Chapter 24

Olivia’s POV

Impatiently, Olivia paced back and forth in the small office in the hospital where she had been made to wait for the Head Healer. She had no idea what he could be doing that was more important than speaking with her, but it put her in an even worse mood than she’d already been in.

And she’d already been furious.

This old man, the Head Healer, had screwed up her plot to get Healer Amanda fired. Not only did he fail, but he also was caught, and would now carry the weight of suspicion. Fortunately, his incompetence had been on full display, and everyone seemed ready to blame that than any intentional maliciousness.

As someone who knew the truth, as someone who plotted this, Olivia was one of the few who knew the Head Healer wasn’t just incompetent, he was an utter failure.

He had failed so spectacularly in getting Healer Amanda fired that now Julian had appointed her to head a study instead.

Worse, Julian spoke of Healer Amanda at every opportunity. He wouldn’t shut up about her, even when Olivia tried to change the subject.

It made Olivia’s blood boil.

Finally, the door opened and the incompetent jackass himself entered the room.

He didn’t seem to notice Olivia at first. Was he not told she was waiting? Even more incompetence.

She hated being ignored.

When the Head Healer did finally look up, he jumped seeing Olivia standing there in his office. His face was wide with shock for a moment, before he recovered and schooled his features.

“Agent Luna, what a… nice surprise. How can I help you?”

“I don’t believe that I need to point out how much you have failed me,” Olivia told him.

“No.” The Head Healer at least had the decency to seem ashamed of himself, slightly lowering his head. “I’m sorry that –”

“Save your apologies,” Olivia said, cutting him off. “If you want to make it up to me, and prove to me that you have some value, then you will help me with a new plan.”

His gaze lifted back up to Olivia, curious interest dancing in his eyes.

Good. Perhaps this wasn’t such a total waste of time after all.

Olivia had guessed correctly before making her first plan that the Head Healer disliked Healer Amanda enough to help ruin her without needing much convincing. He hadn’t even asked for anything in return.

Why would he? He had run this hospital for years as the most prolific and valued Healer of the pack. Then, suddenly, overnight, Healer Amanda came in and stole all the glory – and all the clients.

This wasn’t just about reputation. It was also about money.

“What did you have in mind, Agent Luna?” he asked.

“I need you to sabotage Healer Amanda’s efforts in this study Alpha Julian assigned,” Olivia said. “I don’t care how you do it, but you must find a way to ruin her treatments.”

Healer Amanda needed taken down a peg. She was far too confident.

And some type of mix-up in the treatment would show Julian that perhaps she wasn’t the greatest of Healers after all. Maybe then he would finally stop talking about her like she’s some kind of goddess.

The sting of Julian’s rejection still ate away at Olivia. She couldn’t act against the Alpha; she didn’t want him hurt. What she wanted was marriage, bonding, and his baby.

Once Olivia made sure Julian saw how much every other woman in his life was not reliable and untrustworthy, he would realize he could only depend on her.

Then, she would finally have everything she wanted.

“Sabotage. I like it,” the Head Healer said, his lips curling into a sly grin. “Leave it to me, Agent Luna. I know just what to do. I’ll steal—”

Olivia held up her hand at once, stopping him. “Don’t tell me the specifics. I wish to maintain plausible deniability. Just make it happen.”

He seemed disappointed that he couldn’t share his plan, but his grin only wavered for a moment before he returning again with full force.

“Yes, Luna.”

Amber’s POV

I wasn’t supposed to go to work for another hour yet, but a frantic message to my pager had me quickly dialing Noah in my office.

“It’s gone, Healer. I can’t find it at all.” Noah’s voice was frantic.

“Can’t find what, Noah? What are you talking about?”

“The potion… the treatment! It was in the lab. I only stepped out for a moment, and when I returned, it was gone.”

We’d been running tests on the potion to ensure it was safe for werewolf consumption, so it was possible that he just misplaced it. That didn’t seem like Noah, though. He was still training, but he’d never make a mistake like losing an entire potion bottle. Especially not one that carried so much importance.

“Stay put,” I said. “I’ll be right there.”

My own anxieties heightened, as I rushed around, looking for my coat and keys.

How could the potion be lost? Could someone have taken it?

I didn’t want to think so poorly about anyone in the hospital. Every Healer took an oath to always protect the people, to never knowingly do harm.

By stealing that potion, the potential thief was endangering all of the lives of those who the potion was designed to save.

Some of the ingredients in the potion were rare. Did I even have enough of everything to make more if I needed to?

I wasn’t sure. I had to get to the hospital and assess the situation. This not knowing was making my head spin.

Because I was in such a rush, I didn’t notice until I was pulling into the parking lot that I had forgotten about my disguise. I didn’t have my scar stickers or my medical mask. But there wasn’t time to go back for it.

With lives on the line, I had to just risk it.

Inside, I hurried up the stairs to the floor that held my office. As soon as I stepped out from the stairwell, I saw Olivia headed toward my same destination. It was then that I remembered she was to be my first appointment of the day. She was running early.

She reached the door before I could, then, glancing down the hallway, saw me and stopped. At once, her eyes went wide as her jaw locked.

“What is a whore like you doing here?” she snapped at me.

Just like that, we were at a standstill. I needed to get into the office Olivia was standing right in front of, but with her hand on the door handle, I couldn’t exactly sneak by her. To bully my way in, I’d have to forcibly move her, and I wasn’t keen on that idea either.

Physical strength was not one of my fortes, but even if it was, Olivia was still a patient. As a professional, I could keep a level head about this. I could resolve this standstill without resorting to mockery or violence.

I wasn’t Olivia.

She looks at the door in front of her, and then back to me. “Did you think you could see Healer Amanda yourself?” Her face remained skewed up with anger, even as she laughed. “The best Healer in the world isn’t going to make time for some lowly ex-housewife who works at a grocery store.”

The truth sat on the tip of my tongue, but I held it back. I didn’t really want Olivia to know the truth, yet it was getting more and more difficult to conceal it with each insult she flung at me.

“How would you even afford to pay her bill?” Olivia said. “In fact, someone like you shouldn’t even be at this hospital. It’s only for elites. Who are you again? No one.”

She lifted her chin so that she stared down her nose at me.

“You should have never come back here,” she said. “No me. Not the pack. And certainly not Julian.”

At that exact moment, Noah opened the door to the office from inside. Olivia stumbled, not expecting the door to open, but then steadied herself. As she did, Noah looked at me.

“Ah, Healer,” he said to me. “There you are.”

Olivia’s eyes went wide. She checked behind herself but there was no one else in the hallway.

“I’ve been waiting for you to arrive,” he continued. “We have urgent matters to discuss.”

“Yes. Of course,” I said, and moved to step closer to the door. I couldn’t step through it yet, though. Olivia remained in the way.

She looked between Noah and me in disbelief.

“If you could please step aside,” Noah said to her. “The Healer needs to enter.”

Olivia’s face was one of shock. “…Healer?”