"Good morning!" I called into the first room of my morning rounds cheerfully. "Ready or not, it's time for breakfast."

"Fuck off!" A gravelly voice snapped in response from below the covers.

As expected. I would've worried if the reply was nice.

Isabella Cienfuegos was, in her own words, 'a tired, old bitch who has already lived far longer than she ever expected' despite only being thirty-five. Isabella had lived among humans for years, until an unfortunate run-in with werewolf hunters landed her at the gates of our castle, more dead than alive. She was almost completely healed and ready to leave now.

Despite Isabella's morning temper, I'd be sad to see her go. Having lived with humans, she wasn't like most other werewolves. Certainly not like pack warriors. At least she treated me with respect and said 'thank you' now and then.

The covers rustled, and Isabella sat up with the worst case of bedhead. I couldn't help but chuckle at the way one dark brown curl ended up pasted to her forehead.

Isabella glared at me while she tugged the disobedient curl free. "Don't laugh! You're the reason for my abysmal state."

I shot her a surprised look, playing along as I placed a tray with breakfast on Isabella's nightstand. "What? It's already eight in the morning. I let you sleep in!"

Isabella reached for the cup of coffee first. She looked at me over the edge of the cup and took a sip.

"I'm not talking about this morning. I'm talking about that ruckus last night."

I froze and Isabella raised a brow, her interest piqued.

"Hit a nerve, did I?" she asked. "Who's this new patient? I didn't hear them being wheeled into the West wing. So, did they go to the North wing... or perhaps even the East wing? Either way, it must be serious."

It was serious, alright. If even my dad didn't immediately know what to do with a patient, it was extra bad. Not to mention the identity of the man. Luan, the Alpha pair's son...

He was in my dream last night, after I left him with Dad. In the dream he was also unconscious in the twin bed, but I was beside him with my head on his chest and his scent filling my nose.

I pushed the thought away.

"I don't know what happened to the new patient," I lied. "I prepared a bed, and after that my dad dismissed me and handled it all."

Isabella's eyebrow raised further. "You think you can keep secrets from dear old Isabella? Alright then, don't tell me. It's much more fun to find out on my own, anyway."

I snorted, half-amused and half extremely worried. I didn't doubt Isabella was in fact going to ask around.

She tapped a finger to her lip. "Maybe I will start with asking those hard-eyed warriors that stomped into the West wing last night. They gave some of us here a good scare, too. Poor Petra thought they'd found her again."

I stiffened again. This time, out of anger. Petra was a frail werewolf. She had opened up to my mother about what enemy warriors had done to her, and even Mom had come out of that therapy session pale-faced.

"Did they bother you or Petra?" I asked curtly. "If so, they're leaving immediately."

"Look at you being protective, cute." Isabella smiled. "No, they didn't bother Petra. And heaven knows if they had bothered me, I would've sent them running with their tails between their legs. It's more their presence here that bothers people. Pack warriors make them anxious, you know?"

I understood that sentiment all too well.

"Noted," I said. "I'll make sure my father knows after my rounds. Thanks, Isabella."

I walked to the door while Isabella made a 'don't mention it' dismissive wave with her hand. Before leaving, I poked my head into her room one last time.

"Don't question those pack warriors about what happened. I mean it," I warned Isabella.

The rest of my breakfast round, I got similar questions from other patients. Petra clamped me and asked me if I was sure nobody had found her.

Petra's wide, fearful eyes broke my heart. But I pretended over and over I knew nothing in every new patient room.

Thankfully, the pack warriors stayed near the East wing area, protecting their Alpha. I spotted them in the hallway on my way to my father's office. My eyes briefly lingered on the heavy double doors, and I wondered if Luan had woken up already.

I wanted to see him. I wanted to breathe in his scent.

I'd looked at the East wing doors too long. One of the two warriors took a threatening step forward.

"Move along," he brusquely ordered.

I promptly did as he told me, picking up my pace with my eyes on the ground. I could take it. But if they treated patients whose mind was a little more fragile like this, that was a problem. I walked straight to Dad's office. I closed the soundproof door behind me, making sure the warriors nor other werewolves in the facility could hear me. Every patient room had them, too, to give everyone some privacy.

"They can't stay here," I promptly blurted the moment Dad looked up at me. "Those warriors. They're making everyone anxious with their presence. The patients complained."

I'd caught my dad mid-bite during his lunch. He chewed and swallowed calmly before responding.

"I understand, but I'm afraid these men aren't leaving unless last night's patient is leaving."

I crossed my arms. I could've expected that answer, but that didn't mean I liked it. Nor that I would easily accept it.

"Can the patient be moved, then?" I suggested. "Perhaps to a more private facility. I'm sure his parents have access to one."

The moment I suggested it, my chest clenched. Logically , my words made perfect sense. It seemed like my heart disagreed. I couldn't entirely explain why, but it felt like an awful mistake to suggest Luan left me — the castle. That he left the castle.

"Of course they have private facilities," my dad said. "But Winterpeaks is remote, difficult to reach unspotted, and far away from territorial fights."

"Fine, but can we at least agree to place those warriors in their own private quarters away from patients?" I persisted. "At the very least, they shouldn't be permitted to enter the West or North wing from now on."

Dad let out a small sigh and nodded. "You're right. Placing them in the West wing was a poor makeshift solution. I'll let them know they'll have to sleep elsewhere."

"Thank you," I said, relieved.

There was no reason to assume he wouldn't listen to me, but it secretly put me at ease as well if I was sure there'd be no warriors on my work-floor.

I had a peaceful day today; I was only scheduled for morning breakfast rounds, lunch rounds, and dinner rounds. Other staff members, Rena and Lou, handled patient care today.

But the rare free time, which was usually a blessing to me, appeared to be a curse today.

I was restless. A strange restless that made me pace around in my room. No matter how I tried to distract myself with books, texting friends, and watching shows, my thoughts kept drifting back to Luan.

The warriors and the Alpha's presence made me so anxious I could hardly think of anything else.

I was just about to go for my last resort: shift to my wolf form and run a few laps around the castle, when I heard a commotion in the hallway. Even through my thick doors, I heard a male voice yelling.

"Wait!"

Whoever he told to 'wait' didn't listen. Heavy footsteps dashed up the stairs. I went over to my door. It could be panicked patients; we had them sometimes. If so, I had to help.

I realised very late the footsteps were in fact traveling towards me rapidly. I could barely jump out of the way when my bedroom door got kicked in and a furious warrior appeared on the other side.

"You!" he growled.

He grabbed me by the front of my shirt and snarled at me. "What did you do?!"

My heart pounded. I tried to rip myself free with trembling hands, but the warrior was way too strong.

"Did what to who?" I asked frantically. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Stop this instant!" a second booming voice, which belonged to the other warrior, rang out from the door opening.

He looked just as furious, if not more so, as the first warrior. "You understand our Alpha will rip us to shreds if it's him and anything happens to this houseboy. It doesn't matter what we think."

I still didn't understand what the hell was happening, but warrior one listened to his friend. His nostrils flared. He breathed heavily, but he let go of my shirt and shoved me away.

With one last murderous glare, he turned and marched out of my bedroom, stomping over my demolished door. The second warrior, who was more collected than his friend but also didn't seem happy with me at all, exhaled loudly. His strong reluctance for what he said next was clear.

"Follow me, houseboy."