by Bianca D’Arc
“Well, the storm was just getting started in your area, so it’s probably wise to stay here for at least a few hours, if not overnight, right?” Enid said to Joe, wondering why she felt a little breathless at the idea of him sticking around for a while.
“You’re going to the hospital?” he asked.
She nodded in reply. “I’d like to be there when she wakes up, in case there’s something I can do, but I think first, I should grab a shower and maybe a few hours of sleep. The surgery will take a while.”
“Who’s with the Alpha?” Joe asked, watching as the police car grew smaller in the distance.
“It’s a really small Pack, newly formed. He has a little sister, and she’s been a great help to them both. She’s at the hospital now, and she’ll be there throughout.” Enid made a decision and started walking. Joe followed. “Let’s get your jet squared away for the night, then I’m taking you to my place. It’s a rental, and it’s small, but there’s a couch you can bunk on, if you need sleep as much as I do. Just an hour or two and I’ll be heading for the hospital, but you’re welcome to stay at my place as long as you like.”
Joe was surprised by Enid’s offer, but his inner wolf was intrigued. Intrigued, and tired. It had been a long day, even before the surprise flight here. Joe wouldn’t mind closing his eyes for a few minutes, but he also wanted to help that young Alpha, if he could. That poor boy was clearly at his wit’s end with this terrible situation with his mate.
Joe understood how it was to worry for a mate. He’d lost his. He didn’t want that young Alpha, who had impressed his inner wolf even on such short acquaintance, to have to go through what Joe had been through. He decided he would stick around until he knew the young man’s mate was out of the woods.
He and Enid worked together to secure the jet for the night. This airstrip was a bit smaller than Joe’s airport, but there was ample room to park the jet out of the way until morning. Working together as if they’d been doing so a lot longer than just the past couple of hours, they soon had things in order and were able to leave the airport.
Enid had a pickup truck parked in the lot, and Joe felt right at home in the beat up old vehicle. Enid drove like she flew—competently and fast. Before he knew it, they were pulling up in front of a little cottage on the edge of some woods. Joe could just see a few more houses in a very small development, sharing the same wooded area with Enid’s place.
“The Pack lives there,” Enid told him as she parked the truck in the drive. “Henri has done wonders in a short time. He bought the land, and he and his men built their homes, leaving a nice buffer of woodland and swamp between them and the rest of the world.”
Joe liked the setup. It was a solid way to provide some protection for the heart of the Pack.
They got out of the truck, and Enid walked slowly up to the door. Joe could see the fatigue was hitting her now that her part of the crisis was over. She opened the door and invited him in.
“You’re welcome to the couch. There’s a guest bathroom through that door.” She gestured toward a door just off the entryway. “Kitchen is through there,” she added, pointing in the opposite direction. “Help yourself if you’re hungry. I’ll be in back for a bit, but I’ll come out to check if there’s anything you need before I sack out.”
Joe let her go without comment. She really did look exhausted. He prowled around the little house, taking note of the design and workmanship. If the Alpha and his crew had built this place, they’d done an excellent job. Craftsmanship like this wasn’t often found in modern houses. Joe liked everything he saw.
He ambled into the kitchen and set about fixing something for himself and Enid. She should probably eat something, he thought. At least, she might appreciate some tea. He set the kettle to boil and found the tea fixings easily enough. Enid had a multitude of teas, all neatly labeled and packaged. He’d let her choose the brew, but he’d have everything ready by the time she came out of the shower he could hear running.
It had been a very long time since he’d catered to the needs of a tired woman, but he remembered how his mate had enjoyed it when he pampered her. For the first time, he was able to think of his mate with a sort of sad fondness, and not the deep, debilitating sorrow that had been his near-constant companion these last years. The thought gave him pause.
His inner wolf paused, as well. Something had changed. Something subtle had shifted inside him where the sorrow lived. It had a protective shell over it now, calming it. Soothing it. Was that the effect of the priestess? Joe wasn’t sure.
He’d been around other priestesses since his loss, but none had brought this soul-soothing calmness to his spirit. Not like this. There was something special about Enid. Something Joe didn’t understand. Not at all.
He was waiting in the kitchen when she came out of her area at the back of the house. Joe figured her bedroom and the master bathroom was back there. He’d been able to hear her moving around as she’d showered and then gotten dressed in fresh clothing. Loungewear, he realized, when she reappeared. Nothing sexy, though it had a definite effect on Joe when he saw her in the soft, stretchy cotton that hugged her generous curves.
“I made tea,” he croaked out through a suddenly dry throat. He cleared it and tried again. “At least, I made the hot water and thought maybe you’d choose which tea you wanted.”
Her face bloomed in a smile. “Oh, that was so nice of you. Thanks,” she told him, moving forward into the room.
She went right to the shelf where she kept all her teas and chose a little box. The teapot was ready and waiting, so all she had to do was put the tea in there and pour the hot water from the kettle on the stove. Within moments, a lovely aroma filled the small kitchen. It smelled of ginger and spice.
Without asking, Enid poured a cup for Joe. He found it waiting for him as he turned back to the small table with a plate of sandwiches he’d made. Something about the small act of Enid’s pouring tea for him touched him deeply. It had been a long time, indeed, since anyone had looked out for his comfort.
She was small and basically defenseless, as most humans were when compared to shifters, but there was something so strong about her. Her hazel eyes held mysteries, and her long hair looked soft, even in the no-nonsense ponytail she wore it in when she flew. She was competent and lovely in a slightly magical sort of way. Nigel had said her family might have some fey blood, and Joe believed it. Enid had the delicate features and a sort of ethereal air about her that hinted at exotic magic.
“Are those sandwiches?” Enid asked, her weary eyes lighting up as she spied the plate. Her words spurred Joe into motion, and he went over to the table, putting the plate down between them.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be hungry, but I figured I’d prepare these, just in case,” he told her, feeling suddenly shy about what he’d done.
He’d basically made himself at home in her house. She’d told him to do so, of course, but it still felt a little weird. Enid seemed not to notice. She snagged half a sandwich off the plate and bit a healthy piece off one corner.
“Oh, that’s good.” She chewed, her eyes closed for a moment as she enjoyed the simple food he’d prepared. “Thank you for doing this,” she told him, her eyes open once more as she looked at him.
Joe sat down and took a sandwich half for himself. He’d made three good-sized sandwiches, figuring he could eat anything she didn’t. He bit into the roast beef on rye and was pleased with his own work. She’d had good ingredients in her fridge, which was important. He’d just had to slap things together with a little mustard or mayo and call his work done. Uncomfortable with her gratitude, Joe turned the conversation to other matters.
“Is there nothing you can do for the Alpha’s mate?” he asked, realizing only as he said it that Enid could misconstrue his words as an accusation. Luckily, she didn’t seem to take it that way. She shook her head as she swallowed more of the sandwich.
“By the time they met, she was already fully entrenched in the human med
ical system. To work magic on her now, would raise all sorts of questions, and honestly, her condition is a little too severe for me to deal with easily. I talked this all through with Henri and Lucinda, once we knew they were mates, and we all decided this way was best.” Enid sipped a bit of her tea before continuing. “The human doctors will fix her up with a new kidney, which will be much easier for me to deal with magically. I’ve been in consultation with the High Priestess about this for a while, and we’ve devised a strategy that will allow Lucinda to do what she has to do with the human doctors then, gradually, wean herself away from their care. We were going to find a doctor in a shifter Pack or Clan that could take over her case and then do the magic that will make her sound again.”
“There’s an M.D. in my Pack,” Joe offered. “I bet she’d be willing to help you all out.”
“That’s good,” Enid said, her tired eyes brightening. “Henri and his fellows built this place on spec. He didn’t expect to settle down here, but then he found Lucinda, and everything changed. Still, he was open to moving, if he had to, to get Lucinda closer to whoever we found to oversee her case.”
“Well, if this house is anything to judge by, I can always use a good carpentry team in my territory,” Joe said. “Or as allies, if that’s how Henri wants to go. I haven’t really told anyone yet, but I’m looking to expand alliances and grow the Pack into something larger, if the right opportunity presents itself. I’d have to get to know Henri and his people a little better, of course, but if a priestess vouches for them, that’s already a step in the right direction.”
“I do vouch for them,” she said immediately. “They’re on the right side of things. They’re young, but they have heart.”
Joe nodded. “That’s good to hear.”
Enid grabbed another half sandwich off the plate while Joe did the same. He hadn’t expected this to turn into a possible expansion for his Pack, but they said sometimes, the Lady worked in mysterious ways. He wasn’t one to naysay an opportunity when it landed in his lap.
“Once they are fully mated,” Enid went on, contemplatively, going back to their earlier discussion of the Alpha and his mate, “his magic will rub off on her, and it’ll make my job a lot easier. They found each other at a bad time health-wise for her, but Henri is a good guy. He hasn’t pushed, though I know his inner wolf must be going nuts over what’s happening to his mate.”
“I can help him, if he’ll let me,” Joe said quietly. “I lost my mate years ago. I know what he’s going through, but there’s one big difference in his case.”
The air was still in the quiet kitchen. Joe rarely spoke of his dead mate. It hurt too much. Yet, somehow, it felt right to talk about her with Enid. Perhaps because she was a priestess.
“What’s the difference?” Enid prompted him gently when he didn’t say more.
Joe met her gaze. “In this case, there’s hope.”
Chapter Four
Enid could sense the pain Joe was trying to conceal. It was a pain that had lived with him for a very long time. The very fact that he had lived through the loss of his mate was a testament to his strength. Enid had seen other shifters, mindless with pain, follow their mates into the next life. Sadly, that happened more often than not, especially with certain species. Wolves were among the most loyal to their mates, though all shifters had well-earned reputations for being faithful.
Enid’s heart hurt for him. If only there was something she could do to ease his pain. She had to try. It was the least she could do when she encountered a person in such pain. Sometimes, talking about the lost mate helped.
“How did she die?” Enid asked in a quiet tone that invited shared confidences.
Joe sat back in his chair and sighed. “Plane crash. Pilot error,” he said shortly. “After that, I bought the airstrip and turned it into what it is now. I made sure all those who wanted to learn to fly in my Pack got the best training, and that any of mine who needed to go somewhere would always have access to Pack pilots and Pack planes. I don’t let my people fly commercial. Never again.”
“Your mate was on a commercial flight?” Suddenly, Enid felt a sense of wonder. Could it be?
“The AmTrans crash more than a decade ago? She was on that flight.” Joe’s blue eyes were haunted, but things began to fall into place for Enid. When she replied, she couldn’t speak above a whisper.
“Joe… I was on that flight.”
“You… What?” His gaze sharpened as his brows drew together in confusion.
“I was seated in the forward section. Row 2, Seat A. There were a few survivors in that area. Everybody in the back of the plane…” She remembered with horror the feeling of all those souls dying while her own body had been broken in so many places, she couldn’t move to save herself. “I just remember lying in the rubble, tears falling down my face because I knew… I knew what was happening all around me. People were hurt and dying, and I was unable to move. I wanted to go to the others. To help ease their transition. All I could do was reach out with one hand.” She lifted her left hand. “This was the only limb not broken in multiple places,” she told him, her voice flat with remembered pain. “I reached out, and a woman’s hand met mine. She was trapped, like me. We held on to each other as the sirens came closer. I urged her to stay with me, but I felt her slip away. I prayed for her and with her. I blessed her passing, which was all I could do for her at the time. Joe… She was a shifter. The only one on the flight.”
“Dear, sweet Goddess,” he whispered, exploding out of his seat. The chair fell back onto the floor behind him as he fled from her words, stalking into the living room. She stood, following more slowly. She watched from the archway as he ran his hands through his hair, his eyes glowing with emotion and unshed tears.
That was okay. She was shedding the tears for him. She felt them flowing down her cheeks as emotion overcame her. Her memories. His. The pain. The fear. The horror. The sorrow.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, knowing he could hear her with his keen shifter hearing. “So deeply sorry.”
Joe turned toward her slowly. He blew out his breath in a heavy sigh. “I…” He tried again. “I’m glad you were with her when...”
“I am, too,” she said, walking a few steps into the room. “What was her name? I’ve always wondered, but I was in the hospital for a very long time, and I never found out.”
“Tess. Her name was Tess,” he choked out.
“Tess.” Enid looked up for a moment then bowed her head, sending a silent prayer to the Mother of All for Tess’s soul.
When she finished and looked up again, Joe had stalked silently closer. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Praying. I can’t be absolutely certain, of course, but I’ve always felt like your Tess’s soul stayed with me until they dug me out of the wreckage, and even after. She gave me—or, perhaps, the memory of her gave me—strength to go on when so many of my bones were broken or crushed.” Enid reached out and put one hand on Joe’s shoulder. “I think her spirit saved me, Joe. I’ve felt that for a very long time. Ever since the moment I opened my eyes in that hospital, days later, I’ve thought of the way I felt her soul stay near me while I struggled not to follow her into the next life. She fought the pull of that realm so hard to urge me to stay here. She told me before she left her body that I still had work to do here.” A sob escaped her, and the next thing Enid knew, she was in Joe’s strong arms, clinging to him for comfort.
Or, perhaps, he was the one seeking comfort. Or, maybe, it was both of them, seeking solace from memories of the same horrific incident. Whatever the case, it felt so good to be in his warm embrace. She gained strength from his immense well of power. She only hoped she was able to offer him some comfort, as well.
She felt his head drop, so that his face was nuzzled into her neck as she did the same. His arms held her tight as hers held him. He was her lifeline in the storm of emotion. She hadn’t thought about the crash for years, but seeing him suffer from the memories broug
ht it all back. The pain, the heart-wrenching feeling of all those deaths around her, the sorrow. It all came flooding into her mind in a wave of despair unlike any she’d felt since that terrible day.
This time, though, there was Joe. She clung to him, unwilling to let the maelstrom sweep her away as it had for so long while she’d been healing. She’d been so close to death when they found her, but they’d brought her back. Tess had urged her to stay here. Tess had told her there was still work to do. Tess had promised her a full and happy life if she just got through the pain and horror of what had happened.
So far, Enid hadn’t found the true happiness Tess had promised, but she’d always had the feeling it was just around the corner. Someday, she’d find that promise of joy that had kept her going through all that healing, the surgeries, the rehab, the pain and confusion.
Enid had found her calling as a priestess not long after she’d left the hospital, and the Mother of All had helped immensely with the rest of Enid’s healing. She was at the point now, where she barely had any evidence left of the terrible way her body had been broken and crushed. The doctors had said she might never walk again. Worse, they’d told her she’d be in intense pain for the rest of her life. Enid hadn’t accepted that. She’d worked with healers and prayed and learned the ways of the Lady. She’d learned how to use what magic she could claim and had reshaped the bones that had been so terribly damaged. She’d rebuilt her body, one agonizing piece at a time.
That’s how she knew she could help Lucinda after the science of men put her back together again. Enid had been through something similar. Once human medicine had done all they could, then Enid would employ the methods of healing and the magic of the Goddess to make Lucinda even better.
Healing the body was one thing, but healing the soul was something quite different. Joe’s spirit cried out to her for solace. She wanted so much to give and receive comfort after tonight’s startling revelations. She clung to him, as he clung to her. Both of them had been shaken by the hand of Fate that had brought them both to this place and time, joined by tragedy and the loss of a woman named Tess.
