Chapter 55 Go Crazy
Elara's POV
The families started arriving at Pack House around ten in the morning, and by noon I'd lost count of how many people had thanked me. Sebastian had arranged this reception, positioning me in the main hall to accept the pack's gratitude for the warning that had saved their children from yesterday's rogue attack.
The first group came with expensive gifts and genuine relief in their eyes. These were the parents who'd actually listened to the Alpha's warning and canceled their children's participation in the field trip entirely. They bowed respectfully, their thanks straightforward and sincere, and I could accept their gratitude.
The second group was harder to stomach. These parents had insisted their children attend despite the warning, had argued that one vision shouldn't disrupt their carefully planned schedules, and had only been saved because Sebastian sent Delta warriors to protect people who hadn't wanted protection in the first place.
They brought gifts just as expensive as the first group, but their faces told a different story. Shame warred with defiance in their expressions as they mumbled their thanks and avoided looking directly at me.
When the last family finally left, I slumped in my chair with relief that was almost physical.
I was contemplating whether I had the energy to make it upstairs when James appeared in the doorway, his expression unusually serious. "Elara, Dr. Whitmore is here to see you. Says it's urgent."
I straightened immediately, fatigue forgotten. Theodore Whitmore was Silverstone Pack's chief physician, a man whose medical expertise was matched only by his reputation for unflappable competence. His family had been healers for three generations, and in his fifty-two years, he'd seen and treated virtually every ailment that could afflict a werewolf. If something had rattled him enough to seek me out, it had to be serious.
Dr. Whitmore entered the sitting room moments later, and the change in him was startling. His usually immaculate white coat was wrinkled and stained, his eyes bloodshot and ringed with dark circles that spoke of a sleepless night. His hands trembled slightly as he gripped his medical bag, and when he spoke, his voice cracked with desperation.
"Miss Sterling, I apologize for the intrusion, but I need your help." The words tumbled out in a rush. "My grandson Leo was on that bus yesterday, one of the children your father's warriors protected. He seemed fine when I picked him up, just shaken like the others, but last night around midnight he started having violent nightmares. When he woke up, he had a fever that won't break, and his eyes keep flashing with his wolf's glow even though he's years away from his first shift. I've tried everything I know, and nothing works."
I became aware of Damian entering the room, his expression alert and focused as he listened to the doctor's explanation. From the corner of my eye, I also caught a glimpse of Aurora on the staircase, her position carefully chosen to observe without being obviously present.
"May I ask what symptoms appeared first?" I kept my voice calm and professional. "The nightmares or the physical manifestations?"
"The nightmares started it, violent dreams where he said shadows were trying to eat him from the inside out." Dr. Whitmore's hands clenched around his medical bag hard enough to make the leather creak. "When he woke up screaming, his temperature had spiked to 103, and I saw his eyes flash amber for just a second. That's impossible at his age, completely impossible, but I saw it with my own eyes."
"It's called madness curse," I said. "When rogues lose their sanity completely, their mental breakdown creates a kind of negative energy pollution. It's not contagious in the traditional sense, but young children with undeveloped mental shields can absorb it through prolonged exposure to the rogues' presence, especially in an enclosed space where the energy has nowhere to dissipate."
"I've never heard of such a condition," Dr. Whitmore finally managed, his professional composure cracking to reveal the frightened grandfather beneath. "In four decades of practice, I've never encountered anything like this."
I moved to the cabinet where I kept my supplies, selecting a clear quartz crystal about the size of a quarter. "Rogues usually don't survive long enough in their completely feral state to build up the kind of concentrated madness energy that creates this effect, and pack children are usually evacuated immediately from any rogue encounters rather than being trapped in proximity to them."
I returned to my seat and began inscribing the Guardian rune onto the stone's surface, the ancient symbol taking shape under my careful strokes. "Have Leo wear this against his skin at all times. Make sure he gets exposure to moonlight each night, at least thirty minutes. The symptoms should start fading within twenty-four hours and be completely gone within three days."
I finished the engraving and placed the crystal in a small velvet pouch, handing it to Dr. Whitmore. "The consultation fee is five hundred dollars."
Dr. Whitmore's expression froze, shock and offense flickering across his features. From the doorway, Damian made a sound that might have been a suppressed laugh.
Dr. Whitmore reached for his phone. He completed the transfer without speaking.
"Thank you for your assistance, Miss Sterling," he said formally. He left without another word.
The moment the front door closed, Aurora descended the stairs with that particular grace she'd perfected. "Elara, I understand you have valuable skills, but Dr. Whitmore is a respected elder who's dedicated his life to serving this pack. Surely helping a child in need should be considered a duty rather than a transaction."
Before I could respond, James rolled his eyes with theatrical exaggeration. "Oh please, don't use that condescending elder respect lecture on Elara. You didn't do any of the work, you don't get to be generous with someone else's effort."
Sebastian materialized in the doorway with that uncanny ability he had to appear exactly when needed. Everyone's posture straightened automatically under the weight of the Alpha's attention.
"I have a question for all of you," Sebastian said in that deceptively mild tone. "Since we issued the warning about the field trip and some families chose to ignore it, why did I still send Delta warriors to provide protection?"
Aurora responded immediately. "Because you're kind, Alpha. You couldn't bear the thought of innocent children being hurt, even if their parents made foolish choices."
Nolan offered a more tactical perspective. "Protecting pack youth is an Alpha's fundamental responsibility. Plus, successfully defending them demonstrates our pack's strength."
I took a moment to organize my thoughts before responding. "If we'd warned them and then refused protection, and something had happened to those children, their parents wouldn't have blamed themselves for ignoring the warning. They would have blamed us for seeing danger and not doing everything possible to prevent it. Once you choose to intervene, you have to follow through completely, or you might as well not intervene at all."
"That's such a cynical way to view pack bonds," Aurora said softly. "I worry that your difficult childhood has made you see darkness in people's motivations where there might only be fear and confusion."
"There's a word for people who think the world runs on good intentions and fairy dust," I said, keeping my voice level. "Naive."
James nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, that's perfect! That describes it exactly!"
Sebastian's lips curved in something that wasn't quite a smile. "Kindness without boundaries is just weakness wearing a prettier name. Aurora, perhaps you should spend less time worrying about Elara's perspective and more time developing your own understanding of how pack politics actually function."
Aurora's carefully maintained composure cracked enough to show a flash of genuine hurt before she excused herself and retreated upstairs.
The rest of the evening passed quietly after that confrontation. I helped Damian review some pack security reports, had dinner with the family, and retired to my room early. Sleep came easily that night, and I didn't wake until sunlight was streaming through my windows the next morning.
James came running down the hallway, his face pale and his expression urgent. "Elara, Dr. Whitmore is here, and he's absolutely furious. You need to come to the main hall right now."
My stomach dropped as I followed James down the stairs, where a crowd had already gathered in the main hall. Dr. Whitmore stood in the center of the space.
"I trusted you!" Dr. Whitmore's voice cracked as he shouted. "I put this on my grandson like you instructed, and at midnight he went completely feral! Three full-grown wolves couldn't restrain him! His eyes were glowing red, he was speaking in languages that don't exist, and he tried to claw his own face off!"
"I've practiced medicine for forty years, and I have never seen anything like what happened to Leo after he wore your so-called cure! Alpha Sterling, if you don't provide an explanation for what she has done to my grandson, I will take this matter to the Council immediately!"