Chapter 17: 0017
Lorelei POV
For the next few days, Raven fed me like a pig. Literally.
She was constantly stuffing plates in front of me, saying I needed to gain all my weight back. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. Every time I turned around, there was another plate of food waiting for me.
In a way, it worked.
My skin no longer looked pale like a corpse, and I could actually move around properly now. The rejection sickness was still there, a dull ache in my chest and a shallow emptiness where the bond used to be, but at least I wasn’t bedridden anymore.
I guessed my recovery would’ve been faster if my wolf wasn’t suppressed.
"Does your doctor friend have any remedies to fix or reverse a suppressed wolf?" I asked while sitting in front of the dressing mirror as Raven trimmed my hair behind me.
My hair had already grown past my shoulders, but it was still uneven because of Callista’s previous hacking. Some chunks were shorter than others, with random uneven ends sticking out everywhere.
Raven paused at my question, scissors still in hand.
"Suppressed wolf?" she repeated with a frown.
I nodded.
"My parents had it done when I was younger to protect my sister. They didn’t want my wolf challenging hers or something," I explained.
"That’s barbaric," Raven muttered.
"I know," I replied quietly.
It was.
But what exactly had I been able to do about it?
She went silent for a moment, carefully snipping at my hair again.
"I honestly don’t know if it can be reversed," she admitted carefully, and my shoulders immediately slumped in disappointment.
"Oh."
That was all I could manage to say.
"But..." Raven added quickly. "I think I know someone who might help."
My eyes met hers through the mirror.
"There’s this old woman I heard rumors about when I visited the Shadowfang territory," she continued. "She’s not exactly a doctor. More like a... spiritual healer. But the pack avoids her because they think she’s dangerous."
The word dangerous immediately made something cold twist in my stomach.
"Dangerous how?" I asked carefully.
Raven shrugged behind me as she ran the comb through my hair again.
"Depends on who you ask. Some say she talks to the Moon Goddess. Or claims to, anyway. Others think she’s cursed." She snorted softly. "Honestly, packs call every unusual woman cursed these days."
Despite myself, I huffed out a small laugh.
"I’ve never met her personally," Raven admitted, "but I’ve heard stories about how powerful she is. That’s probably the only reason she’s still allowed to live freely. If anyone can help you, it’s probably her."
Hope flickered in my chest at her words.
Because of my suppressed wolf, I had never shifted before. My wounds took longer to heal, and my wolf senses were almost nonexistent. If there was even the slightest chance of fixing that, I was willing to take the risk.
"How far is she?" I asked.
"It’s pretty far. A few days, maybe almost a week by road," Raven said, her eyes meeting mine through the mirror. "And as much as I want every part of you to heal, now isn’t the best time. First, we need to get you out of here and lay low for a while longer."
My expression fell slightly at that.
More than anything, I wanted to feel whole again.
But she was right. These things took time, and the last thing I wanted was for all her effort in helping me escape that estate to go to waste.
"There," Raven said suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts as she stepped back. "Not perfect, but definitely better."
I finally lifted my head to properly stare at my reflection.
For the first time in weeks, I felt beautiful again.
My hair fell in soft layers around my face instead of looking choppy and uneven. My cheeks finally had color again. My lips were no longer cracked and bleeding, and the dark circles beneath my eyes had faded.
Back then, I had been so insecure.
I thought that was why Jaxen still chose my sister because she was simply the prettier version of me.
Jaxen.
Just thinking his name made the dull ache in my chest pulse harder.
I quickly looked away from the mirror before Raven noticed the shift in my expression.
I didn’t want to think about him anymore.
Once I left, I would start over, and he would become nothing more than a bad memory.
Yeah.
A bad memory.
That was all he deserved to be.
"You okay?" Raven asked gently.
I nodded, forcing a small smile. "Yeah. Just... a little anxious about tomorrow."
It wasn’t a complete lie.
Tomorrow was the day I would finally leave.
I had never stepped outside the pack territory before. Hell, I had barely even left the estate my entire life.
Everything about this was new to me.
And it was happening under the worst possible circumstances.
"Don’t worry about it," Raven said, her hand gently brushing my shoulder. "Everything will be fine."
A small smile appeared on my lips at that. I reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, almost like I was trying to reassure myself more than her.
*****
"What do you mean you aren’t coming?" My voice came out louder than I intended as I stared at Raven wide-eyed.
My bags were already packed with the little things she had bought for me. I was finally ready to leave this forsaken place. In fact, I was already standing by the door waiting for her to finish getting ready when she suddenly dropped the bomb on me.
"I want to, but I can’t," she explained, stepping closer as she reached for my hand. "They’ve been blowing up my phone nonstop. If I suddenly disappear too, they aren’t stupid. They’ll suspect something."
I stared at her, my heart sinking even further.
"I’m doing this for your safety," she continued softly. "I just need to go back, join the search party, and pretend to care for like a week. Then I’ll come straight to you."
"A week?" My voice cracked. "I can’t... I don’t know anyone there. I’ve never been alone before."
Raven’s expression softened immediately.
"You won’t be alone. You’re going with my friend Cole, and I trust him with my life."
So in other words, I was leaving with a complete stranger.
"What if something happens?" I asked, sounding more desperate than I wanted to. "What if they find me?"
"They won’t." Raven tightened her grip on my hand. "They don’t even know that house exists. You’ll be safe. I promise."
I wanted to believe her.
I really did.
But after everything that had happened, trusting someone, especially a stranger, felt almost impossible for me.
"Okay," I whispered finally, knowing I didn’t really have a choice.
Raven let out a relieved breath before grabbing my bags and leading me outside.
The moon shone brightly overhead, silver light spilling across the ground as she explained it would be safer for us to leave at night.
Parked beside the house was a black SUV, and leaning against it stood a man.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, with kind brown eyes and short dark hair cropped close to his head.
He looked like he was somewhere in his late twenties, with a strong jaw and an easy smile that actually seemed genuine. He wore a simple flannel shirt and jeans, nothing like the formal uniforms I was used to seeing pack warriors wear.
He smiled warmly as he approached.
"Hi, I’m Cole," he said, extending his hand.
But I just stared down at it before instinctively inching closer to Raven, my heart racing nervously.
"She doesn’t trust strangers," Raven said in my defense.
"That’s okay." The man lowered his hand easily before his gaze shifted toward the bags. "Let me help with those."
"Thank you," Raven replied.
Cole picked up my bags effortlessly and loaded them into the back of the SUV.
"Cole’s an old friend," Raven explained quietly as she turned toward me. "He’s worked for me for years. He’s helped transport... sensitive cargo before."
"Sensitive cargo?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Raven smirked slightly. "That’s what I call people who need to disappear. Don’t take it personally."
I honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or feel offended.
"He’s trustworthy," Raven continued, her voice softening again. "I wouldn’t send you with him if he wasn’t."
I glanced toward Cole.
He was leaning casually against the SUV now, deliberately giving us space. His attention stayed on the trees surrounding the property instead of me.
My throat tightened.
"What if..."
"No more what ifs," Raven cut in firmly. "You’re going to be fine. You’re going to get to the safe house, rest, and heal. Then I’m going to join you in a week. Okay?"
I nodded slowly, blinking back tears.
"Okay."
The second the word left my mouth, Raven pulled me into a tight hug.
"Thank you so much for everything," I muttered against her shoulder, fighting back even more tears. "How can I ever repay you for this?"
"Well... there is one way," she said softly.
I pulled back slightly, confused, but before I could react, she suddenly cupped my face and crashed her lips against mine.
My entire body went rigid.
For a second, I was too stunned to even breathe as her warm lips pressed against mine, nibbling desperately at my lower lip.
My eyes stayed open wide in shock, watching the way her lashes brushed against her cheeks and the faint tremble in her hands where they held my jaw.
Then she slowly pulled away.
My eyes were still widened in disbelief.
"We’re even now," she whispered, forcing her gaze away from mine. "So go."
