Chapter 223

Ava

I busied myself in the kitchen, preparing a traditional Moonstone meal for our guests, which were only two: Leonard and Ophelia. A celebratory dinner for our newest pack member, although it was more than that.

The scent of roasting herbs and sizzling meat filled the air as I worked, trying to focus on the task at hand rather than the worry gnawing at my insides. Ophelia still didn’t know. Leonard hadn’t told her, and I didn’t know when he would. I supposed that the good news today had delayed him telling the bad news, not wanting to dampen her spirit.

Chris set the table while Leonard and Ophelia chatted in the living room. Their laughter drifted through the cottage, a bittersweet sound that made my heart ache.

“Need any help?” Chris asked, poking his head into the kitchen.

I shook my head, forcing a smile. “I’ve got it under control. Why don’t you open a bottle of wine?”

As Chris went to fetch the wine, I glanced into the living room. Leonard was sitting on the couch, Ophelia curled up next to him like a cat. He looked happy, but I couldn’t help noticing how pale he was, how much more sunken his cheeks had become, just in the past few days.

It was difficult to look at him and not see a dying man.

I turned back to the stove, blinking back tears. This was supposed to be a happy evening, a celebration for our friend. I couldn’t let my emotions ruin it.

“Dinner’s ready,” I called out, my voice only slightly shaky.

We gathered around the table, plates piled high with food. Chris poured the wine, and we raised our glasses in a toast.

“To our newest pack member,” Chris said.

“To new beginnings,” Ophelia added, squeezing Leonard’s hand.

I nodded, taking a sip of wine. It tasted like soot in my mouth, but I pretended that it didn’t.

The conversation flowed easily as we ate, but I found myself struggling to keep up. My eyes kept drifting to Leonard, watching for any sign of discomfort or pain.

“Ava, darling, this is delicious,” Ophelia gushed. “You’ll have to teach me how to make it.”

Leonard huffed amusedly. “Ophelia, my dear, you are many things—but a cook is not one of them.”

“A girl can learn, can’t she?” Ophelia cooed.

By the time the end of the meal came around, I found myself needing a moment alone. I excused myself, saying I needed to fetch another bottle of wine from the cellar.

The cool darkness of the cellar was a relief. I leaned against a barrel, taking deep breaths to steady myself. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I bit my lip hard to keep them from falling. He’ll be alright, I told myself. He’ll be alright. We’ll be alright.

“So, I take it you know.”

I whirled around to see Leonard standing at the bottom of the stairs. His expression was sad but resigned.

“I... I overheard you talking to Chris the other day,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “Leonard, I’m so sorry. I’ve been staying up every night, trying to find a cure, but there’s just no research on this... this fungus.”

Leonard sighed as he ran his finger along the top of a crate. “I appreciate that, Ava. But you shouldn’t exhaust yourself on my account.”

“How can you be so calm about this?” I asked, unable to keep the frustration out of my voice.

He shrugged. “What choice do I have? I’ve lived a good life. My only regret is…” He trailed off, his eyes growing distant.

“What?” I prompted gently.

“I wish I had met Ophelia sooner,” he said softly. “To have had more time with her. Or maybe... maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t met her at all. Then her heart wouldn’t need to be broken when I…”

“Don’t say that,” I interrupted, reaching out to squeeze his arm. “Ophelia loves you. I’m sure she would rather have this time with you than not at all.”

Leonard nodded, but I could see the pain in his eyes. “Perhaps. I just hate the thought of dying, not because of my own pain, but rather for causing her pain.”

“You’re dying?!”

We both jumped at the sound of Ophelia’s shriek. She was standing at the top of the cellar stairs, her face as white as a sheet and her eyes blazing with tears. Chris was right behind her, his expression grim—clearly, he had tried to stop her from following us, but he had failed at that task.

“Ophelia, I—”

“I hope I misheard you!” Ophelia stormed down the stairs, her eyes blazing. “Explain yourselves. Now!”

Leonard glanced at me, looking too weary to even explain. So I did. I told Ophelia everything about Leonard’s illness, with details chimed in from Chris, and felt my voice cracking more and more as Ophelia’s face went from disbelief to sorrow to rage.

“How… How could you keep this from me?” she demanded once I had finished.

“Darling, I…” Leonard began, but Ophelia cut him off.

“Don’t ‘darling’ me!” she cried, her hands balling into fists. Surging forward, she began to pummel Leonard’s chest, not caring, for the first time since I had met her, whether her makeup became streaked or her hair grew mussed.

She only stopped pummeling and screaming when Leonard caught her wrists gently, pulling her close. “I’m sorry,” he murmured into her hair, clearly holding back a coughing fit as he spoke. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Ophelia’s anger seemed to deflate, replaced by a deep, profound sadness. She buried her face in Leonard’s chest, her shoulders shaking with sobs. “You can’t die,” she whispered. “I won’t let you.”

I looked away, feeling like an intruder in this intimate moment. Chris came to stand beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close, as if that would somehow keep me from sobbing along with my friend.

“Not all is lost,” Chris said. “If only Leonard would agree to go to a human hospital for treatment…”

Leonard shook his head firmly. “I’ve already told you, Chris: I won’t leave Moonstone. This is my home, my pack. If I am to die, I want it to be here.”

Ophelia pulled back, her eyes flashing. “Oh no, you don’t get to make that decision alone. You’re going to that hospital, or I swear I’ll kill you myself.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, Leonard chuckled. “Darling, I would rather die by your hand than in some sterile hospital room.”

“This isn’t funny!” Ophelia cried, but there was a hint of a smile on her tear-stained face.

As I watched them, an idea began to form in my mind—sudden, unexpected, but earth-shattering in more ways than one. “Wait,” I said, causing everyone to turn and look at me. “If Leonard won’t go to a human hospital, why don’t we bring the hospital here?”

Chris frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” I said, “what if we use your influence, Chris, and Ophelia’s connections in the human world, to bring some doctors and scientists here? They could not only try to find a cure for Leonard but also help us work on a solution for the blight affecting Moonstone.”

Leonard’s eyes widened, and he took a step back, Ophelia still glued to his side. “Oh, I don’t—”

“Think about it,” I continued. “If we never retrieve the moonstone, we can’t spend the rest of our lives fighting this blight, constantly playing catch-up. And maybe... maybe the Moon Goddess was too harsh in doling out this punishment.”

I swallowed, looking away. It was a thought I had been having for a long time, but… I had been too much of a coward to voice it.

“Perhaps we don’t need to be subject to a deity’s fury,” I finally finished. “Maybe human science can succeed where our traditional methods have failed. Just in case we never find the moonstone.”

Chris looked thoughtful. “That’s risky, bringing human scientists here… The Elders…”

“But it could save Leonard’s life,” I said, gesturing to the ailing Beta. “And… to hell with the Elders. We have to be proactive. For all we know, we might never find Olivia. Or she could chuck the moonstone into the ocean and screw us all over.”

“Ava has a point,” Ophelia sniffled. “Let’s say that…” She sobbed softly, pressing one hand into Leonard’s chest, which he gripped tightly and held there. “Let’s say that what’s happening to my dear Leonard is just the next stage of the blight. Perhaps it’s unwise to only have one plan—that being finding the moonstone. Perhaps it’s safer to have another route.”

“Science has worked for us so far,” I said. “We’ve been able to stave off the fungus with the GMO. Even with the Packhouse, which was the worst outbreak so far. Perhaps there’s more that can be done to stop it entirely and keep it from returning. Or medical intervention that can save Leonard and anyone else who inhales the spores.”

“We’d need to set up a secure area for the research,” Chris murmured, scratching his head. “Avoid too much worry in the pack…”

“Then we’ll do that,” I said. “It might be our best chance.”

The room fell silent as everyone considered the idea. I held my breath, hoping they would see the potential in my suggestion. Hoping beyond hope that I wasn’t just grasping at broken dreams.

Finally, Chris broke into a wide grin. “Ava, you’re a genius,” he said, pulling me close and planting a kiss on my forehead.

Before any of us could say another word, Chris was suddenly whirling on his heel. “I’m going to start making calls!” he shouted, already halfway up the stairs.

He paused at the top, whirling again to jab a finger in Leonard’s direction. “You’re not dying, you stubborn old bastard! Don’t forget; I forbade it!”