Rejected the Alpha, Now I'm the Most Beloved Luna

They got back to the hospital pretty quick. Facing what she had to do, Perry finally managed to calm herself.

She walked straight into the room, leaving Richard behind. Benjamin was still passed out but looking way better-his face had some color now. Perry took his hand and started treating the organs the virus had wrecked over the past month.

Richard told the other healers helping her that no one was allowed to question her decisions or spill anything about who she really was. If anyone crossed the line, they were out of the pack. The treatment went on until evening, and by the time it ended, Benjamin was waking up.

He struggled to open his eyes and saw the girl sitting by his bed. Perry let go of his hand, pushed her hair back, and her pretty face was completely visible. Benjamin had never seen a female wolf that stunning-he was momentarily stunned.

With a soft smile, Perry asked, "Feeling any better, Mr. Scott?"

"It doesn't hurt that much anymore," Benjamin replied without thinking. He couldn't help staring at her, his heart racing a bit. His eyes were clear, just a bit shaky, and his voice weak. "You saved me, didn't you?"

Perry nodded. She pulled the blanket up for him and tucked his hand underneath, totally missing the way his face had just turned pink. "You need to rest. Give it some time, and you'll be back on your feet."

"Thank you," Benjamin murmured with a gentle smile.

He kept his gaze locked on her big, bright eyes. He had no clue who she was, but he knew one thing-when he was hanging by a thread, she pulled him back. He suddenly felt like saying more.

Right then, Richard walked in. He'd been standing at the door, watching since Benjamin woke up. His expression was hard to read, not quite angry, but definitely off. He looked at Benjamin and said, "I'll send someone in to take care of you."

Richard saw the way Perry smiled at his brother, saw that look in Benjamin's eyes-so full of wonder and... something else. Jealousy hit Richard hard for a second, and he didn't like it one bit.

Perry didn't notice his mood at all. Her mind was still focused on Benjamin as she gave him one last check. Satisfied he was stable, she stood up and left without even glancing at Richard.

He was about to follow her when Benjamin called out, "Richard, can we talk for a sec?"

Richard hesitated, looked back at his brother lying weakly in bed, and decided to stay.

Meanwhile, Perry was already out of the hospital. Richard stood there distracted, feeling her presence fade. She left the Bloodmoon Pack without even telling him where she was going, and that hit him harder than he expected.

Right now, Perry was on her way to treat Tom Pierce for his syphilis. It was something they'd agreed on earlier. She didn't have a steady job, and healing werewolves was both her hobby and a way to make money.

Tom had managed to message her, and they'd arranged to meet at a restaurant.

As Perry stepped out of the car, she spotted him right away-sitting in a quiet corner, trying hard not to draw attention to himself. She walked over calmly and took a seat across from him without so much as a hello.

"Give me your hand. I need to check it."

Tom handed it over, and she placed her fingers on his wrist. After a brief moment, she let go, pulled out a folded note and a pen from her bag, and scribbled a formula down on it.

"You need to take this consistently. Find a healer to make it up for you."

"Got it," Tom said quickly, snatching the note like it was a winning lottery ticket. "Miss Lake, if this cures me, I'll owe you big time. Anything you need-just say the word. I mean it."

He looked up at her with gratitude shining in his eyes, but then suddenly ducked his head and turned his face toward the wall. Perry raised an eyebrow, thrown off by his odd move. She glanced around instinctively.

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," Tom answered, his tone rough. "Just thinking of a way to thank you."

Perry frowned, puzzled-until she spotted them: Richard Scott and Mara Morgan, not far off.

Mara had her arm looped intimately through Richard's, walking close beside him, smiling soft and sweet like they were the perfect mated pair. Perry's jaw tensed, lips pressing together before she looked away.

Her thoughts went in a million directions-flashes of Richard's kiss earlier, now replaced by the sight of him with Mara. Her chest tightened.

Once Tom saw they were gone, he finally turned back to her and lowered his voice.

"Miss Lake... you're Alpha Richard's mate, aren't you? If I'd known, I swear I wouldn't have made that stupid deal with Francis!"

He had clearly assumed Richard saved her because she was his mate. Perry felt her mood nosedive even more.

"No, I'm not. And Alpha Richard already has one. You saw her just now-that she-wolf next to him."

"What?" Tom looked like he'd seen a ghost. Sweat popped out on his forehead, and panic flickered in his eyes. The woman with Richard-Mara Morgan-was someone he'd slept with not long ago.

Shit. If Richard ever found out, it wouldn't just be him that paid the price-his whole pack could be dragged down with him.

Perry caught the fear radiating off Tom and found it weirdly amusing. She had no clue what he was really panicking about, though. She just assumed he misunderstood something.

"You thought I was his mate? Seriously? No way. And don't worry-I'm not gonna castrate you."

"Even if you keep quiet, Mara's gonna get Richard to kill me," Tom freaked out in his head.

He forced a shaky smile, clearly scrambling for words. "I mean... how could Alpha Richard even go for someone like her? She's got nothing on you. You're way more his type."

Perry didn't take the compliment well. Her heart sank, and she really didn't want to keep digging into this topic. So she moved on. "Well, as long as Alpha Richard's happy with her, that's all that matters, right? Why do you care so much about who his mate is?"

"You're right, yeah," Tom replied, voice low and full of dread. He got up too fast, clearly itching to bail, clutching the prescription tightly. He left in a hurry, muttering to himself about Mara the whole way out.

He remembered when Belen showed up with his guys-only then did he realize he'd messed up. He thought he'd slept with Perry, but nope, it was Mara. Belen's decision to keep it under wraps meant Silverfang Pack didn't want word getting out. As long as Tom stayed quiet, Richard wouldn't find out, so no revenge.

That calmed him down a little. But then his mind turned dark again. What if he'd given Mara his disease? And then she passed it to Richard? That would be a total disaster.

Tom shook off the thought, panicking. Whatever. Not his problem. He just needed to lay low.

Meanwhile, Perry watched him leave in such a fluster, frowning. Something about that whole conversation felt off... but she couldn't put her finger on what was missing. Letting out a sigh, she decided to just let it go for now.

Back at the hotel, Gina greeted her at the door, practically bouncing. She threw her arms around Perry in a big, excited hug.

"I still can't believe you actually managed to treat Alpha's brother! That's insane!" she beamed.

Perry chuckled, flashing a smug smile. "You know healing's my thing."

"Bet Pierce was scared out of his mind, huh? Dylan told me Richard beat the crap out of him. Oh-and what about that jerk Francis? After what he did to you, you're not just gonna let that slide... right?"

"Of course not," Perry said, voice sharp. "I've already got a plan. You'll see soon enough."

Getting Tom Pierce on her side was part of why she helped him at all. Francis would never guess she'd turn things around this way.

Now, with him in her corner, she could finally go after Francis with no worries.