Chapter Twenty-Three

Driving on narrow roads in the dead of night is one thing, but driving down the side of a mountain with little to no room for error was something I hadn’t prepared for. As I hugged the hillside to our right, I did everything in my power not to look to my left where the road dropped off completely.

My body shook, my teeth chattered, and even as I gripped the steering wheel, it wasn’t enough. Every time the ground shifted under the tire, every time I turned around the bend in the road, my heart skipped.

But we were halfway down the hill, getting closer to where the road would even out so we could go home. So I kept going.

Every once in a while, the younger shaman would exhale hard or make a rude remark from his place in the backseat, which then would cause the one sitting in front to glare back at him until he got the point.

No one spoke. Half the time, I didn’t even breathe, but bit by bit, I got us down. By the time we reached the road, my heart was racing so much, I had to get out to catch my breath.

“Are you all right?” Aaron, the older healer, asked as he came around to join me.

“Too much adrenaline is all,” I said, waving him away as I fought back the nausea in my throat. Then, looking ahead of us, I asked, “Are those—”

“Wolves?” Aaron inclined his head. “Yes, and it looks like they’ve come to take the territory.”

“But my home…” I shook my head. “Our home—”

“Will still be there. Come on,” he said as he got back inside the car.

“Where are we supposed to go?” I asked.

“Just keep driving.”

Eying the shadows along the horizon, I did as he asked, swallowing around the lump in my throat as I turned down my driveway.

Dozens of wolves dotted the landscape, from the edge of the road all the way to the barn. Not knowing what to do, I kept going, white-knuckling the steering wheel as I did.

“Breathe,” Aaron said, stilling my hand before I could get out and chase them away. “I’ll handle this.”

Once I stopped the car and the wolves had gathered around us, Aaron got out of his side of the car and addressed them as a single entity.

“This area is now under our jurisdiction. Anyone who wishes to challenge that fact will face trial, and with two witnesses behind me, I can assure you it won’t be a long one. You all know what happens to wolves and their pelts if they cross our path and refuse to let us pass. So if I were you, I’d call off the wolves you have entering the homes in this area before I ask the council to step in as well.”

It was amazing. Not only were the Silverbacks healers, but apparently, they were the law as well. Some of the wolves growled in his direction while others bared their teeth. In the end, their complaints were just that, causing them to tuck tail and leave my property the same way they came in.

“What about Bree and Jackson’s home?” I asked Aaron once he joined us in the car again.

“That territory is a part of this one, so it’s safe. I cannot promise that will always be the case, but for now, you have time to breathe and for the others to heal.”

“That’s all I need.”

 

 

“We’ll take them to the bedroom,” Aaron said as soon as we stepped inside the rancher. “It’s the safest place for them when they turn.”

Considering how Jackson reacted the last time we went through something like this, I had to agree. However, that didn’t mean I was about to sit around and wait. As soon as they had Bree and Jackson locked up in my bedroom and I’d closed up the house for the night, I headed into the kitchen.

“Tea?” I offered as I rummaged through the cupboards.

“Do you really think tea—”

“Tea would be lovely,” Aaron said, interrupting his younger companion before he could get too out of line. “These old bones aren’t what they used to be.”

I smiled at that, delivering a warm mug to him and his friend. “Well, I think you’re doing just fine. Unfortunately, I feel like I might be better suited in there with them,” I told him as I looked back toward my bedroom.

“Of course,” Aaron said as he reclined on the sofa. “Take what time you need and call us if you need anything. We’ll just stay here and rest.”

“Do you think it wise?” the younger shaman asked as I headed down the hall. “Leaving wolves in a human’s care.”

“I’ve met this human once before, and her spirit is unshaken by such differences. Of all people, you should appreciate that. It’s a rare sight and one you should enjoy for as long as it lasts. Humans are not our enemy, Conrad. Not all of them, anyway.”

If he said anything else, I didn’t hear him. As soon as I entered my room, I closed the door and locked it behind me. It was stupid of me to lock myself inside a room with two injured wolves, but even as I made my way over to Bree’s side of the bed, I knew I wouldn’t be harmed.

As torn up as she and her brother appeared, the Silverbacks had done a wonderful job. I would’ve included myself in that praise as well, but in my eyes, I was a third party. Aaron and, now knowing his name, Conrad had done most of the work.

I hated to leave them in the living room on their own, but knowing they’d rest, I decided to do the same, carefully taking up the little bit of space there was on the edge of the bed so I could comfort Bree once she woke.

It didn’t take long.

Her body flinched, followed by the gentle touch of fur as it rippled across her skin. I had just enough time to step away from her and off the bed before she shifted completely.

“Easy,” I said as I held up my hands. “It’s me, I’m here.” Then, realizing her wolf probably couldn’t understand me without my touch and with so much magic working through her, I reached out for Bree and breathed a sigh of relief when she nuzzled against me. “Stay still if you can. You’re pretty banged up.”

Her wolf lifted its head and let out a low whimper, looking at her brother a second later.

“Jackson is recovering, same as you. Don’t worry, I’ve got you. I’ve got both of you.”

“Our territory—”

“The Silverbacks have it handled. They sent the others away.”

“But they’ll come back,” she said, struggling against me when she tried to get up.

“Rest now,” I said as I joined her on her side of the bed again. “We can worry about everything else once you’re well.”

 

 

She and Jackson woke a handful of times during the night, and every time, I was there to comfort them. I tried to sleep as much as I could, but it was a light sleep and easily interrupted by a branch scratching the roof above the living room or by one of the Silverbacks when they stirred in the night.

Needless to say, when I woke in an empty bed, I panicked.

“I’m here,” Bree said with a touch of amusement in her voice. “I just had to get a bite to eat.”

Then, realizing what that usually meant, I shot up and opened my eyes, relieved to find her sitting at the foot of the bed. “You didn’t—”

“Go out?” She shook her head. “It seems the Silverbacks are very fond of you. They thought of everything.”

“Are they still here? I’d like to—”

“They left a few hours ago.” This time it was Jackson who spoke, gently easing open the door before joining us. “I don’t know what part you played in all of this but… thank you.”

Confused, I glanced out the window at the bright sunlight and the rumpled sheets around me. “I slept in.”

“You’ve been out of it for hours,” Bree informed me, taking me in her arms a moment later. “I was concerned until the healers told me what you did. We’re here because of you, and as badly as I wanted to do this earlier, I thought it best if we let you sleep.”

“Do what?” I asked, losing myself in her eyes as she slowly inclined her head.

“This.”

She didn’t give me a chance to reply, pressing her lips to mine as she held me tight against her chest. In the background, I heard Jackson groan, then leave the room. A second later, the door clicked behind him.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” I said once she broke the kiss, unable to hide the tears in my voice.

“You never would’ve let that happen,” she said before kissing me again. “Of all the wolves I’ve ever known, you’re one of the best.”

“But I’m not a wolf,” I reminded her. “The magic didn’t wipe your memory as well, did it?”

“No,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before pressing her forehead to mine. “But after everything you’ve done, not to mention how you ordered a pair of Silverbacks around, I’d say you’re as much a wolf as anyone else.”

“So what does that mean for us?” I asked as I leaned into her caress.

“It means that once your sister arrives, we should hold a ceremony. I think we’ve held off long enough, don’t you?”

As much as I wanted to keep playing our game of cat and mouse, making our bond official was probably the only way I’d be able to keep the three of us safe. Accepting Bree’s bond was never the problem, anyway. It all came down to timing.

After everything we’d been through, I didn’t hold back, sinking in her arms as she closed them around me.

“I’ll let Greta know,” I said, carefully placing my hand on the nape of her neck before kissing her again.

“And I’ll contact the healers.”

“What? How come?”

“Because they can officiate a bond as well.”

Smiling, I leaned into her and closed my eyes as she stroked my hair.

“I love you,” she said in a thin whisper, the words barely making their way across her lips before I looked at her again.

There were tears in her eyes, and when she lifted my chin with her hand, there was nothing else I could do but say it back.

“I love you too,” I said, meeting her in a single kiss. “Human and wolf.”