scent of herbs and desperation clung heavily to the space. People shuffled between makeshift cots, trying

but his hands balled into fists by his sides. He hated f

he asked, his voi

s dark hair was disheveled, and the lines on his face wer

"That makes eleven.

r a cure soon..." Caden didn't fin

fire. Symptoms ranged from fever to uncontrollable fits of coughing and finally, a strange paralysis that left vi

ing to think. "What about the doctors

id he's never seen anything like this. The healer from the East River pa

e alone

now,

palpable. Kade called a meeting with the pack elde

wolves," Elder Viktor said, his

Kade asked, leaning aga

very healer, herbalist, anyone who might know someth

alers will just drop everything to come here? Especia

sit here and do not

through the argument like a

er payment if we have to. Someone out there

ng wolf burst into the

panted, her

m his desk, a mix of urgency

aid between breaths. "In the human town beyond the ri

ow furrow

Should we s

something vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. Shaking of

ck on the door startled her as she measured dried herbs into a j

doorstep, her face pale wit

ila, the h

the human town, avoiding any mention of her past life with

nees. "Please, our pack is d

ould never forget the loyalty and pain that came with belonging to a pack. See

," Lila said, guidi

it was tearing through the pack. Lila listened carefully, aski

eard before," Lila admitted, her mi

come w

er everything that had happened, after she'd run away to protect he

't go, more liv

gs," she said finally,

air was heavy with tension. She could see the strain on every

an to creep in. The faces, the smells, even the way the trees lo

a silence fell. Wolves stared at her

ist?" Caden asked,

said, meeti

say," he said gruffly. "Becau

g endless questions. She spread out her herbs and remedies

lways. Lila froze for just a moment before forcing herself to focu

r?" Kade asked, h

eplied witho

ou hel

thing I can,"

n passed between them-an echo of a past neith

, and administered treatments while instructing the other healers o

t work?" one of th

" Caden said, though d

teady and full of belief. All eyes turned to him.

patients-a young warrior-showed signs of improv

d, a small smile breakin

lief, she knew the battle wasn't over yet. The illness