Chapter 266: Chapter 266 Harsh Reality Dawns
Phoebe’s POV
I turned to Jude, my curiosity sparked about Marcela, the healer living in the palace. I wanted to learn more about her plant expertise and how it might help.
"Ah, my queen, are you familiar with the Bloodmoon Scale leaves?" Jude asked, her earlier hesitation melting away, replaced by genuine excitement that made me smile.
"I am," I nodded, thinking it through. "Mix it right with Green Leaves, and it brings down fevers. Shifters don’t get sick much, but it’s perfect for kids whose healing powers haven’t kicked in yet."
"Yes, yes," Jude burst out eagerly, but Patricia elbowed her softly—a gentle reminder to watch her manners. Jude ducked her head, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry, my queen."
I laughed, charmed by their interaction. "What’s there to apologize for?" I started wandering through the greenhouse, drinking in the green life around me. The space wasn’t huge, but one plant caught my eye—vibrant and obviously loved. "You’ve been taking care of this one?"
Jude fidgeted. "Yes, my queen," she whispered.
"Dragon Seed," I said, running my fingers along its leaves, recognizing it instantly. "Any particular reason you’re growing it here?"
Jude looked to her sister like she needed permission to answer. The hesitation confused me—why would such a basic question scare her?
"Debbie is sick," Jude said quietly, staring at the ground. "My daughter’s not well."
My chest tightened. "How old is she? Dragon Seed boosts strength, but it’s dangerous for children."
"She’s six," Jude replied, worry threading through her voice. "Dragon Seed’s the only thing that grows easy, and I could only get those seeds."
"Six?" I rubbed my chin, processing. "Too young for Dragon Seed." I studied Jude more carefully. "How old are you? You look way too young to have a six-year-old."
"I’m... twenty, my queen," Jude stammered, her face going bright red as she practically bent in half from embarrassment.
Twenty! With a six-year-old daughter!
My mind did the math, shock hitting me like a punch. Jude had gotten pregnant at thirteen! What kind of monster would do that to a child?
Rage flared in my chest. Perry had been right all along, and I hated that truth. I’d wanted to deny it—that women here had suffered such horrible things.
"What’s wrong with your daughter?" I asked, trying to keep my voice gentle. "Is she okay now?"
"She’s... fine," Jude said, but I caught the uncertainty. Her hesitation told me everything.
"Can I see her?" I asked, my heart already breaking for this little girl I’d never met.
Jude looked shocked, glancing at Patricia like she needed backup.
"My queen, where we live isn’t fit for you," Patricia cut in, clearly trying to talk me out of it.
But that only made me more determined.
"I don’t care," I said firmly. After a year under Kevin’s boot, I’d seen worse than anything an omega dealt with. "Can we go now? Maybe I can help."
I knew they didn’t believe I’d actually studied medicine. In their world, someone like me wouldn’t bother with healing—especially when shifters barely touched the subject.
"Can we go now?" I pressed, leaving Jude and Patricia no choice but to take me to their home.
"It’s quite a walk, my queen," Patricia warned, making one last attempt to change my mind.
"Perfect. I love exploring," I replied. I’d originally planned to just check out the pack house anyway. A long walk didn’t bother me.
We headed out, Samuel trailing behind us—I’d almost forgotten he was there. I noticed how the three omegas kept stealing glances at him, like they expected the warrior to snap if they stepped wrong in front of me.
The walk took at least thirty minutes, and thankfully the rain had stopped, though the streets were now a muddy disaster.
"You really shouldn’t be here, my queen. Your dress..." Jude worried, staring at the mud splashing up my pants.
I waved it off like it meant nothing.
"Why don’t you live in the omega quarter?" I asked as we passed through that area, but all three women quickly steered me away from it.
"We can’t live there, my queen. They won’t let us," Patricia answered, relaxing a bit as we walked.
Patricia dropped back half a step beside me so we could talk, while Jude and Rylie stayed close behind, with Samuel bringing up the rear. Warriors were everywhere—each one nodding respectfully when they spotted me.
"Won’t let you?" I frowned, looking at Patricia with confusion. "What do you mean?"
Patricia shifted uncomfortably, and I felt the need to dig deeper burning in my chest.
"We’re too old for the omega quarter," Patricia said curtly, but that only made me more curious.
"Too old? What does that mean?" I remembered seeing plenty of omegas in that quarter.
"Because... they’ve used us..." Patricia’s voice dropped to barely a whisper, heavy with pain she couldn’t speak.
