Chapter 222

Amber’s POV

Since returning to the pack, Julian and I hadn’t found many supporters. Even though I had a kind of friendship with the supervisor, it was still strange to hear him agree to publically stand up for us.

“You seem surprised,” he said.

“I am surprised,” I told him. “Not many people would stand against the council, not even for the Alpha.”

“I’m not doing it for the Alpha,” he replied. “I’m doing it for me. And for you.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe the council has been throwing their weight around here. Whatever political issues exist should not extend to this hospital. We are strictly about healing here. Nothing else matters.”

He huffed a breath, and I could see not just his annoyance, but also his simmering rage about this situation. “I nearly lost a patient because of this madness.”

“You didn’t,” I told him, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. As he looked up at me, some of his rage cooled a little. “I’m happy to have you as an ally.”

He nodded. “Thank you for coming when you did, Amber.” He ran a hand through his short gray hair. “What a mess.”

I fully agreed with him. I was angry with the council already, for siding with Tony over their own Alpha, but this near loss of life made everything worse. The supervisor was right, the patients should not be affected because of political reasons.

I could only hope that with enough time, and with allies stepping forward like the supervisor, that we could correct things and return this pack to normal.

As I returned to the second floor waiting room where Julian’s family was gathered, ready to deliver the good news, Julian arrived and I was able to deliver the news to all of them at once.

The relief in the room was palpable. Even the family members who had shown loyalty to Tony revealed some of their relief at learning Gloria was stabilized.

“I’ve amplified her wolf, so hopefully she has the tools she needs to fight the poisoning on her own,” I explained. “We will continue to monitor her to make sure that she stays strong during this fight.”

Behind me, Gloria, stable now, was being wheeled back into her typical room. From here, she would be observed and her family members would be able to visit her again.

When the news was delivered, Julian walked over to me and hugged me tightly. I recognized this as a thank you, but also as an affirmation of our bond and our connection.

I wasn’t sure what had happened to him at the Alpha Headquarters Building. Though I was sure he would tell me about it later, that had to wait. For now, this hug needed to be enough to keep us going.

We held each other for a moment, and then Julian said, “I want to go in and see Mom.”

I nodded, but I also felt inclined to warn him, “She’s alive, but… the wolfsbane is taking its toll. I want you to be prepared.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Thank you for the warning, but I need to see for myself.”

Knowing that to be true, I pulled back from the hug and followed Julian into his mother’s room. The guards were still there, still watchful, but they must have received words as the other guards had, that Julian and I were allowed entrance. They did not interfere as we walked by them and into the room.

As we entered, Julian inhaled sharply, and I understood why. Gloria had seen better days. She was paler than she’d ever been, with sallow cheeks and dark purple bruises under her eyes and on her arms. Her wolf was fighting the poison tooth and claw, but it was taking a tool on her body.

Only after the poison was removed could we begin to heal her fully. Until then, the wolfsbane would counter whatever healing we could try to administer.

We had given Gloria and her wolf the tools she needed to survive. Now, we could only observe until such a time that we could step in again.

Beside me, standing at the foot of Gloria’s bed, listening to the steady beeps of her heart monitor and the soft filtration of her breathing apparatus, Julian clenched his hands into fists.

“I’m going to win this fight,” he said. “I’m going to stop Tony and Olivia from destroying everything I love.”

Seeing the determination burning in his eyes, I believed him.

Julian loved his family, which I knew included Alice and me. To protect us, he would push himself beyond his own limits.

He would never fail us.

Olivia’s POV

After what happened at the debate, I knew I had to maintain a low profile. Tony still had many supporters in the pack, but the feelings about me were presently mixed.

That would change soon, I was sure. Once I started calling in my own favors and let people see me for how I truly was – how my ruthlessness would bring peace and prosperity to the pack.

For now that, I was forced to wear a wig and sunglasses in a disguise to move about unnoticed.

It was so unfortunate that Amber didn’t die. That woman seemed to immortal, with how many times she cheated death.

No more lucky breaks though.

I was tired of leaving things to fate. It was far beyond time for me to take matters into my own hands, which was what I should have done to begin with.

The healer I was meeting today was the biggest coward I had yet to interact with. He’d only agreed to meet me after I promised him that I would promote him to my right hand man once I became Alpha myself.

Even with that promise, which I doubted I would actually keep, he had refused to meet me anywhere desirable, which led me to taking a cab to the dock district of town where I had to find a small warehouse labeled 13.

Once I found it and sneaked inside, I found the healer in an even poorer disguise than my own. The man had even added a fake mustache. I rolled my eyes and held out my hand.

At once, the healer handed over the modified potions.

I examined it. Inside the clear vial was a swirling mixture of blues and purples. It was almost enchanting the way it moved.

“This will make Tony more powerful?” I asked.

“Yes,” the healer replied. “But I must insist that the threats might not be worth the rewards. He has to obey the included instructions very carefully or the possibility of going feral will be high. Unavoidable, even. The strength will be too much.”

On the side of each vial, I could see the directions taped to the glass. They mostly explained that the potion needed to be taken in moderation.

That wasn’t going to work for me. I needed Tony to be at his peak performance physically. I couldn’t care less about his mental state… or if he even survived.

In fact, it was better for me if he didn’t live, that way the path would be clearer for me to step forward.

I waited for the healer to get back in his car and drive away. As soon as he did, I ripped off the instructions and left them crumpled up on the floor of the warehouse.

Tony wouldn’t be needing those.

Not with what I had planned for him.