Chapter 14

Harper’s POV

Lucas studies the photo for a moment, his jaw tensing more the longer he stares at the blurry image. The vein in his neck pops for a moment before he turns to Mason, “Find this man as soon as possible, and notify me the moment you do.”

Mason takes the picture and looks at it, and I watch as his brows pull together in thought. I don’t mind Lucas passing the task to my stepbrother; I just hope one of them can find this man.

“I also want the freedom to move through the pack without having to worry about being harassed or followed,” I state, moving my gaze back to Lucas before I glance at the warriors several feet away.

Bright blue eyes follow mine, but before he can answer, Sierra huffs in annoyance from my side like a petulant child and pushes forward. She points at the warriors who are acting more like my guards than a warrior.

“You just keep wanting more, don’t you?”

The way Sierra hisses her question lets me know she’s not really talking about the warriors. Her engagement ring glints in the light, and it’s clear she’s presenting it to me to remind me that Lucas is her mate, not mine.

Again, I don’t know why because I’ve done nothing to hint that I want him. She’s just as delusional as she’s always been, which isn’t surprising with how my father and her mother spoil her.

Lifting my eyes from her hand to her face, I cross my arms and give my stepsister my full attention, “Stop treating me like I’m your imaginary enemy, Sierra. Just because you like to rob other people of opportunities, doesn’t mean I enjoy doing the same thing.”

She gasps and yanks her hand away as if I’m about to steal the ring from her finger.

As if.

I barely hold back from rolling my eyes when Lucas speaks up, “Fine, you can have freedom to roam, but you have a curfew. You must be back by sundown.”

Sundown? Am I a toddler?

I want to argue, but he’s already giving me more than I thought he would, so I keep my mouth shut. The last thing I need is for Lucas to change his mind and kick me out. That would be a death sentence.

Hopefully, Lucas and Mason can find the man in the picture quickly.

Not wanting to be gawked at or questioned any longer, I turn to leave, but Lucas speaks again.

“Sierra, leave us. I need to speak with my new healer,” he says, catching me off guard. I cringe at his words and the gasp that comes from Sierra.

Is he trying to paint a giant target on my back? There’s no way Sierra won’t come after me for this. It doesn’t matter that nothing is happening between me and Lucas; she clearly sees me as a threat—even though I’m not—and will do what she can to get rid of me.

Sierra has never scared me before, but I no longer have my strength or werewolf instincts. The glare she sends me as she walks away tells me that I need to watch my back.

“What happened the night of your one-night stand last year?”

My chest tightens at his unexpected question as my head spins.

“Get off me!”

“She’s playing hard to get,” someone laughed.

Hands grabbed me by the arms, dragging me back. Hot. I felt too hot. My head hurt, and I couldn’t get away. Fear suffocated me as they tried to pull me into the room.

Throwing my elbow back, a crack sounded through the room, and I ran. Men shouted from behind me, but I ignored them and fumbled for my keycard.

I squeeze my eyes closed and try to block out the memories.

“Harper?”

“You’re a disgrace!” My father growled, anger written all over his face. “You’ve always been a disgrace!”

Pain pulsed through my body, nearly taking me to my knees as I looked up at him.

“You can take her wolf away.”

I shake my head and stumble back.

“No,” I mumble.

“Harper? What’s wrong?”

I struggled against his superior strength, trying my hardest to get away from my father. He couldn’t do this. This wasn’t right. I didn’t do anything wrong.

“As Beta, I find this she-wolf to be in violation of mating laws…”

Pain blinded me, searing my nerves and flooding my body until I felt like I’d die.

“NO!”

I fall back, hitting the ground, and scan my surroundings. My father is nowhere in sight, and neither are the men who tried to attack me the night of Sierra’s party.

The only people around me are Lucas, who stands in front of me, and the warriors who are still standing at a distance. Each of them stares at me, looking a little worried and shocked at the same time.

“I-I…”

I’ve had nightmares about that night, but never something like this.

Lucas’s sharp blue eyes never leave me, and I realize I have to say something.

“I don’t remember much…” which is true. “It was Sierra’s birthday party, and as the party went on, I began feeling drunk. I don’t remember drinking that much, but I guess I lost track.”

I’m still unsure about that, and like other things that happened that night, I suspect my drunkenness was also due to Sierra’s plotting.

“What else?” Lucas asks.

Brushing myself off, I stand, step back, and cross my arms over my stomach. I’m uncomfortable talking to Lucas about this, but I know he won’t let it go now. Plus, this is my chance to push Sierra’s vile actions into the spotlight.

“I believe Sierra sent several men my way, and at one point, they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They kept trying to get me into a room, but I broke free and then I ran to my room…”

“Room 301,” Lucas finishes. I nod and rub at my aching temples. I try to remember what happened after that, but it’s all blank. There’s no memory until I woke up the next morning with a mark on my neck and a man in the bed. I ran, not knowing what else to do.

“Sorry, I can’t remember anything after that,” I mutter, looking back up at him. “These memories are painful for me.”

Nora steps up beside me, and I jump, startled. I hadn’t even noticed she was here.

“Sierra needs some rest,” Nora announces while wrapping an arm around me. Lucas nods thoughtfully, his brows pulling together as he turns and walks away.

The moment he’s gone, I feel my body growing heavier, and I have to lean on Nora for support.

“Earlier, I felt my energy waning and the pain pulsing dully below my skin,” I murmur so only she can hear me. It always starts in the spot where the mark is before moving to my chest and then spreading throughout the rest of my body.

“But ever since I left the interrogation room, the weakness has been suppressed. It should have lasted all day,” I tell her, “But I was feeling better.”

Nora walks with me back to my room, saying, “Is it possible that your pain is reduced because your mate may be in the pack?”

“Maybe.”

“Think about who you’ve been in contact with,” she tells me as we enter my room. I immediately move to the bed and take a seat.

“The Alpha, and the group of doctors…” I pause at the thought, my stomach cramping at the idea of my mate possibly being one of the awful doctor’s who have been so rude. “No, no, no. Stop. That’s horrible.”

Nora’s eyebrows lift at my muttered words, “By the way, the night of the full moon is almost here.”

Sighing, I lean back against the wall and close my eyes, “I know.”

“I hate to remind you, but the bond’s senses will be a hundred times stronger that day than any other day,” she tells me, squeezing my hand. “It could be a chance to find your mate… if you go to the mating ball that night.”

“Me?”

When I open my eyes, Nora nods. “Of course, and you can come since Alpha Lucas has brought you into the pack as the healer. All you have to do is apply as the pack house staff to get your name on the list, and I have the application right here.”

She does.

I don’t know where she got the paper from, but she pulls it out of her back pocket and unfolds it. Of course, she also provides a pen and watches with rapt attention as I fill in the blanks, signing Pack Healer Harper Lewis for the first time as I finish the form.

“Great!” Nora exclaims, taking the paper and hugging me. “I’ll file this with my brother, and soon, I’ll introduce you to him.”