Chapter 13
Leo’s grip held me in place for a brief moment before he snarled and shoved me away. I stumbled back and quickly ducked my head.
“Can’t you watch where you’re going?” he demanded.
“I–I’m sorry,” I stammered.
Leo growled. “I know what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work.”
“I don’t understand,” I protested.
“You pretended you didn’t see me so you could throw yourself in my arms,” Leo said. He shook his head and crossed his arms. “I’m telling you, it won’t work. I’m loyal to my mate. I always will be.”
If it wasn’t so awful, it would almost be funny. Leo wanted to be faithful to Eva, but he’d only slept with me. And Eva wasn’t loyal to him at all. If he knew he would be crushed.
I backed out of his reach and shook my head. “No, really, it’s not like that. I’m wolf–less; I don’t have heightened senses like you do. I really didn’t know you were there.”
Leo snorted. He clearly didn’t believe me.
“Stay away from me and my rooms,” Leo ordered.
I bowed and fled the area. I couldn’t convince him of the truth. Maybe it was for the best. If he noticed Tessa the maid too often, he might notice how much I looked like Eva. That would be a disaster.
I worked hard for the rest of the day. I had to hide frequently to take breaks and earned several smacks from the other servants for being lazy. I didn’t dare defend myself.
When night fell, though, I was able to return to my rooms. Because Eva had decided to spend the night with Leo, I had the evening to myself. I finally had a chance to study healing.
Time to myself was so rare I cherished every moment. Before the Rogue attack, I’d spent that time with my mother. Now I spent it learning how to heal her.
I had gotten several copies of the healer’s tomes from the pack’s archives. The old wolf who ran the archive had allowed me to take copies so long as I worked for her for six months. She’d made me catalog every book in the archive, dust the shelves, and help restore damaged volumes. It was hard work but satisfying.
And the archivist was kind, too. She hadn’t told anyone about our bargain, or what books I’d wanted. And sometimes she’d sneak me snacks after our work was done. I wished I had more time to spend in the archives but Eva worked me too hard as a maid.
I pulled out my notebook and one of the heaviest tomes from its hiding place in my room. I kept some books in the laundry, some in the store rooms for the cleaning supplies, and just the one book in my own room. That way, if Eva found and destroyed one stash, my studies wouldn’t be completely stopped.
I opened the book to the last #Chapter I’d been working through. I dedicated as much time as I could spare to studying the healing arts, although I knew it was probably futile. I was wolf–less. Without a wolf, I’d never be a true healer. The books were clear about that.
But I could learn the skills. I could become a medic, if nothing else. And I was half wolf, so maybe with enough effort and enough study I could come up with some kind of work around. It was my mother’s only hope.
I read for a while, making quick notes in my book anytime I ran across something that looked useful for my mother’s case. The books weren’t well organized. Trauma care instructions were followed by remedies for common ailments. One page told how to close a bleeding wound and the next listed ingredients to soothe nausea.
I copied the nausea recipe into my booklet. I thought I could find the ingredients in the kitchen garden. I would check my notes on pregnancy in werewolves, and if the components were safe for a baby I would try the recipe out.
D
