Third Peru’s POV


    Adide shot Tommy a look that could kill. Didn’t this guy realize that for Lance, his face was ingre important than his actual life?


    After Caldwell made himself useful by hustling Tommy out to clear dead leaves off the grounds–mostly just to shut him up–the lead physician from Digby Medical Center, Albion finally arrived


    Albion was Dr. Digby’s star pupil and the top surgeon at the center.


    Normally, he stayed behind hospital walls treating high–level nobles; he almost never made house calls.


    But with Lance getting banged up. Digby had personally dispatched him to give Lance a full–body “diagnostic overhaul” to ensure no vitalponents were damaged.


    After all, with the young leader yet to produce an heir, Dr. Digby was more stressed about Lance’s health than a worried father.


    Prisci and Paisley arrived back at the packhouse just as the news broke. Prisci dropped her shopping bags and sprinted straight for the bedroom.


    Inside, Albion was cleaning Lance’s wounds while Adide stood guard. When her mother–inw burst in, Adide gave a respectful nod. “Prisci.”


    “Mhm,” Prisci grunted, her eyes frantically scanning the room for her son.


    Lance hadn’t had a chance to shower yet. Strands of his hair, frozen stiff from the snow, were sticking straight up like a bizarre lightning rod.


    Combined with the technicolor bruises on his face, the sight was equal parts heartbreaking and hrious.


    “Moon Goddess save me… how did you turn yourself into this disaster? I thought you were going up the mountain for a romantic getaway!”


    Adide bit back a smile and tried to smooth things over.


    “Mother, Lance just had a little… slip.”


    “A slip?” Prisci wiped a tear ofughter from her eye and leaned in to inspect the “damage” on Lance’s face.


    “Why didn’t you just call the pack doctors?”


    “They’re all out on patrol with the units today,” Adide exined.


    “Clearly, we need a couple of private physicians on permanent standby at the packhouse,” Prisci noted, looking down at Lance’s shin, which was swollen like a loaf of bread.


    Albion was busy securing it with specialized splints and bandages.


    WED


    O


    N


    P5 Free <b>GoldS </b>


    “Is it bad?”


    Albion reported while skillfully tying off the bandage.


    “He has a minor hairline fracture in the tibia. Nothing to lose sleep over. An Alpha’s healing rate is practically a cheat code; with the meds and the splint, he’ll be back on his feet in ten days. The rest are just tlesh wounds that’ll fade in a few days. Just keep the injured leg dry for now.”


    Adide let out a long breath of relief. “Thank you, Albion.”


    Albion nodded, then leaned in and lowered his voice to Adide.


    “Luna Adide, rest easy. I did an internal energy scan of his enti damage to ‘other areas”


    system. I can confirm there’s no


    “Other areas?” Adide blinked, her brain failing to catch the subtext.


    “You had to use a scan for that? If he’s hurting somewhere else, can’t he just tell us?”


    Albion offered a cryptic, professional smile.


    “Of course. But if Alpha Lance feels any… difort in certain regions, you need to let me know ASAP.”


    “Oh…” Adide suddenly realized the vibe in the room had shifted into something very awkward.


    She turned to Lance, her eyes doing a slow sweep of his body. “You… you don’t feel anything ‘weird‘ anywhere else, do you?”


    “No!” Lance barked, his face turning a deep, localized shade of crimson.


    “Good to hear,” Adide nodded, then turned back to Albion. “So if there’s no other injury, what exactly was Dr. Digby so worried about?”


    Albion pushed up his sses, sounding very clinical. “Falling down a steep slope like that can easily result in spinal trauma or nervepression. Those things have a direct impact on… fertility.”


    Prisci’s face went white.


    “Oh my Goddess! We have to check! We have to check everything!”


    She practically lunged at the bed. “Lance, tell me the truth–does your butt hurt? I heard if you break something down there, we can forget about little wolf pups!”


    Lance’s face went from red to a bruised, murderous purple. He looked like he wanted to die on the spot. “Albion’s done here! I need a shower! Everyone out!” he shouted, his voice tight and desperate.


    “Keep the bandages dry,” Albion said, wisely packing his bag. “I’ll be back tomorrow to change the dressing.” Adide was struggling not to double over. “Thanks, Albion. See you then.”


    But Prisci wasn’t letting it go.


    ????? ?


    She was already digging for more info. “Son, don’t be shy! If something’s broken, you have to tell the doctor. The whole pack is waiting on you to produce an heir!”


    A low, vibrating growl started in Lance’s throat, and a burst of Alpha aura swept through the room like a cold front.


    “Nothing! Is! Broken! Drop it!”


    Prisci jumped back. “What’s with the attitude? I’m your mother! I’m worried!”


    “I mean, you and Adide have been mated for ages and there’s still no news. Adide is a top–tier Gamma; she’s built to carry. It’s gotta be you… all those years at war, all those injuries…”


    Before Lance could actuallybust, Adide grabbed Prisci by the arm and started half–shoving, half- coaxing her toward the door.


    Even after the door was half–shut, Prisci was still rambling.


    “He’s a grown Alpha, why is he acting so modest? When he was a pup, he told me everything. Now it’s all secrets?”


    “Adide, you have no idea. When he was just a little wolf cub, he got a mosquito bite on his private parts once. He cried so hard, he just dropped his pants and made me put the ointment on for him…”


    “MOTHER–!!!”


    Lance let out a raw, agonized roar–the sound of an Alpha’s dignity being ground into fine powder.


    Adide finally lost it and burst outughing. She called Paisley over to take Prisci away, then ordered the omegas to get the bathwater ready.


    ADMINJ