Chapter 116 MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS

Chapter 116 MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS
Thelma's Pov

I was in my office reviewing patrol reports when one of our pack doctors knocked on my door looking worried. Dr Stevens was usually calm and composed so seeing him agitated immediately put me on alert.

"Gamma Thelma we have a problem. A serious medical problem," Dr Stevens said.

"Come in and tell me what is going on," I said.

Dr Stevens entered and closed the door behind him. He pulled out his tablet and showed me some medical charts.

“We have had fifteen pack members come to the clinic in the past three days with similar symptoms. Fever, weakness, strange rashes on their skin, and difficulty breathing. At first, I thought it was just a flu going around, but the symptoms are too unusual and too consistent,” Dr. Stevens explained.

The room went quiet.

“How fast are they deteriorating?” I asked.

“Faster than they should,” he replied grimly. “Whatever this is, it’s aggressive. And it doesn’t seem to be responding to standard treatment. Wolfsbane exposure crossed my mind, but the markers don’t fully match.”

That was worse.

If it wasn’t poison and it wasn’t illness, then it meant one thing—the pack was under attack in a way we didn’t yet understand. And until we did, every single one of us was vulnerable.

"Have you identified what is causing it?" I asked.

"Not yet. But I have been in contact with doctors from other packs and they are seeing the same thing. This illness is spreading across multiple territories," Dr Stevens said.

That made my stomach drop. If this was spreading across multiple packs then we were dealing with something much bigger than a local outbreak.

"How many packs are affected?" I asked.

"At least six that we know of. Probably more. The reports are still coming in. But here is the strange part. All the affected packs are connected by the same water system. They all draw water from rivers and streams that ultimately connect to one main source," Dr Stevens said.

"You think this is waterborne?" I asked.

"Yes. Our medical team tested the water supply and found contamination but we cannot identify what the contaminant is. It is not a bacterium, a virus, or any known toxin. Whatever this is it is something we have never seen before," Dr Stevens said.

"Show me the water test results," I said.

Dr. Stevens pulled up the lab reports on his tablet, and I studied them carefully. He was right. The water showed clear signs of contamination, but the tests could not identify the substance. It was like nothing in their database.

“That shouldn’t be possible,” I said quietly.

Dr. Stevens shook his head. “I ran the analysis twice. Sent samples to two external labs as well. Same result. Whatever this is, it doesn’t behave like any known toxin, pathogen, or magical residue we’ve catalogued.”

A chill crept up my spine. The pack’s water supply wasn’t just compromised—it had been targeted. Deliberately altered with something designed to evade detection.

“How long has it been there?” I asked.

“At least a week,” he replied. “Long enough to spread. Long enough to do real damage.”

I exhaled slowly, already calculating next steps. Shut down the water lines. Quarantine the affected. Trace the source.

Because if this substance was unknown… then so was the enemy behind it.

"Where is the source of this contamination? Where is it entering the water system?" I asked.

"That is what we have been trying to figure out. We traced the water flow upstream and it appears to originate from a river that runs through Brazen Pack territory. From there it connects to multiple other water sources that feed into different pack lands," Dr Stevens explained.

"So Brazen Pack is the source," I said.

"It appears so. But I do not know if this is intentional contamination or an accident. Either way, we need to address it quickly before more people get sick," Dr Stevens said.

"How many people are sick across all the affected packs?" I asked.

"At least two hundred confirmed cases. And that number is growing every day. So far no one has died but people are getting very sick. If we do not find a cure soon we could be looking at fatalities," Dr Stevens said.

I stood up and grabbed my phone. This was big enough that I needed to inform King Lucian immediately.

"Send me all the medical reports and water test results. I am taking this to the King right now," I said.

"Yes, Gamma. I will send everything over immediately," Dr Stevens said.

He left and I called Lucian's office. His assistant answered and I told her it was urgent. She put me through to Lucian within seconds.

"Thelma what is wrong?" Lucian asked.

"We have a medical crisis. A strange illness is spreading through multiple packs and it appears to be waterborne. The source seems to be in Brazen Pack territory. I am sending you all the details now," I said.

"How bad is it?" Lucian asked.

"Two hundred confirmed cases and growing. No deaths yet but people are very sick. Our doctors cannot identify what is causing it which means they cannot treat it effectively," I said.

“Send me everything you have. I am calling an emergency meeting with the affected Alphas. We need to coordinate a response to this immediately,” Lucian said.

No one questioned the order.

Phones were already coming out, messages being sent, alliances quietly activated. This was no longer just a medical crisis—it was a political one, with the potential to fracture long-standing borders if handled poorly.

Lucian rose to his feet, expression carved from steel. “Until we know more, the river is closed. All shared resources are suspended, and any pack drawing water downstream will be notified within the hour.”

His gaze swept the room. “We will not panic. We will not accuse without proof. But we will act fast.”

I felt the shift then—the moment when concern hardened into resolve.

Whatever had poisoned the river had just awakened something far more dangerous.

A united response.

I sent him all the reports and then went to the medical clinic to check on our sick pack members. The clinic was more crowded than I had ever seen it. People were lying in beds with IV drips and oxygen masks. Doctors and nurses were rushing around trying to help everyone.

I found one of our sick pack members whom I knew personally. Her name was Anna and she was a young mother with two small children.

"Anna how are you feeling?" I asked gently.

"Terrible. I cannot stop shaking and my skin feels like it is on fire. The rash keeps getting worse," Anna said weakly.

I looked at the rash on her arms and it was red and angry-looking with strange patterns that almost looked like symbols. That was odd. Rashes did not usually form patterns like that.

"The doctors are doing everything they can to help you. Just hang in there," I said.

"My children. Are they okay? Have they gotten sick?" Anna asked with fear in her eyes.

"Your children are fine. They have been tested and show no signs of illness. Your mother is taking care of them," I said.

Anna relaxed a little at that news. At least her children were safe even if she was suffering.

I left the clinic and went to the emergency meeting that Lucian had called. All the Alphas from the affected packs were there either in person or via video call. Everyone looked worried.

Lucian started the meeting by having Dr Stevens present the medical findings. Then he had our water quality expert explain about the contamination source in Brazen Pack territory.

“So we are all agreed that the source is in Brazen Pack. The question is whether this is intentional or accidental. Alpha Raphael, do you have any idea what could be contaminating the river?” Lucian asked.

Raphael leaned back in his chair, jaw tightening. “The river runs through our industrial zone before it reaches your territory,” he said carefully. “We’ve had no reports of spills or waste leaks. If this were accidental, my people would be sick too—and so far, they aren’t.”

That answer landed hard.

“Which means someone is dumping selectively,” one of the elders murmured.

Raphael’s gaze sharpened. “Or someone wants it to look like Brazen Pack is responsible. I won’t deny the timing is suspicious, but I swear to you, Lucian, if one of mine did this, I’ll hand them over myself.”

Silence stretched across the table.

If Raphael was telling the truth, then this wasn’t negligence.

It was sabotage.

And whoever was behind it knew exactly how to turn packs against each other.

Raphael was on a video call and he looked terrible. Exhausted and stressed and barely holding it together.

"I have no idea. I have sent teams to investigate the river but so far they have found nothing unusual. No dumping sites, no chemical spills, nothing that would explain this contamination," Raphael said.

"Then we need to expand the search. This illness is getting worse and we are running out of time. I am authorizing PhoenixClaw medical teams to enter Brazen Pack territory and assist with the investigation," Lucian said.

"I appreciate the help. Honestly, I will take any assistance I can get at this point. My pack is falling apart and now we have this illness on top of everything else," Raphael said.

The other Alphas discussed various theories about what could be causing the contamination. Chemical weapons, illegal dumping, and natural disasters. But none of the theories quite fit the evidence.