Alphas burden

When it’s ready, I nudge the frail lump bundled beneath the covers, perching on the bed. Lena stretches with a yawn from her nap.

“Hey, buttercup.”

“You’re back.” She’s groggy, her voice crackling.

“I’m back. Don’t let Bea tell you I didn’t bring anything.” I help her lean up against the headboard and carefully prod her throat. “Good, the swelling’s a little better today. How do you feel?”

“Just sleepy.”

“Your throat doesn’t hurt?”

She lowers her lashes. It’s not her fault her health is fragile. It’s mine.

In the winter during our first year living here, she caught a terrible pneumonia. She almost died and I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. It was bad enough I went down to the healer to beg him to help her because she was only seven, no one had a right to hate her for her name. He refused, slamming the door in my face.

I’ll never fail her like that again.

I reach for the bowl. “Here. Let me put this on you anyway. Then you can have the rock candy I got you.”

She tips her chin up obediently, used to the unpleasant feeling of her throat smeared with the mashed herbal treatment. I hum while I apply it, then clean my hands and bring her the candy and a cup of ginger tea Beatrix made. Smiling, I comb her hair with my fingers.

A timid knock sounds at the back door. I stop what I’m doing and glance at Beatrix.

“It’s for you,” she says without looking up from the potato she’s returned to ski

I kiss Lena’s head before getting up. “I know. I’m expecting this one.”

The knock comes again, with a tad more force when I collect the sachet waiting on my workbench. I lift my brows when I open the back door.

“Sorry.” The girl waiting is a couple years younger than me with unkempt hair and a fading bruise on her cheek, a shocking contrast to how put together she was when we were in school together. She bounces a chubby baby on her hip, glancing at the woods every few seconds. “I don’t have much time before he’ll be back.”

My lips press into a thin line. If it were up to me, I’d love to give her something stronger than the monthly dose of valerian root to knock her horrible mate out early for the night so he’ll leave her the hell alone. I’d even give it to her for the same price as the sedative, because like anyone from old Cormac’s brood, he’s a close-minded, short-tempered thug.

“Do you want a salve for your cheek? It’ll help with the swelling,” I offer.

She gives a feeble shake of her head. “Can’t. Don’t want him noticing me doing anything different. It’s healing fast enough on its own.”

I grimace, imagining how bad it must’ve been for it to still be puffy. When I offer the sachet, she takes it quickly, slipping it into the pocket of her loose smock dress. She turns to leave with a muttered thanks.

“Wait, Nina. Your payment.” As sympathetic as I am to what she endures with her unfortunate arranged mating, I need whatever she’s bartering with more.

She freezes on the stoop, lip quivering. “I—I forgot, I’m sorry. We’ve got a lot of meat this week. Can I give you some of that?”

I nod. “Food will always be accepted as a fair exchange.”

“Okay. I don’t have it with me. It’s hard enough coming up the mountain discreetly. People will talk if they see me on the same path today,” she mumbles, hushing her fussy baby. “Come down to the back of my cabin just after sundown? Trent will be at the gathering early with the security team. I can sneak it to you better that way instead of trying to come all the way up here.”

The security team Trent’s part of is bullshit. It’s part of Cormac Blackburn’s—Caden’s uncle—not the official pack guards.

I chew the inside of my cheek in consideration. It would be wiser to refuse her so word doesn’t get around that I’m going soft on my payment terms with the females in the pack. They visit me in secret despite my family’s disgraced reputation. It’s my new one they care about when they come for the herbal remedies and concoctions I provide that they can’t get from the regular healer.

Normally, I avoid a full moon bonfire night whenever I can. When I attend, I’m at a disadvantage. But she’s right, it’s the only way people won’t be suspicious if they see someone with a large pack of food heading away from the dining pavilion outside of a distribution day.

“Fine. I’ll be down there in an hour.”

That should give me just enough time to get in and out before the moon rising. Everyone else will be busy with the revelry to notice me.

Nina gives me a wobbling smile. “Thank you.”

She leaves in a hurry, not lingering for friendly chatter. I don’t bother with it, either. After the first few surprise visits by other female packmates in need of my help, I learned they were only after my resources. Some still whisper nasty things about me even as I hand over whatever quick fix cure they’ve come for.

“Don’t make a portion for me,” I tell Beatrix. “Make sure you and Lena both have second helpings.”

Beatrix raises her brow, holding her tongue for once as she works on the stew she’s preparing. I go through the narrow hall that leads to the bathroom and my shoebox of a bedroom. In the bathroom, I lean against the sink, sighing before I splash cool water on my face.

My stomach cramps when I straighten. I frown, laying a hand over my middle. It passes quickly, though I’m left with a tightness in my skin that doesn’t ease when I roll my neck and shoulders.

I put off leaving as long as I can, not looking forward to being around so many packmates. Our stores need any food we can scrounge before winter, though.

“Avery.” Bea grabs my hand on the way out, her nonchalance evaporating as her forehead creases. “Are you sure about this?”

“It’ll be fine.” I offer a relaxed smile and squeeze her hand. “Don’t wait up for me. I’ll be back when I can.”