Cane’s POV
Leslie’s words did not leave my head.
They kept repeating again and again like a terrible echo.
’If the antidote is not found under seventy-two hours, she’ll die.’
I stood there staring at Sumr’s small body on the bed while the words kept hitting harder every second.
She’ll die.
She’ll die.
She’ll die.
I turned sharply to Leslie."Where can I find it exactly?" I asked.
My voice ca out rough and urgent.
"The antidote," I added quickly. "You said the herb grows in Blood Tithers territory. Where exactly in that town can I find it?"
Leslie looked at for a mont like she was thinking about how to answer.
Then she spoke slowly."It grows in the heart of the Tithers town."
"The heart?" I asked imdiately.
She nodded.
"Yes. The central area of their territory. It grows around the old black marsh behind their main gathering ground."
I frowned hard."That place is heavily guarded."
"I know," she replied calmly.
I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.
"Then how the hell am I supposed to get it?" I demanded.
Leslie looked at Sumr again and then back at .
"The herb itself is simple," she continued. "It is small and easy to overlook. Most people will walk past it without even realizing what it is. It looks like an ordinary marsh weed with thin silver stems and dark leaves. But when you squeeze the leaves, clear liquid cos out. That liquid is the only thing that can neutralize the Morveth Draught."
"Morveth Draught," I repeated slowly.
The na sounded strange and heavy in my mouth.
"What exactly is that poison?" I asked.
Leslie exhaled slowly.
"It is an old poison," she began. "Very old. It is not used often because it is extrely rare to make and the ingredients are difficult to obtain. The base of it cos from a venom extracted from marsh vipers that live in Blood Tithers territory."
I stared at her."Marsh vipers?"
She nodded.
"Yes. Their venom alone is deadly but when it is mixed with crushed night roots and fernted under a specific moon cycle, it becos Morveth Draught."
My jaw tightened.
"The herb I ntioned contains a natural compound that breaks the venom structure in the poison," she replied. "Without it, the poison continues spreading until the organs fail."
I looked at Sumr again.
"Who the hell would use sothing like this on a child?" I muttered angrily.
Leslie did not answer.
I turned back to her.
"You said the herb grows in the heart of the Tithers," I said again. "How hard is it to find?"
"It grows in patches near the marsh water," she answered. "The leaves are dark and the stems look silver when light touches them. If you squeeze them you will see clear liquid co out imdiately."
"And I just bring the leaves back?" I asked.
"Yes," she said. "Bring as many as you can. I will extract the liquid and prepare the antidote."
I nodded slowly while my mind was already racing.
Blood Tithers. That damn place again.
The mory of the last ti we went there flashed in my head instantly.
Everything that had happened there had been chaos.
And Riley had been the only reason we even made it out alive.
She had used that strange weapon of hers.
The Null Pulse or whatever it’s called.
I could still rember the way the energy wave had exploded out from it and knocked down several Blood Tithers warriors at once.
Without that weapon we would have been maybe defeated.
And now I had to go back there again.
Alone.
I cursed under my breath.
"Oh fuck."
Leslie looked at but said nothing.
I paced once across the room.
"How the hell am I going to get into Tithers and grab that herb without getting noticed by their guards?" I muttered.
Leslie folded her arms calmly.
"That is sothing you will have to figure out," she said quietly.
I stopped pacing and looked at her. Then I looked at Sumr again.
Her breathing was still weak. I could not waste ti thinking.
I made my decision instantly."I’ll be back," I said firmly.
Leslie’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"You’re going now?"
"Yes."
"You understand how dangerous this is," she said.
"I don’t care," I replied imdiately. "Just keep her alive until I return."
Leslie nodded once."I will do everything I can."
I turned and started walking toward the door.
I had already reached the doorway when her voice stopped .
"Alpha Cane."
I paused and turned back.
She was walking toward holding sothing small in her hand.
When she reached she stretched her hand out.
I looked down at the object.
It was a tiny glass vial with pale gray liquid inside.
"What’s this?" I asked.
"It is the best suppressant I have ever created," she said.
I frowned slightly."A suppressant?"
She nodded."Yes. But not the usual type."
I looked at the vial again."What do you an?"
Leslie spoke carefully."This one will not erase your scent completely because that would make you suspicious the mont soone notices you. Instead it adjusts your scent to match your surroundings."
I stared at her."What?"
"It blends you in," she continued. "When you inhale it, your scent will change slightly and take on the sll of whatever environnt you are in. If you are standing among other wolves, it will mimic the surrounding scents so that you feel like part of the group."
My eyes widened slightly."You’re serious?"
"Yes."
I had never heard of anything like that before.
"That’s insane," I said quietly.
Leslie shrugged slightly."I developed it during my studies outside Obsidian Veil. It is very difficult to make and I rarely give it to anyone."
I took the vial slowly.The glass felt cold in my hand.
"And you’re giving it to now?"
"Yes," she said.
"Why?"
She looked past at Sumr again."Because if anyone has a chance of getting that antidote back in ti, it is you."
I closed my fingers around the vial."How do I use it?" I asked.
"Inhale it whenever you feel trapped or surrounded," she explained. "The effect will start imdiately and last for a short period."
"How short?"
"Enough ti for you to slip past danger."
I nodded slowly."Thank you."
She gave a small nod."Go quickly."
I slipped the vial into my pocket.
Then I left.
The mont I stepped outside the healer’s building I started moving fast.
Ti was already slipping away.
Seventy-two hours.
That clock had already started ticking.
I moved through the pack grounds quickly and headed straight toward the chambers where Caden and I had been earlier.
When I reached the room I shut the door behind and started changing imdiately.
The clothes I had on were too recognizable.
If I was going into Blood Tithers territory I needed to look as plain as possible.
I pulled off my shirt and tossed it aside.
Then I grabbed a simple dark tunic and trousers from the chest in the corner.
Within seconds I had changed completely.
I checked the small weapons rack beside the bed.
My hand reached for a dagger.
I strapped it to my waist.
Not much protection but better than nothing.
Then I grabbed a small pouch and stuffed a few necessary items into it.
My mind kept replaying Leslie’s words.
’If the antidote is not found under seventy-two hours, she’ll die.’
I clenched my jaw."No," I muttered under my breath.
"That’s not happening."
I turned and walked out of the room. The hallways of the pack chambers were strangely quiet.
I walked quickly toward the outer exit.
As I passed one of the side corridors I suddenly heard voices.
They were quiet whispers but my hearing caught them clearly.
"...it’ll be so fun watching father and son in a death clash."
I froze instantly.
Another voice laughed softly.
"At least one of them will definitely die and be killed by the other."
My heart skipped.
Father and son? What the hell were they talking about?
Then sothing else hit .
That first voice, it was familiar. I knew it.
I turned slowly toward the corridor where the whispers had co from.
My eyes scanned the empty hallway.
Nothing.
No one was there. The corridor was completely empty.
I frowned deeply."That’s impossible," I muttered.
I had definitely heard them.
And that voice... It sounded like Daphne.
But that made no sense.
Why would she be hiding in the hallway whispering about father and son killing each other?
I stepped closer to the corridor and looked around again.
Still nothing. Maybe they had already moved.
Or maybe I was imagining things because of the stress.
I exhaled slowly and shook my head. "Get it together," I told myself.
I didn’t have ti for this. Sumr was dying.
I turned and started walking again toward the exit.
But after a few steps, sothing made stop.
My wolf instincts suddenly felt alert.
Sothing was wrong. Very wrong.
I slowly turned back again. The corridor was still empty.
But I closed my eyes and focused. Then I inhaled deeply.
One slow breath, then another.
My wolf senses sharpened instantly.
And there it was.
A scent.
Faint. But unmistakable.
My eyes opened slowly. Because I knew that scent very well.
I turned fully toward the corridor. My voice ca out low and tense as I took a step forward. My eyes scanned everywhere again.
"Daphne..."
User Comments
0 comments from readers