Chapter 152

Chapter 152 Angela’s friend

I went to Wild Crawler’s Pack House immediately after our conversation. Dic kson remained at the clinic in my stead. He’d gotten plenty of rest the night before, so he was awake enough to handle the patients while I was away.

The entire walk there, I tried to formulate a plan. I needed Alpha Rayden’s permission and blessing to leave since I was a guest in his Pack, and I wanted to speak with him in a way that demonstrated that I was up to the task of investigating the mountain area of Wild Crawler.

Being younger than most of my peers presented me with a challenge when it came to most things. While I wasn’t as experienced as most, I was a hard worker and quick on my feet.

Once I reached the Pack House, Jasper escorted me to the Alpha. Rayden was sitting in his library and when I entered the room, his eyebrows knitted together.

“Becky,” he greeted me as his dark eyes studied me with concern. “Is everything alright? You look exhausted.”

“It was a long night,” I admitted and I managed a small smile. “I appreciate you asking. I’m okay, though.”

“Good,” Rayden noted, and then he tilted his head slightly. “How can I help you

then?”

I took a breath and then explained everything I had heard from Angela and Marina in the clinic. I told the story in vivid detail so Alpha Rayden could get a clear image of what was happening, or at least what could be happening.

When I asked for his permission to leave, he simply nodded.

“Of course,” he said. “But I must insist that you take extra guards with you. The

1/5

strange. I don’t want you to go alone, not when you’re a guest of mine.”

“Thank you, Alpha Rayden,” I replied gratefully. “I appreciate it.”

With his blessing in mind, I asked to use one of the Pack House phones to call Cas sandra in Anemond. Since this project was hers, I wanted to make sure she knew what was happening here and get her advice since she had once lived here.

Erika answered the clinic phone and after some brief small talk, she handed it

over to Cas sandra.

“Becky?” she asked in surprise. “Is everything okay? How are you?”

“I’m fine,” I noted. “Though, I do have some news.”

I told her everything, and once I was finished, she let out a soft exhale.

“Be careful,” she urged me gently. “This could be a highly dangerous situation. The last thing we need is for you to get infected.”

“I’ll be fine,” I a*sured her. “I promise you, Cas sy, I’ll take extra care and wear a mask so I can limit exposure.”

“Okay,” the healer replied. “Remember, Becky, your safety is the most important thing. If it gets too bad out there, I want you to leave.”

“I will,” I promised.

Once I finished my conversation with Cas sandra, I went back to the clinic. I needed to prepare for the visit to the mountains and get some more information from Angela about where to go.

spent a good amount of the day treating patients alongside Dic kson. It was mostly uneventful and Dic kson didn’t seem too talkative. I tried to get a read on his emotions, but it was difficult. I chalked it up to residual tiredness and didn’t think much of it.

E

But at the end of the day, when we retired to the office for a breather, Dic kson cleared his throat and crossed his arms against his chest.

“Becky, I’ve been thinking about it and I think it would be best for me to go alone,” he announced. “You could stay here in the clinic while I’m gone-”

“No way,” I blurted out immediately. “No, I’m not letting you go alone-”

“Please, at least take a moment to think about it,” he sighed. “Who is going to take care of the patients and continue to figure out a cure if we both get infected? We don’t need to increase the risk by all of our eggs in one basket.”

I wanted to fight against his words immediately, but he had a point. I considered his proposal for a moment but ultimately shook my head.

“No,” I decided. “I understand what you’re saying Dic kson, but I think we have to do this. We need to make the utmost effort to figure out the source of the disease. And I think we need to do it together. I know you’re worried about me, but I’m not vulnerable. I’ve been working on this research for a while. I’m not going to sit behind and do nothing.”

I raised my chin slightly and waited for his response.

After a moment of silence, Dic kson exhaled.

“Okay,” he said. “Then we’ll both go.”

***

We left the next day. Jasper and a few se rvants agreed to take care of the patients in our stead, so Dic kson and I were free to leave.

Alpha Rayden a*signed a driver to take us, and thankfully, it didn’t take long for us to arrive at the mountain area. Only one road led in, and was surprised when we arrived.

I wasn’t sure what I’d expected from Angela’s description, but I was surprised at the sight of the place. The mountain area was more like an isolated village tucked

3/5

away amongst tall ridges. It was lovely and idyllic up here.

When we reached what the driver told us was the residential area, I spotted a small lake through the window. It was right in the center of the residential district, and as we got closer, I noticed a few villagers taking water from the lake.

“Can we stop here?” I asked the driver politely, and though he seemed surprised by the question, he nodded and the car came to a stop. Dic kson frowned.

“What are we doing?” he asked.

“I want to talk to them,” I announced, and I quickly pulled a mask from my

medical kit. “I’ll be right back.”

After I got out of the car, I sl*pped the mask on and approached the villagers. The trio of women halted their conversation at once and widened their eyes as I

walked over.

“Hello,” I greeted them.

They glanced at one another and didn’t say anything. They appeared timid and I couldn’t blame them. I was a stranger, after all, so I couldn’t blame them.

“My name is Becky,” I tried again. “What are you gathering the water for-”

Before I could even finish my question, the women ran away. I stood there in shock for a moment. What was going on?

Dic kson appeared a moment later. “Should we go after them?”

I shook my head. “No. I don’t want to scare them further. Let’s get back in the car and get to Angela’s friend’s house.”

We got back to the car and then asked the driver to take us to our original destination.

It wasn’t too much further, and we stopped at a small yellow house at the edge of the residential area. It was no bigger than the one I shared with my mother, and I

4/5

admired the wildflowers planted along the path.

Dic kson and I grabbed our masks and then got out of the car. We headed up the drive and my heart pounded in my chest. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was nervous all the same.

I knocked on the door and moments later, it opened to reveal a pretty middle-aged woman. Her green eyes trailed over me as her eyebrows knitted together.

“Hello?” she asked in surprise. “Who are you?”

“Hello, ma’am,” I said politely. “My name is Becky-”

Before I could finish my sentence, the woman tried to close the door. Instinctively, I tried to stop her, and my hand got caught in the door.

I let out a cry of surprise and the woman’s face grew apologetic.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she apologized but she still didn’t seem eager to speak.

My hand throbbed but I forced myself to ignore it.

“Please, can we speak with you?” I asked. “I’m a healer and researcher from Anemond. I was hoping to talk to you and get some answers about something I’m currently working on. I won’t take up much of your time.”

The woman hesitated for a moment and then glanced down at my reddened

hand.

“Okay,” she decided, and she held the door open for us. “Please, come in.”

5/5