Chapter 73

Lauren

The mansion was silent at midnight, the kind of heavy quiet that made every creak in the floorboards feel like a scream. I exhaled slowly, easing open the window of my bedroom, the cool night air brushing against my skin.

I was already dressed in black—typical, I know, but sneaking out required a certain level of cliché commitment. If I was caught, I could at least argue I was getting into character. Not that Alexander would appreciate my dedication to the craft.

Maybe the joke of it all was making this easier, getting into the character.

I swung my legs over the sill and dropped into the garden below, rolling to absorb the impact, just barely saved myself from eating dirt. Man, maybe I was getting weaker without my wolf…or maybe I was just getting older. Weird thought.

Without wasting another second, I sprinted into the trees behind the mansion, my heart pounding with something between exhilaration and pure panic.

The trees blurred past me as I made my way to the Pack’s Court, the opening not too far but always grand in its size.

Liam was waiting for me. Like he said he’d be.

His wolf form stood massive in the glow of the almost-full moon, his white fur practically glowing. He sat at the center of the Pack’s court area, where the trees thinned out enough for the moonlight to break through. He was looking at the sky, silent and still, as if something about it held the answers to every question ever asked.

I stepped forward slowly, his ear flicking behind, noting my presence. As I approached, I pressed a hand into the thick fur at his side. His ear twitched again, acknowledging me, but he didn’t move otherwise.

“Dramatic much?” I murmured. “White wolf staring at a near full moon. How well written for a midnight meet up.”

His response was to huff through his nose, but I swore I saw the ghost of a smirk in his wolfish expression before he shifted back. The air shimmered, his body stretching and shifting, until Liam stood beside me in all his usual smug, shirtless glory.

I averted my gaze toward the trees. “Would it kill you to bring a shirt?”

“Would it kill you to appreciate the view?” he shot back, amused. “Besides, I didn’t exactly pack a bag before shifting.”

“Tragic.”

He chuckled before turning serious, crossing his arms. “If you’re done being distracted—”

“Never was.”

“I have a plan.” He rolled his eyes.

“I know, that’s why I’m here,” I muttered. “Alright, hit me.”

He tilted his head. “I have a friend—well, more of an acquaintance. But I got him working on a potion for you.”

I frowned, tilting my head his way, my curls spilling into my face. “A potion?”

“One pill a day until the full moon,” Liam explained. “A week. Then, and only then, you’ll shift under it’s light.”

I swallowed, nerves creeping into my chest. “That’s… weirdly specific.”

“It’s old magic,” he admitted. “It was used for pups who were late bloomers, struggling to get their wolves. Like a force blooming.”

My brows pulled together. “You seem to know a lot about it.”

Liam smirked, leaning back against a tree. “Yeah, and? This is where you say thank you.”

“Was it used on you?”

Liam went quiet. His jaw tightened just a fraction, and that was all the answer I needed.

I nodded, deciding not to push. Instead, I focused on the facts. “Okay. But has this ever been done on someone who lost their wolf? Not just someone trying to get it for the first time? I’m not some stunted teen.”

I paused, realizing my words. “Ah, not that you were—”

He held up a hand stopping me, “I prefer late bloomer. Though I did bloom the prettiest.”

My eyes rolled, “White wolf and all.”

Liam exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck, but his smirk remaid. “Yeah well, about you’re question, I don’t know. I’ve never met someone who’s lost their wolf. But it happens sometimes, mostly in lower ranks—wolves who don’t shift for years. But I’ve never heard of them getting it back. Usually the blood runs too thin.”

“Right,” I murmured. My hesitation must have shown because Liam’s gaze sharpened.

“You know… I’m doing this as a favor but… you don’t have to do this, Lauren.”

I set my jaw. “I do.”

“Right, but I’m saying this will hurt. I’ve been there. It’s not an easy fix. We don’t even know if it’s a fix. This is a guess.”

I hesitated. But I needed to be able to shift to protect the kids. In an emergency, I couldn’t afford to be weak. And that wasn’t all of it.

It was a part of me. A part I’d lost. And no matter what, I wanted it back. I was apparently Lyan bloodline, for god’s sake. If I let this piece of me slip away, what did that make me?

But I didn’t say that. And I definitely didn’t tell Liam about my bloodline.

Instead, I lifted my chin. “What are the side effects?”

Liam’s lips quirked. “The process isn’t exactly pleasant.”

I crossed my arms. “Define ‘not pleasant.’”

He sighed. “The pills will heighten your senses. All of them. The process is painful, and you’ll need to be careful not to give in to your primal side. It’s basically forcing your wolf back over a week.”

I took a slow breath. That sounded... fun.

Still, I squared my shoulders. “Alright. I’m in.”

“Just like that?” He smirked.

I crossed my arms, shifting my weight. “Yeah? I mean if it doesn’t work then I’m just back where I started. I’m sure I’ve been through worse then whatever this pill will do.”

He studied me for a long moment before nodding. “That’s the theory. But I will need to stay pretty close through to the week, incase you react bad. You’ll need to explain that away to you’re little Alpha—”

“Our Alpha,” I corrected sharp. “You might not like Alexander but he is one of our leaders. You will not talk about him in that way, Liam.”

“Sure, sure,” he shrugged. “Come back tomorrow night. I’ll have the pills.”

I hesitated. “And what about the night of the full moon?”

His gaze darkened slightly. “You won’t be in control that night. We’ll be here and I’ll make sure you’re caged until morning.”

A shiver ran down my spine, but I nodded. “Okay.”

For a moment, we just stood there. The wind rustled through the trees, the moon casting long shadows over us. Liam’s expression was unreadable, his baby blue eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite place.

“You sure about this?” he asked, quieter now.

“No,” I admitted. “But I wish you’d stop asking me that because I’m doing it anyway.”

Liam smirked. “That’s the spirit.” Then, before I could respond, he shifted back into his wolf form, his white fur nearly blending into the moonlight. He turned without another word and disappeared into the trees.

I exhaled, shaking out my hands before turning back toward the mansion.

Sneaking in was easier than sneaking out. At least, that’s what I thought—until I stepped into the hallway and saw Alexander leaning against the wall outside my room, arms crossed, watching me like a predator that had just spotted its prey.

My stomach dropped.

“Lauren,” he said smoothly. “Going somewhere? Dressed like… a ninja?”

I swallowed, considering my options. Lying? Running? Wouldn’t get far.

Instead, I cleared my throat and shot for casual. “Just getting some air.”

Alexander’s gaze flicked over me, assessing. “In the middle of the night?”

“Best time for it,” I said brightly.

He took a slow step toward me. “And you just happened to be getting air out in the woods? Near the Pack’s court?”

Crap. I forced a smile. “You know me. Nature enthusiast.”

Alexander didn’t smile. His gaze locked onto mine, intense and unreadable. “Who were you with?”

My pulse thudded. “No one.”

His gaze flicked toward the faint dirt smudges on my clothes. Then to my still-slightly-erratic breathing. Then back to my face.

And then, after a long, heavy moment, he simply said, “Go to bed, Lauren.”

I hesitated, expecting more. A demand for answers, an interrogation—but none came.

I nodded once, slipping past him into my room, closing the door behind me before releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

I had a bad feeling about this.

And I was pretty sure Alexander did, too.