Wow,Jessie thought. The situation was not reassuring. If the council lost control, the human population would be vulnerable to Weres biting at random. Just like the werewolf tales of old.
The larger picture was lost on Laura. “Is this... am I going to start changing, too?”
Cara shot the other woman a glance. “Jessie was pushed to it. But yes, it will start happening to you.”
Laura just stared at her.
“If you stay calm, you will get through it,” Cara admonished. “Tomorrow, I will start teaching you how to do that.” She turned back to Jessie. “For now, let’s get your hands back to normal, eh? Before you shred the sheets.”
Jessie nodded. Sounded like a reasonable plan.
“We start by visualizing your hands as human,” Cara said. She glanced over to where Laura cowered on the bed. “You would do well to listen. You are going to need to know how to do this if you are going to transform successfully.”
Laura said nothing. Her pupils were huge in the dim light.
Had Braden tried forcing himself on her too? Jessie swallowed. No one had rescued Laura. But the woman had said she’d enjoyed it.
But Laura knew it was real, now. That would make a difference. No woman wanted to be attacked by an entire pack of horny werewolves.
Cara squeezed her hands, and Jessie returned her attention to the older woman. “Okay. Show me how to lose the wolfy bits.”
“Focus now. We are going to take your hands back to normal.”
Jessie sighed. She’d begun her journey to Dire. And hopefully, back again.
24
Zach stalked through the house. He was emitting like mad, and he knew it. He just couldn’t do a damned thing about it.
He’d only just managed to drift off to sleep when Jessie’sfearhad slammed into him. He had no memory of running to Jessie’s room. Only knew he had to get to her.
Seems Kade had gotten to her first. In her dreams.
He shoved his way out the door and strode across the yard. He couldn’t stay in the house. The close confines. The Weres everywhere he looked...
Jessie’s hands. The hair, and claws.
Kade.
A part of him had held out hope that they were all wrong. That Jessie wasn’t going to turn into a Were. That somehow, she’d escape it all. But he’d been kidding himself. It was all real. She was going to become a werewolf, or die trying.
His feet carried him to the corral. Storm came to him. She stopped a few feet away and snorted softly. The bucket filled with brushes still sat beside the panels. It made Zach think of Jessie, and his heart twisted as he grabbed one before pushing through the gate.
“Easy, my girl,” Zach crooned as he approached her. His anger still spiked off him in waves. He wouldn’t blame her if she ran for the hills.
Storm’s ears flicked toward Zach. She turned her head to stare behind him. When he walked slowly to her, she took a step. He stopped, thinking she was going to leave. Instead, she moved to stand between him and the house. And kept her gaze focused on it. With all four feet firmly planted.
Guard stance. She was protecting him, from what she sensed was a danger.
“Wish it were that simple,” Zach muttered. The brush he’d chosen was a rubber curry, and he began to scrub in circular motions. The last remnants of the winter hair came loose in clouds.
Storm’s ears twitched in appreciation as Zach brushed along her back and flanks. Then he returned to the bucket for scissors. Talking softly the whole while, he began to work on the tangled tail.
At one point, the mare stiffened. Turned her head to look off into the faint pre-dawn light, nostrils flaring.
Zach reached. Sensed a Were, out there. Even got a glimpse of who it was.
Kade watched him. The Were’s rage simmered like a pot just off boil.
