Branches of the Willow 3

by Christine M. Butler

  HOME

  “Jessica, you need to wake up now.” I heard the feminine voice calling to me, but it took a while to peel my eyelids open. Everything was still so dry and scratchy. “I need you to wake up so I can get some water in you, you’re very dehydrated, sweetheart.”

  “Where…” My voice was still to scratchy to use, but I finally got a look around. I was in my bed. I was home. “How?” I managed to scratch out.

  “I brought you here. I thought it would be an easier transition than dropping you off in the middle of the pack lands to face a million questions your voice isn’t capable of answering right now.” Serena’s crystal blue eyes stared back at me. “I would have come sooner, but I couldn’t convince that fool family of yours that I was there to help. I’m so sorry, Jessica.”

  “Mikael?” Panic framed the name as it whispered pass my lips trailed by a hoarse cough.

  “He’s fine.”

  “But…” I tried in vain to clear my throat. “Can’t shift.” Understanding swept over Serena’s features then.

  “Ah, sweetheart, your bond is still intact. Your inability to shift is for an entirely different reason. Probably the same reason that saved you two from that accursed spell.”

  I’m sure the look on my face at that point was question enough so I didn’t bother to ask out loud. Serena smiled at me, and offered a cup with a straw. “Drink. I will explain everything.”

  I took the cup into shaky hands, and sipped a bit of the cool water. It was like a balm to my dried throat, even as the motion of sucking through a straw cracked my dried lips further.

  “Before you were taken, was there a time when you and your mate were consumed with one another?” She was watching me as my skin flamed, burning a nice rosy appearance into my otherwise pallid features. “That’s what I thought. It’s different for my children than for the other wolves. A white wolf can sometimes have multiple heat cycles in her first year of mating, if she does not have a successful mating on the first try, or the second.” Serena winked at me. “Apparently, you were successful this time.” My eyes grew wide in surprise as what Serena was telling me sank in. I made a motion with one hand that indicated an enlarged belly, and Serena laughed at me. “Yes, my dear, you are with child.”

  A tear slid free from my eye and trailed down my face before falling to catch somewhere in my shirt. I wasn’t even sure how I possibly formed a tear as dry as I felt, but there it was. I took another sip of water at Serena’s prompting, and then another. It took a few minutes of processing before I attempted to speak again. “Are you sure?” I whispered out to her. My stomach rolled a little, leaving me with a queasy feeling.

  “Let me,” Serena offered as she took the cup from me and sat it down on the night stand beside the bed. “You are still weak, and while that is not your typical water, you still need time for your body to adjust to nutrients being introduced again.”

  “Not typical?”

  “It’s my own special brew. I figured, when I couldn’t reach you in your dreams, that my sister was drugging you. I had some brew made up before I went to retrieve you. It will replace all that you’ve lost in a short time, but your body has a bit more going on than I bargained for, so you’ll have to go slow, or you’ll get sick.”

  I nodded my head in understanding. I still felt like I was in a haze. “You are my many times great grandmother.” It was a statement of fact, not a question.

  “I see, my sister told you then?” I shook my head yes, and she continued. “I am, indeed. You are the first, since Aislynn, to know this. It’s been a burden to keep this secret from so many before you.”

  “This is why you were able to get in my dreams like the wolves?”

  “Yes. We are linked through blood and bond. While my mate was killed, our bond survived in my daughter, and through her line, all the way down to you.”

  I hear a door open and slam shut from downstairs and heavy steps running through the house. “I called your mate when we arrived, to let him know. He must have flown to get here this quickly.” Serena chuckled. “Not that I blame him.”

  “I’m glad my sister told you about me, Jessica. I was forbidden long ago to reveal my link to the white wolves. Now, you may pass the knowledge along again.” She put her hand on my belly to emphasize that I would be able to pass it on sooner, rather than later.

  “Don’t tell him yet.” I made the request, not knowing why in that moment. I just knew it was going to be a lot to handle having me back, all the questions, and I didn’t want to have an unexpected pregnancy caught up in the middle of all that. I wanted to wait to spread the news until we could celebrate it, and not have it be one more thing we almost lost.

  “That is your news to tell, when you’re ready, Jess.” The bedroom door burst open then, and Serena removed her hand and stepped aside, out of the way of Mikael as he came rushing forward and took me into his arms roughly.

  “Jessica!” He was crying. His shoulders were shaking, and he was squeezing me tightly. A part of me didn’t care that he was a little rough, but the other part was starting to feel sick from being manhandled, and before I could move him back off of me, I felt bile creeping up the back of my throat. Serena, thankfully, saw what was happening and snatched the trashcan up from across the room and brought it to me. “Oh my God, Jessica!” Mikael shouted as he moved over just in time to avoid the backsplash. I didn’t have a lot on my stomach, but what was there came up violently. “Oh my God, baby. What’s wrong with her?” He was looking back and forth between Serena and I for answers.

  “She has been through a lot. Let’s calm down, and do try to be gentle with her, Mikael. The squeezing wasn’t helping.” Serena spoke in a low, calm voice, hoping that it would help ease Mikael’s tension, and make him more inclined to listen.

  “I did this?” He asked, stunned. “I’m sorry, Jess.” His voice had grown weaker. I finally managed to pull my head out of the trash can, and look up at him.

  “Sorry.” I whispered with my ragged voice. I watched as Mikael’s face contorted with the pain of hearing me sound so bad. “Too much water, too fast.”

  “She’s severely dehydrated. I was giving her a special brew to replenish the lost fluids quicker, but too much movement afterwards, sometimes results in sickness.” I gave Serena a weak smile for her efforts. My sickness had nothing to do with her brew and she knew it.

  “I’ll be okay.” I rasped out.

  “Your voice…” Mikael whispered, and then he reached forward, as if to touch my face, only to pull again, afraid of hurting me. I moved, slowly, until I was right there next to him, and I put my head on his shoulder. His scent wrapped around me, filling me with feelings of calm, safety, and home. It was exactly what I needed.

  “What happened?” He was asking Serena, not me, as his hand came up to caress the side of my face, and gently push my hair back. “How the hell did you manage to find her when no one else could?”

  Serena tipped her head to me. She wasn’t able to tell her secret, but I could. “Serena is my kin.” I said without hesitation.

  “Your what?”

  “She is the mother of the white wolves. Aislynn was her daughter, and we are all descended from her.” My vocal chords were still raw, so I leaned forward, looking for the drink Serena had set aside earlier.

  “Here you are dear.” Serena offered the cup to me after retrieving it. Mikael just looked from Serena to me and back again like we both had two heads.

  “You’re serious?”

  Serena nodded her agreement.

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell us this a week ago? We could have had her out of there before any damage was done to her. Jesus, she can’t even speak right anymore.”

  “She will heal.” Serena said simply.

  “Serena couldn’t tell. She’s been under a spell since Aislynn came into her white wolf powers. She literally cannot speak of her past involving the white wolf line.”

  “So, how do you know then?”

  “Soph
ia told me. Serena was able to confirm after that.”

  “What a fucking circus.” Mikael huffed as he pushed his hair back off of his face. “If we had known…”

  “Don’t dwell in the past, your mate is here, and she will be fine after a little rest, food, and pampering.”

  “She’ll get that in spades.” He told her, then he leaned down and kissed my head. “I’m so sorry baby. If we’d listened to Serena, she could have gotten to you sooner. I didn’t know.” The pain in his voice as he spoke, told me exactly how hard this week without me had been. We both had our own stories to tell about this week, but I wasn’t sure how much of my story I wanted to share. Instead, I scrunched myself down further, and put my head on the pillow. When my eyes were closed again I knew I’d sleep for hours before I could pry them back open.

  ~*~

  I woke up to what sounded like an argument. Hushed voices were locked in a back and forth battle of wills trying to out whisper-shout the other.

  “She needs her rest!” Mikael was saying, but then two women’s voices started in on him at once.

  “I just want to see that she’s okay.” It was my mother.

  “She would want us to wake her up. Jesus, you can’t keep her all to yourself, Mikael.” Ashley was livid.

  I heard Mikael growl. “I’m telling you now, Ashley, back off. We don’t even know what she went through there. I can tell you she looks like :hell. Her weight dropped, and she was so dehydrated even her damn skin was cracked everywhere. According to Serena this is the first damn sleep she’s gotten that hasn’t been drug induced, and I’m not about to have you wake her up.” His voice was much louder than a whisper now.

  “Ashley, he’s not wrong.” Asi added in that peacekeeper way of his.

  “Oh, no. You don’t get to pick the wrong side!” Ashley spit back at him. “She’s my best friend. My sister. I’ve been worried sick, and I want to see for myself that she’s okay.”

  “And you will,” Asi agreed, but then added, “when she wakes up.” I heard Ashley’s frustrated growl before her tiny little feet were stomping off down the hallway.

  “Thanks, man.” Mikael offered weakly.

  “Don’t thank me. You just made an enemy there.” I heard Asi’s footfalls as he most likely went in search of Ashley.

  “I understand all this, but really, Mikael, you will let me at least see that she’s there.” My mother was pleading with him now.

  “Fine.” I heard the door crack open. My eyes were still shut, and I was still half asleep, and not sure I had the strength to even crack my lids, let alone let them know I was good enough for visitors. As much as I missed my parents and Ashley, I was too tired to care about visitors right now. My body needed rest, and not just for my own sake anymore. I had a baby to think about now too.

  I tried to swallow, and that sent my body into a dry-coughing fit that signaled to them that I was awake. That’s all my mom needed to push past Mikael. “Oh my God.” My mom started. “She needs a drink.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Mikael took off running, I suppose to get something from the kitchen.

  “Oh baby, look at you.” I was watching my mom, now that my coughing had subsided, I could see the worry etched in the lines of her face. I wasn’t sure when my mom started to age, maybe it had something to do with people trying to kill her daughter every few months. I wanted to say something to reassure her that I was okay, but I worried that it would start up another coughing fit, and that just hurt like hell, so I didn’t want to chance it.

  My mom reached up and smoothed my hair back from my face. Tears were shinning in her eyes, but they were stubbornly refusing to fall free. “I worried. God, I worried. I’m so glad you’re back.” I tried for a smile to reassure her, but I’m not certain how successful I was. Her face seemed more pained from my attempt.

  “You’re awake!” A very excited Ashley came bouncing into the room, and slipped into bed on the other side of me. My mother seemed slightly annoyed, but she knew better than to get into it with Ashley. “What’s the matter, chica? Cat got your tongue?” She was still trying to be the same old bubbly Ashley, and I loved her for it, but if any of them heard me speak it would make things far worse. I just shook my head no. “Well, did you sleep well?” Ashley was discouraged by lack of comment, but she continued to ask questions. I continued to shake my head yes or no.

  “Here you go, baby.” Mikael came in with a glass of brew Serena must have left. Bless her heart, that is exactly what I needed. I looked up at him, hoping my eyes conveyed my thanks for me. He smiled down at me, as he moved in close enough to help me hold the glass. I’m glad he did, I wasn’t sure if I could muster the strength yet. My mom had politely slid back out of the way, but she hadn’t missed a thing. Understanding dawned on her face, as she realized Mikael hadn’t been exaggerating my condition.

  “I guess that’s the perks of kidnappings. You get your ass pampered afterward.” Ashley lilted out in a sing-a-song voice. My eyes darted over to her, and the smile died from her face. Ashley was a smart girl, it just took a minute or two longer for reality to set in. “Shit. This isn’t pampering.” She looked between myself and Mikael then, and settled her rage-filled eyes on him. “What the fuck did they do to her?”

  “Ashley,” my mom called out, and stood up to walk around the bed to help Ashley out of the room.

  “What did they do?” I could hear the terror in her voice, and I wished I could comfort her then, and let her know that I would be okay soon, but I honestly wasn’t sure anymore. I didn’t feel this run down after I was shot and doused with wolves bane. Ashley was crying into my mom’s arms as she was walked out of the room. “What did they do to her?” She was asking my mom between hiccups.

  “I don’t know. We just need to wait and let her tell us when she’s ready, sweetheart. Jess is strong, she’ll bounce back soon.

  “I look bad, huh?” I managed to squeak out to Mikael once I knew they were downstairs.

  “You just look tired.” He pushed my hair back off my face as my mother had done moments ago. “Can I get you anything else? Serena said you may be stuck with just the brew until your throat heals a little bit. It’s too raw for food right now, but maybe a popsicle, or something?”

  I smiled. “Later. Hold me?” I missed his scent. I felt safe with it wrapped around me.

  “Of course, baby.”

  ~*~

  I’m not sure if they were freaked out by my appearance when they did see me, or if Mikael threatened everyone to keep them away, but that’s exactly what they did. I had the next three days to myself to recuperate with Mikael doing everything in his power to make sure I rested and got better. Serena popped in a few times too, checking on me, and dropping off some more of her brew. By the third day I was rehydrated, and eating food again.

  “Hey baby.” Mikael walked in the room sporting a big grin when he saw me coming from the shower with only a towel on.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Nothing that can’t wait now!” He came over and picked me up, carried me to the bed, and started planting kisses all over me.

  I was giggling at his advances. “Mikael?” I questioned amidst the onslaught of kisses.

  “Sorry. You just looked like you again. I couldn’t resist.” He sat up, and moved back a little to watch me stand and start getting dressed. “You have a guest downstairs, several actually.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, I told everyone you were doing much better. Maybe I shouldn’t have.” He looked worried for a minute.

  “I’m fine. Besides, I need to get out of this room for a bit. I’m starting to go stir crazy.” I smiled, leaned down, and planted a kiss on his soft lips. Mikael had been shaving closely the past few days to remove any stubble. The first day, every time he tried to kiss me it hurt my chapped skin. He hadn’t shaved yet today, and I enjoyed seeing him like that again. “Don’t shave today.” I said out loud. He smiled at me.

  “I knew you only loved me for my b
ad-boy look.” He winked as he said it.

  “Damn straight!” I tried to add some excitement to my voice, but received a quick reminder that I wasn’t used to using my vocal chords again. It came out a little shriller than I anticipated. Mikael winced at the sound. I sighed. “Well, I guess I’ll stick to monotones for a few more days.

  “I’m tempted to bring Sophia back from the dead so I can have the satisfaction of killing her myself.”

  “Let’s not, please.” I finished dressing and slipped my feet into my shoes. “So, who’s here?”

  “My brother, Asi, and Ashley.”

  “Ash finally came back, huh?”

  “Yeah. I don’t think she wanted to though. She still feels bad about the other day.”

  “She has nothing to feel bad about.” I looked at Mikael wondering just how hard he’d been on my friend, and he must have caught the accusation in my gaze.

  “Hey, I tried telling her that.” He threw his hands up in the air. “All I wanted was for everyone to give you time. They didn’t understand how bad you were.”

  “I know.” I leaned in for another quick kiss. Mikael’s arms wrapped around me, and I wasn’t sure I cared that we had visitors downstairs. I didn’t want to move away from him. “I love you.” I whispered against his lips. He nipped at my bottom lip in response.

  “Come on.” He sighed heavily as he stood up from the bed, moving me away from it as he went. “Let’s go see everyone. I’ve apparently monopolized as much of your time as everyone’s willing to allow.” He was moping about having to share me again. I kind of liked it. Not that he felt that way, but that he cared enough to be bothered about having to lose time with me.

  I was just hitting the bottom step when strong arms reached out and grabbed hold of me, pulling me so tight it almost hurt. “Jess!” I inhaled the familiar scent that clung to Evan. For once, I didn’t hear Mikael growling at him. He understood his brother’s emotion, and backed off for a minute. “I’m so sorry. We tried to find you…” He was talking into my ear, because he still hadn’t let go. “I’m so sorry.”