Chapter 47

Claire POV

My jaw dropped, and I stared at the Royal Alpha for a full minute. My brain simply went blank.

Me? Go live with the Royal pack?

With the Royal Alpha??

This couldn’t be real.

The Royal Alpha took my hand as I stood there speechless, and urged me into a seat. Then he smiled.

“I’m sorry, that was a very abrupt offer. But listen:

“My territory has a clinic that is in need of renovation. While it’s being updated I plan to expand it as well, something I’ve been putting off because it simply reminded me too much of my wife.”

My head was spinning, and I struggled to focus on his words. Clinic, updates - it was all a big jumble.

“A healer with your experience and your abilities would be a welcomed addition to the staff. Actually, if you’re interested, I’d like you to consider taking the position of head of the clinic itself.”

Head of the clinic??

How many shocks could I take in just a few short moments?

“Sir, this is…This is just so much to even think about. I’m sorry, I need a moment.”

He smiled again, and nodded. “Of course. I understand.”

I took a deep, slow breath in and out, closing my eyes.

Was this really happening? Could the Royal Alpha really be offering me the kind of life I’d been fantasizing about since he mentioned having genetic testing done?

I hadn’t believed that I was actually somehow a member of the Royal Family - but now it looked like that didn’t even matter:

The Royal Alpha wanted me as a member of the pack, and head of his clinic, because of my abilities and experience.

Because he valued them. He valued me.

And on top of all of that, he also liked me.

Of all the things that had just been thrown at me, the simple warmth and kindness of that last fact was what finally helped me calm down and settle myself.

But…

Beneath the warmth came a sharp cold realization:

If I joined the Royal pack, and lived in the old Alpha’s home, there was one person I’d have to deal with.

Sabrina.

And she hated me. Not that I could figure out why, since she had so neatly stepped in and taken my life away from me.

But she was still the old Alpha’s daughter.

“Sir,” I said, feeling all the excitement drain out of me. “It won’t work, I’m so sorry. You already have a daughter. It would be wrong of me to intrude on her life like that.”

The old Alpha watched me as he spoke, and his eyes shone with pride. “My dear, you’ve only made me fonder of you for even thinking of that. And while I do already have a daughter, I can still wish that you were also my real daughter.”

He reached over and took my hand in his.

“Please, Claire. Let me act as your father, at least in this moment. Listen to my advice about Alpha Soren’s offer. I don’t think you’d be happy there. Delay your visit, and say that you’ll at least think about coming to live with me in my home.”

I looked down at our hands, touched all over again that he had somehow come to think of me so highly.

Could it be that I finally had a real father figure in my life?

Giving his hand a squeeze, I said that I would wait to visit the Bloodclaw pack, while thinking about his offer to go stay with the Royal pack.

And, after another moment, I also agreed to attend Nathan’s grand fundraising event, as the Royal Alpha’s representative.

The old Alpha left obviously feeling happier, full of plans to show me around his territory.

While I was glad to see him feeling so well, for myself I struggled with a sense of overwhelm.

So much had just been thrown at me at once.

It felt like my entire life had been flipped upside down. Again.

Needing to process what had happened, I found Amelia in her office studying some test results.

“There you are!” she said. “How was your session with the Royal Alpha?”

“It was good,” I said, taking a seat. “He’s continuing to respond well to my treatments. I actually think if we keep up with them, he may not have to worry about going into a frenzy anymore.”

She smiled, then it faded into a thoughtful look. “But if you move to the Bloodclaw pack, how will you keep up with those treatments? Would the Royal Alpha be willing to travel all that way to see you?”

I hadn’t even thought about that when considering Alpha Soren’s offer. But it seemed now I didn’t have to worry about it.

“About that…” I said, wondering where to start.

Amelia put down the paper she was still holding. “What’s wrong? Did something happen with his offer?”

“No, not at all. It’s just I - well, I’ve received a new offer. From the Royal Alpha.”

Amelia’s eyes widened, and her expression only grew more amazed as I shared with her everything the old Alpha said. From thinking of me as his daughter to inviting me to live with him, and even possibly working as the head of his clinic.

She looked as stunned as I still felt.

“Claire, that’s…” She trailed off, then just shook her head and laughed. “I can’t even put into words how amazing that is.”

I laughed as well. “It’s incredibly exciting. But I think it’s going to take a while for all of this to feel real.”

“Well, I say that you absolutely deserve it! And you know what, we should celebrate. Let’s have dinner tonight, and make something special.”

I agreed that a special dinner with my closest friend sounded like the perfect way to end the day.

The only shadow on the day was the need to now tell Alpha Soren I wouldn’t be going to visit his pack.

But, after careful thought, and with Amelia’s help, I crafted a simple “thank you, but no thank you” message.

And then I went on with my day, feeling like I was walking on air.

Who knew my life could change so drastically, and so quickly?

Soren POV

I stood in my office, high up in the tower on the cliff, overlooking my territory. From here I could see for miles, all the way to the rugged coastline where my territory ended.

My thoughts were full of the healer Princess Sabrina had drawn my attention to, and the plans I had for her once I drew her into the pack.

The more I learned about healers with her abilities, the more I realized she was just what I needed to continue my plans to expand my pack.

Expansion meant invasion, fighting, conquering the packs around us.

And with abilities like hers on our side, the army I was building to do that conquering would be stronger, faster. Deadlier.

Unstoppable.

When my phone buzzed with a notification, I glanced at it, expecting a simple update from my Beta. Then I frowned when I saw who it was from.

Dr. Green, the healer.

Cancelling her visit to Bloodclaw territory. Thanking me for my offer, and declining it.

“I appreciate your interest,” the message said. Like it was merely an offer to an afternoon tea.

With a roar of frustration, I threw my phone across the room. Furious, called for Devin, the nurse who had recently infiltrated the Silverfang clinic.

“Tell me what you know about Dr. Green,” I demanded. “Why has she refused my offer? Has she received offers from other packs?”

Devin met my rage with a cool calmness. She was hard to shake. It was one of the reasons she was my Beta.

“She’s had no other offers that I know of,” she said. “And Sabrina would have vented to me if she’d heard of other Alphas trying to get themselves a healer. But…”

“But what?”

“Dr. Green is pretty much a mystery. No one knows a lot about her. It’s like she just appeared one day out of thin air.”

That was good. A mystery was useful.

It meant Dr. Green had something to hide.

And that meant I could use that something to blackmail her into joining my pack.

“Return to Silverfang,” I ordered.

“Find out everything you can about Dr. Green and her mysterious origins.”