Chapter 4
Two whole days passed before I opened the family’s thread again. This time, the notification count was ridiculous.
Seeing a whooping 99+ unread messages, I almost closed it but curiosity got the better of me and I stayed.
The newest message was from Elowen and it was a voice recording.
I pressed play and her voice came through the speaker.
“I have decided to leave my job as Alpha Theodore’s secretary. So please, stop pointing fingers at Layla. This is all because of me. I shouldn’t have gotten hurt or entered the carriage that day. So if anyone is angry, be angry with me. Just don’t punish the Alpha because of what I did.” She sobbed.
I stared speechlessly at the record.
Only to get another shock. The message had barely been a minute before the replies started pouring in.
“She’s taking responsibility for everything.”
“What a kind-hearted girl.”
“Alpha Theodore is lucky to have someone like Elowen.”
“I hope everyone can forgive her.”
Whereas, I simply shook my head.
She had managed to turn herself into the victim again without directly saying a single bad thing about me. That took talent.
Without further ado, I exited the chat, then went ahead and blocked every number that had been attacking me.
Mia activated a mind link between us less than a minute later.
“Did you hear that ridiculous voice note?” I almost flinched out of my own skin as she practically screamed into my mind.
“That woman is unbelievable! She’s pretending she’s taking responsibility while making everyone think you’re some cruel b^tch who drove her to this!”
I poured myself a cup of wine. Leo whined around me, and I threw him his toy.
“Mia, breathe.” I said to her, smiling.
Her rants stopped. “Breathe? Goodness, how are you this calm, Layla?” She asked in astonishment.
I sat down on the bed, and crossed my legs. “Because I’m keeping everything.”
Mia’s breath hitched in surprise but I continued, “From the voice message, to her post, the messages she spammed me, the perfume she left outside my inn and basically every stunt she’s pulled has been sent to Beatrice. She’s putting together the case.”
“So Elowen can cry to the entire pack if she wants. Let her collect sympathy, as for me, I have the evidence.” I assured her, watching Leo pounce on the carpet.
The following weekend, I reported for the pack’s community clinic.
The event was being held in one of the localized parts of the pack and Theodore was one of the sponsors.
I draped on a clean coat, and grabbed my medical kit as I entered.
Only I didn’t expect the waiting area to already be filled to the brim.
Parents held restless pups in their arms. Elderly pack members sat against the walls. Some had traveled for hours because they couldn’t afford treatment at a private medical center.
I didn’t waste time and got to work.
For hours, there was barely a moment to breathe.
I cleaned wounds, wrapped sprained wrists, treated infections. I also checked children whose parents had been stretching the same prescription for weeks because they couldn’t afford another one.
Then a young boy was carried toward my station. He couldn’t have been more than eight years old.
His forearm was badly cut, and his wrist had swollen after he’d fallen from his bicycle.
His mother looked terrified as she pleaded, “They said you could help him. Please, attend to my son, Ms.”
I gave her a reassuring nod and pulled on a fresh pair of gloves. The boy whimpered as I examined the wound.
“What’s your name, pretty boy?” I asked, smiling down at him.
“Ethan.” He managed to say.
“Well, Ethan, I’m going to fix that arm. You’re going to have to be brave for me.” He nodded, trying very hard not to cry as I began.
I was halfway through closing the wound when I heard a familiar voice somewhere behind me.
“Someone get a healer over here!” Yelled the masculine voice in an attempt to keep things under control.
I didn’t look up, or move an inch, but my wolf stirred in my stomach in recognition.
“Healer Layla is already handling it.” One of the patients nearby answered.
Then I heard footsteps stop behind me. I became more certain of who it was as I caught a glimpse of his face.
Theodore didn’t utter a word. He just stood in shock across from me as I kept working.
This was the first time he’d actually seen me in my professional life.
Not as his wife to be, as the woman who remembered his favorite meals, the one who handled the bills and always waiting for him at home.
This time, he was watching the person I’d always been outside our relationship. A healer. A surgeon. Someone trusted with people’s lives.
I tied off the final stitch.
Ethan’s mother released a relieved breath. “My business went down and there was no way I could source for the bills to treat him. I am so grateful for this, Ms. Layla.”
“It’s nothing. That’s what today’s clinic is for,” I smiled and handed her several free vouchers for his medication. “Use these for his pain medicine, and have him checked again at the primary care station before you leave.”
She nodded repeatedly.
Once she’d left with her son, I removed my gloves, rearranged the kit and then stood.
That was when I caught sight of Elowen. She was standing several feet away, and fiddling with her fingers.
She stopped the instant our eyes collided. And quickly schooled her expression into something gentle and remorseful.
“Layla.” She started approaching me.
I didn’t answer and decided to close the curtain. Before I could, Elowen rushed forward.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m really sorry.” She pleaded.
I snorted as I picked up my medical kit. “I’ve heard that before.”
“But I mean it. I never wanted any of this to happen, Layla.” She argued, her tone oozing with desperation.
One that caused me to snap around and face her.
“Then why are you still doing it?” I tilted my head, my eyes flashing in annoyance. “You’ve continued posting about me. You’ve continued sending messages about me. You’ve made yourself look like the victim every chance you’ve gotten, Elowen.”
But instead of admitting it, she shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. “I didn’t—”
“Don’t start.” My anger brewed and I silenced her with a raised finger. “Save the performance for someone who hasn’t seen what you’re doing.”
Elowen flinched in horrification.
I simply turned away. That’s when I noticed the reporters.
Several local news crews had been invited to cover the charity clinic. Cameras were pointed around the room, documenting the event and the packs sponsoring it.
Elowen seemed to notice them too and her expression morphed into something utterly dark.
She took a step toward me. Then her hand suddenly hit the scissors. It slashed her wrist and she staggered back.
I barely had time to react before she went down, landing hard on the floor.
And just like that, gasps rippled through the room. Then Elowen looked up at me.
“Layla.” Her voice trembled. “Why did you cut me with the scissors?”
My stomach dropped.
The nearest camera was directly facing us.
Theodore rushed over in panic. “What happened, Elowen?” He crouched in front of her.
Elowen grabbed her arm, tears sliding down her cheeks. “I—I don’t know. I think I slipped.” She said, yet, she raised her sobbing face up at me as though I had attacked her.
That was all it took for whispers to spread through the clinic.
People that had no idea what was going on before turned around. Some spat cruel words between themselves. On the other hand, Theodore’s expression hardened.
“Layla, what the hell?” He growled, straightening up on his feet.
Everyone, including him, probably expected me to cower and admit my wrong but I didn’t answer him.
Instead, I looked past his shoulder, toward the main recorder standing beside the news crew.
He’d been positioned there long before Elowen came and his colleagues joined him.
“You were recording, right?” I went to him.
He reluctantly nodded. “Y—yes. I think I caught everything.”
I grinned to myself there and then.
“Good.” I said and stepped aside. “Then let’s watch it.”
The man lowered his camera slightly. “You want me to play it?”
“Yes.” I looked directly at Elowen. “Let’s let everyone see what actually happened.”