Naomi arrived at the healer’s quarters shortly after the morning shift began.
She had left the house without seeing Alpha Kaidan. After their conversation the previous evening, she had no reason to seek him out before leaving, and he had not come to her room.
The call from the healer’s quarters had been brief. They wanted to confirm she had returned from Redridge and was available to resume her duties. Naomi had told them she would be there the following morning.
Now, as she stepped through the entrance, the familiar scent of antiseptics and medicinal herbs greeted her.
A few healers looked up from their desks.
"Madam Naomi," one of the assistants greeted her. "Welcome back."
"Thank you. Has anything changed while I was away?"
"Not much. We have two patients waiting for their morning assessments, and Healer Evelyn asked that you see her when you arrive."
Naomi nodded. "All right. I’ll see the patients first."
She had barely taken three steps when the conversation behind the reception desk fell quiet.
It was subtle. Someone had been speaking, another person had laughed, and then both voices stopped as Naomi passed.
She continued walking.
"Is she really back for good?" a woman whispered after a moment.
"I don’t know. I heard she stayed longer in Redridge than she was supposed to."
"Maybe she has found somewhere she would rather be."
A second voice answered, quieter this time. "You mean somewhere away from Alpha Kaidan?"
Naomi’s pace remained steady. She had spent years learning to recognise the difference between a work conversation and one about her personal life. The latter had become increasingly common since Serena returned.
She had no intention of standing around to hear the rest.
The first patient was an elderly pack member with persistent pain in his shoulder. Naomi listened to his account, examined his shoulder, and adjusted his treatment. The second patient, who had been dizzy, needed further assessment before Naomi could send her home.
By the time Naomi finished, she had already reviewed the morning notes and assigned a follow-up appointment.
Her work had not changed. That was one of the few things she was grateful for.
A patient came to the healer’s quarters because something was wrong with their body. They did not need to know who Alpha Kaidan had dinner with, what Serena had said to Christine, or whether Naomi still slept in the same wing as her husband.
They needed someone who would listen and help them. Naomi could still do that.
When she entered Healer Evelyn’s office, the older woman looked up from the documents on her desk.
"Naomi. It’s good to have you back."
"Thank you, Healer Evelyn’."
"I received the report from Redridge. They had very good things to say about you."
"I was glad to be of help."
Evelyn leaned back slightly. "Their senior healer was particularly pleased with your work. Apparently, you handled a difficult case with good judgment."
Naomi smiled faintly. "The situation required everyone to work together. I did what was necessary."
"That is usually what good healers say when they have done something worth acknowledging."
Naomi didn’t know how to answer that, so she quietly thanked her.
Evelyn glanced at the documents before her. "There is something else. I have had two enquiries this morning about your return."
Naomi’s expression remained neutral. "Enquiries?"
"Nothing official. People asking whether you are back permanently, whether you will continue taking assignments outside Blackclaw, and whether your position here has changed."
"Why would my position change?"
"That is what I wondered."
Naomi waited, but Evelyn offered no further explanation.
At last, Naomi said, "My work here has not changed. If there is a change to my duties, I expect to be informed through the proper channels."
"Of course."
Evelyn studied her for a moment. "You should be aware that people are talking."
"I noticed."
"Does it bother you?"
Naomi considered the question. "It bothers me that people seem to have so much time to discuss matters that do not concern them. But I cannot spend my day correcting every assumption someone makes about me."
Evelyn gave a small nod. "That is sensible. Just remember that gossip can sometimes affect more than a person’s feelings. It can affect how others treat them."
"I understand."
"Good. I wanted you to know what was happening before you heard something worse from someone else."
Naomi thanked her and returned to her duties.
She had hoped the gossip would remain confined to the healer’s quarters, but by late morning, she realised it had spread well beyond them.
Naomi was crossing the administrative corridor with a completed assessment when she heard two pack members talking by an open office door.
"I’m telling you, something must have happened in Redridge," one woman said. "Why else would she agree to stay longer without discussing it with Alpha Kaidan?"
"Perhaps because the Redridge healers needed her."
"And you believe that is the only reason?"
The other woman hesitated. "I heard she has become quite respected there."
"That doesn’t answer my question."
Naomi stopped outside the office long enough to place the assessment on the designated tray.
Neither woman noticed her immediately. "Maybe she is tired of waiting for Alpha Kaidan to treat her like his wife," the second woman said.
The first woman lowered her voice. "Careful. You know how Christine feels about this marriage."
Naomi entered the corridor again. The women saw her. Their conversation ended so abruptly that she almost felt sorry for them. Almost.
"Good morning," Naomi said politely.
"Madam Naomi," one of them replied, visibly uncomfortable.
Naomi gave a brief nod and continued on her way.
She was not angry because they had wondered about her marriage. She was angry because they spoke as if her life were a puzzle they had the right to solve, with every decision she made becoming evidence for whichever conclusion they preferred.
If she stayed home, she was a neglected wife who had nowhere else to go.
If she travelled for work, she was trying to escape her husband.
If she remained quiet, she was plotting something.
If she spoke, she was being difficult.
No decision she made would escape becoming somebody else’s story.
At lunchtime, Naomi went to the staff dining area. She collected her meal and chose a table near the window, hoping to eat in peace before returning to work.
She had taken only a few bites when two younger pack members approached the next table.
They were speaking about the upcoming council meeting. "I heard the council wants to discuss the Luna position," one said.
Naomi’s hand paused briefly over her plate.
"The Luna position?" the other repeated.
"Yes. My aunt said the matter will be brought before the council now that Madam Naomi is back."
"Does that mean Alpha Kaidan is going to choose between them?"
"I don’t know. But everyone knows Serena was supposed to be Luna before she disappeared."
"And Madam Naomi is his wife."
"Under a contract."
The words were spoken with a confidence that suggested the speaker considered the distinction sufficient to settle the matter. Her companion was less certain.
"Still, Alpha Kaidan married her. He cannot pretend that never happened."
"I’m only telling you what people are saying."
Naomi lowered her fork. For a moment, she considered leaving. She had no appetite for listening to strangers debate whether her marriage deserved to exist. Then she changed her mind.
She had done nothing wrong by coming to work, and she would not allow other people’s conversations to drive her away from a table in her own pack.
She finished her meal.
When she returned her tray, she passed the two young women on her way out. One glanced at her with embarrassment, while the other stared determinedly at the table.
Naomi did not acknowledge either reaction.
The council meeting had not been formally announced to her, but the rumour confirmed that something was being arranged. She would wait for an official notice rather than waste time chasing fragments of conversation.
If the council intended to discuss her position, she would attend.
She would not hide from a room simply because the people inside it might disagree with her.
By mid-afternoon, the healer’s quarters had settled into its usual rhythm. Naomi completed her notes, reviewed the next day’s schedule, and spoke with a junior healer about a patient’s follow-up care.
For several hours, she managed to forget the whispers.
Then, as she stepped outside to collect a file from the administrative office, she heard her name again.
"She cannot seriously believe she can remain Luna forever."
Naomi recognised Christine’s voice before she saw her.
Alpha Kaidan’s mother stood near the courtyard entrance with another senior pack member. They were deep in talk about council matters, and Christine didn’t notice Naomi approaching from the other side.
"Serena has always been the one people expected to stand beside Alpha Kaidan," the other woman replied.
"Exactly. And now the council is finally prepared to examine the situation properly."
Naomi slowed, not because she wanted to listen, but because the two women stood directly beside the path she needed to take.
Christine turned first. Her expression changed only slightly when she saw Naomi. "Naomi. I didn’t realise you were here."
"I work here, forgotten? ," Naomi replied calmly.
The other woman looked away. Christine’s lips tightened at the answer, but she recovered quickly.
"Of course. How was your first day back?"
"Productive, thank you."
"I trust you will have time to settle in before the council meeting."
Naomi met her gaze. "I haven’t received a notice about any meeting."
"You will."
"Then I’ll wait for it."
Christine seemed to expect a question or an argument. When neither came, her expression grew more guarded. "The council has responsibilities to this pack," she said. "There are matters that cannot be ignored simply because they may be uncomfortable."
"I agree. That’s why I intend to attend if I’m summoned."
"Good."
Naomi stepped around them.
She had almost reached the entrance when Christine spoke again. "You should understand that the council will consider what is best for Blackclaw, not merely what any individual wants."
Naomi turned her head slightly. "I would expect nothing less."
She left before Christine could continue.
For the first time that day, Naomi felt something close to relief. Not because Christine had threatened her, but because the matter was no longer being disguised as harmless conversation.
A meeting was coming. Her place in the pack would be questioned openly.
At least now she knew what the whispers were leading toward.
Alpha Kaidan heard about the gossip before the end of the day.
He was in his office reviewing a patrol report when John entered with several documents. After placing them on the desk, John remained standing.
"Is there something else?" Alpha Kaidan asked.
"There’s been considerable discussion about Madam Naomi’s return, Sir."
Alpha Kaidan looked up. "What kind of discussion?"
"Her time in Redridge. The extension. Some people are questioning whether she intends to remain at Blackclaw."
His expression hardened. "Why are they discussing her work?"
"Because the discussion has spread beyond the healer’s quarters. Some of it concerns her work, but most of it concerns your marriage."
Alpha Kaidan leaned back. "What exactly are they saying?"
John hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "That Madam Naomi may be preparing to leave. That she no longer wishes to remain in the background. And that the council intends to discuss the Luna position."
Alpha Kaidan’s gaze sharpened. "The council has not informed me of a meeting."
"Not formally, Sir. But several members appear to believe one will be called soon."
For a moment, Alpha Kaidan said nothing.
He had known his marriage was being discussed within the council. He had heard the questions about heirs, Serena, and the contract. But hearing that the gossip had spread throughout the pack made the situation feel different.
Naomi had returned from Redridge and gone straight back to work. She hadn’t sought him out to explain her absence or asked what people were saying about her. She had continued with her life.
Now the pack was drawing its own conclusions.
"Find out when the council intends to meet," he said.
"I will, Sir."
"And if anyone has an official question about Madam Naomi’s duties, they can bring it to me or the head of the healer’s quarters. I will not have her work turned into idle gossip."
John nodded. "Understood."
After John left, Alpha Kaidan remained at his desk, staring at the unfinished patrol report.
He wanted to believe the gossip would pass. Pack members always found something to discuss, and another matter would eventually take their attention.
But the Luna position was different.
If the council called a meeting, the matter would no longer be limited to whispers in corridors or conversations over lunch. People would have to state their opinions in front of him, Naomi, and the council itself.
And once that happened, silence would no longer be enough to keep the situation under control.
For the first time since Naomi had returned, Alpha Kaidan understood that the questions surrounding their marriage were moving beyond his ability to manage them privately.
The council was preparing to bring them into the open.