Lysa
I left early to attend the Council Assembly in the Red Crest. The invitation didn't say much except my role as an honorary guest and a healer, but it was a needed escape. I focused on the excitement of being in a new place, meeting other pack leaders, and breaking free from anything related to the Crescent Pack. However, that ache when I thought of Alpha Kade and Mia was still there.
When I arrived at the Red Crest Pack’s territory, it was livelier and less formal than I expected for the most powerful pack. Inside the council hall, various leaders and representatives from the neighboring packs mingled, and their voices filled the vast and beautifully adorned room. I went inside silently, hoping not to draw any attention.
But as soon as I sat down, I felt that pull and smelled that scent that made me look up. I was not mistaken seeing Alpha Kade and Mia just entering. Alpha Kade wore a tuxedo, exuding an aura of an Alpha. Mia was beside him, tall and confident, just like a war advisor should be. But seeing them together gnawed at me.
When the meeting was almost over, I stepped out and went to the garden. It was almost secluded and filled with roses. I sat on a bench close to the council hall and plucked the pink rose, big and fully bloomed.
“Escaping the noise, too?”
I was startled and looked up to see a man looking at me amused. He was tall with ocean-blue eyes; he had the energy that pulled me like gravity and that scent of forest and breeze that felt intoxicating. My wolf screamed, "Mate! Mate!" But I was not ready to get fooled with this mate bond once again. I ignored it.
I had seen him before, and then it hit me—it was Alpha Elias of the Red Crest Pack.
"Ah, yes... council meetings can be overwhelming," I replied.
Alpha Elias sat on the bench across from me and said, "Or, maybe it was something more. You seemed distant."
I was caught off guard, but something made me feel at ease. I felt I could share anything with him without judgment, and I would feel safe.
“Sometimes, we go where we think we can hide.”
He raised a brow.
“And yet, here you are, sitting in plain sight.”
“Lysa?”
I stiffened when I heard that familiar voice. I turned to see Alpha Kade with Mia hovering beside him.
“Alpha Kade, I was just getting to know your best healer,” Alpha Elias greeted politely.
Alpha Kade gazed at the rose I held, and his jaw tightened.
“I wasn’t aware you knew each other.”
“Oh, well, I make it a point to get to know everyone who visits Red Crest. I find it helps build connections. Strengthens alliances.”
Mia smirked and said, "That’s very kind of you, Alpha Elias. But you’ll find that Lysa prefers to stay… low profile.”
There was something about what she said that made me snap. And for the first time, I interrupted, "Low profile doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a bit of peace, Mia. Some of us don’t crave attention.”
It took her by surprise, but she hid it with a smile.
“Of course. I’m sure Red Crest offers all the quiet you need.”
Alpha Kade looked annoyed at me but couldn't scold me.
“Mia, perhaps we should return to the meeting. There’s plenty left to discuss.”
The moment they were gone, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"Never let anyone make you feel you are low, regardless of their position," Alpha Elias said, startling me because I had somehow forgotten he was there.
The council hall opened before I could respond, and several Red Crest Pack members came out. One of them a young warrior, said, "Alpha Elias, there’s been a breach on the western border. Scouts reported a group of rogue approaching."
Alpha Elias' expression hardened when he asked, "How many?"
“A dozen, maybe more. We’ve called in our warriors, but they’re still regrouping.”
Alpha Elias turned to me; his jaw set with a grim determination.
“Lysa, I could use an experienced healer at the infirmary. Could you please help?"
The sense of having a purpose birthed inside me somehow overpowering the pain I felt.
"Of course, Alpha. Lead the way."
We moved quickly and we arrived at the infirmary just in time for the injured to begin arriving. I worked alongside the Red Crest healers, tending to the wounded with much focus.
Hours passed, and I witnessed a lot of blood, and I bandaged many warriors, but I felt alive in a way I hadn’t in a long time. Amidst the crisis, I found a sense of belonging.
When dawn approached, the last of the injured were stabilized. I sat back, exhausted but deeply fulfilled and feeling proud. Then, my nostrils were hit with that forest and breeze scent once again and it brought a chill down my spine.
"You did well today. Red Crest could use a healer like you," Elias said as he watched with an expression, I couldn't tell whether it was admiration or something more.
“You… want me to stay?”
Elias chuckled and I felt it was more of begging for me to do so.
“It’s your choice, Lysa. However, if you stay, no one will make you feel invisible here. You are equally important as anyone else here. I would prefer and be happy if you would. But you must make it clear with your pack."
For a moment, I thought of hearing those words from Alpha Kade. I had been waiting for it, and it never happened. Was it because I meant to hear it from Alpha Elias?
“I’ll think about it,” I replied.
“Take all the time you need. But I really hope that you would."
Then, Alpha Elias smiled and turned to leave. My heart suddenly shifted, now longing for him instead of Alpha Kade.
