Chapter 37

Nathan POV

I looked up from my seat in the exam room when Claire walked in, hit by a wave of a strange mix of emotions.

Wariness. Sadness. Longing.

My wolf, once it scented our mate, didn’t make things any easier. All it wanted was to go to her, be with her.

Claim her all over again.

I took a deep breath, struggling for control.

“Nathan,” she said. “I heard you have an injury?”

Her voice was so cool, so polite. Like we were just casual acquaintances.

It stung. But if that was what she wanted, that was what I would give her.

“Yes, a small cut. It happened when I was sparring earlier.”

“Alright,” she said, sitting down on the stool at the desk and rolling closer. “Let me take a look.”

I studied her while she rolled my sleeve up and examined the wound.

She looked exhausted, and with good reason. My Beta Evan’s report indicated that she had been working nearly around the clock to deal with the crisis here at the clinic.

“This is more than a small cut. I can heal it for you.” She made a face. “I won’t be able to give you a healing tonic afterward, though. We’ve dumped the entire batch and will need to make more.”

“Because it was poisoned.”

She sighed. “Yes. We don’t know who did it, or why. But what matters most is that we finally know what was making people so sick. Now, hold still.”

She hovered her hands above my arm, and a soft warm light began to glow beneath them.

I had seen Claire heal someone, and it had been a shock. But actually feeling it happen to my own body was incredible.

A warm, tingling sensation swept up and down my arm, and I could actually feel the skin beginning to close.

When she finished, I held up my arm. There wasn’t even a scar.

“Claire, that’s…I’ve never seen anything like what you can do.”

Astonished, I stared at her, feeling like I’d never truly seen her before.

Had she really had this ability inside of her the entire time I knew her?

“Yes, well. I have other patients to see now. Make sure to get as much rest as you can while your body recovers from the healing process.”

And then she was gone.

Cool, curt and dismissive, barely looking me in the eye.

She didn’t even thank me for helping to deal with the crowd out in the waiting room.

Claire POV

I left Nathan in the exam room and headed straight for the break room for more coffee.

Exhaustion weighed me down. I hadn’t had any energy to talk to Nathan, and had barely been able to look at him.

Part of me felt bad for not acknowledging his help with the crowd earlier, but I was dealing with too much here at the clinic to even begin to have the energy to address the fractured relationship I had with my mate.

Because while some people had begun to let me treat them again - especially after hearing that the Alpha himself had been healed by me - others were still refusing.

And their conditions would decline as a result.

What was I going to do?

Sabrina POV

Standing in the hallway with Nurse Devin, I watched Claire go by and smiled to myself.

She looked tired, and stressed. And wasn’t that a lovely thing to see?

Yes, she’d remained calm during the little crisis Devin and I had manufactured. And yes, she’d dumped the entire batch of healing tonics Devin had poisoned with the toxin Alpha Soren gave me.

But it was wearing on her, I could tell.

And even better? Now that she knew what was causing the illness, she thought the crisis was over and things were going to get back to normal.

Idiot.

Once Claire disappeared into the break room, I turned back to Devin, slipping her another special little vial Alpha Soren sent me the day before.

“Let’s see how she likes Round Two,” I said.

Devin was going to add this toxin to the new batch of tonic, as well as deliver it directly to patients whenever she had the chance.

Judging by the scene in the waiting room earlier, another series of poisoned patients might just be enough to get people to turn on Claire completely.

A familiar voice drew my attention down the hall. It was my father!

Moving quickly, I opened the door nearest to us and ducked into the empty exam room. I didn’t want to deal with him right now.

But wait…

With a slow smile spreading across my face, I turned to Devin, who had followed me into the room.

“My father must be here for a session with the Omega. Why don’t you see that he gets a vial of our special tonic before she gets to him?”

Devin smiled back. “As you wish, Princess.”

She left, and I laughed softly to myself.

This could be my chance to get rid of my father, and Claire, at the very same time.

Claire POV

I arrived at the spacious executive exam room for my session with the Royal Alpha just as Nurse Devin.

“He’s all checked in and ready for you, Dr. Green,” she said.

I thanked her and stepped inside.

“Ah, Dr. Green. How lovely to see you again,” the Royal Alpha said.

I couldn’t help but smile at his greeting. He was always so kind to me.

It was such a drastic change from how I’d been treated for most of my life. Even now, after being “Dr. Green” for months, his simple kindness and respect were always touching.

“It’s lovely to see you as well,” I said. “How have you been?”

He smiled. “I feel better than I have since before my dear wife passed, thanks to you. And may I offer my congratulations? By all accounts, you’ve handled this incredibly unfortunate situation well. My reports indicate that you’ve saved every single one of the poisoned patients.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ve certainly done my best. I just wish I knew who put the poison in my tonics.”

He patted my hand as I helped him lay back on the exam table. “You’ll figure it out, I’m sure.”

I wished I shared his confidence. Amelia had reviewed all the security footage from around the hospital, looking for any strange or suspicious activity. And found nothing.

Putting those thoughts to the side, I took a breath and held out my hands over the Royal Alpha to begin my exam before the healing session began.

But what I found inside the Royal Alpha was not just the usual tight snarl of his frenzy that I was working to contain.

It was something else.

Diving deeper, I pushed my healing sense further into him.

And his whole body spasmed.

“Sir, are you alright - ”

Before I could finish my question the Royal Alpha sat up suddenly, knocking me back as he all but leapt off the exam table.

And he shifted before his feet even hit the floor.

Leaving me alone in the room with a raging, snarling giant Royal wolf.

“Sir, please.” I held up my hands, slowly walking toward him. “Just let me help you.”

But madness was shining in his eyes. Even if he heard me, I doubted he understood what I was trying to say.

He growled and swiped at me, forcing me to step back. Then he ran out of the room.

And straight toward the waiting room.

Fearing for the safety of everyone else in the clinic, I rushed behind the Royal Alpha.

He wasn’t hard to find. I just followed the sound of the screams.

Out in the waiting room the Royal Alpha was prowling restlessly, snapping at anyone who didn’t move out of his way fast enough. People were now running to get out of his way, and I could tell it wouldn’t be long until this turned into uncontrolled hysteria.

“Everyone stay calm!” I shouted. “Let me try to help him.”

But nothing I did worked. Talking to him in a low calm voice, calling out his name to pull him out of his frenzy, nothing got through.

And I couldn’t get close enough to actually touch him, to try to heal whatever had triggered this crazed behavior.

Finally I realized I had no choice. I had to shift too, meet his power with mine.

And hope that it would be enough.

Third POV

The situation in the waiting room threatened to descend into chaos. The Royal Alpha had shifted into his powerful, and enraged, wolf form.

And then suddenly, to everyone’s shock and confusion, Dr. Green also shifts.

Into an elegant, powerful and incredibly rare silver wolf.

A wolf that looked strong enough to deal with the Royal Alpha head on.