Of course, I get no sleep.
My anxiety overruled my exhaustion, and I kept startling awake every twenty minutes. The dark circles under my eyes are so pronounced, I might have to self-identify as a raccoon shifter.
It isn't that bad. Selene nudges my hand with her cold nose.
"It is, but thank you for lying to ." Rubbing her ears, I head toward the direction of the hospital. Or try to.
Selene's furry body blocks , and one of my bodyguards actually grabs by my shoulders and turns in the direction of the cafeteria. I can sll eggs and sothing that slls suspiciously like bacon. Again, my sll isn't as good as other shifters—but it's way better than a default human nose.
"I want to visit Ivy," I protest, even as my stomach rumbles.
"Alpha's orders. He said you need regular als."
The young guard's blond hair sticks up in every direction, like he just rolled out of bed. His mild brown eyes dart around, scanning for threats while pointedly avoiding my gaze. Hmm. He's smart. Probably knows I'm going to try to persuade him to let check on Ivy first.
It's a lot harder to put pressure on soone who won't look at your face.
"You're new." I cross my arms, studying him. "What's your na?"
"Brett, Luna." His voice cos out steady, but his shoulders tense. He knows what's coming.
"Well, Brett, I appreciate your dedication, but—"
"Alpha's orders are clear." His tone remains firm. "Breakfast first."
My stomach betrays with another loud rumble. The scent of bacon grows stronger, making my mouth water despite my protests.
Our mate takes good care of us, Selene preens, her tail wagging. He knows you'd skip als otherwise.
Oh? Grimoire enters the ntal conversation out of nowhere. How interesting. Didn't you use to despise Lucas, Selene? Sothing about him being an arrogant, controlling, stupid—
That was before, Selene cuts him off with a snap of her teeth. Ava has chosen him. He's proven himself worthy.
They're already in fine form today.
"Where's Marcus? And Greg?" Ignoring their mild bickering, I pin my attention on the guard in front of . There are others, of course, but at a distance.
"They'll be back on rotation this evening, Luna."
A dissatisfactory answer. I can talk to Marcus. He would understand my desire to check on Ivy before heading to breakfast. A fifteen-minute delay in scarfing down a plate or two of food isn't going to harm , after all.
But this Brett guy seems devoted to following the letter of Lucas' demands.
A grouchy grunt escapes before I can stop it. "Brett. As Luna, I need to check on our esteed guest. Her health is a priority."
"As your guard, I need to ensure our esteed Luna eats breakfast. Alpha's orders are my priority." Brett's mild tone carries an edge of humor. "Besides, Vanessa threatened to sedate if I let you skip a al."
Damn. Even she's in on this. "You're not supposed to admit to the threats." My lips twitch. "It ruins the whole stoic guard image."
"I figure honesty might work better than stoicism." He shrugs, still not eting my eyes.
Where did Lucas find this one? Probably dug around the pack until he could find soone who wouldn't get sweet-talked into nudging the boundaries of his orders, damn it.
"Fine." I narrow my eyes. They might be able to keep from going to Ivy's room, but there's more than one way to skin a wolf. "Now ask Vanessa how she's doing."
Brett's face slackens, his eyes unfocused. The telltale sign of ntal communication. I tap my foot, waiting for his report on Ivy's condition.
"Healer Vanessa seems well, Luna, though she snapped at for interrupting her rounds."
"That's not—" My hands clench. "I want to know how Ivy's doing, not Vanessa."
One must be clear and concise when giving orders, Grimoire points out. He sounds amused.
He's just a young pup, Selene says, almost on top of him. Still learning.
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My eye twitches. Why are you both acting like I just verbally flayed him alive?
Selene's tail wags slowly. You get a touch bitchy without proper sleep.
"I do not!"
The mutt is correct. You do have a tendency toward bitchiness when you're tired.
Brett, to his credit, says nothing as he keeps steering toward the cafeteria.
The familiar scent of Elverly's cooking fills my nose as I push through the double doors.
"Leave your blasted guards outside! We don't have room for them to skulk about." Elverly's voice cracks through the air like a whip.
I glance behind , but no one followed in.
The serving station beckons, and I step toward it, ready to load up a plate.
"Sit down!" Another sharp command from the gno chef, who hasn't even looked at .
My feet carry to the nearest table before my brain catches up. Monts later, Elverly appears at my elbow, slamming down a plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and what looks like fresh biscuits.
"You look like shit."
A smile tugs at my lips. There's sothing oddly touching about her gruff concern. "Didn't sleep well."
She grunts, shuffling away only to return with a steaming mug of tea that she sets beside my plate. Brett suddenly materializes at my elbow.
"The patient's condition remains stable, Luna. No changes since last night." Brett's report releases so of the tension in my shoulders. At least she isn't getting worse.
"Did I stutter?" Elverly snarls, hands on her hips as she looks him over. "No guards inside ans no guards inside!"
Brett's eyes widen as he holds up his hands. The gno is infamous throughout Wolf's Landing, and very few people have the courage to stand up to her. "My apologies, ma'am." He backs toward the door, sohow not tripping over anything. "I'll wait outside."
"Good." Elverly's sharp nod follows him out. "These wolves think they can do whatever they want in my kitchen."
The sll of fresh biscuits draws my attention back to the plate. Steam rises from perfectly scrambled eggs, and the bacon looks crispy, just how I like it. My stomach growls again, louder this ti.
See? Food is important. Selene's ntal voice carries a note of satisfaction.
I pick up my fork, hiding my smile. There's sothing comforting about Elverly's cantankerous nature. She treats everyone the sa way—even Lucas gets snapped at sotis. Once because he spilled his coffee on her freshly mopped floor.
The first bite of eggs lts in my mouth. How does she make sothing as simple as scrambled eggs taste this good?
Magic, Selene suggests.
Actually, it's technique, Grimoire corrects. The key is in the—
"It was a rhetorical question," I mumble around my mouthful of eggs.
"Stop dawdling and eat." Elverly appears again, this ti with a jar of honey for my tea. "You're too skinny."
Her reluctantly loving care sohow has the ability to lt the anxiety that had weighed down all night, and I sip at my tea in between shoveling food into my face at an immodest pace.
Sothing's strange, Grimoire says, as every ward I've placed suddenly alarms.
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