Chapter 15
Gracie
“Gracie Holloway?”
My eyes lifted to a woman slipping into the room through a series of thick curtains, closing them behind her to create a private space for Ravik and me. I hadn’t been to a healer—hadn’t been allowed any kind of medical care—in over a decade, so naturally I was a little uneasy.
It helped knowing Basir and Thornar were just outside, too. The facility had allowed only one extra person to come with me, and my mates had decided on Ravik. The room was too small to fit any more.
Even though I was nervous, I was grateful Zia had pushed me to come. I wouldn’t have done it myself, and with how awful I still felt, it was probably necessary.
“Yes. Hi,” I said, sitting up a little straighter as the healer took the chair across from us. I was perched on a medical table that felt more like a bed, with Ravik seated beside me, our fingers intertwined.
Her gaze shifted to him, offering a small nod. “Ravik Gentry, we’re honored to have your family here. For transparency, I’m Alpha Lacey’s sister, Starr. Lead healer of this territory.”
She paused, no doubt noticing the way Ravik straightened at that piece of information, before addressing her next comment directly to me.
“If you’re not comfortable with me conducting your exam, I can have one of my assistants step in.
I will, however, have to review your information to ensure that they are correct in their conclusions. ”
“I’m okay with it,” I said honestly, clearing my throat and wincing at the pain. “I haven’t had any kind of medical exam in years.”
Starr jotted something down, offering me a curious look. “When was the last time you saw a healer? Do you remember?”
“I think it was right around my eleventh birthday, about ten years ago,” I explained. “I’ve lived in the Cold Moon Pack territory until recently.”
“A decade? That would make you twenty-one?” Starr barely masked her surprise, her gaze darting to Ravik whose hand was tightening in mine. I knew that none of this made him happy to hear, but it was also unavoidable. I couldn’t change what nearly half of my life had included.
“Yes.”
Starr’s aura was grounded and calm. It reminded me of Zia, and the way she nodded thoughtfully and moved toward a sink to wash her hands made me want to know what she was thinking. I also appreciated that her pace wasn’t rushed. The confidence and certainty of it lessened my anxiety.
“And we aren’t just in here for a normal physical, I’m assuming?” she asked, turning toward me. “I haven’t read the full brief you provided, but I can tell that you’re running a temperature and have a sore throat. Anything else I’m missing?”
It was almost unsettling how much she had gleaned during the couple of minutes she’d been in the room with me.
“I’m also very tired,” I admitted.
She nodded and approached, lifting her hand. “May I?”
“Of course.”
Ravik didn’t let go of my hand as Starr began her exam.
I wasn’t sure if it was because I hadn’t been around a healer in so long, but much like the priestess magic, this felt like such a different thread of power than my own.
Everywhere she touched, from my pulse, to my head, to the center of my chest—even as she listened to my heart with a thin metal device—carried a pulse of warmth that felt like golden sunlight moving across my skin.
She wasn’t healing yet, just observing.
Her frown was slight but noticeable enough for Ravik to sit up straight. His question was unspoken, but she answered it. “You’ve been running on very little for a very long time, Gracie. Every power reserve you have, every physical reserve you have is almost empty.”
That wasn’t good. The muscle in Ravik’s jaw jumped once before he went completely still beside me.
“With that being said,” she continued, her finger moving to my temple, eyes closing. “I can tell that the little amount of energy you have left is new and seems to be fueled in part by your mates.”
She pulled back and tilted her head. “Your health needs to become a priority—you’ll need to repair it slowly and steadily rather than all at once. We have a tonic that will help with that. I’ll be sure to have a supply sent with you.”
“What does it do?” Ravik asked.
“Think of it as a vitamin of sorts. It fixes nutritional deficiencies,” Starr said. Then her expression sobered. “With that being said, it will not fix all damage.
“I know very little about your life, Gracie, but I can tell that your body has been worn down by stress. That you haven’t been able to rest.” She paused, her tone quieter now.
“I would highly suggest seeing a healer regularly in the upcoming months, more than the normal prescribed amount, and a specialist who can help ground your magic and energy. The toll this has taken on your body is significant.”
I could hear that she was really trying to convey how serious this was.
Ravik squeezed my hand as I nodded in understanding. It shouldn’t have surprised me that my time in the Cold Moon Pack had left such a mark, but at the same time it was almost embarrassing that she could tell.
As Starr went to sit and jot a few things down, she spoke more openly.
“What you have now is a simple cold, but naturally it feels worse than that. Oftentimes when the body is placed under prolonged stress, it will have a delayed illness response—the body waits until it feels safe enough to be vulnerable. I believe that is exactly what is happening here.”
Which was exactly what Ravik had said on the plane, the conversation I’d overheard in the throes of my fever drifting back to me now.
“Beyond the tonics,” she said, jotting a few more words, “I will give you medicine to bring down the fever and relieve the soreness. If you get sick again, it shouldn’t feel as extreme. Your body simply knows it can afford to be now.”
“Thank you,” I said softly. “I was nervous coming in here. I didn’t know what to expect.”
Starr put down her pen and looked at me for a long moment before her gaze shifted to Ravik. When she spoke again, her tone was matter-of-fact.
“Considering everything you’ve shared and the deficiencies I’m sensing, there are a few other things I’d like to check. When was the first day of your last period?”
Oh.
My eyes widened as I tried my best to recall. “Maybe a year ago? I have never had a consistent period. In fact, I would go months without one.”
In a way it had been a blessing, given the circumstances, but now a sliver of doubt wormed its way in.
“Irregular cycles are a natural consequence of prolonged stress and poor nutrition. It doesn’t surprise me, but it is something to be mindful of going forward. Now that your body has what it needs, things should regulate on their own within a few months. If they don’t, we can look further into it.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. “Will that affect my body long term?”
“In terms of reproduction, no. It shouldn’t, unless there are underlying conditions. Most likely your body was protecting itself, preserving energy the only way it knew how.”
“Okay, thank you. And thank you for doing this exam. I know you aren’t the healer I would normally see, but having answers makes me feel a lot better, even if the rest of me doesn’t quite feel it yet.”
“Of course. That’s what healers are for.” She stood, tucking her notes under her arm. “My assistants will gather everything you need. In the meantime, I’d suggest rest and a stop at one of the local apothecaries. There’s one in town that makes lemon and honey cough drops that work wonders.”
As Starr closed the curtains behind her, my body slumped. Ravik let out a low rumble. “You okay, lux mea?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “I was so relieved to finally be living again that I didn’t stop to consider the rest of it.”
Ravik didn’t answer right away. Instead he lifted me onto his lap in one easy move, his lips pressing to the top of my head as I let out a slow breath against him.
“Empty.” His arms tightened around me. “She said you were running on empty, Gracie.
“That will never happen again.”
The fresh air hit me the moment we stepped outside, cool and damp against my skin, refreshing after the stillness of the healer’s wing. I hadn’t realized how much I needed it until I was breathing easier, the stone path beneath my feet soft with moss.
“Zia kept talking about you the entire time,” Thornar said after a moment, falling into step beside me. “How worried she was.”
That was so nice of her. Though we’d only had short interactions, I really liked Zia, and I was already looking forward to more time with her. At least once I was feeling better.
But for now, the fresh air and the quiet rhythm of this place were doing more for me than any medicine, and we still had the apothecary ahead.
My mates broke into quiet conversation as we took the path from Alpha Lacey’s home into town.
The sound of a nearby creek caught my attention, and the damp breeze seemed to lull everything into a slow, gentle rhythm.
The cottages we passed were spaced unevenly, built around the natural waterways, with people moving at an unhurried pace that felt… good. Really good.
Thornar stayed close by my side as we walked, his hand brushing mine while Basir and Ravik flanked us. By the time the apothecary came into view, tucked between two low buildings with herbs hanging in the windows, I realized my heart had slowed, my body finally starting to relax.
Unintentionally, this place was exactly what I needed right now.
A series of soft bells chimed as I pushed open the lavender-painted wooden door, the sound light and beautiful. Almost like the jet’s chime, but more cheery.
Warm air wrapped around me the moment we stepped inside, thick with the scent of herbs, oils, and something faintly sweet. Bundles of drying plants hung from the ceiling in clustered rows and shelves lined the walls, crowded with tins and dark bottles.
Everything felt carefully placed but well-used, the shop busy with at least six different people milling about. Several of them already had items gathered in their hands, moving through the shelves with quiet familiarity, like this wasn’t their first time here.
We turned down the third aisle, making our way toward a section marked mend on a cast-iron sign hanging from the ceiling. Two people stood at the end of the aisle, a man and a woman speaking in low, worried tones.
Keeping my gaze on the shelves, I started searching for cough drops, knowing my mates were close behind me.
“Gracie?”
I froze. That voice was very familiar, plucked straight from my childhood memories. Nori. I turned right away, taking in the woman who looked both exactly like the Nori I knew and someone much older.
That wasn’t what made my heart stutter, though. That was the result of the man who stood next to her.
“Owen?”