Chapter 32

Sabrina POV

“I thought you might approve of my plan,” Soren said with a satisfied smile.

His gaze flicked around the cafe, taking in everything and everyone around us. Then he leaned forward again.

“And in exchange for my help, all I ask is that once you and Nathan are married, you help me arrange for him to have…let’s call it a little ‘accident.’ Then you can hand the Silverfang pack over to me.”

So that was his plan. Soren wanted to claim Nathan’s pack as his own.

Nathan had spoken of Alpha Soren in passing. From what he said, I’d gathered that the man was power hungry, jealous of Nathan and always coming in conflict with him at Council meetings.

I had no intention of helping Soren expand his territory, and certainly not by handing over Nathan’s pack. Silverfang was going to be my pack, loyal to and serve only me.

But Soren didn’t need to know that.

“Of course,” I said with a smile, lying easily. “Silverfang will be all yours.”

The next morning I reported for duty at the clinic bright and early. And I did it with a smile on my face.

If someone had told me yesterday morning I’d be stuck in some low level clinic, forced to help pack members far beneath my station, I would have been furious.

But now I felt almost chipper, looking forward to causing Claire as much distress as possible. My only regret was wondering why I hadn’t thought of a plan like this myself.

Claire had been a thorn in my side ever since I came to the Silverfang pack, always disrupting my plans or drawing Nathan’s attention away from me.

My mistake had been trying to get rid of her from a distance, when I should have been doing this.

Getting right up in her face.

I was so looking forward to watching her face as I slowly poisoned her patients - and her reputation.

“Good morning,” I said to the nurse on duty at the nurse’s station. “I’m here to report for volunteer duty.”

“Oh! Princess Sabrina! Yes - we’re so very excited you’ve come to join us. It will truly be an honor.”

I put a hand to my heart, a look of sincerity on my face. “Oh please, just call me Sabrina. And the honor will be all mine.”

Twenty minutes later I was being given a tour of the clinic, and what my duties would be once “Dr. Green” came in, but a nurse named Devin. She was short and blunt-featured, with broad shoulders and a no-nonsense attitude.

She was also a spy from the Bloodclaw pack.

In a walk-in supply closet, she handed me a vial of poisoned healing potion.

“These are the potions Dr. Green gives to every patient she uses those unnatural healing abilities on,” she said, her mouth turning down as if she’d tasted something sour.

“Unnatural? Why do you say that?” I asked, holding the vial up to the light.

Such a little thing, I thought. And yet what big trouble it was going to cause “Dr. Green.”

Devin sniffed. “For one thing, only Royals have ever had powers like that. How did an Omega get them? And what’s she taking from people in return?”

I looked away from the vial to study Devin’s face. What an interesting idea…

“Are you suggesting she has darker reasons for healing people? She’s not just helping them?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. It just doesn’t seem right, that’s all I’ll say.”

“Hmm,” I said. I decided to tuck that little nugget of information away to think about later. Accusing Claire of something as dark as witchcraft might be useful. Very useful indeed.

“And you have more of these poisoned vials ready to go?” I asked.

“I will. I have the poison on me, and I’ll be able to add it to all the healing potions in our supply here at the end of the day, when most of the staff leaves. But Alpha Soren told me you might want to administer the first one yourself.”

I laughed, pleased with the idea.

“Alpha Soren is absolutely right,” I said, slipping the vial into one of the front pockets of the truly ugly smock I’d been given to wear.

“Now, let’s go see if our Dr. Green has arrived yet.”

Claire POV

I sighed with contentment as I stepped out of my car in the clinic parking lot, happy as always to be back at work.

So much of my life was confused or undecided right now. My relationship with Nathan was a mess, and missing Andy was a constant ache in my heart. I didn’t know where or when I would move on from Silverfang pack, only that leaving was going to be as painful as it was necessary.

My work at the clinic was the only thing that helped keep me centered and grounded. As long as I could help people, I knew I’d figure out how to deal with all the rest.

Somehow.

A moment later Amelia pulled her car into the parking spot beside mine, and I waved at her with a smile.

We walked into the clinic together, chatting about what was on the schedule for the day.

“Good morning, Doctors,” the nurse on duty at the nurse’s station greeted us. “Dr. Green, your new volunteer is starting today. Nurse Devin is showing her around now.”

I’d been informed yesterday that a new volunteer was starting at the clinic, and that they would be assigned primarily to me.

The clinic had grown in popularity as a source for healing and treatment lately, and we could use all the extra help we could get. I was looking forward to having an assistant, and sharing what I knew about helping patients with them.

Amelia frowned. “I still don’t understand why I wasn’t consulted about this. As head physician, I’m usually the one who meets and interviews all potential volunteers.”

The head nurse shook her head. “It’s very strange. But I heard it was a decision made by the board, as a favor to a very high ranking person. A very royal person,” she added with a raised eyebrow.

A royal favor?

Suddenly I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. I exchanged looks with Amelia, and saw the same look of suspicion on her face.

That couldn’t possibly mean…??

“Do you mean the Royal Alpha? Did he arrange for this volunteer to be here, and assigned to Dr. Green?” Amelia asked the nurse.

She raised her shoulders. “I’m not sure. But that’s the rumor. Why else would she be here?”

That sinking feeling in my stomach turned into a drop, and I felt light headed for a moment.

Then I heard my name being called by someone down the hallway.

“Dr. Green!” a nurse called. “There you are. I’ve brought you your new volunteer.”

And I turned, feeling numb. I already knew who it would be before I saw her.

Sabrina. She was my new volunteer.

Sabrina smiled at me, a smile that was more like baring her teeth than actually grinning.

“Hello there, Dr. Green,” she said, a mocking tone in her voice. “I can’t wait to work with you.”