Chapter 98

Mira

“What are you doing here?” Tessa asked excitedly.

Had she suddenly regressed to her old self around Celeste, or was I losing my mind?

“When Lucian said you had an appointment I wanted to come by and support you, I’ve missed so much of your life already.”

“You’re so sweet,” Tessa said, taking her hands. Her voice settled back into that slow chanting rhythm again. “I’ll be done soon, just one more quick blood test, doctor’s orders.”

The three of us watched the pregnant woman float gracefully down the hallway. She was like a dreamy version of herself, and I hoped she stayed that way. We turned back to each other.

“Nice to see you again, Celeste,” I said, waving my hand in a way that I immediately regretted. “How have you been settling in?”

“Mira, hi!” There was something overly cheerful that I found off-putting. “I’m okay, I’m settling, readjusting.”

“It takes time, I can only imagine what it’s like to come back after so long,” I went into doctor mode, my defense mechanism. “We have some pamphlets about our mental health programs, no pressure, but please know that the community is here for you.”

She kept a steady face, but her eyes told me that she was holding something in.

“Thank you so much, I will definitely be looking into it,” she said, dropping her eyelashes in humility.

“She’s already found a potential job, though, which is awesome,” Lucian chimed in, placing a hand on Celeste’s shoulder in fraternal comfort. “That’s another reason why she’s here. Tell her.”

Celeste looked between each of us, suddenly seeming coy. Though something about her actions told me she had planned this display beforehand.

“Well, it definitely has potential,” she said, reading inside her bag. She pulled out a pamphlet of her own. “It’s just a starter project, but they need representatives.”

“Wolf’s Gain?” I said, in disbelief. “What the hell is this?”

“That’s still a working name, don’t worry,” she put out a hand in camaraderie. “We just don’t want to be another company using crazy latin or words that sound like alien invaders.”

“Is that your tagline?” I joked.

“What? No,” she looked confused, but moved on. “I heard you were into supplements, and um, well I thought maybe I could do some good by offering the community a new remedy.”

“Remedy for what?”

“Oh, well, anything I guess, it’s an..enhancer, in a way.”

I gave her my honest opinion with the look on my face, but she pushed the pamphlet towards my chest.

“Just think about it,” she said, “I know I seem a little overly passionate, I just really believe in it. I’ve taken it, and I felt rejuvenated and stronger, as a person and a wolf.”

“I see,” I was trying to stay neutral, but it was beginning to sound like a pyramid scheme to me. “And who makes it?”

“It’s a small company, just trying to get their product out to more people,” she answered as if that said enough. “The ingredients are listed, and you can read more about their ethical sourcing practices.”

“Honestly,” Lucian said, “it sounds pretty great. If you’re looking for volunteers, I’ll sign on to test it out.”

“Thank you, Lucian,” Celeste said, a hand on his arm.

She looked at me expectantly, as if it was a natural progression for me to follow Lucian’s example. Lucian looked from her to me, and suddenly two sets of eyes were pleading with me to go along with this snake oil scheme.

“It sounds…interesting, for sure,” I said finally, choosing my words carefully. “If you can give me more empirical data about past results, I can present them to the board.”

Her eyes twitched, but the rest of her maintained her marketing smile. “Is that really necessary?” She asked, lowering her voice slightly. “All the information is there, and I can vouch for it myself.”

“Sure,” I agreed, then, “but legally I can’t administer a new drug or anything without approval from higher ups. Unless it is made on site and I can verify the ingredients. Even my herbalism has to be cross-referenced in the lab.”

“That seems like a formality, given how much you know about plants,” she said, trying a new tactic of flattery. “And shouldn't a Luna be able to override some of those protocols?”

She winked at me, and I felt my body tense up.

“A Luna should never take advantage of her authority to benefit herself or anyone else,” I said firmly, rolling my shoulders back. She was taller than me, but at that moment I felt bigger. “I won’t abuse the power I have been granted and earned. I think that should go without saying.”

Now her face dropped, and we were talking about something else. She had challenged my status as Dominic’s chosen mate, a role that was almost hers. And I had proven that I was worthier of the title than she was.

Lucian squirmed in his shoes, but remained silent.

“Of course,” Celeste finally answered, nodding slowly. “I would never ask you to compromise your position, in the hospital or the pack. I over-stepped, and I’m sorry.”

She dropped her eyes and bowed her head slightly, but it felt like mockery after the exchange we’d just had.

“But,” I said, taking the high road, “I’m happy to pass along the information. And with approval, we can offer patients the option of testing this new…supplement.”

A mostly satisfied smile came to her face. “Thank you,” she said, the words seeming harsh in her mouth. “I appreciate you hearing me out.”

“It is part of my job to listen,” I said with a shrug, “and another part to look out for the best interest of those in my care. I hope you can understand that.”

“I do, totally,” she said, her energy picking up once more. “And I really respect all that you do, such an impressive career. And so brave to keep at it, even when the world expects you not to.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, just, I know there are mixed feelings about a Luna with a career,” she said like the rumors were unimportant. “But I know they’re wrong, and Dominic is right to let you keep working here.”

“He did not ‘let me’ do anything,” I said, “it was non-negotiable when we became Mates.”

Her eyebrows went up. “And you didn’t worry that would disappoint him? I wish I had a backbone as sturdy as yours.”

Her tone was light, but I felt a veiled threat underneath. Was she implying that Dominic might leave me because I worked too hard? An absurd idea, but she did know him longer, if not better, than I did. Maybe the Dominic I knew was forced to adapt to my ideas, and would grow to regret it.

“Well,” I said, feeling suffocated by this conversation, “I should get back to my day, I have other patients who need me.”

“Great to see you, Mira, as always,” she said, reaching out to put a hand on my elbow. I swear it burned where she touched me, but I kept my face still. “Thank you for listening to my spiel. And tell Dominic I said thank you, again, for being so supportive the other day.”

There was an implication there that made me uneasy.

“Oh,” I said, trying to hide my surprise, “I will, sure.”

“See you late, Doctor,” Lucian shook my hand, a practice he took on whenever he saw me in the hospital. It was an inside joke of formality that now made me feel silly when witnessed by Celeste.

I went back to the exam room, knowing I would find privacy there for a few minutes before I went to see another patient. My head was spinning, and I was trying to keep my imagination from running wild and ruining my day.

I checked my phone where I’d left it on the desk, and saw a message from Dominic.

“See you for dinner? There is something I need to tell you.”