Lysa

I left early to attend the Council Assembly in the Red Crest. The invitation didn't say much except my role as an honorary guest and a healer, but it was a needed escape. I focused on the excitement of being in a new place, meeting other pack leaders, and breaking free from anything related to the Crescent Pack. However, that ache when I thought of Alpha Kade and Mia was still there.

When I arrived at the Red Crest Pack’s territory, it was livelier and less formal than I expected for the most powerful pack. Inside the council hall, various leaders and representatives from the neighboring packs mingled, and their voices filled the vast and beautifully adorned room. I went inside silently, hoping not to draw any attention.

But as soon as I sat down, I felt that pull and smelled that scent that made me look up. I was not mistaken seeing Alpha Kade and Mia just entering. Alpha Kade wore a tuxedo, exuding an aura of an Alpha. Mia was beside him, tall and confident, just like a war advisor should be. But seeing them together gnawed at me.

When the meeting was almost over, I stepped out and went to the garden. It was almost secluded and filled with roses. I sat on a bench close to the council hall and plucked the pink rose, big and fully bloomed.

“Escaping the noise, too?”

I was startled and looked up to see a man looking at me amused. He was tall with ocean-blue eyes; he had the energy that pulled me like gravity and that scent of forest and breeze that felt intoxicating. My wolf screamed, "Mate! Mate!" But I was not ready to get fooled with this mate bond once again. I ignored it.

I had seen him before, and then it hit me—it was Alpha Elias of the Red Crest Pack.

"Ah, yes... council meetings can be overwhelming," I replied.

Alpha Elias sat on the bench across from me and said, "Or, maybe it was something more. You seemed distant."

I was caught off guard, but something made me feel at ease. I felt I could share anything with him without judgment, and I would feel safe.

“Sometimes, we go where we think we can hide.”

He raised a brow.

“And yet, here you are, sitting in plain sight.”

“Lysa?”

I stiffened when I heard that familiar voice. I turned to see Alpha Kade with Mia hovering beside him.

“Alpha Kade, I was just getting to know your best healer,” Alpha Elias greeted politely.

Alpha Kade gazed at the rose I held, and his jaw tightened.

“I wasn’t aware you knew each other.”

“Oh, well, I make it a point to get to know everyone who visits Red Crest. I find it helps build connections. Strengthens alliances.”

Mia smirked and said, "That’s very kind of you, Alpha Elias. But you’ll find that Lysa prefers to stay… low profile.”

There was something about what she said that made me snap. And for the first time, I interrupted, "Low profile doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a bit of peace, Mia. Some of us don’t crave attention.”

It took her by surprise, but she hid it with a smile.

“Of course. I’m sure Red Crest offers all the quiet you need.”

Alpha Kade looked annoyed at me but couldn't scold me.

“Mia, perhaps we should return to the meeting. There’s plenty left to discuss.”

The moment they were gone, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Never let anyone make you feel you are low, regardless of their position," Alpha Elias said, startling me because I had somehow forgotten he was there.

The council hall opened before I could respond, and several Red Crest Pack members came out. One of them a young warrior, said, "Alpha Elias, there’s been a breach on the western border. Scouts reported a group of rogue approaching."

Alpha Elias' expression hardened when he asked, "How many?"

“A dozen, maybe more. We’ve called in our warriors, but they’re still regrouping.”

Alpha Elias turned to me; his jaw set with a grim determination.

“Lysa, I could use an experienced healer at the infirmary. Could you please help?"

The sense of having a purpose birthed inside me somehow overpowering the pain I felt.

"Of course, Alpha. Lead the way."

We moved quickly and we arrived at the infirmary just in time for the injured to begin arriving. I worked alongside the Red Crest healers, tending to the wounded with much focus.

Hours passed, and I witnessed a lot of blood, and I bandaged many warriors, but I felt alive in a way I hadn’t in a long time. Amidst the crisis, I found a sense of belonging.

When dawn approached, the last of the injured were stabilized. I sat back, exhausted but deeply fulfilled and feeling proud. Then, my nostrils were hit with that forest and breeze scent once again and it brought a chill down my spine.

"You did well today. Red Crest could use a healer like you," Elias said as he watched with an expression, I couldn't tell whether it was admiration or something more.

“You… want me to stay?”

Elias chuckled and I felt it was more of begging for me to do so.

“It’s your choice, Lysa. However, if you stay, no one will make you feel invisible here. You are equally important as anyone else here. I would prefer and be happy if you would. But you must make it clear with your pack."

For a moment, I thought of hearing those words from Alpha Kade. I had been waiting for it, and it never happened. Was it because I meant to hear it from Alpha Elias?

“I’ll think about it,” I replied.

“Take all the time you need. But I really hope that you would."

Then, Alpha Elias smiled and turned to leave. My heart suddenly shifted, now longing for him instead of Alpha Kade.

Lysa

I went down to the infirmary, expecting the usual hustle and bustle of healers attending to the wounded. After spending hours helping yesterday, I had grown comfortable here, finding solace in bandaging wounds and mixing herbs. But what surprised me was the kindness of the Red Crest Pack members. They were genuinely grateful, the complete opposite of the cold indifference that I was used to.

I spent the next hours helping the healers, tending to the injured, and offering comfort where possible. I was so focused on wrapping a bandage around a young warrior’s sprained wrist that I almost didn’t notice Alpha Elias enter the infirmary. His scent was overpowered by the smell of blood, and I missed that, too.

The pack members greeted him with a smile, unlike the fearful submission I was used to seeing with Alpha Kade. Here they loved and respected their leader, at the Crescent Pack, they fear so they submitted to Alpha Kade.

I looked up and met his eyes, and that pull of the mate bond felt like it electrified me. My wolf stirred and kept whispering, "Mate! Mate!"

Alpha Elias nodded at the healers, giving a few instructions before making his way over to me. I quickly finished tying off the bandage and wiped my hands on a towel, trying to compose myself. He walked towards me all smiling.

"You’ve been busy," he said, his eyes serious as they studied me.

"I like helping out. It feels good to be needed again," I admitted, but feeling a strange flutter in my chest.

Alpha Elias smiled and moved closer that we were almost inches apart.

"You know, I’m beginning to think you’re staying because you like it here," he said jokingly.

I raised an eyebrow at him, trying to hide the smile. He might be joking, but why did it feel like he was flirting with me?

"Maybe I do."

Alpha Elias laughed, it was unexpected and warm that it made my wolf perk up. She was practically waging her tail in my mind.

"Well, if that’s the case, how about taking a break? I was planning to head down to the river. Thought you might want to join me."

I hesitated, glancing around the infirmary. The other healers were busy, but they didn’t need me. I turned back to Alpha Elias, who was watching me expectantly. I found myself nodding before I even made up my mind. "Sure, why not?"

The walk to the river was filled with light conversation. It was easy and comfortable, and I realized how different this felt compared to the guarded silences I’d shared with Alpha Kade, who was usually a snob. With Alpha Elias, I didn't have to hide my thoughts and emotions. He made it easy to talk and express what I felt.

We settled on a blanket, facing the river. Alpha Elias handed me an apple, his fingers brushing mine. It sent an unexpected spark up my arm. My wolf was practically jumping out of her skin, begging to be noticed. I could feel her yearning for him to claim us.

"So, are you still pretending you are only here to help?"

I choked on the piece of apple I was chewing, coughing, and spluttering as I looked at him in shock.

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged, but his eyes twinkled like he was teasing me, but there was something more. And for a moment, I thought I saw the intense attraction.

"You could leave anytime, Lysa. But you’re still here. It makes me wonder why."

I tried to argue but stopped. He was right. I could have left yesterday or even this morning. But I was still here, helping in the infirmary and sitting beside him.

"I like it here. It’s different. The people, the pack... You," I shyly admitted, feeling my cheeks heat.

"And I like having you here."

He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. The touch was gentle, but my heart ached with longing. I longed for this moment with Alpha Kade, and I couldn't believe it was happening now. We sat there in silence and listened to the river until the sun started descending.

"Come on. Let me walk you back to your quarters to rest."

When we reached my quarters, he stopped by my door.

"Lysa, I would like you to stay a little longer. Not just as a healer but... as someone I want to get to know better."

My heart clenched, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. I remembered how I was a mate to Alpha Kade, and he just replaced me. I didn't know if I could believe that this was something different.

"I'm... I'm not sure what you mean by that?" I asked, trying to sound confused although I understood what he meant.

Alpha Elias only smiled. I thought he was somehow shy or afraid to speak what he really wanted to mean.

"I think you know what I mean, Lysa. I am really interested to know you better."

"I don’t know if I’m ready," I whispered.

"I'm sure you could feel our connection was something we can't do away, but that's okay. I understand. Just think about it."

"I will," I said nodding.

I stepped into my room, closing the door behind me. I saw a pink rose on my bed; I touched it gently. Maybe, this was something that I had hoped for.

But before I could let that thought settle, a sharp knock sounded on the door. I opened and standing in the hallway was Alpha Kade. His eyes were dark, his face a mix of anger and desperation that scared me.

"Lysa, we need to talk now," Alpha Kade ordered.

My blood turned cold as I looked into his eyes. Alpha Kade had destroyed the comfort and warmth I had felt a moment ago. And I realized I couldn't stay that long here in the Red Crest, Alpha Kade would never allow it.