The Three Who Chose Me
Chapter 51: Wolfsbane Promises

Chapter 51: Wolfsbane Promises

Varen _{\n(o)v.e\l.com}

I didn’t even wait for her to speak.

The moment Michelle stepped into the hallway outside Josie’s room, dressed like she had any right to be there, I snapped, "Get out."

Her eyes widened, mouth slightly parted as if she hadn’t expected me to react so fast, or so harshly. "Varen—"

"No. You don’t get to stand here. Not now. Not after everything." My voice echoed down the corridor. "We don’t want anything from you."

"I didn’t come to fight," she tried to say, her voice low, falsely sweet, a shade of innocence that I’d stopped believing in the moment Josie was pushed off that balcony. "I came to help—"

"I said leave!" My voice cracked with fury.

She stepped back slightly, but before I could finish pushing her out, Thorne raised his hand, blocking my path.

"Wait," Thorne said coolly, eyeing her with a wariness that made my stomach turn. "If she has something useful to say, I think we need to hear it."

"What?" Kiel’s voice rang out from the far end of the hallway, disbelief dripping from each syllable as he stalked toward us. "You’re the one who told me to stay the hell away from her. Now you want to hear her out? Are you kidding me?"

Kiel’s eyes were blazing, torn between confusion and outrage. "You’re all over the place with this. One second it’s ’stay away from Michelle,’ and the next you’re giving her an audience. We can’t keep doing this."

I was with him on that.

My fists clenched. "She’s done nothing but lie, manipulate, and plant herself where she doesn’t belong."

"I know how you feel about me," Michelle said quietly then, her voice trembling like she was trying to play the innocent victim card again. "But I’m not here to argue. I know... I know I’m insignificant now, and that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean I want anything bad to happen to Josie."

I scoffed so loudly the walls might’ve shaken. "You can save the act, Michelle. Really."

"She’s telling the truth," Thorne said suddenly, cutting into the rising tension. "At least let her speak."

I turned to him, incredulous. "Are you serious?"

He gave me a hard look, one that meant ’not now.’ It only irritated me further, but I bit back the fury building in my chest.

Michelle looked between us and pressed her hands together, nodding solemnly like this was her moment of redemption. "My grandmother had something similar to what Josie’s going through," she said. "And I remember my father once told me what she used... what helped her."

"And where is this grandmother of yours now?" Kiel asked sharply, folding his arms. "Dead, isn’t she?"

Michelle flinched, but she nodded. "Yes."

"Then clearly it didn’t work," he added coldly. "So why would we risk doing the same thing and expect different results? That’s insanity."

"This isn’t the same," Michelle argued quickly. "My grandmother was already older. Josie’s still... she still has time. Please, just listen."

"I’m trying to," I muttered through clenched teeth. "But every time you speak, it feels like I’m getting hit with another lie."

"She’s not wrong about the symptoms," the doctor said quietly, stepping forward from the shadows. He looked uncomfortable, like he knew the tightrope he was walking. "There are parallels. I’ve seen cases... fragmented ones, but still. The kind of mental and spiritual trauma Josie is experiencing—it needs more than sedatives."

"And you didn’t think to mention this before?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I was going to run tests," he said, voice shaking a little. "I wanted to be sure before recommending anything that drastic."

"So what’s this miracle cure she’s ranting about?" Kiel spat, clearly losing what little patience he had left.

Michelle turned to the doctor, and the two exchanged a quick look. Thorne didn’t miss it either.

She inhaled, then said, "Wolfsbane."

I raised a brow. "Wolfsbane? The poison?"

She shook her head quickly. "Not in its raw form. When boiled and prepared properly, it can be used medicinally. My grandmother used it. Not a lot of people know this, but wolfsbane has regenerative properties for werewolves. Not just physical—emotional, mental too. It can help bridge the bond between the wolf and their core spirit."

I folded my arms tighter. "Josie has no wolf. You know that. So why are we even entertaining this?"

Michelle lifted her chin, trying to look confident. "Maybe not, but she’s still a werewolf. She’s still connected to that side. Even if her wolf hasn’t emerged, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The essence is still inside her."

"This is ridiculous," Kiel muttered, rubbing his face. "I can’t believe we’re actually listening to this."

Thorne ignored him. "Doctor. Is there any truth to what she’s saying?"

The doctor hesitated, then sighed. "Yes. There are records of wolfsbane being used to stabilize fractured werewolf minds—when processed correctly. It’s not a cure-all, and it’s risky, but... it might help."

"Then why didn’t you mention it?" I barked.

"I told you," he snapped back, "I wanted to be sure. If I administered it too early, without tests, it could’ve done more harm than good."

"Or maybe you were just hoping someone else would take the risk for you," I shot back. "Let Michelle be your scapegoat."

"Enough," Thorne said firmly.

He looked tired. Worn out in a way I hadn’t seen him in years. "We need to do something. Josie’s getting worse. If Michelle’s telling the truth, then we should at least consider it."

"Consider it?" I echoed. "We barely even trust her, Thorne."

He turned to me, his voice lower, but no less intense. "Then we keep her monitored. We watch every step she takes. But if this can help Josie, even a little—we try it."

Kiel was shaking his head, clearly fuming. "I thought we were smarter than this. We’re supposed to be Alphas. And now we’re playing fetch with witches and liars?"

Thorne didn’t respond to that. Instead, he turned to Michelle. "Can you get it? The wolfsbane?"

"I’ll have it by morning," she said quickly. "I promise."

He nodded. "Fine. Bring it to me directly. You don’t go near Josie unless I say so."

Michelle nodded again, and this time she looked almost smug. Like she’d just won something.

I didn’t like that.

I didn’t like that at all.

Thorne stayed behind with Josie while I paced the hallway, furious with myself for not stopping this sooner. But it was already in motion. Too many things were. And Josie... Josie was all that mattered.

---

By the time the morning sun filtered through the heavy clouds, I was on edge.

Michelle arrived just after sunrise, dressed in soft beige robes and carrying a silver tin box like she was some holy priestess. Her eyes flicked around the courtyard, looking for Thorne, but before she could even step fully inside—

"Stop right there," a voice cut through the air.

Marcy.

She stormed into the hallway like a war goddess, fire in her eyes, her fists clenched at her sides. I could almost feel the static charging in the room.

"You are not giving my friend anything that comes from you," she snapped, walking right up to Michelle.

Michelle blinked. "I—"

"I don’t care what lies you’ve spun," Marcy said, stepping in front of the tin. "You’ve done enough damage. You think you’re going to lace that poison with some spell or worse? I will tear you apart myself before you lay a single hand on her."

Michelle stepped back slightly, trying to regain composure. "It’s not poison—"

"I don’t care!" Marcy snapped again, her voice a whip. "You’ve been hovering like a vulture since the moment Josie got here. I don’t care if you call it wolfsbane or moon water—you’re not putting anything into her body."