The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 325

Chapter 325

Laila’s POV

Jason and I decided that, for now it was better for us to just play along, so we followed the servant’s directions and went to the terrace to wait while the other attendees completed the wolf run.

We still hadn’t seen Lycan Alpha Richard, but some of the other guests on the terrace who had stayed behind as well, were abuzz with his recent appearance to lead the run.

Jason and I walked to our own standing table, where he stood closely to me, protectively. I teaned into him too, and not just for the show of it. Seeing that woman, whoever she was, had rattled me from the inside out.

I still didn’t understand why, but she had seemed like a ghost. Without being able to talk to her, or being told who she was, I didn’t know how to feel better about this. That the servant had lied about her mere existence had me even more unraveled.

“Did you really see someone?” Jason asked me.

“Yes,” I told him. “She was there. I saw her.”

“I believe you,” Jason said, and wrapping his arm around my waist, pulled me in closer to him. “But I wonder who she could be, and why they would hide her.”

2

“The Lycan pack likes their secrets,” I said, gently pressing into his side.

He turned and lightly kissed me on the forehead.

“Now, isn’t this a sight,” said a man approaching us. He was holding two glasses of champagne, both half–empty, and smiling at us. He was an older man, in his late sixties, around the same age as the nicer woman who spoke to us at the hotel. I wondered if he was of the same mindset, remembering the times before the pack closed off to the rest of the world.

He continued, “These are the moments that the full moon ceremony is about, even if everyone else has forgotten it. Nice to make the acquaintance of two lovers on this beautiful day. My name is Larry.”

“I’m Laila,” I said. He smiled at me.

“I’m Jason.”

“An Alpha?” Larry asked, considering him.

“Yes. Of Moon Ridge pack.”

“I thought so. We don’t get many visitors here anymore unfortunately. I figured you would have to be someone important,” Larry said.

“You must be important too,” I said. “We’ve heard attending this ceremony can be difficult, even for pack members.”

“Ah. Well, yes, I suppose I was once an important member of the pack,” Larry said. Some nostalgia in his eyes gave him a faraway look for a moment. “I was once one of the pack’s most prominent healers, though those days are mostly behind me. I’m retired now, though I still peek in on things from time to time.”

A healer? My breath caught for a moment. Not just a healer, but a seemingly kind man, who had seemed very open and warm. “You must have a lot of stories,” Jason said.

“Oh, a million of them. I’ve seen just about every kind of affliction a werewolf could get. I studied for some human ones too, though after the war, all humans were expelled. Hadn’t gotten much use for that skill set.”

“We’ve heard that wolfsbane grows in this pack…” I glanced at Jason, who subtly nodded at me. Whether bringing this up was a good idea or a terrible one, Jason was going to let me, and he was going to be by my side the entire way. “Have you had much experience with that?”

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roy much, I’m afraid,” Larry told us. “Such a terrible poison. Goes straight for the werewolf, weakening it, and it’s strong enough to last generations.”

“I’ve heard there are treatments. “I said, prompting.

“Treatments, yes. Some much more successful than others.”

“I’ve heard…” Another glance at Jason, another ned. “That this pack might have a cure.”

“Ah,” he said. “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” He smiled vaguely, and offered nothing else. He retained his kind smile and demeanor, but his eyes hardened slightly, some suspicion entering them.

My heart started to crack, the hope leaving it. This man would know, more than even the Alpha of this pack, about the cure. He was a healer, and seemed kind.

I was about to take a big risk, but we were running out of time. And I felt that I had more chance to convince this man than the Alpha, who had been immediately suspicious of me and now distant.

“I’m not asking lightly…” I said.

Jason rubbed his hand up and down my back, offering supposed.

I closed my eyes a minute, allowing his touch to refocus me. Then I opened them again.

“I was poisoned with wolfsbane in my youth,” I said. “A time before I can remember. I only recently became aware, because my daughter is also affected.”

The wall he had put up on his face started to crumble. “Your daughter?”

“Her name is Ava,” I said. “If it was just for me, I wouldn’t ask. I have lived with this a long time, and could keep living with it. But she is so young, she has her full life ahead of her. I don’t want her to hurt like I have.”

“I’m very sorry for your daughter, and for you, who had suffered for far too long,” Larry said, and with his soft voice, I could tell that he meant it. “I wish I could help you. Especially you lovers, I’m sure you’d like any future children to be healthy as well.”

I blushed a little. This time, I avoided looking at Jason. His hand stilled on my back.

would unfortunately never be offered to outsiders, not even to “If there was a cure,” Larry continued. “If it does exist, prominent and important guests. It would be too precious and rare, perhaps the ingredients too hard to obtain. There might not even be something like that enough to protect this pack’s own people.”

“Oh,” I said, disappointment filling me. “Even though the wolfsbane grows here?”

“The wolfsbane is only part of the solution,” Larry said. “The necessary component is –”

r

“Healer Larry,” said a stern voice from beside us. Alpha Richard, already returned from his wolf run. “We do not discuss pack business with anyone, especially outsiders.”

Larry froze at once, his mouth still opened. Jason and I also stilled, with Jason tensing beside me.

“My apologies, Alpha. I forgot myself for a moment,” Larry said.

“Don’t make it a habit, or I will make certain you never drink again,” Richard said.

“Yes, Alpha,” Larry said. Downcast, he grabbed both glasses once more, and turned away from us. As he walked away, I wished I could tell him goodbye, but I didn’t want to risk causing him more trouble in front of the Alpha.

Richard glared at Larry until he had moved to the far side of the terrace, then he turned that same glare onto us.

“I told you there is no wolfsbane cure,” Richard snapped. “Instead of dropping the matter, you blatantly disrespect me by continuing to snoop around. You even attempted to manipulate one of my pack members. I should have you tossed out of here.”

Chit