Chapter 233

Ava

The days following Chris’s return were a nonstop flurry of activity. Patrick continued his surveillance of Elise, reporting back to us every morning. The pattern was always the same: late at night, Elise would slip out and head to the clinic, where she would stay for anywhere between fifteen minutes and half an hour before she would return to her cottage.

What she did at the clinic, especially so late at night, we still didn’t know. Patrick didn’t have a way of getting inside, and it was too risky for him to try breaking in. With so much happening at the same time—Olivia, Winston, the blight, and now Elise—we couldn’t take any chances at throwing a wrench into our work.

“Maybe she’s just having some health trouble,” Chris suggested one morning over coffee. “Could be getting medication and doesn’t want anyone else to know.”

I shook my head, having a hard time believing that. “Every night, though? And why all the secrecy?” I asked.

Chris sighed. “You’re right. Besides, the old bat is as healthy as a damn ox. We’d be able to tell if she was getting some kind of treatment.”

“Exactly.”

And thus, we had no answers—only more questions.

Meanwhile, Leonard’s condition worsened by the day. Each morning, he looked more haggard, his cough more pronounced. Ophelia was beside herself with worry, barely leaving his side. I swore she went a full three days at one point without eating or sleeping.

“We should take him to the doctor,” I whispered to Chris one evening as we watched Ophelia and Leonard passed out on my couch from exhaustion.

Chris sighed. “Trust me, I’ve tried. He refuses. Says there’s nothing they can do anyway.”

On the bright side, the repairs on the Packhouse were finally completed—a small victory in the midst of our troubles. The pack decided to throw a feast to celebrate, a much-needed morale boost for everyone.

We spent Friday morning and afternoon setting up the potluck in the Packhouse banquet hall. It was an impromptu gathering, nothing over the top, but it was nice to have something lighthearted to look forward to. The pack came together, bringing all kinds of unique dishes and harvestables from their gardens, and a local band played folk music in the corner.

For a few hours, it felt like life was back to normal. We laughed and danced and ate good food, and Chris began stumbling from too much wine, his arm hooked around my waist all night as though it were glued there.

“Ava, my dear, I needed this,” Chris slurred with a happy hiccup as he refilled his plate at the buffet.

I shook my head and laughed. “You’re going to make yourself sick. That’s your third helping.”

“You never know when you’ll have a feast like this again,” he laughed. “Might as well enjoy it. You know, just in case the world ends tomorrow.”

At the mention of the world ending, I turned and spotted Leonard and Ophelia in a corner. Leonard looked paler than ever, despite the lively atmosphere. Ophelia was trying to feed him some stew, but he was shaking his head and making a face.

I couldn’t help but let out a small sigh. Our dear friend’s appetite had slipped into oblivion lately, and it showed; he had clearly lost weight, which wasn’t a good thing for a tall man who was already thin to begin with.

“Let’s sit with them,” Chris said, noticing my gaze. “Maybe if I make a show of stuffing myself, Leonard will see how delicious the food is and want to try some.”

I rolled my eyes, but nodded. Chris and I began to make our way across the room, but suddenly, I stopped when I noticed Elise slipping out of the banquet hall. “Chris—” I suddenly said, grabbing his arm. “Look.”

“What?” Chris followed my gaze, but Elise was already gone. My instincts screamed at me to follow her, but before I could move, a loud, choking, sputtering cough, followed by a terrified gasp, caught my attention.

Chris and I whirled to see Leonard doubled over, coughing violently into a handkerchief. Ophelia was at his side, her face filled with panic as she supported all of his weight to keep him from falling.

“Leonard!” I rushed over, Chris close behind me.

“I’m… fine,” Leonard wheezed, trying to wave us off. But the handkerchief in his hand was stained red. Deep red.

“Alright, that’s it,” Chris said firmly, his words suddenly no longer slurred as though his body just forgot the alcohol in his system. “We’re taking you to the doctor. Now.”

Leonard’s eyes flashed with anger. “I said I’m fine. I don’t need—”

“I am your Alpha. You will listen to me.” Chris’s voice boomed through the hall, causing onlookers to fall silent. Even Leonard’s face paled even more, if that was possible.

Finally, Leonard nodded stiffly. “Alright.”

Chris grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet, hooking Leonard’s arm around his neck. “Let’s go.”

The walk to the clinic was tense, Leonard grumbling the whole way. “This is really unnecessary, you know,” he muttered. “I just need rest, that’s all. Just a good night of rest.”

“Leonard, darling,” Ophelia said softly, gripping his hand, “please. For me.”

That seemed to take the fight out of him, and he fell silent.

The clinic felt too far, even though it was just across the town square. By the time we arrived, Leonard’s feet were hardly even touching the sidewalk, his weight entirely carried by Chris.

We stepped inside, the sterile smell of disinfectant hitting us immediately. And there, talking in hushed tones with Leonard’s doctor, was… Elise.

They both looked up as we entered, twin looks of surprise taking over their faces. The doctor, clearing his throat and smoothing down his white lab coat, strode over to us. Elise had recovered quickly, her expression shifting from shock into a neutral mask.

“Alpha, Ava,” she nodded—always careful to not refer to me as ‘Luna’. Her eyes flicked over Leonard’s thin form. “Is everything alright?”

Before we could answer, Leonard was seized by another coughing fit. The doctor immediately rushed over, murmuring something about medicine and guiding him to an examination room.

As Ophelia followed them, I exchanged a glance with Chris. He shot me a similar look of confusion. It was only just after nine o’clock, hours before her usual nightly trip to the clinic; so why was she here? Why now?

Did she assume that we would all be too busy at the potluck to notice her absence?

“Elder Elise,” Chris said, his voice carefully neutral. “What brings you to the clinic at this hour?”

Elise’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Oh, just picking up a refill for my heart medication.”

Chris quirked an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you had a heart condition.”

“Yes, well… You know how it is.” She waved her hand dismissively. Too dismissively for a woman of her age. Elise was nearly one-hundred and thirty, which was quite old for our kind. A ‘heart condition’ was nothing to sniff at when someone reached that age.

Still, I nodded, even though I didn’t believe her for a second—and I knew Chris didn’t, either. “Of course,” I said with a tight smile. “I wish you all the best. Let us know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

Elise’s gaze snapped to me, and there was a flash of something there that I didn’t have time to read before she schooled her expression into that usual frigid demeanor I knew all too well.

“Thank you, Ava,” was all she said before brushing past. I could see Chris giving in to the urge to correct her misuse of my title, but one warning glance from me made his mouth snap shut again.

As we watched Elise leave, Chris stepped up beside me, huffing softly. “She’s up to something,” he murmured, placing his hands on his hips. “She has to be.”

“Yep. And something tells me that this is just the tip of the iceberg,” I replied bitterly.

Suddenly, the sound of the doctor’s voice cut through the quiet waiting room.

“Alpha, Luna? Could you come here, please?”