The Alpha’s Regret: My Secret Siphon Heirs

Chapter 2: The Ghost of the Shadow Clinic

POV: Elena

The air in the neutral city of Oakhaven smelled of damp stone and medicinal herbs, a far cry from the cedar and pine of the Silver Moon territory. For five years, this had been my sanctuary. Here, I wasn't the 'Null' who had been discarded like trash. I was Dr. Elara, the woman who could knit a shattered bone with a touch and suppress the most violent of wolf fevers.

"Mama, Leo is staring at the sun again," a small, melodic voice chirped.

I looked up from the mortar and pestle, my heart softening instantly. My daughter, Luna, was tugging at my apron. Her dark curls were a wild mess, and her eyes, a deep, swirling violet sparkled with mischief.

Across the small courtyard, her brother Leo sat perfectly still. At five years old, he already had the brooding posture of a King. He didn't look at toys or chase squirrels. He watched the horizon with a gaze that was far too old for his face. And his eyes... they were a piercing, liquid silver. Every time I looked at him, I saw the man who had shattered my soul.

"Leo, honey, come inside," I called out, my voice firm but gentle. "The merchants are arriving soon. I need you both in the back room."

"Someone is coming, Mama," Leo said, his voice a low rasp. He didn't move. "A big wolf. He smells like the sky before a storm."

A cold shiver raced down my spine. Lightning and cedar. I shook the thought away. It was impossible. Cassian would never leave his precious pack, especially not to come to a border town like Oakhaven. He was probably busy celebrating another anniversary with his 'blessed' Luna.

"Into the back. Now," I commanded.

My children sensed the sudden shift in my scent, the sharp tang of fear and obeyed.

I reached for my mask. It was a delicate thing, made of enchanted lace that blurred my features to any supernatural eye. To the world, I was a mystery. To my patients, I was a miracle.

The bell above the clinic door chimed.

I straightened my shoulders, pulling my professional persona around me like armor. I expected a local merchant or perhaps a rogue traveler. I did not expect the man who filled the entire doorway, his massive shoulders blocking out the afternoon sun.

He was taller than I remembered. His jaw was covered in a dark stubble, and the silver eyes that haunted my dreams were now bloodshot and weary. He looked like a man who hadn't slept in years.

"I am looking for the Siphon," the man rumbled.

The sound of his voice hit me like a physical blow.

My wolf, the one that had finally awakened in the Forbidden Forest the night I 'died' howled in the back of my mind. Mate. Mate. Mate.

Shut up, I snarled at her internally. He killed us. Remember?

"You've found her," I said, my voice disguised by the mask's magic, coming out cool and clinical. "But the Siphon does not see patients without an appointment. And she certainly doesn't see Alphas who bring their heavy energy into her sanctuary."

Cassian stiffened. He took a step forward, his nostrils flaring as he caught my scent. I held my breath, pushing my power, my Siphon gift, outward. I dampened the air around me, neutralizing my pheromones and the 'Mate' pull. I watched his eyes cloud with confusion. He felt something, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"My Beta is dying," Cassian said, his voice thick with a desperation I had never heard from him before.

"A shadow-curse from the Northern Wastes. My pack healers are useless. They say only a Siphon can draw the rot out."

"And why should I care about a Silver Moon Beta?" I asked, leaning back against my desk, crossing my arms. I let a bit of venom leak into my tone.

"Your pack isn't known for its kindness to those it deems 'weak' or 'different'."

Cassian flinched. A flicker of pain crossed his handsome face, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.

"I will pay any price. Gold, land, protection. Name it."

"Protection?" I laughed, a dry, hollow sound. "I protect myself, Alpha. I don't need a King's charity."

Suddenly, a small thud came from the back room.

"Luna, give it back!" Leo’s muffled voice echoed through the thin wooden door.

Cassian’s head snapped toward the sound. His Alpha instincts were on high alert. "You have children here?"

"I have assistants," I snapped, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Now, if your Beta is truly dying, bring him in. But know this, Alpha: if you step foot in my clinic, you follow my rules. You speak when spoken to. And you do not touch anything or anyone that doesn't belong to you."

Cassian stared at me, his silver eyes searching my masked face. For a terrifying second, I thought he was going to reach out and rip the lace away.

"Agreed," he whispered, his voice dropping an octave. "Just save him."

I turned away to prepare my instruments, my hands trembling. He was here. He was in my house. And in the next room, his son, the spitting image of him was one door-handle away from ruining everything.