The news of Captain Rodriguez's miraculous recovery spread through Moonridge Pack like wildfire, and within days, Luna found her clinic busier than it had ever been. Pack members who had never needed her services before were suddenly discovering ailments that required the attention of the "miracle healer," and Luna was struggling to separate genuine medical needs from curiosity seekers.
"Dr. Nightwood," her assistant Rebecca said during a brief break between patients, "I've had to turn away twelve people today who admitted they just wanted to see you work. Mrs. Peterson actually said she wanted to 'witness magic in action' even though she's perfectly healthy."
Luna rubbed her temples, feeling the beginning of a headache. "What about actual patients? Are we keeping up with legitimate medical needs?"
"Barely," Rebecca admitted. "But Luna, there's something else. Alpha Marcus has called three times today asking to schedule a meeting with you. He says it's urgent pack business related to your healing abilities."
Luna sighed deeply. Ever since the incident with Captain Rodriguez, Marcus had been persistent in his attempts to speak with her privately. She had managed to avoid him for a week, but she knew she couldn't dodge the pack's Alpha indefinitely.
"Fine," she said reluctantly. "Schedule something for after hours. I don't want pack business interfering with patient care."
That afternoon brought a particularly challenging case that reminded Luna why she had fallen in love with healing work in the first place. Seven-year-old Emma Thompson had been brought in by her frantic parents after falling from a tree and landing badly on her left arm. The break was severe, and the little girl was in significant pain despite the pain medication Dr. Kim had administered at the main facility.
"The bone is shattered in three places," Luna explained gently to Emma's parents, Michael and Sarah. "Conventional surgery would require pins and a long recovery time. But if you're comfortable with it, I'd like to try a different approach."
Michael and Sarah exchanged glances. Like most pack members, they had heard stories about Luna's abilities, but experiencing them firsthand was different from listening to rumors.
"Is it safe?" Sarah asked anxiously.
"Completely safe," Luna assured her. "I'll be encouraging Emma's natural healing processes to work more efficiently. The worst-case scenario is that it doesn't work and we proceed with conventional treatment."
With the parents' consent, Luna gently placed her hands over Emma's injured arm. The little girl watched with wide, curious eyes as Luna's hands began to emit their characteristic soft glow.
"Does it hurt?" Emma whispered.
"Not at all," Luna replied with a warm smile. "It might feel warm and tingly, like when your foot falls asleep and then wakes up."
As Luna worked, she could feel the shattered bone fragments slowly moving back into alignment. Emma's natural healing factor was strong—children always healed faster than adults—and Luna was able to accelerate the process until the bones knitted back together perfectly.
"There," Luna said softly, removing her hands after twenty minutes of careful work. "Try moving your fingers, Emma."
Emma flexed her fingers experimentally, then moved her arm in a small circle. Her face lit up with delight. "It doesn't hurt anymore! Mommy, look, it's all better!"
Sarah Thompson burst into tears of relief, pulling her daughter into a gentle hug while Michael shook Luna's hand with obvious gratitude.
"Dr. Nightwood, I don't know how to thank you," Michael said earnestly. "Emma's been looking forward to the pack's summer games for months. If she had needed surgery and months of recovery..."
"I'm just glad I could help," Luna replied, making notes in Emma's chart. "Keep the arm in a sling for the rest of today just as a precaution, but she should be fine to resume normal activities tomorrow."
As the Thompson family left, Luna felt the familiar satisfaction that came from using her gifts to make a real difference. This was why she had become a healer—moments like these, when she could restore a child's joy and a family's peace of mind.
Her contentment was interrupted by Rebecca's announcement that Alpha Marcus had arrived for his appointment. Luna took a few minutes to center herself before asking Rebecca to show him into her consultation room.
Marcus entered looking more uncertain than Luna had ever seen him. Gone was the confident Alpha who had rejected her so coldly three years ago. In his place was a man who seemed genuinely nervous about the conversation he was about to have.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me," Marcus began, settling into the chair across from her desk. "I know this is... complicated, given our history."
"This is about pack business," Luna replied firmly. "Our personal history isn't relevant to my duties as a pack doctor."
Marcus flinched slightly at her cold tone, but pressed on. "Luna, what you did for Captain Rodriguez, what I've been hearing about your other cases... your abilities have grown far beyond anything we imagined when you first started training with Dr. Moonwhisper."
"Is there a point to this, Alpha?" Luna asked, checking her watch pointedly.
"The point is that I believe you may be in danger," Marcus said bluntly. "The attack on our border patrol wasn't random. We've received intelligence that suggests rogue packs are specifically targeting gifted healers."
Luna's attention sharpened despite her desire to end the conversation quickly. "What kind of intelligence?"
"Reports from allied packs about similar attacks. Healers being kidnapped or killed, their abilities being somehow... harvested by dark magic practitioners." Marcus leaned forward earnestly. "Luna, there are forces out there that would see your gifts as a threat to be eliminated or a resource to be exploited."
The information was disturbing, but Luna kept her expression neutral. "I appreciate the warning, Alpha. I'll take appropriate precautions."
"That's not enough," Marcus said urgently. "Luna, I think you should consider accepting the offer from the Northern Territories."
Luna stared at him in shock. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I know about the job offer," Marcus admitted. "Dr. Blackthorne spoke with me before approaching you, as a courtesy to your current Alpha. Luna, the Northern Territories has the resources to protect you, to help you develop your abilities safely. Here, you're exposed and vulnerable."
Luna felt a surge of anger that surprised her with its intensity. "So you want me to leave Moonridge? Just like that?"
"I want you to be safe," Marcus replied, and there was something in his voice that sounded almost desperate. "Luna, I know I have no right to ask anything of you after what I did. But I can't bear the thought of something happening to you because I failed to protect you properly."
Luna stood up abruptly, pacing to the window that looked out over the pack grounds. Three years of careful emotional control threatened to crack as she processed Marcus's words.
"You failed to protect me?" she repeated, her voice dangerously quiet. "Marcus, you didn't fail to protect me three years ago. You chose to abandon me. There's a difference."
"I know," Marcus said quietly. "Luna, I know I made the biggest mistake of my life when I rejected you. I've regretted it every day since."
Luna turned to face him, and for the first time in three years, she let him see the full force of her anger and pain. "Do you know what your regret means to me now, Marcus? Nothing. Less than nothing. Because it's not based on who I was then—it's based on who I've become in spite of what you did to me."
Marcus recoiled as if she had slapped him. "Luna—"
"You fell in love with my abilities, not with me," Luna continued, her voice gaining strength. "Three years ago, I was the same person with the same heart and the same capacity for love. But I wasn't impressive enough for you then. I wasn't powerful enough to offset the political advantages of marrying Vivian."
"That's not—" Marcus began, but Luna cut him off.
"It's exactly true," she said firmly. "And the fact that you can't see the difference proves that you never really knew me at all. You're not trying to protect me, Marcus. You're trying to assuage your guilt by making sure the asset you discarded doesn't get damaged."
The words hung in the air between them like a blade. Marcus looked as if he had been physically wounded, his face pale and his hands trembling slightly.
"I deserved that," he said finally. "But Luna, regardless of my motivations, the danger is real. Please, at least consider the possibility that staying here puts you at risk."
Luna took a deep breath, forcing herself to step back from the emotional precipice she had been approaching. "I'll consider all my options, Alpha. But my decision will be based on what's best for my career and my patients, not on your belated attempts at protectiveness."
Marcus nodded slowly, standing to leave. At the door, he paused and turned back. "For what it's worth, Luna, I think you're magnificent. Not because of your abilities, but because of the strength and grace you've shown in building a life from the wreckage I created. You deserve so much more than what I gave you."
After he left, Luna sat in her consultation room for a long time, staring at the Northern Territories folder that seemed to mock her from its place on her desk. Marcus's visit had clarified something important—she couldn't make this decision based on running from her past or proving anything to anyone.
If she accepted the position in the Northern Territories, it had to be because it was genuinely the best path forward for her career and her abilities. Not because she was afraid of rogue attacks, not because Marcus thought she should go, and not because staying at Moonridge felt safe and familiar.
That evening, Luna found herself in her garden once again, seeking the clarity that came from working with her hands in the earth. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice David approaching until he cleared his throat gently.
"You look like someone who's had a very long day," he observed, settling on the garden bench with two cups of tea.
"Marcus came to see me," Luna said without preamble. "He thinks I should accept the Northern Territories offer."
David was quiet for a moment. "What do you think?"
"I think I'm tired of making decisions based on what other people think I should do," Luna replied honestly. "I spent three years proving that I didn't need Marcus's approval. I'm not going to start needing it now."
"Good," David said simply. "Luna, can I tell you something? Watching you work this week, seeing how you handle impossible cases and help people who have nowhere else to turn... I think you're exactly where you're supposed to be. But if that changes, if you decide your destiny lies elsewhere, that's okay too."
Luna looked at him in the gathering dusk, this patient, kind man who had somehow become an anchor in her life without her quite realizing it. "David, why are you so good to me?"
David smiled softly. "Because you're easy to be good to, Luna. And because everyone deserves someone in their corner, especially someone who spends all her time taking care of everyone else."
As they sat together in comfortable silence, Luna realized that for the first time since receiving the Northern Territories offer, she felt completely calm about the decision ahead of her. Whatever she chose, it would be her choice, made for her own reasons.
And that felt like freedom.