Luna Queen's Fury

6 Formidable

Chris

"Killed your Queen, that's what!" Tilly replies without remorse. "Without that flower... There's nothing to be done."

My heart stops, hearing the woman who was supposed to hold our miracle say all hope is gone. Her face is flushed red, warning of her temper that is barely under control, matching her raised voice.

"There has to be something-"

"Are you an herbalist?" she cuts in, narrowing her gaze as she looks me over. "I've got plants older than you pup, don't tell me how to do my job!"

"Tilliandra!" Hale snaps, letting his Alpha tone drip through every syllable. "Chris is the KING and her mate, you will show him the respect and compassion due!"

Her eyes widen as she realizes that she may have overstepped but her surprise lasts only briefly before she practically pouts. "Disrespect was unintentional, hearing this buffoon has blundered our best chance of saving baby Lya...Goddess above, we did our best!" Tilly shakes her head, her shoulders slumping.

"You can try with the dried pollen we brought," her tall, wiry companion urges. "We've not come all this way on no sleep to just give in, hmm?"

"Dried pollen is barely medicinal... A single fresh bloom would be like a nuclear bomb by comparison," she grumbles.

"I'm sorry, I thought I was talking to the formidable Tilly Jones-"

"I know what you're doing old man," she growls, cutting him off. Tilly glares at him but he's immune and just raises a bushy brow at her in challenge. "Give me that!" Without waiting for permission, she takes the boxes and storms into Jess' room.

Ethan startles awake by her abrupt entry and jumps straight up, hunching over to protect Jess if need be. One reassuring look from me has him standing down and watching the newcomers like a hawk.

"Space, old man, do you know what it is?!" she snaps as she starts to spread the contents of the box over the table. Her companion throws up his palms and backs away a step, letting her settle in. "I need her wounds exposed, cleaned and ready for a poultice."

The commotion has drawn Doc and his team, who get to work, not needing any additional direction to prep Jess. Seeing them remove the black stained bandages once again, I can't help but cringe at the festering wound, just above the swell of her belly. I hear Benjamin suck in a sharp breath, taking in the damage for the first time.

Tilly and the man, whose name apparently is Gord, bicker yet work together like a well-oiled machine, going through vials and pouches, taking precise amounts of each ingredient and adding them to a mortar. Sharp smelling oil of some sort is poured in last and she works it into a fine paste before adding the dull green concoction to Jess' seeping wound.

"Is this gonna make her better?" Ethan asks, his voice soft and small. Tilly turns her sharp gaze to him and Cyrus bristles ready to take over the moment she steps out of line with his pup, but she softens.

"It's the best we can do for now son, we're missing a key ingredient," she sighs, shaking her head.

"What is it? I bet Sadie can find it, she can find anything!" he replies with childlike enthusiasm.

"If only," Gord mumbles. "I'm afraid this moonflower is as rare as they come."

Ethan furrows his brows and cocks his head to look up at the old man. "But we have lots of those?"

"Not this one I'm afraid," Tilly pipes up. "This buffon thought it was a good idea to kill-"

"He didn't do it on purpose," I cut in, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Dwelling on it won't fix it... What else can we do?"