The Brave Human Mate

24.

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Healer Rhea's POV

It had taken more than the entire night to manage a sort of broth, but it was the underestimated amount of leverage it took for Osmin to be able to get the broth into the communities meal.

With Rhea and Lillian's mass producing the poison meant to eliminate the threat of those following loyalty to the King. It was up to Osmin and the closest members of his makeshift pack to push through the rumor of Healer Rhea losing the pup.

Yet it made things simpler when Rhea's loyal men were given proper instruction when visiting the Healer's tent, that they were ordered to cry their hearts out up until the second hour of lunch.

That way, the scent would waft over through the camp at all angles, and act as the perfect exploit. Granted, stopping a number of wolves from eating was suspicious—And the only way to handle that is for Osmin to escort all his men to the loading docks. A fair distance away from the camp, but close enough for when all hell breaks loose for them to be able to return back without fault.

The nerves within the tent were at an all-time high, even when cooking with the tears, as Rhea suggested. It still gave either of them a small heartache to see a wolf enter with another injury. But thankfully, their pain in combination with the tears was enough for them to be on a different track than what two Healers could possibly be up to.

The only issue that Rhea couldn't predict was just how jittery Lillian had turned, which meant that she was careless at times when they couldn't afford it.
Not when this was the break-in opportunity.

So when noon started to roll around, and the first wave of meals started to be served—The marked humans that were involved with the plan held puffy eyes and salted red cheeks. Evidence that they too were in tears, and their response was simple.

"Rhea's pup died, sir." Not that any wolf would care for the state of the product serving them, it still was a boundless and empathetic cause. But it worked, more so to the fact that those had assumed that the pup was Osmin's, as he had claimed it to be.

Speaking of the former Queen, she was sitting on the tall stool, waiting for the time to slowly tick by. Prepared for the runner stationed just at the back of the tent in case Osmin and the rest needed to be called upon.

But it wasn't a patient coming in that interrupted Rhea's thoughts, though she seemed desperate to get her mind off of this mission with anything.

However, it hadn't been a patient, nor Lillian—Who she had forced to lay down after Rhea caught her shaking hands just the hour before—But the gasp that followed her lips was just as a pure shock.

"Blair? Goddess, what are you doing up?" Rhea had nearly fallen flat on her face at the utter disbelief that the woman she's been caretaking for was now up and about. As though nothing had changed.

"Oh, darling, you have been such good help. But you know what they say, the power of three—All it takes to form a coven." There was hardly a moment to think before Blair had gone towards the working station and coddled with the given bottles and bowls, as though she were figuring out the better part of their plan.

"Who's idea was it to use Aconitum...The Queen of poisons." Rhea flinched at the title, but Blair had only smiled more. "Hit a nerve?... Suppose I did. No matter, the secret is safe with me." Even with the given promise, it didn't offer much comfort, not when she was still debating about the entire situation. Yet that was hardly any use, surely not when the candlelight had started to flicker—Indicating that the first batch of food has been served, and surely, the wolves would come forward with the symptoms needed.