Page 12 of Wolf Betrayed
A thought occurred to me then. “Mom, could wolfsbane allow them to cut deeper, and could it cause these terrible infections?”
My mom stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. A thoughtful expression appeared on her face. “Wolfsbane?”
I went back to dabbing at the wound on the guy’s head and put some antiseptic on it. “Pack Wolf Blood uses wolfsbane, Mom. They’ve been taking a little bit at a time so they can use that against their enemies. I know that’s what they did to the Delidos so that they couldn’t shift.”
My mom started suturing again. Her face had gotten paler, and her eyes were misty. “I know. Your dad has let a few men try it.”
“You don’t approve?”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment. “Wolfsbane is like poison to us. We don’t know the long-term effects it could have, and you may be right that it is causing these severe injuries. I’d like to beat Pack Wolf Blood without stooping to their level. Intentionally poisoning ourselves is a disaster waiting to happen.”
“But it is possible to build up a tolerance to that?”
My mom made a face like she was about to get sick. “I suppose it could be. I know that humans have built tolerances to poisons before. But I would suspect it would cause kidney problems as they try to cleanse their systems. And there’s a possibility that it could still make someone very sick or even kill them at that. There is no telling how someone’s body will react.”
I bit my lip. “Do you think it’s something we should consider for everyone?”
“I’m against it. It’s your father who is open to the idea. It could be dangerous. Imagine if one of the kids got ahold of it somehow.” She pressed her lips together as she shook her head. “But he does have a point. It could also help us. If we build a tolerance to it as well, it makes the playing field much more even in the next battle. But going down the same road that evil man is going is a slippery slope. For all we know, the wolfsbane is what made him mad.”
She pointed towards the guy’s head. “You should start suturing that one as well. The area is clean, and you don’t want to damage the skin around it.”
I picked up the supplies with trembling hands as I considered my mom’s words. Alpha Dane’s pack would never fight fair, but we had to do something.
Our lives and freedom depended on it.
Four
Sloane
I sighed as I threw my bath towel in the hamper. Eleven dead and thirteen severely wounded. Four of them were critical. Mom said if they made it through the night, it was a good sign, but without the ability to shift, they had to heal the normal way.
A severe injury made shifting risky because it could cause further damage or even death. We still had to be stable enough to change. It took a tremendous amount of energy.
I shook those thoughts away as I flipped off the light and made my way into my bedroom.
It had been a long day, and I was happy to tiptoe across my beige carpet and curl beneath my comforter. I pulled the plush bedding up to my chin. My eyes slid shut the second my head hit the pillow.
It didn’t take long for the humming and the odd sensation of connecting to one of my mates. I held my breath, wondering if this would be a pleasant encounter or if Lincoln was being tortured again. I prayed it was the former.
I blinked my eyes open and frowned. We were in Lincoln’s room. I breathed in the earthy aroma and felt the muscles in my body begin to unwind.
The corners of my mouth twitched as I turned, and my gaze landed on Lincoln. He was standing in the middle of the room, looking as sexy as he had the first day I’d met him, and not a scratch or bruise on his body.
“Is this real?” I fought the urge to run into his arms.
The floorboards creaked as he closed the distance between us. He reached out and took both my hands. “It’s real enough. We’re both sleeping. We can be wherever we want to be this way.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as a lump formed in my throat. I gulped in a deep breath. We were together. That was what mattered. I didn’t want to waste our time being sad. Maybe I could will us some place away from all of this.
“I’d like to be on the beach with the hot sand between my toes and the waves crashing against the shore.” I peeked one eye open and then the other.
My shoulders slumping, I looked down at the hardwood floor and huffed. I wanted to take Lincoln far away from here. Someplace safe and warm, if only for a little while. Tears burned my eyes and I sniffled. “That didn’t work.”
Lincoln chuckled. “There might be some limitation on what we can do. I’ve never been to the beach, but I’ve always wanted to go.” He shrugged and looked around his room. “This should do.”
I tugged on his hand and led him to the bed. The mattress dipped beneath me as I took a seat. I patted the spot next to me. “How are you feeling? You look good.”
Lincoln blew out a long breath as he sank down next to me. He put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him. I let my head fall against his shoulder and my eyes slip shut again, and I just inhaled his scent. Pine needles were my new favorite smell. Calmness washed over me as I exhaled.
