Page 41 of The Alpha's Shattered Bonds

Though surprised, the warmth of my touch sparked a moment of connection. But he must have clocked my serious expression, his lips becoming a grim line. “I’ve got it, haven’t I?”

I nodded, my heart lurching. The slick, dark magic thrummed ominously within him, and fear twisted in my stomach.

“Let’s get you to a bed,” I urged, guiding him to a nearby cot with gentle hands, careful to keep worry from spilling into my voice. But as I watched the feverish hue blanket Logan’s strong features, panic reverberated through every fiber of my being. Logan hadn’t been infected before. That meant the infection was spreading yet again.

Soon, there were more admissions, some packmates who had had the illness before—such as Monique and Ellie—while others like Susan and Craig, who hadn’t been infected before, were now struck down like Logan. As the beds began to fill up, I heard hushed voices out in the infirmary corridor. Packmates weremuttering about calling the Council. Dread pooled in my gut. I knew it was only a matter of time before I was summoned.

Within the hour, the Council of three elders had convened. As Justin appeared in the infirmary doorway, I braced myself for the inevitable. “Seraphina, the Council of Elders would like to see you in the Council Chamber,” Justin ordered.

With a pounding heart, I followed him through the corridors, my steps heavy with dread. There were packmates in the corridor of the Council Chamber, many wearing flinty expressions, their eyes following me with fear and mistrust. My spirits sank, this feeling all too familiar.

Upon entering the council room, I found the three elders—Darius, Tom, and Carl. The shiny giak adorning the chamber was reminiscent of Elder Darius’s silver attire, and I knew in my bones that he had been the one to summon me here.

“These warriors—Neave, Harry, David—have all taken the potion containing the jedra, made by you, Seraphina,” Darius declared almost as soon as I entered, his voice cold and deliberate.

“Logan didn’t have the jedra potion,” Elder Carl countered, his voice steady and a kind smile on his face as he looked at me. My heart squeezed, and I was grateful that he knew the truth about the traitor in our midst and that Tyler had confided in him.

At the thought of Tyler, despite everything that had happened between us, I wished he were here now.

“But Seraphina’s been spending an inordinate amount of time with him,” Darius retorted sharply. “She could have easily slipped him something.”

The weight of his words felt like a blow, leaving me breathless. As the shock of the illness flaring, of Logan being infected, and of finding myself caught in the crosshairs once again flared through me, I wondered, was I always destined to be the scapegoat for our pack?

“We must hold her accountable,” Darius continued, his piercing gaze unwavering. “For the safety of our pack, the council must make an example of her.”

As the weight of his words echoed in the chamber, I felt as if the walls were closing in on me, shock holding me prisoner. If I’d been forced to, at that moment, I didn’t think I could have fought my way out of the Council Chamber.

Luckily, for once, fate was smiling on me. The air grew thick with a scent I recognized—fresh cedar and earthiness—the firm, unmistakable steps of Alpha Tyler resonated behind me as he strode into the chamber, unwavering and resolute.

“Enough!” he commanded, his voice slicing through the tension like lightning. Every pair of eyes now landed on him, and hope blazed through me.

Chapter Nineteen

Tyler

The air in the Council Chamber was thick with tension, a palpable weight as Elder Darius once again pinned his dark gaze on Seraphina, heaping the blame on her for this illness. Fury pounded through me, but I had to keep it at bay. Our ill packmates needed Seraphina and I more than Darius needed a dressing down.

I stood at the door beside Seraphina, a sea of mistrustful voices behind us—packmates who were out of their minds with worry. Anger bristled through me as the voices of the pack murmured behind us, whispering their doubts about Seraphina once again.

I’d been out on patrol duty with the pack when Hudson had informed me of the resurgence of the illness. I’d hurried back as soon as I could, shocked to hear that Seraphina had been called before the Council of Elders.

“Seraphina is in no way responsible for this illness,” I declared forcefully. I clenched my fists before releasing them, trying to relinquish some of the tension in me. I’d gotten here. Seraphina was safe.

“I thought I made it clear, Elder Darius,” I gritted out, “that I wouldn’t stand for Seraphina being disrespected or treated with suspicion any longer.” My was voice low and scratchy, my wolf’s growl rumbling through it.

I had hoped to have more time to investigate the supply of herbs in the infirmary, having already gained admittance by dropping off what I’d gathered over the last few days. Yet, for all my combing through the supply closet and trying to sense the dark magic that I’d felt after Linda drugged me, I hadn’t uncovered proof yet.

But the resurgence of the illness meant things had come to a head. The infirmary, which should be where treatment came from, was harming the pack. The need to get there as quickly as possible surged through me. But I needed Seraphina with me.

Elder Darius had the good sense to look cowed, his face paling as my eyes bore into him, a muscle in my jaw ticking.

“In light of the illness returning, we elders thought the circumstances had changed—” Darius began.

“Nothinghas changed,” I stated. “Seraphina has my complete faith and trust. She will be assisting me now as I examine the potions being administered to the sick.”

Elder Darius’s jaw slackened, but he clamped it shut. Doubt flickered across Elder Tom’s face. I knew from Hudson’s report detailing those in the infirmary that his wife Jackie was now ill. Fear for one’s loved ones too easily led to one’s judgment being clouded.

Yet, with my growing suspicion about Healer Linda and the illness’s sudden resurgence, I knew Seraphina and I had to take action. Now.

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