“Moriah,” Lance said, but his voice came out thick. He changed back to human and knelt in the snow. He knew, as he still felt the bullet in him, that she had to change and now. It was her best chance.
A cat nudged him over, its green eyes glittered at him. “I can smell the silver in you and in her. Get to my hospital now, and take Lisa with you. Tell Sherona to prepare the operating room.”
“I’m not leaving. I have to go track the others that put my mate in danger.”
A wild cat yowl emanated from the large creature he presumed to be Dr. Waverly.
“They are gone by car. You will do as I say, or do you want your mate to suffer more? If you and Moriah aren’t taken care of, you will be stuck at a half-life. Your lung will not recover after a certain point.”
Astonishment ran through him. What sort of doctor was this man?
“Not the sort to mess with. Go do as I say. Since you managed to shift the bullet to a less dangerous spot, I’ll take care of Moriah first as she has the most immediate need and is unconscious. But you both have to have that thing taken out of you tonight.”
Lance started to turn and do as asked then he heard the drums again. A breeze moved by them, but it wasn’t just a breeze. He could feel it as something more. As whispers, as language. Something deep and earthy.
Lisa had put her paws on Moriah while he and the doctor were talking. Words that sounded a lot like the language Lance heard speaking with the drums, fell from Lisa’s lips. That feeling of being with the earth increased. His body responded by trying to attune to his mate.
The clearing became silent as her words became louder and reverberated in the clearing. He looked around. The others had stopped to stare and move closer. Nolan and Alex rubbed together as they watched over one of their pack members near dying.
The large blackish wolf howled again, the pain in the voice making Lance want to weep. “Kamiakin,” Nolan said quietly.
That was Kamiakin? Lance didn’t know he and Moriah were a couple.
“No one did,” Nolan said to him as they got closer. “Either he didn’t know, or he’s kept it a secret.”
Those were the last words spoken by anyone for a long time as Lisa continued her chanting. As Lance heard them, they became familiar, and he joined in where he could. Soon, he realized it was like a chorus. After a bit, a glow, silvery and looking like it was made of pure moon beams, surrounded Moriah.
Moriah was lifted into the air, no one holding her, and more than one gasp came from the group. As she raised, her body changed to human, and a white flowing dress appeared. It poured on her like water flowed over rocks.
Her arms spread out, and more unearthly fabric fell from her arms. Lance didn’t know how long they stood there, but at some point, the white glow lessened, and Moriah’s body floated back to Earth.
Lisa collapsed as Moriah touched the ground, and Lance picked her up, much as he’d done the first time he’d seen her. He cuddled her close. “Whatever you did, it’s a miracle,” he whispered against her ear. “My miracle.”
Dr. Waverly moved closer to Moriah, but Lance glanced around, thinking of his visions. In the distance, he saw a red haze in the trees. Also, it surrounded Jason and a couple others. Ryan and Joseph were clear. No haze, red or white.
“Nolan, not all of these traitors are dead. You—” he stopped short of telling the ulfric what to do.
“Already on it, Lance. Thank you. Thank you, both. You take yourself and your mate to the Waverly Mansion. After you’ve healed, you need to take that time alone. It’s too late to confront Joseph, but it’s not too late for the both of you to get over what’s been done to you.”
Lance swallowed hard and nodded to his ulfric. Such a difference having a true leader made. “Roxy was here,” he said, “but not Boris. Thought you should know.”
Nolan didn’t look surprised. “Thanks. We had reports of Boris elsewhere deep on the reservation. Kamiakin was looking into it before he came here.”
That explained how Kamiakin had arrived so quickly. He must have been one of the wolves to answer his call for help.
“Get to the hospital, Lance. Lisa needs the rest, and you need the silver taken out and the lungs checked,” Nolan prodded.
“How in the hell does everyone know where I was hit with the bullet,” Lance grumbled, but started carrying Lisa back to their car.
He smiled, even as her unconscious state worried him. This was how they’d begun so many years ago. Maybe it was a sign of a new beginning.
One they would share. His love. His aswan.
His mate.
Chapter Fifteen
“I have a text from Boris. He’s injured and wants to be picked up near road 100,” Roxy said to Justin.
Heather sat in the back, holding her binders and papers to her chest. Roxy hoped it had been worth it. Then she grinned. Killing that coward Joseph made all of it worth it, but she wasn’t about to let Justin know that. Besides, he needed to pay for her feral being hurt.
“We don’t have time to pick up Boris. He should have made his way to the established meeting point.”
“He can’t get there because he’s hurt,” she snapped. “I need him. You have no right to leave him. Even weres take time to heal.”
“I have every right,” he said silkily.
A shiver of apprehension ran through her. “Excuse me,” she demanded. Long ago, she’d learned not to show her fear.
“I am your ulfric. You sought sanctuary with my pack. I gave it, even though you are wanted by state and your local police for murder. Put myself in jeopardy for you. Boris didn’t seem to appreciate that fact. Do you?”
For the first time, Roxy felt actual fear of Justin. How had he hidden his true alpha from her? For in every word, she heard the power, the confidence of a leader...and more. She heard darkness, evil.
Rage at her impotence swamped her and hopefully hid her fear from him. “He’s mine,” she hissed. “You offered us sanctuary,” she said through gritted teeth. “As one of the pack, doesn’t he deserve your protection?” He wanted to play dirty politics? She’d play.
“You said it yourself. He’s feral. He has no protection.” Justin’s voice told her it was final.
She stared out the passenger window and contemplated what to do. Without Boris, she only had her own wits and power. And though better than most weres, her toughness wasn’t strong enough to fight Nolan. And now, she had serious reservations if it would be enough to fight Justin.
In the rearview mirror, she caught a glimpse of Heather George’s face. The healer was smirking, and Roxy knew it was at her expense. Fuck the healer. Roxy still had enough power to deal with her when the time came.
But that fission of fear that now rode through her wouldn’t leave. Justin was turning out to be much more than she bargained for. “What of that human you brought in? Where’d he disappear to?” she asked, clenching her fist to the side away from his sight to release some of the anger she couldn’t take out on him. Perhaps he could get Boris and bring him in.
His low laugh made her stomach tighten with foreboding. “Human? What human? There were no humans there tonight.”
Anger helped eradicate the fear. “There was a human, and he supplied us with the guns you gave Ryan and the others. What game are you playing at?”
“Describe this human?”
“Tall, white, thick shouldered, muscular, moves well, blond hair. He speaks with an accent I can’t place.”
He laughed again, sounding as if she’d given him the winning lotto numbers. “Ah yes, I know of whom you speak. My dear,” he continued, his jovial manner restored, “he is not a human anymore than we are.”
For the first time that she could recall, she sputtered. Confusion and anger warred, and they both tried to come out at once as she spoke. She stopped herself and took a deep breath. “Pack, all weres, have a smell, as do humans. He smelled as human,” she finally managed through clenched teeth. Even as a child she hadn’t responded well to co
ndescending people.
“Trust me.”
Nearly hysterical with anger and confusion, it was her turn to laugh. Albeit derisively. “Trust you? You just ditched my ally, someone you swore to protect, without batting an eyelash. How can I trust you?”
“You are not feral or wanted by New York authorities—human and were.”
That shut her up. She thought she’d been the only one who knew Boris’ true identity. If anyone found out about his past with the pack in New York...
“Cat got your tongue?”
She whipped her head and gave him a dirty look. “How dare you,” she hissed.
“I’m sorry. That truly was an uncalled for remark. You, of all women, are not a pussy cat,” he said.
Heather’s gasp of mirth was not lost on Roxy, but she could be patient. Boris didn’t have the torture market cornered. She looked in the rearview mirror and caught Heather’s eyes. The ex-healer quickly shut down.
“So what is he, if not a human?” she asked. Part of her wanted to challenge him, but she knew she wasn’t ready yet. Not until she figured out how he’d held the aswan still.
“My good friend Evan is a werebear, polar to be exact.”
Roxy sat there in disbelief. Even Heather’s not so quiet smirks were silenced. “That’s impossible. They’re extinct. Their people were killed off centuries ago.” Even though she tried to sound disdainful, the tremor belied it. “They are nothing but myths and legends now.”
“And so the humans would say about us.”
“It’s impossible,” she whispered.
“You want power, I can give it to you. Be at my side and rule the weres, the humans, and the Earth. However, you have to give up your plebian ways and look past your corner of the world.”
That brought her out of her stupor. “You can give me power? That kind of control?” Power. All she’d ever sought, all she really wanted. He could give her that?
***
Justin watched with disdain as Roxy fell so easily into his trap. Everything he said was true, but the were community had become too lax in recent years. Their wits and their powers sabotaged by their own human-like beliefs and fears. Still, someone with her ruthlessness would be good to have at his side.
“I can give you supremacy beyond any you’ve dreamed of. You must do as I say and follow my plans. Then the world will be at your feet, yours to command.”
He watched Roxy’s chest rise and fall rapidly as she assimilated his words. All too easy. He glanced in the mirror, and Heather glared daggers at Roxy. His smile that bloomed was real. Things were working according to his very specific design.
“Well, do we have a deal?” he pushed.
“Yes.” The coldness in her voice pleased him. Every step she took, she went in the direction he guided. His skills were nearly ready for the ultimate test.
His satellite phone rang. Speaking of. “Yes,” he clipped into the phone.
“The wolf shot with silver is not dead, and according to one of the others, the male isn’t either.”
“What?” he exploded.
“The male, we’re not sure what happened, but the woman, she was healed by the aswan your companion was so keen to kill.”
“That’s...interesting. It’s come about sooner than expected.”
“Yes. The were powers are being awoken faster than we had anticipated. This is very good news for my plans. We must work on a way of getting this aswan and testing her.”
Justin liked how Evan thought.
“I have just the thing for that,” he replied and looked again at Heather still clutching her notes. He knew how to handle her. Soon, no one would be able to stop him, not even Evan of the famed werepolar bears.
Chapter Sixteen
“Damn it, Lance! I’m not made of spun gold,” Lisa said grumpily. She wanted out of the hospital. Besides, he was the one who’d had surgery.
“You are infinitely more precious than spun gold,” Lance replied.
She kept the stern look on her face, despite the tingles of pleasure that sparked when he said it. “Hmph,” was all she said to that.
He took her chin in his hands and waited until she lifted her eyes before he spoke. “No one has ever seen someone do what you did for Moriah. The wound was gone—along with the bullet. Dr. Waverly wants to make sure the effects on you are within normal parameters.”
“I didn’t have surgery to repair my lungs,” she replied, still grumpy. His words didn’t comfort her. If anything, they made her more nervous. She already felt as if she stuck out from the rest of the pack like a sore thumb at a hammer convention.
Lance’s laughter danced along her spine, and her smile couldn’t be stopped. That he was there with her, loving her, comforting her, and kissing her every time they were left alone still surprised and delighted her. Part of her wished he wouldn’t stop at the kisses, but he’d just had surgery, so the other part of her didn’t want him to hurt himself.
“Between the surgery, the special medication the doc dumped down my throat, and my natural ability to heal, I feel great. Besides, the lungs had already started healing. It was only the ruptured outer lining that had to be patched so it would heal correctly.”
“And the silver scraped off.”
“Yes, and the silver scraped off. That hurt the most,” he admitted.
“I’m so sorry, Lance. I’ve never heard of a were using guns before.”
“None of us had. The ulfric and Doctor Waverly are both severely concerned. Somehow, someone’s figured out a way to keep silver liquid on the inside and still a hundred percent silver on the outside.”
Lisa gnawed her bottom lip. If one of her women were hit with one of those... “And the liquid? Is it a hundred percent silver as well?”
“The doctor doesn’t know. They’re testing my blood and Moriah’s as well. Problem is, I shifted really fast and dislodged the bullet. So some of the silver coated a lower lobe of my lungs and began to solidify, but he has no idea what the medium for keeping it liquid was.”
“And Moriah?”
“You pushed every bit of silver out of her as far as we can tell. She—”
“She is healthy as a horse, as the saying goes,” Moriah interrupted.
It interested Lisa that Kamiakin stood nearby. If she wasn’t mistaken, it had been him that had sat and howled next to Moriah as she lay dying. “I’m glad to hear it,” Lisa finally said after professionally inspecting Moriah for any subtle signs of illness.
All at once, Lisa found herself enveloped in a big hug, and a whispered, “Thank you. For everything,” by Moriah.
“I, uh, you’re welcome.” In all their time together, Moriah had never hugged her. Startling to be on the receiving end of one now.
“We’re leaving. I’ll tell you more when you’re out of the hospital.” Lisa noticed the frown both Lance and Kamiakin laid on Moriah.
“Lance?” Lisa asked after the other two left.
“What,” he mumbled, throwing a dark look to the doorway Moriah had just passed through.
“What is the ‘more’ that Moriah needs to tell me?”
“You need to rest,” he prevaricated.
The flash of anger that ran through her wasn’t pretty, but she didn’t care. “I’ve been resting,” she practically hissed. “I feel useless and helpless. All I did was—”
“All you did was heal a woman using words and magic you can’t remember. You literally saved her life as the bullet had made it through and nicked the heart. At least, that’s what Waverly says. How he knows, I couldn’t tell you.”
“I must admit, there’s something spooky about the medical people here,” she replied, allowing herself to be distracted.
“Whatever it is, just be careful. I don’t know them very well.”
“Oh,” she laughed gently. “I do. We’ve worked together many times. Now tell me.” Her voice hardened at the end.
Lance let out a blustery sigh as he looked away. “I can’t not tell you,” he finally a
nswered. “I think you need to know.”
Now she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know. The seriousness and worry in his voice sent a shiver through her. What the hell had been going on?
***
Nolan sat at the police station going over the sightings of Boris and Roxy. There’d been a flood recently. He knew too well that some of them were accurate. Despite the distance, he’d recognized Roxy leaving the area before the trees hid her from his view. Boris was missing but in bad shape. Kamiakin said he’d hurt the feral wolf severely, but human hunters had come in the area, and Boris had used their presence to get away.
“Damn it,” he said as he slapped his hand on his desk. Anger palpated through him, a vibrant, living thing. Boris and Roxy had to be off the streets. They were too dangerous. At least two dead bodies had been found on the west side, showing suspiciously similar marks on their body—similar to the pregnant women. But since the newest victims weren’t pregnant, law enforcement hadn’t put the pieces together. He had no absolute proof, but his gut told him the ex-lupa and feral of the Lupin pack had found a new home and held some power.
A thought occurred to him, and he shuffled through his papers until he came to the reports of statewide murders. One name in particular had struck him as sad as he remembered the name from his childhood. They had played together at a pack convention of sorts, and it had made him unhappy to think of someone he knew coming to such a human end. Stabbed and gutted. There it was. He read the name again. Yes, that’s the name he remembered, but he’d call his dad to be sure, even though he hated asking for help.
While the phone rang, he tapped his pencil. It never failed to raise his blood pressure when he had to ask his dad for help on pack business. His dad already made him feel as if he weren’t strong enough for the role as leader.
“Hi, Nolan,” his father’s voice rumbled across the airwaves. Even his voice held power.
Nolan grimaced since there was no one around to witness his weakness. “Hi, Dad. I have questions regarding that werewolf convention thing we went to when I was a kid.”
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