Chapter 19

A hush fell over the room. Even the people who had already experienced Claire’s amazing healing abilities themselves watched in awe as the young man’s wrist was magically healed.

“Your wrist should be fine now,” Claire told the young man she’d just healed. “But you should go home and get some rest. Healing takes a lot of energy out of your body.”

Sabrina was incredulous, her mind racing. How could a useless nanny be a healer? No one had been able to do the things Claire could do since Sabrina’s own mother, the Royal Luna, died years ago.

This just wasn’t possible.

The Gamma watched with his eyes narrowed, as if trying to find the trick. Like Claire was a street magician pulling one over one everyone.

“It’s a trick,” he muttered. “It has to be. This doesn’t prove anything.”

Nathan, still in shock over what he just witnessed, was still able to at least believe what he just saw. “If that doesn’t prove what she can do, what does?”

Gamma Joseph turned to his Alpha with a stubborn expression on his face. “I refuse to believe it, sir. It’s just not possible.”

Nathan bristled. “Maybe we should break your wrist and let her heal that. Would you believe her then?”

For a tense moment the two men stared at each other, making everyone in the room wonder if the Alpha really would break his Gamma’s wrist, just to prove a point.

Finally, unwilling to challenge his Alpha, Joseph backed down. But in his heart he still wasn’t convinced an Omega could ever possess such abilities.

He wasn’t the only one in the room wondering just how this miracle could be possible. How had one of their own, and an Omega no less, suddenly developed such incredible healing abilities?

Among the people gathered, a number were talking about her powers, the strength of them.

“I thought that was a power only royal family members had,” someone whispered. “And even among the royals, this level of ability is still rare!”

“How could an Omega have powers like these? She’s as strong as the Royal Luna was!”

The whispers spread throughout the room, and to others in the community who had heard something was happening at the clinic and hurried in to see.

Suddenly people start raising their hands and calling out for Claire to take a look at them, to heal them. People started lining up at the reception desk to make an appointment for a consultation.

Amelia faced Nathan, Sabrina and Gamma Joseph proudly, declaring, “You see? Whatever Claire’s rank, her abilities are without question. And her presence here has turned this clinic around! We’ve never had more patients.”

And it was true. Before Claire arrived and her abilities emerged, the clinic had been steadily losing patients to a nearby hospital. Though Nathan had offered continued financial support, not enough people had been coming to the clinic to keep it afloat for much longer.

Now that Claire was here, the clinic had more patients than ever, and the staff was grateful to have her.

Nathan stared at Claire, trying to match up this confident, independent woman with a successful career to the shy, eager to please Omega he’d always known.

Even putting to the side the fact that she suddenly had these rare and amazing abilities, the change in her was noticeable, and incredible.

Had she always been this smart and this capable, and he’d never seen it?

Nathan wondered how often he’d overlooked his mate while they were together, taking for granted all the hard work and effort she put into maintaining their home, taking care of their son and making his life run smoothly.

She’d always just been there, a warm and steady presence in the back of his mind. But…

Had he ever really known her at all?

Claire returned her mate’s gaze calmly, completely composed despite all the chaos of the morning. Strong and sure, not the least bit flustered, and so unlike who she’d been before.

It was like she was a totally different person now that she’d gone out into the world and found a place for herself.

“What’s the meaning of all this?” a voice from the entrance demanded. Though older and weakened, the voice still held a strong ring of authority, and heads turned to see who had arrived.

William, the Royal Alpha, made his way through the parting crowd. His expression was strained - he was clearly in pain - and yet he still looked as commanding and regal as Nathan had ever seen him.

“I demand to know what’s going on here,” the old Alpha said.

But his still-keen mind took in the scene in a moment: the Gamma, the guards, Nathan and Sabrina all crowded together with Claire at the center.

“Causing trouble, are you?” he said, turning to Nathan. “Bothering this young miracle worker? I command you to call off your guards at once!”

He turned to the Gamma and his guards. “Begone, all of you! You have no business here.”

Facing Nathan again, he said, “This is the healer I was praising before, Alpha Nathan. She’s done miracles for my own health, and for many others! How dare you treat her this way?”

“Your Highness, I swear to you, I’ve only just arrived. This - this wasn’t my doing.”

Stunned all over again, Nathan struggled to explain to the older Alpha what was going on. Was Claire really the healer who had so successfully been treating the Royal Alpha?

But William suffered from a severe frenzy issue, one that was almost impossible to treat, let alone cure. And yet Claire had been able to calm a Royal Alpha’s enraged wolf, without any harm coming to her or anyone else.

Once again Nathan studied Claire, seeing her in a whole new light. Who was this powerful healer, who faced a crowd of guards and even a Royal Alpha so calmly?

Right now he felt like his mate was a stranger to him. A stranger he wanted to know so much more about.

Sabrina, sensing the tide of events was shifting, felt her plan slipping through her hands. Instead of that stupid Omega ending up in jail and finally out of her way, she had to deal with the fact that Claire was actually the healer helping her father.

“Daddy, I’m so glad you’re here!” she said, joining her father and slipping her hand into his. “I don’t know what’s been going on here, but I was so scared. The guards - ”

“Enough, Sabrina,” said her father, dropping her hand. He looked at his daughter with disappointment. “Can’t you see how dangerous this could have been for the healer? Why didn’t you step in to protect her?”

Sabrina’s smile froze, and a flush of embarrassment reddened her face. But it was quickly replaced by anger. “Protect her? Why, because you treat her so much like a child of your own? I’m your real daughter, Dad. Why are you taking her side??”

Hands on her hips, Sabrina stared at her father, expecting him to realize how strange his behavior was. How could he be treating some stranger like a favored child?

Instead, her father returned her stare, and his next words made her eyes widen in shock.

“Sabrina, apologize to Claire. Right now.”