I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 10

**I Left Before He Learned My Worth**

**Chapter 10**

**ARIA**

The forest enveloping the Shadowmere territory was unlike any realm I had ever navigated before.

Ancient trees towered majestically, their twisted branches forming intricate shapes that seemed to be crafted by the hands of time itself. Moss blanketed the ground and the trunks in thick, velvety layers, while mushrooms sprouted in perfect, enchanting circles—fairy rings, they called them—echoes of ancient magic that still whispered through the woods.

It was breathtaking. Enigmatic. And precisely the kind of place where rare healing herbs flourished.

For the past week, I had made it a point to delve into the forest daily, always adhering to the safe paths that Nina had so kindly shown me. The healer’s lodge was running alarmingly low on essential supplies, and during my duties as Luna, I had noticed that the pain-relieving herbs were nearly depleted. With winter creeping closer and training mishaps becoming more frequent, it was imperative that we restock our reserves.

Gathering herbs was a skill I had honed over time. It was something I understood deeply, something I excelled at. It brought a sense of direction to my life when everything else felt like a swirling storm of uncertainty.

Today, my efforts had already yielded a generous bundle of willow bark, perfect for reducing fevers, and a pouch brimming with comfrey root, ideal for mending broken bones. My basket was also half-full of vibrant arnica flowers, their sunny yellow petals a remedy for bruises and inflammation.

Yet, I was still on the hunt for valerian root—the most potent natural painkiller we had at our disposal—and it was proving to be frustratingly elusive.

Determined, I ventured deeper into the forest, my wolf stirring restlessly beneath my skin. The trees grew denser here, their canopy so thick that even the midday sun barely filtered through. The temperature dropped noticeably, and the usual symphony of the forest—birds chirping, leaves rustling, small creatures skittering through the underbrush—fell silent, as if the very air was holding its breath.

I should have turned back. I should have heeded the subtle warnings that whispered through the leaves.

But then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted them.

Moonbeam plants.

They thrived in a small cluster near what I now realized was the edge of a steep cliff, their silvery-blue leaves shimmering as they caught the scant light that managed to penetrate the canopy. Moonbeam plants were incredibly rare—I had only encountered them twice in my life, and both times I had risked everything to gather them.

A rush of memories surged through me, and my breath hitched.

The last time I had stumbled upon moonbeam plants was three years ago, shortly after Damon’s wolf had finally begun to recover from the devastating effects of wolfsbane poisoning. I had spent four grueling days tracking down rumors of their location through treacherous rogue territory, sleeping high in the trees to evade predators, and going without food because I couldn’t afford the time it would take to hunt.

When I had finally discovered them nestled within a cave system fifty miles from Blackwood territory, I had meticulously harvested every last plant, aware that their potent medicinal properties could bolster Damon’s still-fragile wolf. I had preserved them in a special glass container, filled with the soil from where they had grown, and rushed back to pack lands, eager to present my find to him.

I had been so elated. So proud. So certain that he would be thrilled by my discovery of something so invaluable.

I had burst into his office, dirt-streaked and utterly exhausted, cradling that glass container as if it were made of the finest crystal.

“Damon! Look what I found! Moonbeam plants! They can help stabilize your wolf’s energy, prevent relapses—”

But he had barely cast a glance in my direction before his phone rang.

Sera. Calling from the human city, her voice trembling with distress over some illness she had contracted.

“I have to take this,” he had said, already striding toward the door.

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