RISE OF THE HEALER LUNA

6

Serena’s POV

The maid’s face was pale, her lips trembling as she stood in front of me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked quickly, stepping closer to her.

She swallowed hard, her eyes darting around like someone was watching her.

“I… I can’t say, Lady Serena. But you have to come to the pack hall now. It’s urgent.”

That made my stomach twist. I didn’t ask anything else because I already knew she wouldn’t answer. I turned around, rushed back into the room and pulled on a simple dress—something decent but not fancy—then slipped on my boots while my mind raced in a hundred directions at once.

Adrian was still in the gym, and for a moment I thought of calling him, but something told me I needed to see this with my own eyes first.

The maid walked ahead of me with quick steps, and I followed her through the snowy path back to the pack house while my thoughts tangled like messy threads.

By the time we reached the pack hall, I could already feel the atmosphere was tense.

People were gathered outside and inside, far more than usual, and the moment they saw me, their eyes changed.

Yesterday, those same people had been smiling at me, kneeling before me, calling my name like I was their savior. Today, their eyes were dark… cold and full of hatred.

I slowed down, confusion washing over me, but I didn’t stop. I pushed forward, squeezing through the crowd as whispers followed me from every side.

“She’s here…”

“That’s her…”

“So she dared to show up…”

My heart began to beat faster as I forced my way through the bodies until I reached the center of the hall—and then I saw them.

On the cold floor, covered with white sheets stained with dark patches, lay two bodies.

I knew them… I knew their faces. They were the two men I had cured yesterday.

My hands shook as I stepped closer, my voice coming out almost in a whisper.

“What… what happened?”

Silence fell over the hall, and every eye turned toward the throne.

Liam sat there stiffly, his jaw clenched, and his foot tapping lightly against the floor like he was holding back something dangerous. Cassandra sat beside him, her hand resting on his arm as if she was trying to calm him, but her eyes were sharp and alert, watching everything like a hawk.

Before Liam could speak, a familiar voice cut through the silence.

“Why don’t you tell us, Serena?”

I turned slowly.

Councilor Gaius stood a few steps away from me, his arms folded across his chest, his lips curled in a thin frown that made my skin crawl.

“Tell you what?” I asked, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay calm.

He stepped forward slightly.

“Tell us why the men you claimed to have cured yesterday were found dead this morning.”

A wave of gasps rolled through the hall and my head snapped back to the bodies on the floor.

Dead?

“No,” I said immediately, my voice rising. “That’s not possible.”

Gaius tilted his head.

“Not possible?”

“My cure doesn’t kill,” I said firmly. “It never has. It never will.”

He laughed softly, and the sound made my fists clench.

“Funny. Because the evidence is right there.”

Angry murmurs rippled through the hall, accusations rising like a storm.

“She lied to us…”

“So she poisoned them?”

“I knew it was too good to be true…”

“That’s a lie!” I shouted, stepping forward. “I have cured dozens of people before. Not a single one died because of my medicine.”

Gaius’s eyes darkened.

“Watch your tone, weakling.”

A low growl erupted from my chest. My claws itched beneath my skin. My wolf snarled at the insult.

“And be careful with your words,” I warned, my voice dropping low. “You don’t get to insult me like that.”

The hall erupted at once.

“How dare you threaten a councilor!”

“She murdered people and still has the nerve to talk!”

Before I could react, Cassandra stood up, her voice ringing through the hall like sweet poison.

“Two men are dead after placing their trust in you,” she said softly. “And now you threaten a councilor? Tell me, Serena, what should we call that?”

The crowd roared. Some people stepped forward, their faces twisted with anger.

“Beat her!”

“She played with us!”

“Teach her a lesson!”

The doors suddenly slammed open, and everyone froze as Adrian walked in.

His eyes were dark, and his overwhelming aura immediately put everyone in their place. His fists were clenched, and his gaze blazed like he was ready to annihilate anyone who dared to move.

“Try it,” he said coldly. “Anyone who touches her dies.”

The crowd stepped back instantly as Adrian walked straight to me and took my hand firmly and protectively.

“Let’s get out of this shithole,” he said under his breath.

I shook my head slightly.

“Wait,” I said.

He frowned.

“Serena…”

“I can prove it,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos around us.

The hall fell silent again.

Liam finally spoke.

“How?” he asked.

I looked at him directly.

“Give me the bodies.”

A wave of shock passed through the hall.

“For an autopsy,” I added calmly. “Let me examine them properly.”

Cassandra laughed sharply.

“Absolutely not.”

I turned to her slowly.

“And why not?” I asked.

She stepped forward from her throne.

“Because you’ll just lie again,” she said sweetly. “You’ll forge evidence and come up with another story.”

I smiled faintly.

“Then don’t let me do it alone,” I said. “Let your best healer join me and let everyone watch. I’ll do it in front of an audience so there will be no lies and no tricks.”

The hall buzzed again as all eyes turned to Liam. He hesitated, and for a moment, I saw conflict flash in his eyes.

Cassandra leaned closer to him, whispering something urgently while Gaius spoke quickly too, his voice full of protest, but Liam raised his hand and silence fell instantly.

“I’ve heard enough,” he said sharply. “Serena will get what she asked for.”

Cassandra’s eyes widened.

“Seriously? You can't—”

“Enough,” he snapped. “I’ve made my decision.”

Gaius opened his mouth to argue, but Liam’s gaze shut him up instantly.

He turned back to me.

“You’ll be given everything you need,” he said. “If you’re lying, you’ll pay for it.”

I nodded slowly.

“That’s fair,” I said.

Then I turned around and walked out, Adrian’s hand still wrapped around mine. I didn’t look back, but I could feel Cassandra’s eyes burning into my skin.

The path back to the visitors’ building felt longer than usual.

Adrian didn’t let go of my hand, but his grip was tense, and when we entered the living room, he shut the door hard behind us.

“This is madness,” he said tightly. “You shouldn’t have agreed to that.”

I dropped onto the couch slowly.

“I had to,” I said quietly.

He paced the room like a restless wolf.

“They don’t deserve your help,” he said angrily. “Look at how fast they turned on you. Yesterday they were kneeling before you. Today they wanted to tear you apart.”

I sighed.

“They’re scared,” I said softly. “People do stupid things when they’re scared.”

Adrian stopped pacing and stared at me.

“This is your old home,” he said bitterly. “And yet they treat you like dirt.”

I looked away.

“They’re confused,” I said. “They lost people to this disease and they’re angry. They don’t know who to blame.”

He scoffed.

“And you’re still defending them?”

I hesitated.

“This was my home before you found me,” I said slowly. “I can’t just walk away.”

His eyes darkened.

“Is that really why?” he asked.

I frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?”

He stepped closer, his jaw tightening.

“Or is it because of him?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous. “Your former Alpha.”

My head snapped up.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said quickly.

Adrian laughed, but there was no humor in it.

“Really?” he asked. “Then why are you so determined to stay here? Why are you so desperate to prove something to him?”

“That’s not true,” I said, standing up.

He took another step closer.

“Don’t lie to me, Serena,” he said roughly. “I can smell your emotions. This place… this pack… and him. They still matter to you.”

“You’re wrong,” I said, but my voice wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be.

Adrian’s eyes flashed.

“So what if I am?” he asked. “Are you using me too? Are you using my power, my name, my presence just to get revenge on him?”

His words hit deeper than I expected.

“That’s not fair,” I said quietly.

He clenched his fists.

“Nothing about this is fair,” he said sharply. “You’re risking everything for people who don’t deserve you.”

I stepped closer to him.

“I’m not risking everything,” I said.

“Yes, you are,” he snapped.

Silence stretched between us, thick with words neither of us wanted to say.

His temper flared suddenly and, before I could react, he grabbed the heavy table in the middle of the room and flipped it effortlessly. It slammed against the wall with a loud crash.

I froze, my breath caught in my throat.

For a second, I didn’t recognize him. His eyes were glowing faintly, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his wolf dangerously close to the surface.

I took a step back instinctively, fear crawling into my heart, and I wondered if I had truly gone too far.