“What do you mean you talked to my brother? James, you know I wanted to speak to him. Did he say anything about Kiera and how she is doing? What’s happening? Did you talk to him about the parcel of land? How about access to the healing centre? The guys that are going after rogues for blood. Is it true he thinks they might try to take Kiera? I am sick of living on rumours, I need to know.” Trisha couldn’t believe that James didn’t tell her when Dean called finally. She’d been waiting so long to talk to him. Trisha was used to talking to Dean whenever she found him. “Can I visit Kiera?” James needed to get a handle on Trisha, or she’d be running the pack herself and he’d be left in the dust. “Are you done now? Of course, we spoke about all of that, and I can’t believe we had a civil discussion without arguing or pissing each other off.” “I wanted to see that. I want the receipts or at least photos or some sort of evidence proving that statement.” “Ha
Sometime during the day when Dean stepped out to make his calls, Kiera could shift back into her flesh. The healer wasn’t pleased because Kiera didn’t have the okay and could have harmed herself further. Dean didn’t think she made the conscious decision to shift back into her mind. She was still pretty drugged up. He wasn’t happy about it, but he felt she needed a little leeway on this. Too many people had already judged her harshly. Dean knew he needed to make a statement about what happened before fanciful tales based outside of the facts became common belief with the pack. Kiera was in and out of consciousness but the Healer on duty assured him she would be fine soon, and she’d not harmed herself as they feared she would shift so quickly. She gave Dean a rather vague explanation that they didn’t really know how the Lycans shifted, and the method might differ from wolf shifters. They needed to study her more to understand it. He
Oli paced that waiting room until someone offered him a place he could rest because he didn’t want to make a pest of himself or make demands that weren’t his to make. He’d just woken from a nap and was preparing to inquire about Elder Evans when a knock came at the door of the room he was using. A small red-haired woman entered with a smile and a tray of food. The smell of hot food hit Oli and his stomach grumbled. “I came to see how you are and make sure you got something to eat. I’m Aricka Wolversen, Luna of the Black River Pack. How are you holding up?” She seemed sincere to Oli and that he wasn’t sure how to take that. His mind kept going in search of an ulterior motive. What did she want to know? But nothing about her pointed in this direction. Oli stopped buttoning his shirt in surprise when she said her name. The Luna was standing here with food for him. His brain went into a tailspin, trying to remember what the proper protocol was to a situ
Oli finally finished his meal while the Luna made friendly conversation. Which, to him, was amazing since she got to the heart of the problem in the oddest way. Oli struggled not to expose any weaknesses in his pack and alpha to this she-wolf. But her kindness and position made it difficult. Now he stood talking with the head of the Black River Hospital, a doctor named Graves. All Oli could think was that he had such an unfortunate last name. Dr. Graves instructed Oli on how to approach Elder Evans. When he was told about how the elder changed, he had a few tests done and found he’d received blood at some point that wasn’t part of his record and it was incompatible Lycan blood. The blood type was off, which appeared to have caused several complications. One of which was failing to become a Lycan. However, the elder appeared to have damage to several of his internal organs that haven’t healed properly. That damage he fears may have caused mini strokes. It would expl
Finally, Kiera’s eyes opened, and Dean could let go of a sigh of relief. “Hey, you’re okay. You’re pretty much healed, back in your flesh, and in the Healing Centre. Don’t panic, I’ve been here the entire time to make sure no one did anything they shouldn’t. How are you feeling?” “Like I was hit by a big truck.” “Well, you were in a fight with Elder Evans.” “Yeah, what was that about? He stabbed me with something, and I’m not sure I remember what he said. I don’t think it made sense to me at the time and less now.” “We don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s alive and at Black River Hospital. They needed to surgery on him. You messed him up pretty bad.” “I didn’t mean to. He came at me and stabbed me with something. I just… Responded to it, he was so angry and ranting about something.” “So he went at you first?” “I shifted into my wolf. I was running, just to blow off some steam and think. Then he was in front o
Dean knew he was asleep in the main lobby of the Healing Centre and dreaming. None of that made sense to him. He wasn’t tired, and it normally took him forever to fall asleep. The knowing he was dreaming was another odd thing. He’d not had that happen to him since before the Dream Realm literally blew up and became useless to everyone. Well, it was useful to a few supernatural creatures. They could spy on each other, but unlike the Fae who used it to travel from one location in reality to another. Shifters could only use it to prevent others from spying on them, or an occasional meeting that could easily happen over the phone these days. Dragons and mages were the few that could travel in the past like the Fae. They carefully controlled mage portals for other reasons, but this was a recent issue. Dean though recognized the Dream Realm for what it was, even though it seemed more fractured than before. It’s sky still boasted stars but no moon. The lig
Kiera could hear the enforcers standing outside her door talking to each other. Both found Dean’s words confusing, and she had to admit Dean talking about the Moon Goddess and the Dream Realm sounded a little farfetched after recent events of the last two or three years. Everyone knew to avoid entering the Dream Realm at all costs. The oracles and seers were finding it impossible to contact the Moon Goddess. So, everything the two enforcers spoke of made little to no sense to Kiera or them. Lycan was under the protection of the Moon Goddess just like wolf shifters. That seemed like wishful thinking on Dean’s part. He had that crazy idea that Lycan was a revised or updated version of wolf shifters. He must have dreamt it to validate his wish to mate with her and continue leading the pack. Dean didn’t get it. Even though he’s the alpha. He won’t be much of an alpha with no pack. Kiera listened as the two enforcers conversed. “I hope he’s not
“Well, old man. What do you have to say to yourself? How did this happen to you?” Oli stood at the end of the bed Elder Evans lay in. He frowned at him in disapproval. “I don’t just mean how you came to be injured, either. I want to know how you ended up with Lycan blood in your system as well. Wait, you know what? Why don’t you just start talking and tell me about everything from the beginning? How does that sound?” “You can go shove it. Lycan lover.” Elder Evan’s voice sounded raw and scratchy. Scratches and gashes twisted on his face when he grimaced in disapproval at Oli. “I’m afraid I’m no one’s lover at the moment and I’m just here to get the facts. So you have the floor. Please tell me how this all started and what your reasoning was for everything.” Oli had his phone recording the conversation, but Elder Evans wasn’t talking to him. “Fine, why did you take the Lycan blood?” “I’m not telling you anything. You weak-willed bumpkin.”