The Hidden Alpha-Luna

Odessa’s Confession part 4

“I guess we found a new healing injection that works faster than the others.” Doctor Sandi says before leaving the room for a few minutes.

“So, what happened? Why did those rogues attack you? What questions did they want to have answered?” I ask rather quickly.

“I don’t really know. They were asking about Odessa. And when I said I didn’t have any information on her, they said I was lying and started punching and kicking me.” Tyrene's mind-linked me.

“Why would rogues be looking for Odessa?” I say mind-linking Ne, and she just shrugs.

Just then the doctor comes in with a couple of nurses. “How are you feeling Tyrene?” Sandi asks.

“I’m pretty sore. And I don’t really feel like talking to anyone right now.” Tyrene says.

“That’s fine. Just focus on getting better. We'll be here if you need us.” Sandi says before turning to leave.

“Hey, Sandi? What was that cloth that you put over her eyes? And why couldn’t she open them on her own?” I ask before she walks out the door.

“Well, when you brought her in, we put a solution on her eyes that prevents damage or infections to the eyes, especially from the injuries she sustained. The reason she couldn’t open them is that we needed to wipe the solution off, it’s like medical glue only it comes off simply with a gauze pad soaked in rose hip and lily water. We have the same solution over Sarah’s eyes.” Sandi says.

“Oh. Okay, thank you for explaining that.” I speak.

She smiles and leaves the room. I look over at Tyrene and she’s fast asleep. For werewolves, sleep is one of the best things to do to heal faster. So, I quietly get up and go to check on Sarah who is just two rooms over.

*** KNOCK KNOCK***

“Come in,” Randell says on the other side of the closed door.

“Hey,” I say peeking my head into the room.

“Hey, Brea. Come on in.” Randell says looking up from Sarah.

“How’s she doing?” I ask.

“Well, Odessa did a number on her. But the doc used a new injection to help speed up the healing process. They ran a couple of blood tests because they thought they were getting errors.” Randell said.

“What type of errors did they think they were getting?” I asked

“Well, the tests kept coming back that Sarah has enough Wolfsbane in her system to kill five shifted wolves. Yet, there’s no smell of it anywhere on her. The tests are wrong, right? There's no way Odessa could have given her Wolfsbane without anyone noticing the smell.” Randell said.

“How many tests did they run?” I ask.

“Four,” Randell says sighing.

“Okay give me a second. I'll be right back. I'll figure this out.” I say before leaving the room.

“Doctor Sandi?” I mind-link the doctor.

“Yes, Brea? Is Tyrene alright?” Sandi links back.

“Yeah, she was asleep when I left to check on Sarah. Can I see Sarah’s blood tests?” I link asking her.

“Why do you want to see them?” Sandi asks in the link.

“I may be of help. To figure out why she could have so much Wolfsbane in her system without us noticing.” I linked back.

“I didn’t think of that. Odessa has been abusing you girls right under our noses for so long. I'm sorry that I never noticed. Come to the nurses’ station, I'll have the test results ready.” Sandi links to me.

“It’s not your fault. We were too afraid to seek help. Odessa always said no one would believe us over her anyway. And alright I'm coming to the nurses’ station.” I linked back.

I reach the nurse’s station and Sandi was waiting with the test results in her hands.

“We took four tests and each time we kept getting this substance in her system that we don’t know what is or where it comes from,” Sandi says opening the files.

“Huh? You don’t know what Strongylodon macrobotrys is?” I ask.

“No. Do you know what it is?” Sandi asks.

“No, but I know where Odessa kept her Wolfsbane stash. Maybe we’ll find whatever this is there.” I speak.

“Okay, you go look and see if you can’t find what this substance is. I'm going to go check on Sarah and Tyrene while you’re gone.” Sandi says putting the files back.

Nodding, I leave the hospital and head to where Odessa kept her Wolfsbane. She never kept it in or near the packhouse because she knew it would be destroyed by the Alpha. Odessa found an abandoned shed in the woods a little way behind the packhouse, she would only go there at night, probably afraid of being caught. It’s a little shed that if I never followed her one night, I would have thought no one has used it in decades. It's dark out now but lucky my wolf can see better in the dark than I can so I ask to borrow her sight.

“Kendra. We have to get to the shed; can I borrow your night vision?” I ask her in our mind-link.

“Of course, Brea. Anything to protect our friends.” Kendra, my wolf, mind-links back.

I feel her push her eyes forward, now anything blurry or too far away in the dark is like I placed binoculars over my eyes. This also means that my eye color is now Kendra’s, and I can’t have anyone see me like this, since no one knows I have shifted except Tyrene. Walking towards the packhouse I can see that there are several members throughout the house, more than usual. Either they are waiting on news of Sarah and Tyrene or they are angry about the rouges getting into our lands without our border patrol sensing them. As I walk past the stairs at the front of the porch the door opens.

“Brea? Is that you?” Gamma Aaron asks stepping outside.

“Yes Gamma Aaron, it’s me,” I say making sure that he can’t see my eyes.

“Are you alright? Two girls in the hospital in one night and both are because of Odessa. Did Tyrene say why those rogues wanted to know the whereabouts of Odessa?” Gamma Aaron said, stepping closer to me.

“No, when she started waking up, she wasn’t really in the mode to talk. Not even to me.” I tell him.

“Oh, well when she feels up to it, let me know alright? We need to figure this out before the pack becomes restless.” Gamma Aaron says.

I nod and go to walk away until Aaron stops me and asks.

“Hey, do you want to come in for a bit? There's food and drinks, and everyone is on edge waiting to hear about Sarah and Tyrene while half of them in there want to go to the cells and beat the bricks off Odessa and the five rouges. Nice job by the way.” Gamma Aaron said.

“Thanks, but I'm just going to do a couple of laps around the packhouse and head back to the hospital. Need some fresh air anyway and thanks for looking out for me.” I say before walking away. Thankfully Aaron nodded and went back inside.

“That was close.” Kendra's mind-links releasing a breath that she had been holding.

“You do know you didn’t need to hold your breath. Only I can see you.” I giggle through our mind-link.

“I know that but I didn’t think I could switch our eyes back in time if he had gotten any closer.” Kendra mind-links.

“We’ll be alright. They'll have to find out sooner or later.” I mind-link then continue walking to the shed.

Once at the shed I look around and make sure that I wasn’t followed. Don't need questions that I don’t have the answers to just yet. I spot the Wolfsbane instantly it’s hard to miss a vibrant purple stalk flower in the center of Odessa’s raised garden. Lucky for me Odessa kept track of everything she ever did, and there was a book sitting on a table in the left corner of the shed. The book had descriptions and names of each flower in the raised garden. Strongylodon macrobotrys is a flower known by its other name the Jade Vine, it’s a draping, vine flower and it has beautiful turquoise blue flowers. Odessa placed this flower on top of the wooden lattice panels that were suspended above the garden square. There are many other flowers here, but the Wolfbane is what I was looking for. Though I had this nagging feeling to check through the book once more.

“That nagging feeling is me. If Odessa put Jade Vine and Wolfsbane together what does that mean?” Kendra mind-linked me.

She wasn’t wrong so I read more into the book from the shed and Odessa had found a way to make Wolfsbane stronger, more painful, and longer lasting. Mixing Jade Vine and Wolfsbane made a very potent version of Wolfsbane and without the antidote, Sarah would be in her state for six weeks. Luckily Odessa wrote the antidote in the same book.

“I have to bring this flower to Sandi so she can make the antidote.” I mind-link Kendra as I grab the Selenicereus grandiflorus better known as the Night-Blooming Cereus.

I ran back to the hospital as fast as I could, “We need a butterfly wing, an imp stool, and this flower from Odessa's herb stash. Make a tincture and hurry. I will explain everything after.” I say handing the cactus flower to Sandi. She nods and runs the alchemy lab.

“Brea, we need you to come to the packhouse, please.” Gamma Aaron mind-links me.

“Alright, I'll be right there.” I mind-link back.

I tell the nurse at the nurse's station that I'm needed at the packhouse and to mind-link me if needed back here. She nods her head and I leave to go to the packhouse. Aaron meets me outside and the look on his face tells me I’m not going to like what he has to say.

“I’m sorry but Alpha Liam needs you to come to the cells and speak with Odessa,” Aaron says with a pained expression.

“Oh. Um, I don’t know. Why would he want me to come with him?” I ask.

“Well, because Odessa said that’s the only way she’ll talk.” Aaron sighed.

“Wow. Then I guess I don’t have a choice.” I say.

“I can come with you if you’d like,” Aaron says, rubbing the back of his neck.

What is with him lately, being super nice and overly concerned for me, we aren’t mates I would be able to feel it since my birthday is tomorrow.

“Yeah, I would appreciate that,” I say smiling.

Nodding we both head to the basement leading to the dungeon cells.

“Brea, thank you for coming down. I know this is probably hard and that you might not want to be here, so I thank you for coming down here.” Alpha Liam.

“If this is the only way she’ll talk then I will do what it takes to see that my friends remain safe from her,” I say.

“So, you came?” Odessa says, smiling weakly.

“Yes, so say what you have to say,” I tell her.

“You always were the strongest of those wretched girls,” Odessa said.

“Wait, before you start talking about whatever it is that you couldn’t say without me here, I have a few questions. May I, Alpha?” I ask Liam.

“Of course, I’m sure you want some closure.” Alpha Liam says.

“How did you know that Jade Vine would make Wolfsbane stronger? Who could you have tested this on before using it on Sarah? And why would you use it on Sarah? Why did you become like this, you used to care about us and tell us that you’d protect us from any harm. Was that just so you could get our guards down and for us to trust you? And why would a pack of rogues attack Tyrene, asking for you?” I ask, needing these answers.

“Well, that’s what I wanted you to know. Yes, I loved you, girls, like my own flesh and blood, I never wanted to hurt any of you. And I never tested the Jade Vine and Wolfsbane mixture on anyone. I was told how to make it and what it would do. I never wanted to hurt Sarah but I was forced to.” Odessa said before pausing.

“By who?” Alpha Liam asked.

“My mate. I met him about seven years ago.” Odessa said.

“That’s when the beatings started,” I say.

“Yes. He has been forcing me to torment my girls for so long. Brea, I'm so sorry. As for the pack of rogues, they probably belong with my mate. He's ordered me to meet with him every week for the last seven years and report everything that’s happened with the girls. He wanted to test a new strain of Wolfsbane mixture and said I had to use it on one of the Omegas first. Sarah just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Odessa said.