Chapter 83: The Healer’s Burden
The old healer’s private chamber was tucked deep in the eastern wing of the palace, far from the grand halls and council chambers. It smelled of dried herbs, aged parchment, and the faint, metallic tang of old magic that lingered like dust in the corners. Shelves lined the walls, crammed with jars of strange liquids, bundles of dried roots, and leather-bound books whose spines had faded with time. A single window let in a narrow beam of afternoon light, illuminating the heavy oak table where the healer worked.
Seren sat across from him, the ancient texts he had given her earlier resting between them. The bond with her mates hummed in the background. She had asked to meet the old healer alone, saying some truths needed to be faced without the weight of three alphas listening.
The old healer, Elora’s predecessor and the one who had guided the ritual that saved her life, looked older than Seren remembered. His silver hair was thinner, his hands more gnarled, but his eyes still held a sharp, haunted intelligence.
"You came," he said quietly, pouring two cups of steaming herbal tea. "I wondered if you would. Most who survive the change prefer to forget the cost."
Seren accepted the cup, letting the warmth seep into her fingers. "I can’t forget. The transformation saved me, but it also opened questions I can’t ignore. These texts you gave me... they speak of other humans who became wolf. Not many, but enough to suggest it wasn’t always this rare. Why did it stop? And why does it feel like the knowledge was deliberately buried?"
The healer’s gaze dropped to the table. He took a slow sip of tea, buying time. When he spoke, his voice was low and heavy with memory.
"Because it was dangerous. And because I was part of the reason it became forbidden."
Seren leaned forward, her golden-flecked eyes steady. "Tell me."
He sighed, the sound of a man unburdening a weight he had carried for decades. "My name was once different. I was young, ambitious, and in love. Her name was Lira. She was human, a healer like me, but born without the wolf gift. We worked together in the old temples, studying the barrier between species. I believed the divide was artificial...political, not natural. I thought if I could bridge it, we could be together without fear. Without her growing old while I remained strong."
He paused, fingers tracing the rim of his cup. "I performed forbidden rituals. Blood magic mixed with lunar rites. I tried to force the change on her. It... went wrong. She survived the transformation, but the wolf inside her was wild, uncontrollable. She lost herself. In the end, she begged me to end her suffering. I did. And I have carried that guilt ever since."
Seren’s breath caught. The bond flickered with her mates’ distant concern, but she kept her focus on the old man. "You experimented on the woman you loved."
"Yes," he admitted, voice cracking. "I thought I was saving her. Instead, I destroyed her. After that, the old kings outlawed all research into human-to-wolf transformation. They called it unnatural, dangerous. They burned most of the texts. I survived only because I hid what I knew and pretended to serve the new order. When you were brought to me, dying in the catacombs, I saw a second chance. Not to repeat my mistake, but to do it right; with consent, with balance, with the bond guiding the change."
Seren was silent for a long moment, processing the weight of his confession. "So the knowledge in these texts... it’s dangerous because it works. It could help others who want the change. Humans who feel trapped in a system that treats them as lesser. But it could also be used for harm; forced transformations, power grabs, new hierarchies."
The healer nodded slowly. "Exactly. That is my burden. I have the knowledge to open the door again. But once opened, it cannot be closed easily. Some humans will seek it for equality. Others for power. Some wolves will fear it as the end of their supremacy. You, Seren, stand at the centre of that choice. You are living proof it can be done safely. But you must decide whether to share the knowledge or keep it hidden."
Seren traced the edge of one of the ancient books. "If I keep it secret, I protect the kingdom from chaos. But I also deny people the chance to choose their own path. If I share it, I risk creating new divisions... those who transform and those who cannot or will not. How do I decide what is right?"
The healer’s eyes were sad but clear. "You decide the same way you survived the ritual, with your heart and your bond. The transformation is not just about power. It is about balance. Human and wolf. Old and new. You have lived both. Trust that perspective. But be careful. Lord Vesper and his conservatives already whisper that your existence is an abomination. If word spreads that others can follow your path, they will see it as the end of their world."
Seren thought of the servant whispers Lysa had brought her, the quiet meetings, the anger, the hope. She thought of her mother, Marina’s clinic, where humans and wolves already sought healing side by side. She thought of the bond that had saved her and remade her.
"I won’t decide alone," she said finally. "I will speak with my mates. And with those who lived as I once did. The choice must be shared, not imposed."
The healer nodded, relief and lingering guilt mixing in his expression. "Then I have done what I can. The burden is no longer only mine. Use the knowledge wisely, Seren. And remember, every transformation carries a cost. Not everyone who seeks it will survive the change... or the consequences."
As Seren left the chamber, the ancient texts tucked under her arm, she felt the weight of the decision settling on her shoulders. The bond reached for her immediately, warm and steady.
Kael’s voice came first, protective but trusting. *What did he tell you?*
*Truths,* she replied. *Dangerous ones. Beautiful ones. I need all of you to help me decide what to do with them.*
Aeron’s tone was measured. *We will face it together. No secrets between us.*
*Knowledge is power. But power without wisdom destroys. We will be careful.* Theron added.
Later that evening, in the royal chamber, Seren shared the healer’s confession with her mates. The fire crackled as she spoke of Lira, the forbidden rituals, the guilt that had haunted the old man for decades.
Kael’s reaction was immediate and visceral. "He experimented on the woman he loved? And nearly killed her? We cannot trust knowledge born from that kind of pain."
Aeron was more measured. "The knowledge itself may still be valuable. If we can understand the process, we can control it, and prevent tragedies. But we must be extremely careful who we share it with."
Theron’s eyes were thoughtful. "And the servants who are whispering about transformation... they will hear rumours eventually. If we hide it, they may seek dangerous, uncontrolled ways to achieve it. If we guide it, we risk opening a floodgate."
Seren looked at each of them, feeling the bond wrap around her like a living embrace. "I don’t want to decide for everyone. But I also don’t want to deny people the chance I was given. The transformation saved me. It made me whole. Maybe it can do the same for others, if done with consent, with support, with the bond guiding it."
The conversation continued late into the night, the four of them weighing the risks and possibilities. The healer’s burden had now become theirs.
The knowledge of transformation was no longer hidden.
The question was whether the realm was ready for what it might unleash.
