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 was raging 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—it’s 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 taught myself herbal medicine for a long time.
• I knew most herbs, understood their effects, and even 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 training apprentices.
• Becoming a priest’s apprentice meant steady income and access to tons of 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 was stabbed by a dagger with faint magic and wouldn’t stop bleeding, how would you use these three herbs to treat the wound in an emergency?”
• That was a seriously tricky question.
• By normal methods, it was almost impossible to answer.
• I thought for a moment and said, “Crush the Swiftroot root to extract the juice, mix it with a third of the moonflower petals, then dry and grind it into powder.”
• “Simmer the rest of the moonflower with the bloodroot into a thick decoction.”
• “First, wash the wound with the decoction to purify the magic and stop the bleeding initially.”
• “Then, apply the powder to the wound.”
• “Swiftroot’s fierce power gets balanced out by the gentle energy of Moonflower. It won’t burn your flesh, but it’ll still fire up the wolf spirit’s self-healing to the max.”
• Seraphina’s sharp eyes were full of surprise.
• This method wasn’t recorded in any beginner’s witch medicine books.
• It took tons of practice and a deep understanding of herb properties.
• She fired off a few more questions.
• I answered every single one.
• Finally, she looked at me deeply 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 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 only cares about skill, not background.”
• “I hope you’ll always keep this respect for herbs.”
• Clutching the warm wooden tag, I stepped down the stairs.
• The sunlight felt warm on 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 sharp in riding gear, standing among a group of young female werewolves.
• In front of her 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 telling them.
• 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 hard.
• Suddenly, I got what Lady Hope really meant.
• She wasn’t just asking me to apologize.
• She was paving the way for her daughter.
• How could a “criminal” partner, rejected by the Alpha, compete for the same spot as a noble-blooded, Alpha-favored future Luna?
• I clenched the wooden tag tight in my hand.
• Looks 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 my tag, then at the roster, frowning.
• “Lyra? Your name’s not 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 getting familiar with all kinds of rare herbs. “Alpha said this apprentice spot should go to the one who can bring the most honor to the tribe.”
• It was Maya.
• She was dressed in a brand-new priestess apprentice robe, carefully touching a glowing moonlight orchid under the watchful eye of an old priest.
• She seemed to catch my gaze, turned around, and flashed me a winner’s smile.