Chapter 95
Meredith.
The morning passed faster than I expected.
I had a quick breakfast—toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, and tea.
This could have been a wonderful morning without Wanda as she decided not to show up at the dining hall, giving an excuse of migraines, but my appetite wasn’t strong.
I had to force myself to eat. I needed the energy.
The full moon was now two days away, and I had never been this restless about it like right now.
And the closer it drew, the heavier my thoughts became.
“You are leaving, already?” Dennis asked, gazing at me as I stood up from my seat.
I bet he thought I’d clear my plates like I had done last night. But that version of Meredith came once in a while.
“Yes, I have a few things to do,” I said, stepping behind my chair and pushing it back in. Then I glanced at Draven and gave a small nod.
“Don’t forget about your swimming lessons,” Dennis called after me, but I didn’t respond.
As much as I wouldn’t like to try and get on Draven’s nerves today, his lessons could wait, but not my pheromones.
I returned to my room with a plan.
Back home, my mother had always known what to do. She had this bitter herbal concoction that the kitchen would brew the day before my heat began.
It never blocked everything but dulled the edge, reducing my scent by half.
It kept me from driving the men in the estate mad. Even my brother and the male servants had to be kept away from me, especially on the first night. I usually went through the heat for three to four nights.
I remembered the smell of that thick, dark tea. Sharp, acidic, earthy. It tasted like something forbidden. And of course, the cursed girl had to drink it.
I also remembered the herbs used in brewing it.
Perfume wouldn’t help this time. Not when the full moon magnified everything. Perfume could mask perhaps three percent of the scent. Maybe less.
I had used it before attending the Lunar ball. It was the third day of my heat, but it didn’t work because I still got to attract the unwanted attention.
I needed more than that this time, and I couldn’t do it alone.
My gaze locked on Azul. Kira. Deidra. Cora and Arya, the five women who had come to mean more to me than just servants.
They were standing nearby, doing one or two things, just along my line of sight. But I needed to say something. So, I cleared my throat and walked toward them.
“Can I speak to you all for a moment?” I asked, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt.
They turned to me instantly, gathering in a small half-circle near the center of the room.
“I need your help,” I began. “The full moon is in two days, and… well, my heat is different.”
They blinked. None of them spoke, but I could tell they were listening closely.
“My pheromones… they go wild for three days straight. It’s because I don’t have a wolf, as you know.” My voice faltered slightly, but I pushed forward. “When it starts, it spreads fast. Strong. And no man near me will be unaffected. They won’t be able to resist the pull.”
Their expressions shifted. Cora looked confused, Arya surprised, and Kira concerned. Deidra pressed her lips together with understanding. But Azul’s eyes filled with the most worry.
Of course, she would know. She has known and served me the longest.
“I want to make a concoction,” I continued, “the same one that used to be made back home for me. It doesn’t block everything, but it helps. At least. Better than any other thing.”
I pulled a folded sheet of paper from the drawer near my dresser and handed it to Azul.
“These are the herbs I will need. Most of them should grow here. I think”
The others leaned closer to look at the list in Azul’s hands.
Kira was the first to speak. “My lady, the estate’s back gardens are full of herbs. I’m sure we can definitely find these.”
“I recognize a few of these too,” Cora added, raising her hand a bit. “I’ve helped with herbal teas before.”
I nodded and smiled faintly. “Good. Cora, you will go with Azul. See if you can get everything before noon. I want to start brewing after lunch.”
They bowed slightly before leaving the room with purpose. I glanced at the others.
“You two stay with me,” I told Kira and Deidra. “We will prepare the space.”
“Where would you like to use, my lady?” Deidra inquired.
I immediately turned my gaze to the floor-to-ceiling doors leading to the open patio in my bedroom.
“There,” I said.
Three hours later, I sat outside on the open patio. The sun was gentle, filtered through drifting clouds. The breeze stirred the tips of my hair as I examined the herbs Azul and Cora had gathered.
One by one, I checked the roots, the scent, the colours of the leaves. All were right.
My chest loosened with relief.
“Well done,” I told them.
Cora grinned. Azul sighed in relief. “I was worried we had got one or two wrong.”
“I would have noticed,” I said, not unkindly.
We had lunch later, bread and spicy lentil soup—inside the room before I set to work concocting the mix. Crushing, grinding, boiling. My hands smelled like mint, ashleaf, and wormwood.
Two more hours slipped away in silence.
By the time the thick, black brew was ready and cooling in its clay pot, my arms ached slightly, and sweat had gathered at the back of my neck.
Azul stood nearby. “What now, my lady?”
“We wait,” I replied, straightening. “Let it cool on its own. The slower, the better.”
I walked back inside, brushing my fingers down the sleeves of my robe. Kira was by the other door, a smile on her lips.
“My lady,” she said, glancing at the clock. “You only have two hours left before your swimming lesson with the Alpha.”
I blinked, then groaned. “I’m tired.”
I crossed the room to the bed, pulled back the sheet, and flopped onto the mattress. But as soon as I laid down, my nose wrinkled automatically.
Ugh. I didn’t like how I smelled—bitter herbs, smoke, and sweat. Absolutely disgusting.
I sat up. “Kira, I need a fresh change of clothes. I smell like my predicament.” Cursed.
She smiled and went to fetch them.
Five minutes later, I was clean, changed, and back on the bed.
The scent of herbs still lingered faintly on my fingers, but I didn’t mind. I curled onto my side, tucked a pillow under my head, and shut my eyes without a care.