Nine

Eira’s POV

That was the frantic noise I was hearing until I moved closer and I saw a middle-aged woman holding her young dying pup.

“What happened to your pup?” I asked, my voice laced with worry as I bent to check the pup’s pulse.

I frowned when I found the rapid fluctuations.

“I don’t know, I went hunting for food and met him like this when I came back, I don't know what happened, ” The woman cried as she explained to me.

“What about your mate? Is he not around?” I asked skeptically.

Which werewolf will leave his pup and let his mate hunt for the family?

“He died. He was killed by rogues some months before I gave birth to our pup, ” the middle-age woman replied with tears in her eyes.

Ohh

“Hey, young miss, did you want to treat the pup or continue asking questions? Why are you still not treating him yet?”

I heard a male baritone voice behind me, I turned around and saw that the voice belonged to a young teenager.

He shouldn't be more than 15 years old.

“Did you not notice her blue eyes and black hair? She is the genius healer!”

I heard another voice say as I picked the pup up from his mother and settled him in my arms to begin his treat.

“Wait, you mean the famous genius healer of our pack? I heard she was just 18. Oh my God! I never knew she was this beautiful!”

“Yes, she is. She's not just beautiful, she has a kind heart. I heard that she never had a casualty and every patient she treats always gets back on their legs.”

I heard a different voice speak out while I was treating the pup, but I didn't pay attention to it because I was focused on the pup.

When I started treating him, I found out that he has pneumonia, which causes the fluctuations in his breathing and makes him keep breathing heavily.

If I had been a little bit late, the pup would have died because the sickness was already ingrain in his body.

After a careful inspection, I brought out the eucalyptus leaves that I also plucked from the mountain while I was in search of the remaining ingredients for my father’s medicine.

I ground it in a small wooden mortar that I always have with me.

After grinding it, I poured the liquid into a small cup I took out from my knitted handbag and gave him some to drink.

Subsequently, a few minutes after giving the pup the liquid, he blinked his eyes and fluttered them open.

“He’s awake?”

“Look, the pup is really awake!”

I heard the voices of werewolves in the scene talking to each other excitedly but I was still focused on the pup.

“Hey, can you breathe now?” I asked the pup who was still trying to adjust his sight.

“Ma,” That was the first word I heard from the pup as he looked around for his mother.

“I'm here, son, I'm here…” The middle-aged lady replied and enveloped the pup in a tight hug.

Immediately alarmed, I shouted. “you can't hug him like that yet,”

“Oh oh, sorry!” The middle aged woman exclaimed and quickly detangled the pup from herself but he was still in her bosom.

“So, I think you can breathe better now, right?” I asked the pup again and he nodded.

“Okay, that's good. Take this leave and grind it as I did some minutes again and feed him the liquid for a week after that he will be completely healthy,” I said to the middle-aged lady and packed a small of the eucalyptus leaves and gave it to her.

“Thank you, thank you so much, young lady,” The middle-aged woman appreciated continuously, smiling boldly.

“It's okay, ma'am, I'm only exercising my duties as a healer,” I replied and packed my remaining stuff in my bag.

“Long live genius healer!”

“Long live to the genius healer!!”

The echo voices of all the werewolves in the scene roared in my ears and slowly smiled at them.

Healing wasn't only my talent but also my hobby.

I bid the woman and her pup goodbye and waved to all the werewolves.

Then, I continued the journey to my house. It wasn't long before I saw the sketches of my family's small bungalow in view.

I silently hoped that my father’s sickness hadn't gotten worse and my sister was really giving him the medicinal soup I prepared for him before I left.

But I can not count on Carla because she only does what she wants and not what people tell her to do.

Immediately I got inside our house, I knew that something was different.

When I said something different I didn't mean it in a bad way but my house was awfully quiet as if there wasn't anyone at home.

“Carla?”

“Ma?” I called out but no response.

I was about to go inside the house when I spotted a strange figure coming from our backyard.

My heart immediately skipped, and I tried to sniff for any odd smell but I couldn't find any.

“Are you, Eira, the genius healer?”

I heard the strange figure speak out as he moved closer to me.

Now I can see his figure. He is a handsome man with firm jaws and brown eyes.

He looked like the dream man of some of the girls in my pack but I was shocked when I recalled that he said say my name

“Do you know me?” I asked as I scrutinized him from head to toe.

I bet he was also checking me out because he looked surprised at first then later he looked composed.

“So, I presume you are Eira, right?”

“Yes, you are right, and where's my sister and my parents,” I asked, looking at him warily.

“Your sister is with your father but your mother went to the market.”

“To the market?”

“Yeah, to the market.”

“Why?” I raised a brow at the man but he only shrugged.

I sized him up again before I opened the door and quickly went inside to check on my sick father.

I almost had a heart attack when I saw that man earlier, I thought something bad had occurred.

When I got inside, I saw that Carla was sleeping beside my dad's bed and there's a small bowl of medicine beside her too.

I walked in and gently picked the bowl up and placed it on the nearest desk.

I looked at my younger sister and saw her stressed face was. Even though she's stubborn and always picks fights with me, Carla can be a sweet girl at times.

Like right now, I could deduce that she was feeding our father his medicine before she slept off.

“Carla,”

“Carla,”

I patted her arm to wake her up but she didn't hear until the third time.

“You are back?” Carla said slowly as she opened her eyes and looked up.

“Yes, I'm back. How's Papa’s condition? Did it get worse?” I quickly asked.

“No, it didn't. I've been giving him the medicine you asked me to give him but this is the remaining bowl.” Carla said softly, looking around for the bowl.

“I dropped it on the desk,”

“Oh, okay.” Carla replied and checked around again as she rubbed her eyes with her two index fingers.

Who's she looking for?

“Carla, where's ma?” I asked as I dropped my medicine bag on the bed and moved closer to check on my father, who was still sleeping.

“Ma went to get some meat and the ingredients for the medicine soup you left because we were not sure of when you will be back and I already gave Papa the last bowl,” She explained. “Did you see a big guy when you arrived?” Carla asked as she stood up and looked around again.

“Yeah, at the front door. Who is he?” I implored.

“He said he's Amoux. The Alpha King Beta.” Carla announced.

“Ah?! The Alpha King Beta?” I countered in disbelief.

What is the Alpha King’s Beta doing in our humble house?

“Yes, The Alpha King’s Beta. He came for you and he got here last night.”

“He has been here since last night?” I asked with my mouth hanging open.

I don't know what shocked me most, that the Alpha King Beta is in my house or the fact that he had already spent a day in my house.

“Yes,”

“Okay, when I'm done concocting this medicine for Papa, I will go and look for him.” I said to Carla and watched as she left for her room.

I could tell that today was one of the good days because Carla hasn't grumbled or yelled at me.

Maybe it was because our father was sick.

After two hours of concocting the medicine, I left my father's room and took the liquid to my room while I waited for my mother to bring the other ingredients she went to get in the market.

I was trying to cover the medicine with another bowl when I heard a knock on my door.

“Eira, are you there?”

I heard a thick voice asking from the door, it was very similar to the big guy I saw earlier.

“Yes I am, come in.” I replied as I quickly adjusted my clothes and hair because I knew how roughly I looked at the moment.

I heard the door open and the big guy came in.

“Hi, ” I greeted warmly with a thin smile

Carla said he's the Beta of the Alpha King. I have to treat him well.

“Hi, ” he responded.

I felt my throat dried after he came in, I couldn't spill out the words on my lips until after some minutes.

“Do you want to like.. Uhm, go outside? I'm done here anyway I will come outside soon, ” I said in hesitation because I don't know what I will say that could annoy him.

Unexpectedly, he smiled and nodded to me.

I watched him leave my room with his long legs and I instantly heaved a sigh of relief.

Shit!

I was so nervous!

I've been in the presence of so many Betas’ and Alphas’ because of my work, but I've never been as nervous as I was a minute ago.

Was it because he was the Alpha King’s Beta? Was that why his aura was so obsessive? Or am I just too weak physically?

If I'm this nervous in front of a Grand Beta, how will I be in the presence of the Alpha King?

No!

I have to compose myself and act naturally.

But what could he possibly be here for?

I heard that the Alpha king already found his mate who he had been looking for some days ago.

Why is his Beta here when Deep Water Pack, the Capital Pack, is still supposed to be in the state of celebration?

With these questions in my mind, I went out of my room to meet the Beta.

“Hello, ” I greeted again when I saw him.

He was sitting in one of the couches in our sitting room.

I couldn't help but notice how he looked out of space. His huge frame shadowed the whole room.

“Hello Eira, I'm Amoux, and I've got a proposal for you.”