Chapter 6

• Lyra’s POV
• I didn’t go back to that house.
• Instead, I found a cave in the forest at the edge of the territory and curled up there for the night.
• The poison from the wolfbane raged through my body, every breath burning like fire.
• But I didn’t die.
• By dawn, the pain had faded, leaving only exhaustion.
• I survived on sheer willpower.
• I looked down at my hands, caked with dirt, and suddenly laughed.
• Tears streamed down my face.
• Being alive is fucking amazing.
• But just being alive wasn’t enough.
• I had to figure out how to make money.
• More than a hundred kids in Greystone Haven were still counting on me.
• The cash Kane gave me was just a drop in the bucket.
• Food, medicine, winter clothes—it was a bottomless pit.
• Counting on Kane to grow a conscience? Not a chance.
• I had to rely on myself.
• But what could I do?
• A disgraced ex-con. An Omega rejected by the Alpha, with barely a flicker of wolf spirit left.
• Wait.
• I suddenly remembered the herbs.
• Back in Greystone Haven, to save money for the sick kids, I’d spent years teaching myself herbal medicine.
• I knew most herbs, understood their effects, and even mastered some simple recipes.
• Maybe that was my way in.
• I set off immediately for the Moonlight Altar in the Shadowfen territory.
• The altar was run by a group of priests who stayed out of all the drama. They handled healing and trained apprentices.
• Becoming a priest’s apprentice meant steady income and access to countless magical herb books and rare materials.
• This was my best shot right now.
• The Moonlight Altar stood beneath a massive ancient tree.
• The one in charge of taking apprentices was an old priestess named Seraphina.
• Her hair was streaked with gray, and her eyes were sharp as knives.
• She looked over my application and frowned.
• “Lyra? The girl who took the fall for the Alpha’s crime?”
• Obviously, my story had spread all over the territory.
• “Yes, Priestess,” I said calmly.
• Seraphina was silent for a moment, then picked up a few herbs.
• “Bloodroot, moonflower, Swiftroot.”
• She laid the three herbs together. “If a warrior were stabbed by a dagger infused with faint magic and the wound wouldn’t stop bleeding, how would you use these three herbs to treat it in an emergency?”
• That was a seriously tricky question.
• Using conventional methods, it was almost impossible to answer.
• I thought for a moment and said, “Crush the Swiftroot to extract its juice, mix it with one-third of the moonflower petals, then dry and grind the mixture into powder.”
• “Simmer the remaining moonflower with the bloodroot into a thick decoction.”
• “First, wash the wound with the decoction to cleanse the magic and slow the bleeding.”
• “Then apply the powder directly to the wound.”
• “Swiftroot’s fierce potency is balanced by the gentle energy of moonflower. It won’t burn the flesh, but it will push the wolf spirit’s self-healing to its limit.”
• Seraphina’s sharp eyes filled with surprise.
• This method wasn’t recorded in any beginner-level witch medicine books.
• It required extensive practice and a deep understanding of herbal properties.
• She fired off several more questions.
• I answered every single one.
• Finally, she studied me carefully and nodded.
• “Your herbal knowledge is solid.”
• “Even beyond what an apprentice should know.”
• “You’re accepted.”
• A rush of joy hit me, and the tension I’d been holding onto finally eased.
• “Start tomorrow. Report to the herb garden in the altar’s backyard.”
• Seraphina handed me a wooden tag carved with a crescent moon rune, my apprentice badge.
• “Thank you, Priestess!” I bowed.
• “No need to thank me,” Seraphina said, still serious. “The altar values skill, not background.”
• “I hope you’ll always maintain this respect for herbs.”
• Clutching the warm wooden tag, I stepped down the stairs.
• Sunlight washed over my skin.
• For the first time since I got out of prison, I felt a glimmer of hope for the future.
• I almost skipped on my way back.
• But when I passed the training ground, something stopped me dead in my tracks.
• Maya, the weak pregnant woman from yesterday, was now dressed sharply in riding gear, standing among a group of young female werewolves.
• In front of them stood a priestess from the Moonlight Altar.
• “…Becoming a priestess apprentice isn’t just an honor. It’s the necessary path to becoming a qualified Luna,” the priestess was saying.
• Maya stood front and center, a determined smile on her face, listening intently.
• So she wanted to be a priestess apprentice too.
• My heart sank.
• Suddenly, I understood what Lady Hope really meant.
• She wasn’t just asking me to apologize.
• She was clearing the path for her daughter.
• How could a “criminal” partner, rejected by the Alpha, compete for the same position as a noble-blooded, Alpha-favored future Luna?
• I clenched the wooden tag tightly in my hand.
• It looked like this road wasn’t going to be easy.
• Sure enough.
• The next day, I showed up at the herb garden with my tag.
• The steward in charge glanced at it, then at the roster, frowning.
• “Lyra? Your name isn’t on the list.”
• “Priestess Seraphina personally accepted me yesterday,” I explained.
• The steward shook his head, impatience written all over his face.
• “Priestess Seraphina’s decision was overruled by the Alpha.”
• He pointed to a figure not far away, someone busy familiarizing herself with all kinds of rare herbs.
• “The Alpha said this apprentice position should go to the one who brings the most honor to the tribe.”
• It was Maya.
• She wore a brand-new priestess apprentice robe, carefully touching a glowing moonlight orchid under the watchful eye of an elderly priest.
• She seemed to sense my gaze. Turning around, she flashed me a victorious smile.