Chapter 119

Five Years Later…

Aria’s POV

“Piper? Do you have that chart?” I called out across the office.

“Already put it on your desk, Dr. A,” Piper replied.

Ah, so she did. I never should have doubted her efficiency. For the past five years as we traveled around the Moonglow pack, with her acting as a junior Healer, training under me, we’ve helped establish four different clinics in the hardest hit, most in-need areas of the pack. This one, nearly ready to stand on it’s own now, would make our fifth.

In her free time, Piper was already searching for the location of our sixth.

We’d worked in tandem for a time now, good friends in and out of the office. She was someone I had come to depend on, one of the few people in my life I could fully trust.

One of the others walked through the front door. The receptionist greeted him like she would a patient, but I quickly exited the office to pull him into a hug.

“Silas.”

He’d retired a year back, and spent most of his time traveling, despite the difficulties with the continuing war in the neighboring packs. Still, he always found a way, visiting different cities across the whole world. Despite Moonglow’s meager offerings in comparison, he still always managed to find his way back.

Though I suspected he was just checking up on me not and then. I couldn’t be angry about that though, not if it meant I got to see my mentor and friend more often.

“I heard this clinic was almost ready to stand on its own,” Silas said as we broke the hug. He looked all around. “You and Piper have done some amazing work over the years. I wanted to see this accomplishment too.”

“I’m happy to show you.”

Leading him, I took him through the hallways, showing him the equipment we worked hard to have brought into the country. Because of the war, pack Moonglow was somewhat isolated, and it took major efforts with the pack leaders to facilitate the import of anything, including medical equipment though.

Somehow, with persistence, we’ve managed, and now we have another nearly self-sustaining clinic to show for it.

The rooms were all clean and sterilized, the staff all properly trained. Moonglow had its own Healer school but lacked resources. That was the first project Silas and I tackled when we came here, wanting to ensure that the pack could produce their own Healers, to offer help to every mile of the pack lands.

“I’m proud of you,” Silas said at the end of the tour. He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “You came here with a dream, and you are seeing it realized.”

“I wouldn’t say mission accomplished just yet,” I told him. “There’s still a lot of people who need help.”

Silas nodded sagely. “Yes, but you’ve made major improvements here. There’s hope now, where there wasn’t before. The number of lives you’ve saved…”

“It’s nothing,” I say, uncomfortable with the praise.

“Those people would disagree,” Silas pressed.

“I would, too,” Piper said, joining us. We were near the breakroom now, in the employee-only stretch of hallway between the breakroom and the emergency exit.

“As would I,” Silas said, smiling at us both. “You’ve both made me very proud, and should feel proud of yourselves too.”

“Thank you,” Piper said, beaming.

I lowered my face to hide my growing embarrassment. I’m still unaccustomed to praise, even after having received it many times for the past five-years.

The moment stretched, before Silas admitted, “I didn’t come here just to see the clinic. I also have great news.”

“Oh?” I ask, lifting my head.

“I’ve recently passed through one of the neighboring packs. The ones at war? Both sides are making agreements now. It looks as if the war will end soon.”

Piper clapped her hands together. “How wonderful!”

It would be a relief. Moonglow could more easily receive its supplies, and the people of the warring packs might finally know peace.

“There’s talk of travel routes opening back up between Moonglow and the other packs again. The routes will even stretch to Nightfall. I know King Lucian is eager to help the reconstruction efforts.”

As Silas said Lucian’s name, he kept his gaze on me, as if waiting for a reaction.

Inside of me, my wolf perked up the name. Outside, I kept my expression carefully blank.

“That’s nice of him,” I said carefully.

Piper was looking at me now too.

I didn’t need to be inspected like this. It had been five years, and even before we had left, I had hardened myself against thoughts and feelings of Lucian. At least, I’d tried to.

Admittedly, even with everything, including our mutual rejection and the span of five years since I’d last seen him, my heart still stirred at the thoughts and memories of our time together.

However, in our time apart, I had learned to more quickly and efficiently quell such thoughts.

“Speaking of,” Silas asked. “How are the children?”

The location of our most recent clinic was along the beautiful southern coastline of the Moonglow pack, where all of the houses were up on stilts along the surf. To get to mine, Silas and I had to walk along the boardwalk, passing other houses and venders. The market was bustling today, with everyone hawking their wares.

Fish, in particular, were the items in most supply, and therefore also the cheapest. But others sold shells that they fashioned into necklaces or other items. A woman who kept chickens on her roof sold eggs.

We wove through the crowd until we reached a quieter block of houses on a cul-de-sac branch of the boardwalk. There, we entered my house. The babysitter was chasing around the two kids who were covered in what appeared to be finger paints. They absolutely refused to sit still.

When they say me though, and Silas behind me, they stopped.

“Up to trouble again, Luke? Jean?” I said, giving them my sternest motherly look.

The twin four-year olds glanced at each other. Jean looked stricken, but her brother seemed ever-defiant. Looking back at me, Luke said, “No,” just as Jean said, “Yes.”

“Jean!” Luke said in accusation.

“Sorry!” Jean replied.

The babysitter handed them a towel to clean up, and then I pulled her aside to pay her extra for her troubles.

Silas approached the children while we were to the side, though I could still hear what was being said.

“Are you giving your mother and babysitter a hard time?” Silas asked.

This time, Luke did lower his head in admonishment as much as his sister did.

“Sorry, Uncle Silas,” they said in unison.

“We were working on a picture for mom,” Luke said.

“Yeah,” Jean agreed. “We were.”

“Well, let’s see it then,” Silas said, a smile in his voice.

After paying the babysitter, she left, then I rejoined the kids and Silas in the dining room, where their masterpiece was spread out over a litter of tapped-together pieces of paper. Some of the paint had landed beyond the paper though, and was on the table itself.

It was an impressive piece of art, if only for the sheer effort of the children.

“Here’s our house,” Luke said, pointing to a brown box beside a slew of wavy blue lines.

“And here’s us,” Jean said, pointing to some stick figures. Luke and Jean were similar heights, but with different hair styles. Luke’s was dark and short. Jean’s was a bit lighter and down to her shoulders. “Here’s you, Mommy. And Piper, and uncle Silas.”

“Who is this here?” Silas asked, motioning toward a figure a bit farther away from the others. This figure had no hair or otherwise distinguishing features. It was just a regular stick man.

“Oh,” Jean said and worried her bottom lip.

Her brother was a bit bolder. “That’s our dad,” he said.

Silas lifted his gaze and gave me a firm look.