Chapter 3

Emerald

My head throbbed as I gradually roused from sleep, instinctively trying to soothe the pain by gently massaging my temples. My heavy eyelids protested as they lifted, and I winced at the intrusive, bright sunlight that flooded my room. 

I was still in a daze, my mind struggling to piece together the events of last night, when a sudden knock on my door interrupted my thoughts. I yawned before sluggishly making my way to it and swung it open, not expecting to find anyone in particular.

To my surprise, there stood Mathilda.

"What are you doing here this early?" I wondered aloud.

Her eyes widened, and she chuckled, "Early, you say? Girl, it's almost noon. You wake up late," she responded with a teasing grin.

My eyes unconsciously darted toward the wall clock, and a sudden realization hit me. Mathilda was absolutely right. "Jeez!" I exclaimed, a rush of panic coursing through me. "I hope you came here early. I'm going to be late." 

Mathilda only laughed, thoroughly amused by my panic, as she perched herself on my swivel chair and casually scanned my entire room. 

"Chill, Em," she joked. "It's your first day, they won't mind if you're a little late."

I rolled my eyes at Mathilda. I don't want to make a bad impression.

Today is the first day that I will begin working in the homestead clinic. My schedule will likely alter next month, and I'll likely be doing my duties at the center. Speaking of which, the thought of last night hurt my heart. 

I hissed in frustration, annoyed that of all the times, these memories chose to resurface when I was in such a hurry. Shaking my head, I pushed aside any thoughts of Matthew and focused on the task at hand. I quickly took a short bath and changed into comfortable clothes without bothering to style my hair, letting it flow loosely. A touch of makeup was all I needed to breathe life into my pale skin.

"Let's go, Mathilda."

My dear friend had actually taken a day off from her work at the center just to accompany me on my first day at the clinic. I'm not a child in need of support, and I can certainly go to the clinic alone. However, she insisted, and in some way, I found myself appreciating her even more.

"Are you not going to eat first?" she asked as we descended the stairs. "Your mother and father just left when I arrived earlier. They said they'll visit the farm to harvest some oranges."

"I have no time, Mathilda. If I eat I'd be really late," I replied.

"Oh, who's to blame?" she uttered in a malicious manner. "Hangover? Or someone else?"

Annoyed, I shot her a death glare. She had been teasing me since last night, relentlessly prying into why I had rejected Matthew when, in fact, it was Matthew who had rejected me. That freaking idiot had spewed lies to my friend, and she had naively believed it.

"My body was simply exhausted, plus the hangover," I tried to justify myself. "And in case you forgot, I was jetlagged and got home late last night."

Mathilda only gave me a smirk. "Whatever you say, princess."

I didn't pay much attention to her anymore, especially since we were almost at the clinic, which was just a short distance away from my house. We lived in the vicinity, close to the main building of the homestead where the clinic was located. So, it'll only take a few minutes to get there.

The clinic had a decent space for outpatients, but the equipment was outdated. As Mathilda and I entered, we noticed only two medical practitioners present, and they informed us that they were only assigned here for the month.

Red Moon had numerous clinics scattered throughout the area, but the pack had only a handful of doctors, with some having retired due to old age. Werewolves didn't age like humans; even if we lived for hundreds of years, our strength remained that of a human teenager. Perhaps the Alpha has them retired for them to spend more time with their families and make up for lost time.

"In a week, how many patients usually come here?" I asked, genuinely curious.

I had expected the clinic to be a stressful place to work, but I never imagined it would be this quiet and relaxing. Mathilda was already enjoying a cup of coffee, sipping it leisurely as she sat comfortably on a wooden chair, seemingly quite at ease in this setting.

"Three to four, sometimes more during harvest times. But on a normal occasion, we rarely have patients here," replied Maya, the short-haired girl who was one of the medical practitioners.

"Three to four patients?" I muttered, a bit surprised. Back in the States, I used to see that many patients in just half a day. But then again, this clinic was more like a small hospital room.

"Don't get too comfortable, Em," Mathilda chimed in. "If you end up working in the center, things will be a lot different."

Well, that's a given. The hospital in the center is a hundred times bigger than here, and the population there is much larger than in the homestead. I couldn't help but wish that I would never be assigned there, just so I wouldn't have to see Matthew again.

That stupid jerk.

We were in the midst of a conversation when a woman in her fifties suddenly burst into the clinic. Tears streamed down her face, and she appeared to be in pain. My eyes instinctively scanned her body and noticed traces of blood on her arms and neck.

"Lumina, what happened?" Maya asked with concern. She seemed to know Lumina well, having worked on and off at this place for some time. While I was born in the homestead, I had been away for a long time, so I had forgotten some of the residents.

"I fell on the rocks again," Lumina explained.

Maya took charge of assisting the distressed woman, while Mathilda, Jess, and I retreated to the staff room.

"She probably self-harmed again," Jess commented, referring to Lumina.

My brow furrowed in confusion. Self-harm? But didn't Lumina say she had fallen on the rocks? Mathilda seemed to pick up on my confusion. "Lumina struggles with mental health problems." 

Mental health issues? In that case, Lumina needed to see a psychiatrist or someone specialized in dealing with such problems. If her condition persisted and she continued to engage in self-harm, it could become even more dangerous.

"What's worse is that sometimes she harms the locals," Mathilda continued. "I remember one time when the Luna paid a visit here, Lumina mistook her for her husband's killer. She actually harmed her, but luckily, Alpha Nicholas intervened."

That's alarming. However, it wasn't just Lumina's situation that caught my attention, but also Mathilda's mention of our Luna. If I recall correctly, during the ceremony last night, I hadn't seen any Luna.

"Who's our Luna? I didn't see her last night," I blurted out.

Mathilda glanced at me. "Your parents didn't tell you?"

I stared at her, puzzled. "Tell me what?"

"Alpha Nicholas killed the Luna's parents because of a past feud. It's like some sort of revenge. The Luna's parents killed Alpha Nicholas' parents, and then Alpha Nicholas killed the Luna's parents. So, Luna Aria fled," Jess explained.

I was taken aback. "Wait, what?"

"Does that mean the pack doesn't have a Luna now? The Alpha didn't find a replacement?" I asked, perplexed.

Typically, Alphas would find a replacement for their lost Luna. At least, that's what I had read in the news. Unless they succumbed to the pain and allowed it to drive them to insanity. They said losing your mate was the most excruciating torment one could endure, and I couldn't help but agree.

"We don't know, Em," Mathilda replied. "The Alpha hasn't said much about it, but there are rumors that he's searching for her."

I had so many questions swirling in my mind when suddenly, Maya entered the staff room. However, it wasn't her entrance that shocked me; it was the man following behind her that made my eyes widen in horror. What the heck is he doing here?