Chapter 0351

"We need easily digestible meals for the wounded. Start preparing that turkey soup you mentioned earlier. The injured will need it, along with anything else that might aid their recovery."

"Yes, Luna," she replies just as Leopold and Donovan return with medical supplies.

"You must be Isolde." A deep, unfamiliar voice speaks from behind me. I whirl around to see a man standing beside one of the warriors I assigned to guard the packhouse.

"Luna, this is—"

I know him. Somehow, I recognize this man. "Sebastian," I finish for her.

His answering smile is like sunlight piercing through storm clouds. "It's good to finally meet you," he says, glancing around. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances. Seraphina and I heard your call for assistance. I've brought warriors and my personal physician. Seraphina wanted to come, but she's pregnant, and I didn't know what we'd be walking into."

I shake my head. "Sebastian, thank you."

As I stare, he raises an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell your warrior squad to stand down so my pack can enter?" he asks dryly.

"Of course. Let them in," I instruct my pack member.

"Where's Victor?" Sebastian asks, stepping inside and immediately assessing the wounded.

"Here. He's been hit three times."

Sebastian moves to examine him, nodding. "Remove the bullets and the arrow, and he'll recover. I'd bet he'll be on his feet by morning."

I frown. "How do you know that?"

He smirks. "Perks of being mated to a Guardian."

His gaze lingers on me. "You've been avoiding us, Isolde. It's time Aurora met her sisters. You won't understand what it means to them—or to you—until her memories return. But it's time. We're family. Aurora just needs to remember that."

Sebastian picks up a scalpel and makes a precise incision near Victor’s shoulder before extracting the bullet with forceps. He drops it onto the floor.

"Seraphina has a silver immunity, so now I do too. I don’t think you share that Guardian trait, but you seem resistant to wolfsbane," he notes, nodding at my injured leg. "If that’s the case, Victor will have developed the same resistance. It’ll speed up his healing."

The moment Sebastian’s physician enters, Donovan’s head snaps up. "Mate!"

Her eyes lock onto his with equal intensity. "Mate."

"Well, damn. There goes my best doctor," Sebastian mutters, already working on the second bullet lodged in Victor’s thigh.

The adrenaline is fading, and Sebastian’s presence feels surreal, so my response comes out oddly casual. "Victor mentioned we have a lot of unmated pack members. He wants to organize gatherings between our three packs."

"Smart idea. Adrian and I did something similar, but we’ve mostly paired off our members by now."

"I’m annoyed about losing Dr. Whitmore, but we have another physician. Sounds like you need her here more anyway."

He shifts to remove the arrow from Victor’s thigh. "Hunters?" he guesses, glancing at me.

"Yes. A woman and her baby showed up at our border seeking refuge." I look over at Leopold, who hasn’t stopped tending to the wounded. "She was fleeing the hunters. They must have tracked her here. She’s mated to our Beta," I add, nodding toward him.

Sebastian inhales subtly, then tilts his head. "He smells like an Alpha to me." A pause. "But no wolf?"

I see Leopold stiffen at the comment. "He’s an excellent Beta, with or without a wolf," I say defensively.

"Didn’t say he wasn’t. Just noted the Alpha blood," Sebastian replies as he pulls the arrow free and drops it.

"Alright, you’re next," he says, standing.

"Me?"

He arches a brow. "You’re a Guardian, but that arrow still needs to come out. I’m not a miracle worker, so I’ll only treat you and Victor. If I mess up, I know your bodies can handle it."

He kneels in front of me, examining the wound before making a quick incision beneath the arrowhead. I hiss as he extracts it, blood trickling down my thigh.

"Sebastian, get the hell away from my mate." Victor’s voice is strained but firm.

"Victor!" I drop beside him, pressing against him as the day’s tension finally crashes over me. I hadn’t realized how terrified I was of losing him. Tears spill as his arms wrap around me, his scent enveloping me.

"I'm here, love," he murmurs.