Chapter 21: Progress and Possibilities
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"I've been thinking," I said as I measured Jackson's heart rate, "the moss compounds seem to target the neural pathways involved in the transformation. If we could isolate the specific compounds and concentrate them, we might be able to create an even more effective treatment."
"How would you do that?" Liam asked, speaking up for the first time since we'd arrived.
"I'd need better equipment than what I have here," I admitted. "A proper lab setup would be ideal."
"That's not possible," Liam said immediately. "This stays in the forest."
"I understand your concern for secrecy," I said carefully. "But I'm talking about analyzing plant compounds, not werewolf DNA. No one would know what I was really studying."
Liam's expression remained skeptical, but I could see he was considering it. "Let me think about it," he finally said.
Coming from him, it felt like a major concession.
Over the next few days, I continued refining the treatment, working closely with Jackson and occasionally other pack members who came to the cabin. Liam gradually allowed me more freedom to move around the property, though he still maintained a careful distance personally.
One evening, about a week after the full moon, I was working late in the small workspace Liam had set up for me in a corner of the cabin. Jackson had gone home hours ago, and I thought Liam had left as well. I was so absorbed in my work that I didn't hear him approach until he spoke.
"You should rest," he said, startling me. "You've been at this for hours."
I looked up, surprised to find him standing just a few feet away, watching me with an unreadable expression. "I think I'm onto something," I said, gesturing to my notes. "The moss contains a compound similar to one found in certain adaptogenic herbs, but with a unique molecular structure that—"
"Charlotte," he interrupted gently. "It's past midnight."
