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    “Not just a thief, but nearly a murderer!” she cried in my mind. “And he’s supposed to be Head Healer!”


    “I did no such thing!” Head Healer Eric replied, face turning red with outrage.


    This man took the same oath as me, to always protect the people and do no harm. Yet here he was, his hubris getting in the way of his sense. And for what? Poprity? Glory?


    What would have happened in a few hours’ time when this man became sick again?


    “The potion wasn’t done,” I told Head Healer Eric, hoping he would understand. “The cure in that bottle is only temporary. Soon,


    the illness would return and not only would this man be sick again, but he’d be paired with all kinds of new symptoms.”


    Head Healer Eric paled as he straightened. “Nonsense.”


    “We hadn’t released the potion yet because we were waiting on important test results to ensure the cure was safe for human


    consumption,” I told him. “Those results have since returned, and they showed us that the cure needs tweaking.


    “Nonsense!”


    “I’ve corrected the form,” I exined. “But that will need time to be tested too.” Allowing my wolf to speak through me, I


    leveled Eve’s usation at the Head Healer. “It’s one thing to steal someone else’s work, Head Healer, but it is another to


    needlessly risk the public. What about the Healer Oath?”


    Head Healer Eric’s mouth tightened. As he swallowed hard, a muscle ticked on his jaw. For a long moment, he just stared at me.


    The crowd was quiet and watchful, as if waiting for what might happen next.


    In that moment of quiet, Julian moved to stand beside me. A shot of panic surged through me. Reaching up, I touched my face only


    to realize that my mask was missing. Yet, though Julian was looking at me in wonder, he didn’t seem particrly surprised.


    Did he know I was Healer Amanda? For how long?


    He didn’t say anything. He gave no indication that he knew.


    Perhaps this was a recent development. My heartrate started to pick up.


    Yet, as much as I wanted to evaluate that, I had more important matters to attend to at the moment than my personal life. This potion, if wrongfully distributed would have caused harm.


    Head Healer Eric needed to face consequences for that.


    “You developed this potion?” Julian asked me.


    “Yes,” I said. “But it’s not finished yet. Someone took if from myb before it was ready.”


    “Someone…” Julian parroted, as he looked up at Head Healer Eric. “Did you steal this potion from Healer Amanda’sb, Head


    Healer?”


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug


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    I looked at Julian in surprise. I could use the Head Healer until I was blue in the face but even as somewhat of a celebrity, I wasn’t sure to be believed. The Head Healer had been around for a long time. He was trusted in the pack.


    He didn’t reply to the usation, though his shoulders did slink down. Looking at me, he said, “Is it truly not ready?”


    I nodded. “I’m working on a fix at the moment. But like I said, it will need tested too…”


    “This kind of behavior cannot stand,” Julian said loudly. He was all Alpha now, the strong and confident leader of our pack. “Head Healer Eric, you have shamed yourself and the pack with this action. As such, I will see you punished. For a crime like this, exile might be in order.”


    “A-alpha, please…” Head Healer Eric said, fumbling now, looking every inch the old man that he was.


    Something stirred within me. He hadmitted a serious crime here, that was true. But… exile?


    Julian started to open his mouth, likely ready to dole out the punishment.


    Quickly, I said, “Wait.”


    GET IT N…


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug