A Luna's Flame

Chapter Fifty-Four

-Rhea's POV-

The steady thump of the cool metal of my stethoscope contrasted against my racing heart as I walked towards the pack house, mindlessly fidgeting with my fingers. My pastel pink scrubs swished as my legs led me across the uneven terrain to a place that held the answers to the questions burning in my mind. My wolf, Akeso, grumbled as she stalked in the recesses of my mind, angered at the absence of that wild pup she had grown fond of. I looked up at the cloudy sky as I thought back to Kass' words when she came to me two days ago. The careless wolf had reopened her sutures but refused treatment until she could talk to me.

My fist tightened with frustration at the thought of the ridiculous sentencing that the council had given Nyx, a rouge who saved their expedition fleet and my son. It was glaring that her lack of blood ties and past...transgressions blinded them from the truth of the situation, but my title held no weight in their minds to sway their opinions. It never has. However, the same cannot be said for the small group of nurses I had gathered to help transport Nox to a secure wing of the hospital, all wolves giving me their vow of secrecy once they heard the word 'council'. I knew exactly what I needed to do as soon as Kass explained everything that happened during that meeting, and I acted quickly. The rogue attack at the pack's borders gave us the perfect opening as most guards and warriors were elsewhere alongside their Alpha.

I had Nox situated on the private floor of the hospital, a restricted space reserved for only high-ranking pack members. He was only a few doors down from my son, making it easier for me to monitor them. I had dismissed the nurses who helped me once we entered the sliding doors of the hospital, keeping his precise whereabouts secret. The only person besides myself who knew where he rested was Diona, as she was the only person allowed to stay on the level to keep consistent watch over her brother, the Delta.

The Alpha mindlinked me during my rounds in the maternity ward as I checked the few expecting mothers of the pack. In recent years, the Night Fang had been getting fewer and fewer newborns and paired mates as we grew in size and notoriety, a glaring warning for our future. Nonetheless, I had entrusted the rest of their care to my staff as I was called to his office.

My pristine white sneakers squeaked as I walked into the warm packhouse, buzzing with wolves rushing about their day. Most greeted me with an excited greeting or a friendly smile as my appearance in the building became more frequent lately. I took the dizzying path to the Alpha's office, venturing down the winding corridor on the left side of the massive staircase. It had been some time since I'd last wandered these halls, the Alpha usually finding me in the hospital when he needed something. This set off my internal warning sirens as I grew closer to his door, his scent becoming more potent as I walked. I took a deep, calming breath as I stopped in front of the massive oak door of his office. As soon as I knocked, he called for me.

"Come in, Doctor," his deep voice boomed beneath the cracks in the oak.

I swung open the heavy door to see my Alpha sitting behind a shiny mahogany desk, its surface littered with documents and a crystal bottle half full of a brown liquid. He tightly gripped a crystal rock glass filled with what I assumed to be whiskey in his large hand as he read one of the documents in front of him. The prominent man looked tired; his wrinkled white button-down gave the deep bags under his eyes a sharp contract.

"Where is he?" Alpha Maddox asked me after I sat in the oversized leather chair before his desk, not taking his eyes off the once folded piece of paper.

"Orion is still in the h—" I began as I adjusted in the seat.

"You know that's not who I was referring to," he corrected.

The Alpha sighed before tri-folding the document and securing it in a ripped-open envelope, the dark purple wax emblem signifying the Dark Moon pack. His amber eyes looked at me with mild agitation as he leaned back into his chair, his shoulders straightening.

"Where is the Rogue?" Alpha Maddox asked before taking another sip of his drink.

"I would like to know the same thing, Alpha. She was meant to be released yesterday," I answered as I folded my hands on my lap, my nail beds raw from earlier.

"Rhea, you and I both know who I am referring to. I am in no mood for this game," he quipped with a low growl.

My wolf begrudgingly submitted to his warning.

"It may not be who you are referring to, but she should be your biggest concern," I muttered.

"Nox has been transported to the hospital due to protocol," I answered before he could comment.

"Protocol?"

"Yes, I was given access to the upper level of the packhouse under the condition of monitoring the health of both wolves. With Nyx's sentencing, it is safe to assume she will need medical intervention, which should be done at the hospital. You reminded me a week ago not to let my interactions with the Rogues hinder my service to the pack, as that's where my loyalties should be. To ensure I abide by your words, I had him moved so that I can do both tasks adequately without risking either's safety," I explained.

"That rogue would've been fine with or without your supervision," he retorted.

"As a highly regarded doctor, that was not a risk I was willing to take regardless of the wolf," I rebutted.

"Do not forget who gave you your rank or that stethoscope you wear around your neck," he warned.

"I could never forget that or those I've saved with them. This stethoscope has touched many, including yourself, Alpha," I said as I looked down at the instrument, cringing at his following growl.

"You will watch your tongue, Rhea."

I bowed in submission, listening to the ice clink against the cool glass as the Alpha took another sip of the honeyed whiskey.

"Return him to my wing this afternoon," the Alpha ordered.

"I cannot," I said with a subtle shake of my head.

"Excuse me," he asked as the ice rattled in his glass, disturbed.

"I cannot return him to your wing," I clarified as my wolf shook out her fur, our minds aligned.

"And why is that, Rhea? You are willing to disobey your Alpha?" the angered wolf asked as he rested his elbows on his desk, peering down at me.

"During their first week here, you sent your Beta to fetch me out of a meeting to tend to Nox. Your precise order was to 'keep him alive at all costs'. I am simply following my vow to your original command. You believe he would be fine with or without me because he would be kept in your wing, away from others, but that cannot be further from the truth. Nyx was kept in your wing in a guarded room. She was supposed to be safe, and now she bleeds to death on the floor of your dungeon. I cannot risk losing another wolf due to my overconfidence," I argued as I met his eye.

The look he gave me was deadly, his amber irises twinkling with a reddish shine. The knuckles around the half-empty crystal glass were white due to his tightening grip. It would shatter if he kept it up. My spine threatened to curve as my neck whined to submit, but I couldn't. She didn't stop fighting for my family, and I would be damn if I stop fighting for them.

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"Do not let our history blind you from your reality, Rhea. I've given you more leniency than I have most pack wolves. Do not bend my words to give your actions authority!"

"It is what the council is doing, Julius. How can you reprimand me for following in the steps of my superiors?" I boldly quipped.

The growl that rattled his chest shook the crystal bottle on his desk as the glass in his hand shattered.

"Do not call me that name as you disrespect me! You are speaking on things you do not know, Rhea. Even your connection to my mother cannot save you from the consequences of spreading lies. To imply that the council has bent my words is inexcusable," he grumbled as he rose to his feet.

"How else could someone convince an Alpha to kill his mate?" I argued before I could stop the words from passing my lips, anger clouding my judgment.