Chapter 96: Real Friendship

Drystan’s POV

“Drystan?” Alpha Theron spoke my name unsurely, his brows pinched together as he studied me.

I lowered my head in submission and reverence for him. I’m not sure what he feels about seeing me. I feel happy to see him after so many years. Of course, it might not be the same for him. It’s not like I had anything to be proud of. He might find it embarrassing to let anyone know that he used to be friends with a loser like me, a man who calls himself an Alpha of a falling Pack. “It’s really you!” Alpha Theron’s tone turned excited when he spoke his next words, which surprised me.

I abruptly lifted my chin as I looked at him in surprise. I watched as he took confident strides towards me, and suddenly, he just wrapped his arm around me and hugged me.

“It’s so good to see you again!” Alpha Theron spoke with a huge smile on his face. The wrinkles at the corner of his eyes deepened.

Still caught in surprise, I forced a smile and hugged him back while my heart pounded rapidly inside my chest.

My eyes ran to the people around us who were staring at us with wide eyes. They all stood in shock, just staring at us. Some of them even stared at us with their jaws dropped to the floor. Even Nova shared the same expression as them. He looked at me with complete bewilderment on her face while silently demanding an explanation from me.

Nova also had no idea that the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack used to be my college friend.

I have never told anyone about this, not even someone in my family.

I gave Alpha Theron an uncomfortable smile when he took a step back and stared at me closely as he held me by my shoulders.

“You still look the same as I remember. How come you didn’t grow old?!” Alpha Theron chuckled as he asked me.

He just looked so happy to see me. I’m glad that the friend I had didn’t change.

“Th-Thank you, Alpha,” I answered formally.

My mouth turned agape when Alpha Theron suddenly pushed my left shoulder forcefully, taking me aback.

“Stop calling me Alpha, you nerd. It’s like we weren’t friends before,” he spoke angrily, but looking at his face, he wasn’t angry at me at all.

“Come on, man, relax. Your shoulders are so tense,” Alpha Theron spoke casually as he pressed my shoulders.

I took a deep breath and shook my shoulders to relax, just as he had told me. With his casual treatment, I started to feel at ease. I feel like we are back to when we were still teenagers.

“How could I relax? I’m talking to the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack. I still value my life and don’t dare to

offend you,” I spoke casually thien et

time since Theron recognized me as a friend, not an Alpha of another

Pack.

QUMS

Alpha Theron chuckled. “It’s been so long. I also missed the academy. While you’re staying here, let’s catch up with each other,” he invited.

I smiled and nodded. I also feel the same too. I miss the academy, and I miss my friend much more. I’d also want to know what happened to him after we separated.

“I’m not going to stay here that long,” I told him in advance. “Once Astrid is healed, we will go back to our Pack.

At the mention of Astrid’s name, Theron turned around and gave another look at Astrid.

“She’s the one who owns the bracelet, you say?” Theron asks, his face turning serious once again.

I slowly walked forward to approach Astrid. “She is,” I answered. “It is as what I said in the letter. The bracelet was given as a gift by her grandmother when her mother died while she was little. “H-her mother is dead?” he voice out under his breath. “How?” he asked me, his eyes still not leaving Astrid.

My brows twitched lightly at his question. “I don’t know. I didn’t know her yet when her mother died.”

Theron didn’t say a word. He continued staring at Astrid, just studying her face.

“Alpha, the physician is here,” Beta Alek spoke from behind, interrupting our conversation.

When we turned around, the physician earlier that we saw when we arrived, their Pack walked in with a tablet in his hand.

“Alpha,” he spoke solemnly as he bowed his head.

“Speak,” Theron ordered.

“Astrid is in critical condition, but she

will turn stable soon. There’s nothing to worry about. The Shadowfang Pack is complete in medicine. We can give her the care that she needs. In just a few days, she will be awake soon,” The Doctor explained, easing most of my worries.

“But Doctor, what about her wolf? Her previous Doctor told us that something was wrong with her wolf. What is happening to her?” I asked, hoping that whatever was wrong, the Shadowfang Pack had a way of fixing it.

Stone

“That I cannot say, Alpha, but we are already looking into it. We have already run tests for her. Once the results are out, we will inform you soon,” The Doctor answered me.

“Do you know a thing called the Lunar Elixir?” Nova, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke.

Everyone’s eyes suddenly turned towards her in surprise. My brows just furrowed as I looked at her since I had no idea what Nova was speaking of.

Chapter 97: Lunar Elixir

Drystan’s POV

“Miss, this elixir that you speak of” The Doctor was about to answer Nova’s question, but he stopped himself when Theron spoke on top of him.

“What do you wish to know about the Lunar Elixir?” Theron asked Nova calmly.

“Actually, Astrid had already seen a doctor before to find out what was wrong with her wolf. The doctor said that it was some rare disease that afflicted her wolf, and only the Lunar Elixir could cure her,” Nova replied. “A rare disease, you say? Don’t worry, there’s no disease that our Pack cannot cure,” Theron answered.

“Please forgive me for speaking once again. Astrid’s illness is not normal, and only the Lunar Elixir could cure her. If she doesn’t get cured soon, she might die,” Nova spoke with her head bowed down.

“You ignorant fool!” A loud voice filled the room, making our heads turn to where the voice came from.

We watched as a woman wearing a physician’s uniform entered the room with a scowl on her face.

“The Lunar Elixir is our Pack’s sacred treasure. How could you beg for it to save your friend’s life,” she added in an angry voice. “That woman’s life means nothing compared to the legacy of the Shadowfang Pack.” My brows furrowed as I stared at the woman who disrespected Nova in front of everyone, causing her to lose face. Who is she?

“Asha,” Theron spoke coldly.

The woman finally stopped talking and faced Theron. “Father,” she uttered as she bowed her head.

No wonder why she had the audacity to speak her thoughts in front of Theron. It turns out that this woman who is wearing a physician’s uniform is the daughter of the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack. She is not just a mere physician at all.

“You are speaking to my guests. Give them some respect!” Theron ordered his daughter angrily.

“My apologies,” Asha spoke sincerely as she faced Nova and bowed her head to her.

Nova stared at Asha in shock. The daughter of the Alpha of Shadowfang Pack is bowing her head to her. She is afraid that she will offend her.

“No need,” Nova spoke with wide eyes as she raised her hands to stop her.

“I cannot accept your bow. I should be the one apologizing instead. I shouldn’t have said those words mindlessly. The Shadowfang Pack has shown us too much kindness already. It’s shameless of me to dare to ask for your Pack’s sacred treasure. I’m very sorry,” Nova spoke fearfully when she realized she had offended Theron’s daughter.

Asha just stood in front of her, unbothered. “I’m sorry if my words had also offended you,” she added with genuine concern.

“I-It’s okay,” Nova stammered as she forced a smile to her face.

“Drystan, meet my daughter. I’m sorry that you have to meet her this way,” Theron looked at me as he spoke.

“Asha, he is my friend from the academy.” Theron turned to his daughter.

Asha smiled and approached me for a handshake. “Nice to meet you,” she spoke.

As the Alpha’s daughter, she walked and spoke with proper decorum even while she was angry.

“Nice to meet you too,” I replied as I accepted her handshake.

Her hands were soft like a feather, a sign of how she was being treated as a princess. She also offered Nova a handshake. “Asha is the head of our research team and also our head physician,” Theron explained to me, making me feel amazed.

I wasn’t able to say anything in reply because Drystan had already turned his attention back to his daughter again.

“Where were you? Didn’t I tell you to personally check on Astrid?” Theron asked his daughter with a straight face.

“I have done that, father. I just went to personally gather the results from her samples,” Asha answered as she scrolled through her tablet.

I fell silent when I found out that Theron even personally tasked his daughter to take care of Astrid.

As the head physician and the head of their research team, she must have a lot on his plate already. She had to take care of a lot of projects and meet deadlines.

However, she is sparing her time and effort just for Astrid. I couldn’t imagine the great inconvenience we had caused her.

“The results are out, and Miss Nova’s words were right,” Asha spoke after she brought down her tablet.

“Astrid’s wolf is getting weaker and weaker. We have done tests, but we couldn’t find anything wrong. This is the first time I’ve seen a disease like this. Not only is this rare, but only Astrid has this kind of affliction.”

I pursed my lips together as I listened to her words.

“Without the medicine we have

injected into her, Astrid wouldn’t recover. Astrid can’t be dependent on strong medicines for too long Once we stop giving her medicines, her wolf will die. We are not sure if we can preserve her life if that happens.”

I gasped. “W-What does that mean?”

“There’s a low chance that Astrid will survive after we take her off her medicines. Even if she survives, she will still lose her wolf,” Asha answered solemnly.

My body felt numb when I heard the

news. Astrid had lost her son

ē

already, and now she’s going to lose her wolf. How is she going to have the will to live if she loses everything that she has? en

Chapter 98: Sacred Treasure

Drystan’s POV

I shook my head as I slowly approached Astrid. Tears threatened to come out of the back of my eyes, but I fought them back as I stared at Astrid’s limp body.

I wanted to hold her hand, but I couldn’t. A glass stopped me from touching her, so I could only place my hand on top of the glass.

“Asha, you are the best physician in our Pack. Surely, you know a way how to cure her,” Theron insisted.

Asha sighed. “Forgive me, Father, but the only way we could help Astrid’s wolf is by curing the root of her disease, which we had no idea about.

We can continue giving her medicine if you want, but her body would only slowly gain resistance to it, and we will have to add more dosage.

Astrid’s body would only become dependent on medicine if we did that. It will only make her health deteriorate faster and lessen her rate of survival.

The only way I could think of in saving her is by focusing on her human self more. There’s nothing else I could do to help her wolf,” Asha spoke in a lengthy explanation.

I fell silent at her rational words. I only have little knowledge of medicine, but I know that what she said was right. As the head physician of the Shadowfang Pack, she is the person who knows all things the most.

If she said there’s nothing we could do, then there’s nothing we could do. Unless, of course, they use the Lunar Elixir, which is the only cure for Astrid’s disease.

However, this Lunar Elixir is their Pack’s sacred treasure. There’s no way they would give it to us, and we also have no power to demand it from them, nothing to give in exchange for Astrid’s life.

“What’s the use of living if you don’t have your wolf?” Theron asked his daughter to show her that her solution to the problem is also useless. “You can’t just save the human side. You need to save both,” Alpha Theron demanded.

Asha looked at her father in bewilderment. “But, father, this request would be impossible. Even if I try my best, even if I spend sleepless nights doing my research. What could I possibly do to save Astrid and her wolf?”

“There must be a way, Asha,” Theron spoke, not willing to give up. “How about the Lunar Elixir? That would help, right?”

My eyes turned to Theron in shock when I heard his question. Even Nova couldn’t believe it.

“Father!” Asha gasped, her cherry lips turned wide as if her father had just said something forbidden. “You wouldn’t!”

Theron’s gaze turned hard. “If the Lunar Elixir can save Astrid and her wolf’s life, then we should use it for her.”

“Have you gone crazy?!” Asha blurted out as she finally lost control of herself. “She’s not even a member of our Pack.”

“Alek,” Theron turned his attention to his Beta, ignoring his own daughter’s words.

Asha watched as Beta Alek came forward and bowed his head to her father. “Alpha,” Beta Alek spoke in reverence to his leader. “Go and bring the Lunar Elixir here,” Theron commanded him nonchalantly.

“A-Alpha,” Beta Alek’s eyes turned wide as he lifted his head and looked at his Alpha, hoping that he would take back his command.

“Just take it, Alek. The Lunar Elixir has been stored in our private treasuries for a long time. Finally, it has found its purpose.”

Asha breathed out in disbelief. “What purpose is this?” She asked his father. “We don’t even know who that woman is!” Asha spoke angrily.

I clenched my fists as I watched them argue with each other. I wanted to stop Theron and make him change his mind about the Lunar Elixir, but at the same time, I wanted to save Astrid and her wolf.

I could only turn a blind eye to them and fight against myself to keep silent. No matter how precious the Lunar Elixir is, Astrid needed it.

I know I’m being selfish, but I only become irrational when it comes to Astrid.

Asha crossed her arms in anger when her father didn’t change his mind.

“Asha, I will leave you in charge of this. The Lunar Elixir is also at stake here, so make sure to use it

efficiently. If this fails to heal Astrid,

then the Lunar Elixir will be puta,

waste,” Theron warned his daughter.

“Father, the Lunar Elixir is our Pack’s sacred treasure. You can’t make rash decisions about it, and you shouldn’t be making this kind of decision alone.” Asha tried to

าวนาอ

convince her father, while Beta Alek hadn’t returned yet.

“I’m the Pack’s Alpha, Asha. My words are the law. No one is higher than me.”

“You are going to bring our Pack in disaster! Our ancestors guarded the Lunar Elixir with their own life. Are you ready to face the consequences of defiling such a sacred treasure?” Asha asked her father. Once again, Theron only sighed. “I’ve given my word, Asha, and no one could take that back.”

A sacred treasure is a valuable

object that a Pack is responsible for protecting. It is said that if a sacred treasure fails to be protected by the Pack, it will bring misfortunes to the Pack or a string of deadly disasters as they suffer from the wrath of their ancestors.

“Who is she, father? Who is she that you are willing to sacrifice our sacred treasure just for her?” Asha demanded her father with her sharp features.

Chapter 99: Healing

Drystan’s POV

My attention turned to Theron as I waited for him to answer his daughter’s question. I was so desperate for help and to save Astrid’s life that I didn’t even question the motive behind Theron’s kindness.

I was just glad that he was there to help us, without even knowing what this could possibly mean for us.

Why exactly is Theron so willing to help us?

My eyes brimmed with a mixture of anticipation and unease as I waited for his answer. The weight of Asha’s question hung in the air, demanding an answer from her father.

Theron, his face blank with any emotions, paused for a moment, the seconds ticking by like the steady beat of a drum.

“Do you even know her, father? I can understand why you are willing to help her because Alpha Drystan is your friend, but why would you use the Pack’s sacred treasure for her?” Asha asked again, forcing her father to break his silence. “Are you questioning my decision and my authority, Asha?” Theron asked his daughter coldly, his eyes narrowing into slits as he glared at her.

“I’m your father, but I’m this Pack’s Alpha also. You have no right to question my decisions!” Theron yelled at his daughter.

Asha’s lips thinned. Her hands clenched to her sides in anger, but she doesn’t dare to say a thing.

“You are my daughter, which is why I spoiled you so much. I have become too lenient with you to the point that you’ve forgotten your place,” Theron added, his voice turning softer this time.

“This shouldn’t happen again, Asha. You’ve embarrassed me in front of my guests and in front of our Pack members. You are going to make them think that I wasn’t able to discipline my daughter,” Theron continued.

Asha lowered her head in defeat. “I’m sorry, father. You know that I would never question your decision and your authority, especially in public. As your daughter and a member of this Pack, I’m just worried about our Pack,” Asha spoke with a low voice. Theron sighed after hearing his daughter’s apology. “I know what I am doing, Asha. You just have to trust in me. In the future, my decisions will make sense, and I won’t have to explain things to you.”

How will saving Astrid and using their Pack’s sacred treasure ever make sense in the future? What is Theron thinking of right now? Doubt consumed me as I thought of Theron’s true motives.

Asha’s gaze was still hard, but she remained silent.

“Alpha.” Beta Alek finally arrived with two omegas following behind him, carrying something that was covered with a special cloth.

“We have the Lunar Elixir,” Beta Alek spoke before taking off the cover to present the Lunar Elixir to us.

My eyes turned wide in awe as I stared at their Pack’s sacred treasure.

The Lunar Elixir is a mesmerizing and otherworldly concoction. It appears as a luminescent, silvery-blue liquid that seems to shimmer and dance within its thick glass container as if reflecting the ethereal light of the moon itself. With a transfixed gaze, Theron slowly approached the Lunar Elixir. Reverently, he reached out, his fingertips grazing the surface of the enchanted potion.

Suddenly, he pulled his finger back as if electrocuted by the power thrumming within the Elixir.

With such a powerful elixir, it would surely save both Astrid and her wolf’s life.

“This is the first time that the Elixir is brought out of its safe room,” Beta Alek spoke. “For centuries, our ancestors kept it safe and hidden in a locked room.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen what the Lunar Elixir looked like,” Theron whispered as he admired it for the last time before Astrid could consume it all to recover.

Asha stepped forward to take a closer look at the Lunar Elixir. Without asking for any permission, she placed her hands around it and held it up to the light.

Swirling iridescent currents that weren’t there before showed up as they reflected the light. The liquid has a captivating depth to it, hinting at mysterious properties and arcane powers contained within.

“Such a powerful medicine, only to save the life of an omega,” Asha whispered under her breath, but since we have wolf ears, we all perfectly heard what she said.

“Don’t worry. The Lunar Elixir can

all

cure all types of diseases with this powerful medicine. Astrid and her wolf will wake up with great energy as early as tomorrow and heal her injuries like nothing happened.” Asha spoke as she faced us like she didn’t whisper any words earlier.

All eyes were fixed on Asha as she moved with measured grace, her fingers deftly manipulating the shimmering Lunar Elixir.

The ethereal liquid seemed to respond to her touch, its luminous contents swirling and dancing with each subtle movement.

Astrid lay motionless on the

treatment cot, her pale features etched with the lines of suffering. Yet, as Asha carefully applied the Elixir to her wounds, a faint shimmer began to emanate from her injured skin, as if the very essence of the moon was infusing it with revitalizing energy.

We watched with bated breath, mesmerized by sight unfolding before us. The Elixir’s silvery glow cast an otherworldly light upon Astrid’s face, erasing the signs of her affliction and replacing them with a serene, almost ethereal, tranquility.

Asha was intensely focused as her eyes narrowed down to the screen that showed Astrid’s vitals. She made a few swipes and a few taps on it to make sure that nothing went wrong with Astrid. Finally, after an hour of working, Asha’s shoulders relaxed, and she looked at us with a small smile. “Astrid is healed. The Lunar Elixir worked its magic. She and her wolf will live.”

Chapter 100: Losing Her

Killian’s POV

I paced back and forth with my arms crossed together, waiting for Drystan to call us back. Behind me, Giselle sat in silence, her gaze fixed on the empty hallway, waiting for someone to appear and call us.

The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. My brows are furrowed with worry, my mind racing with a thousand possible scenarios, each one more dire than the last. I couldn’t rest until I knew that Astrid was safe. Giselle, too, felt the weight of the wait, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles turning white with the strain.

“How long have we been waiting here?” I asked Giselle as I grew more and more impatient.

Giselle glanced down at her phone, her expression pensive. “It’s been over two hours,” she murmured as her brows furrowed in confusion.

Two hours? Something doesn’t feel right. It wouldn’t take the doctor two hours to explain his diagnosis, wouldn’t he?

My heart sank as I ran a hand through my hair, a frustrated sigh escaping my lips. “Why haven’t they come out to tell us anything?”

Giselle reached out, placing a comforting hand on my arm. “Should we call a nurse?” She suggested with worry clouding her features.

I shook my head. “No need, I’m going to check it myself,” I answered her as I strode towards Astrid’s room.

As I approached her room, my resolve began to waver, and a nagging sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach.

I could no longer wait in the hallway.

Giselle followed behind me, trying to match my footsteps. Her steps have become slow because she’s already heavily pregnant.

When I reached the hallway that led to Astrid’s room, I stopped in my tracks when I saw janitors coming in and out of Astrid’s room, emptying and cleaning the area.

“Excuse me,” I called one of the janitor’s attention.

“Yes, sir?” she asked as she faced me.

My eyes roamed inside the empty room. There are no traces of Astrid and Drystan in it.

The bed is already stripped of its linens as a pair of janitors methodically cleaned the space.

My breath got caught in my throat as I shifted my gaze back to the janitor in front of me. “Where’s the patient who was in here?”

The two janitors exchanged a glance, their expression somber.

“Are you related to the patient, sir?” The janitor asked after she turned her attention to me.

“Yes,” I lied since I knew the strict rules in this hospital.

“Weren’t you informed, sir? The patient has moved to another hospital a short while ago. They left in a hurry.

“W-What?” I breathed out in disbelief as I stood there stunned.

I’ve been waiting in agony to check on Astrid, only to find out that Drystan had her transferred to a different place without even informing me?

“In which hospital was she transferred?” Giselle stepped up.

“I have no idea, ma’am. We were called to clean the room after the patient had already left,” the janitor answered.

Giselle gave her a warm smile. “Thank you for your time.”

“Killian,” Giselle called out my name when I turned on my heel to leave. “Killian!” she yelled again as she chased after me. “Where are you going?” she asked me with hurried footsteps. “I’m going to look for Astrid,” I answered her coldly.

“Killian, listen to me,” she said, her voice low and steady as she followed closely behind me. “Astrid is safe. Drystan will take care of her. I’m sure of it.”

Her words were meant to reassure me, but my mind refused to be calm. “How can you be so certain?” I demanded, my voice laced with barely contained desperation.

“I need to see her. I need to know that she’s safe with my very own eyes. I can’t just sit here and wait,” I spoke firmly.

Giselle’s expression shifted from concern to determination. With a gentle but firm touch, she grabbed me by the arm to stop me.

“I know you are worried, Killian. I am,

too, but Drystan is one person we can trust to look after Astrid. He won’t let anything happen to her, I promise,” she spoke as her grip on my arm tightened.

I clenched my jaw, and my eyes narrowed with determination. “There’s only one place Drystan would take her – the Nightsong Pack,” spoke, completely ignoring her words. “I have to go there

Giselle. I have to see that she’s safe.

Giselle’s expression shifted once again, a hint of apprehension creeping into her features. “Killian, I don’t think that’s a good idea. The Nightsong Pack would never let us in.”

Even though she was telling the

truth, I didn’t let her words stop me. I was already moving, my mind set on a singular goal. “I have to know that Astrid is alright. I’ll go alone I have to’ve said my last words.

Giselle’s protests fell on deaf ears as I strode towards the exit, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and unwavering resolve.

I have already lost Astrid once. I can’t lose her again this time.

The last time when I thought she was dead, there was hollowness inside my chest that I could never fill with whatever I did.

The thought of losing Astrid again – this time without even the chance to say goodbye would be the biggest regret of my life.

This is my second chance to make it up to her, and I would cling to it with every fiber of my being.