A Healer's Severance, An Alpha's Regret

At my daughter Lily's First Moon Ceremony, my Alpha mate's childhood friend, Blair, publicly shamed me, mocking how my heat had grown dull since becoming a mother.

"Hey, Victoria. I heard your wolf has lost its fire since you gave birth?"

"If it's that bad, you'd better start taking suppressants—you wouldn't want it to affect your bond with your mate!"

Porter just chuckled, shaking his head with fond exasperation.

"Stop it, Blair. You can't just say whatever pops into your head."

Then he turned to me, shrugging casually.

"That's just Blair. Spoiled rotten. We grew up together; she doesn't have a malicious bone in her body."

Blair flirtatiously adjusted her half-exposed top and pouted.

"Oh, come on, don't take it to heart, Victoria. To be honest, I'm actually a little jealous of you."

"See, I have the opposite problem. My inner wolf goes absolutely feral on a full moon. I wonder what kind of Alpha could ever handle me."

Her gaze slid seductively to Porter, and she winked. "Oh, right. You've had a taste of that before, haven't you?"

A hush fell over the hall. Every eye swiveled to me, their gazes thick with poorly concealed curiosity.

A faint smile touched my lips. I set down my crystal glass of Moonlight Nectar and met Blair’s provocative gaze, my own expression a mask of pure concern.

"That's strange. The last time I cleansed the lingering energies from your... chaotic entanglements, I don't recall sensing a wolf that was quite so 'pure and fiery'."

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1

The stunned silence was shattered when a young wolf burst out laughing.

"Gods, Victoria's got a sharp tongue! That's the first time I've ever seen anyone shut Blair up!"

Others quickly joined in, cracking jokes to lighten the sudden tension.

Porter seized the moment, wrapping an arm around me and whispering in my ear, "Blair was just trying to help. You know her—she speaks without thinking. Why are you getting so hostile?"

Then he turned to Blair, his voice full of indulgent warmth. "See what happens when you run your mouth? Victoria put you in your place. Go on, apologize."

Blair’s smile tightened, but she swallowed whatever retort was on her lips and raised her glass to me.

"Alright, alright. You win, Victoria. You've got a sharp tongue."

"Look, I basically grew up with Porter. We’ve been running in the same pack since we were pups. We tell each other everything, no filter."

"I just got carried away. Don't take it personally, okay?"

One of Porter's friends jumped in, trying to smooth things over. "Exactly! Victoria, you're a brilliant healer. Don't let her get to you."

"She's basically one of the guys! Ha!"

Another wave of laughter erupted at the table. Blair played along, puffing out her chest. "Oh, please. With a body like this? I bet you guys have had an eyeful."

She turned to me. "Victoria, isn't my figure the most perfect of all the she-wolves you've healed?"

Porter muttered under his breath, "That's enough."

I glanced at her sculpted curves—every line honed to an unnatural perfection by potions—and my lips twitched into a humorless smile.

Of course it was perfect. It was a body sculpted by illicit drugs.

I spoke again, my professional tone carrying cleanly across the hall.

"Blair, if you're genuinely experiencing the kind of wolf agitation you described, it could be a side effect of the potions in your system. Or perhaps you've undergone a forbidden enhancement ritual elsewhere."

"Either way, it can lead to madness on the full moon, and even permanent infertility. I strongly advise you to stop immediately."

I made sure my voice was loud enough for the elders at the next table to turn and stare.

Porter shot to his feet.

"Victoria. Outside. Now," he snarled. His Alpha command coiled around my will like a whip, leaving no room for defiance.