"She's still unconscious."
"It's better to let her die. She's a waste of space." Another voice malicious this time.
"She's been out for three days, maybe what she has is contagious!" someone whispered sharply.
That drew a lot of gasps in the room. A few maids stepped back from the low straw mat where Lyra lay, pale and unmoving.
"Girls, you should leave the room." Joy, one of the pack healers assigned to the maids raised her hand to calm them down. Joy was a Silvercrest pack healer and when the pack went down she still remained a healer as the now Alpha didn't find fault with the pack members but the ruling bloodline and their supporters.
"She should not sleep in the same room with us. Joy don't you think its better to take precaution." The girl, Rina, snapped. Her arms were crossed tight eyes wide with suspicion. "We don't even know what she has. We sleep head to toe in this chamber. It's not safe."
The others murmured in agreement. Some nodded, others just stared at the still figure like she might suddenly rise up coughing blood.
"And where would you have her go?" Joy tried to reason with them but they were so hell bent in making Lyra leave the room.
Joy exhaled, not in frustration, but in weariness. Her hands ached from an hour of trying salves, herbs, energy and none of it had stirred the girl. She found her condition disturbing. Lyra's skin had stayed cold. Her breathing shallow.
Her body refused to respond to even the lightest touch of power. And that... unsettled her. So she couldn't insist on keeping her there when she was resistant to her power which made it difficult to find out if whatever condition she had was contagious or not. Though it was not easy for them to get sick as they healed fast.
Still, she couldn't blame them. Fear made people cruel.
"Where do you suggest we put her?" Joy asked softly.
"Anywhere else," Rina said quickly. "There's that old storeroom down the hall. It's empty."
"That place is full of dust and its cold," Joy replied.
"Exactly."
Silence followed.
Then a new voice smooth, almost sly. "We could put her with her friend," Niah said, casting a glance toward Tessa.
Joy's gaze shifted. Tessa looked up, eyes wide, her chubby face red from the attention.
***
Alpha Kross lay on the bed at the west wing. He refused to set foot in the Alpha's chamber at the east wing. It was dirty. The previous Alpha, Alpha Dristan used the bed and couch in the room where he got pleasure from countless women.
"Alpha, I brewed you tea," A voice stirred him from his thoughts. "It will help you calm down."
Alpha Kross had been suffering from insomnia and after the curse it grew severe that he could stay a full week without sleeping.
"Should I help you... release the tension," she said in a low, soft voice, barely above a whisper, as she approached him.
She reached and straightened her hands and began massaging his arms. Her touch was light, confident , almost practiced. But the moment her fingers brushed his skin, his eyes flew open and he glared at her coldly.
"K... Kross," she stammered.
"Leave!" He said flatly, as he closed his eyes shut.
"But I can help. You want to vent. I know you do," she insisted, her fingers drifting toward his chest.
"Isolde Leave!" He commanded.
Isolde Kerrin, the Blackhowl head witch, the alpha's mistress. She was respected by everyone in Blackhowl pack. She was close to the Alpha as he didn't like people near him and only her could be used for his sexual pleasure, other than that she had never used her power to do anything of importance except making herself look younger.
Isolde got up the bed, with a last pitiful glance towards Kross. Noticing he didn't pay attention or look at her, she made her way towards the door.
She opened the door just in time to meet with the Beta and Gamma standing in front. Ryan's hand was stretched, he was about to knock on the door before Isolde opened it.
"Kross is asleep," she closed the door behind her and folded her arms below her breast, "He doesn't want to be disturbed!"
"He's asleep?" Noah asked. It was weird to hear Kross was asleep, he was suffering from insomnia, "What did you do?"
"I made him tea." she announced proudly.
Ryan looked at her with suspicion. "You didn't slip something in it, did you?"
"How dare you?" she snapped, her voice cracking as her eyes welled. "You think I'd poison him?"
"It's fine if you didn't" Ryan shrugged before he continued, "Anyway, move, we need to speak to the Alpha. It's urgent."
"I told you he's asleep," she stood in front of the door stubbornly.
Isolde carried herself like the Luna, and many in the Blackhowl pack treated her as such. After all, she was the only woman close to the Alpha.
"Step aside, Isolde." Noah's tone was firm, there was quiet authority in his voice.
Noah had to stop the banter between the two. Ryan and Isolde hated each other's gut, so they could argue the whole day if not stopped.
"Hmph!" Isolde snorted as she rolled her eyes, let out a sharp huff, stepped aside, and walked off.
Noah and Ryan didn't waste another second, they knocked the door and entered the room. Inside the room, Kross sat in front of his study table reading a document.
"Kross, you weren't asleep! That liar!" Ryan exclaimed, as they approached him. "You heard her and you didn't say anything." He continued complaining.
"What do you want?" Kross raised his head.
"You are so heartless..." Ryan continued rambling before he saw the cold expression on Kross' face. "The curse..."
"Its gone." Kross announced.
Ryan and Noah were stunned. The look on their faces wasn't surprise, shock passed between them like a jolt. It was the news they expected, And for the curse to just end like that was very bizarre.
"How?" Noah continued, "It's odd, don't you think. The old witch at Ca'a Village said the curse, the ancient warrior spirit will never be broken or lifted."
"I don't feel it."