"Here! This will take care of any lingering effects," Mango said, handing her a tall glass of murky green liquid.
Autumn and Mango stood side by side at the infirmary counter, the scent of herbs and crushed leaves hanging thick in the air. The late afternoon light poured in through the slatted windows, throwing golden stripes across the floor.
Autumn eyed the liquid warily. "It looks like something that crawled out of a swamp." She brought her nose near the glass like it might bite her,and sniffed slowly! " Yuck! It smells like somebody’s old socks ,rotting without a wash for months! You sure this isn’t just punishment for something I did in a past life?"
Mango gave her a pointed look, one brow raised. "And it will put your head back in its place too. Drink."
Sighing dramatically, Autumn pinched her nose and gulped it down in one go. Her face scrunched instantly. "Ugh! That is vile! Tastes like crushed weeds, pepper and....regret."
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, scowling. "Small mercies."
Mango finished preparing the second potion, sealing it with a cork before handing it to her. "Now, take this to Kieran. Make sure he drinks all of it. Knowing him, he will try to dump it in a plant when you are not looking."
Autumn snorted. "Yeah, sounds about right." She hesitated, then added, "You think he is still pissed about the whole Selene thing?He hasn’t seen me...I mean I haven’t seen him in...awhile!"
Mango wiped her hands on her apron, glancing down at the half chopped roots on the table before looking back at Autumn." He’s got his hands full, child! Being an Alpha, is never easy!"
"I still can’t believe that woman jinxed me before I had anything to do with Kieran...Weird as fuck! How did she even know me? "
Mango did not look up as she began crushing another set of herbs into a paste. "Desire, my dear Autumn," she said, voice calm but edged with knowledge, "can make people irrational. And carrying witch blood in your veins, equals to constant temptation.We are always at the tipping point,fighting our own demons. That’s why they call us Balance! The fargone ones don’t just want what’s theirs... they want what they think should be theirs. Selene knew something even you didn’t. That you were his.How? I honestly don’t know! "
Autumn blinked. Her hands slowed over the cutting board. " But how does it even work?"
"Sometimes, it’s the scent. Sometimes the aura. Or maybe she peeked into the threads of fate when she had no business doing so," Mango said, eyes sharp. "Either way, she got obsessed with a man she could not keep. And you? You threatened that illusion just by existing."
Autumn exhaled, shoulders sagging. "She called me a pup... like I was some toy that wouldn’t survive him."
Mango finally looked at her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She called you a pup because she knew you would grow into a wolf. That you will bite! And that terrified her."
Autumn gave a small, almost shy smile, then rolled her eyes. "Well, next time she drops to her knees, I might just drop a bucket of cold water on her.Or some leeches! Ugly bitch! "
Mango snorted. "You are learning, girl. That’s the spirit."
A knock on the door interrupted them.
" Healer Mango! They are asking for that painkiller! And some ointment! "
Mango shrugged, handing over whatever was asked. "Some people don’t need a reason to be cruel, darling, you see. They just are." She wiped her hands on a cloth, then paused, studying her. "Speaking of reasons... By now, you must remember your pack, yeah? Who were your parents? Which bloodline?"
" My... my bloodline? Well, I don’t really remember.. Ummm! " She scratched her head thinking about all those innovative excuses! Truth was she never forgot them even for a moment, when she badly wanted to. But she was who she was! She didn’t need or want to drag people who clearly wanted to have nothing to do with her. She was on her own. A lone wolf, forever!
But mercifully, Mango just sighed and patted her shoulder. "Alright, alright. We will circle back to that later." She nudged the potion towards her again. "Go on. Before Kieran decides to skip his dose! "
Autumn grabbed the glass, eager for the escape. "Yeah, yeah. On it." She hesitated at the door, glancing back. "Hey, Mango?"
"Hm?"He smiled, warm but weary.
" Where might Kieran be at the moment? I, ummm, I haven’t really seen him..."
Mango spared her a smile. " He will either be in his study or at the training ground!"
Books were stacked with a sort of rough precision, and a half finished glass of scotch sat on the edge of the desk.
"Kieran?" she called softly, peeking around the desk.
With a sigh, she pulled the heavy oak door shut.
Autumn huffed, adjusting the glass of potion in her hand. "Of course he is not here." She should have known...Kieran wasn’t the type to brood quietly over paperwork.
She stalked toward the training grounds.
The place looked deserted at first glance.
Maybe he had already left. Maybe...
The rhythmic strikes echoed from the gymnasium. Autumn followed the sound, pushing open the heavy doors.
Bare chested, muscles glistening with sweat, Kieran was demolishing a metal punching bag like it owed him money.
His fists were wrapped, but his knuckles were split, blood smearing the dented surface of the bag. It was crumpled like a soda can, barely hanging on its chain.
He didn’t stop. Didn’t even glance at her...just kept hammering into the bag. His shoulders flexed with each blow.
"Okay. Not ignoring me. Just in a mood." Autumn told herself.
She cleared her throat. "Mango sent this." She held up the potion.
No response. Just another crunch of metal.
Autumn’s eye twitched. "Kieran Blackmoon! "
She stepped closer, voice hardening. "Hey!Dickhead.Medicine. Finish it now! "
His next punch sent the bag swinging wildly. Still, he did not look at her.
Autumn slammed the glass onto a nearby bench and marched forward. Just as he reared back for another strike, she planted herself between him and the bag, blocking his fist with her forearm. The impact stung, but she did not flinch.
His golden eyes finally snapped to hers, burning with something feral. " What the hell, Autumn! Move!"
A muscle in his jaw jumped. He tried to sidestep her, but Autumn mirrored him, keeping herself in his way.
"Autumn! " His voice was a warning growl.
" Yes! That’s my name, " she shot back, mocking his tone. "Drink the damn potion, or I will pour it down your throat myself."
For a heartbeat, they just glared at each other, the air between them crackling. Then, with a scoff, Kieran turned away, reaching for a towel instead.
Autumn grabbed the bag herself and yanked, tearing it clean off the chain with a screech of metal. It hit the ground with a heavy thump.
Kieran froze. Then slowly, turned to face her.
She smirked. "What? You needed a new one anyway."
"Are you fucking crazy?!" Kieran barked, moving in, trying to grab her wrist.
She yanked it away. "Don’t touch me."
His jaw clenched. "You are bleeding."
"Oh, now you care?" Her voice cracked with rage. "What the hell is your problem, Kieran?"
His nostrils flared. "You are pushing your luck."
"And you are acting like a toddler who missed nap time." She snatched the potion from the bench and thrust it at him. "Drink."
He did not take it. Just stared at her like he was trying to decide whether to strangle her or may be do other things like...
Her pulse spiked as his gaze dropped to her mouth.
For a wild second, she thought he would kiss her.
But then he stepped back, snatching the glass from her hand and downing it in one gulp. He slammed it back onto the bench, his lip curling at the taste. "Happy?"
"Ecstatic." She crossed her arms. "Now, you wanna tell me why you have been avoiding me?"
"Bullshit. You have been MIA since your girlfriend left you without that blowjob done...is that what you are pissed about." Autumn knew she was deliberately making him angry but she was loving it... getting reactions out of him.
His eyes darkened. "Drop it, Autumn! "
"Or what?" She stepped into his space again, tilting her chin up. What did she exactly want? For him to discipline her again? She didn’t know!
Kieran’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her breath catch. " Autumn! I said drop it! Don’t drag on things you know nothing about! "
"Then enlighten me." She yanked her arm free. "Because last I checked,I wasn’t the one letting some witch grope me in front of..."
He snarled, cutting her off. "I needed to get rid of the source... "
Autumn faltered. "...Oh."
" Are you, by any chance... jealous? "
" Huh? Hell! Who? Me?? Hell nah!!! "She scrambled to her feet, about to bolt out of the door when Kieran called out.
" You are the only one who made me hesitate! "