a delayed reaction? Did my healing magic backfire and cause some horrific side effect overnight? Her Pairing Ceremony was tonight. If I had ruined her face permanently, the Pack enforcers would have me exiled—or worse.

"Rosalie?" I whispered, my hands trembling as I stepped out from behind the heavy oak counter. "Please, let me see. Whatever happened, I can fix it, I promise—"

Rosalie let out a sound that was half-sob, half-laugh. Her hands reached up, gripping the edges of the heavy wool. With a dramatic flourish, she threw back the hood.

I gasped, my hands flying to cover my mouth.

Her skin wasn't just healed; it was absolutely flawless. The angry, inflamed red spots from yesterday were entirely gone. In their place was a luminous, healthy complexion that radiated vitality. Her skin looked as though it had been kissed by moonlight, soft and impossibly perfect.

"Look at me," Rosalie breathed, her eyes shining with tears of pure, unadulterated joy. She rushed forward, grabbing my trembling hands and squeezing them tightly. "You aren't just a herbalist, Elara. You are a miracle worker blessed by the Goddess."

The suffocating panic in my chest evaporated, instantly replaced by a soaring, dizzying rush of triumph. Albin Todd stood behind the counter, a knowing, incredibly proud smile lifting his weathered cheeks.

"I need three more jars," Rosalie declared, her voice trembling with excitement. "Immediately. And I don't care what it costs. I am telling every single female at the Pairing Ceremony about you, Elara Snow."

Standing there, holding the hands of a beautiful, confident female whose life I had just changed, the sting of Desmond and Kalen's words faded into the background. I wasn't a fragile burden anymore. I was a Healer.