“And if she shows up wanting money, or worse?”
Simone snorted. “Then you throw a fucking bank’s worth of money at her and call it a day. Few problems cannot be solved with proper monetary compensation, and she saved your miserable life. As far as I’m concerned, she did you a favor you can’t possibly repay.”
I rubbed my jaw. Did the healer know who I was? Or was Simone right? Was she just a woman who’d been in the right place at the right time? “Maybe you’re right,” I conceded.
Simone laughed. “Maybe?”
A begrudging smile tipped my lips up. “Fine. But I would still like to find her and reward her. Handsomely.”
Simone studied me for a long moment. “Liar.” She untangled her lanky form from my couch and stood. “I have a bad feeling about this. It feels like other forces are in play, and we both know how things go when you aren’t in the driver’s seat.”
My Omega touched my hand, her comforting magic pulsing against my skin. “I also think you’re worried about the wrong thing. You shouldn’t concern yourself with the healer. You should concern yourself with the people who made you need her.”
Rage pulsed in my veins. Few people ever got the drop on me. Terrible magic was involved. Magic I needed to find and destroy. Simone was right, but I knew I wouldn’t back down when it came to the healer. This woman, whoever she was, I wanted to meet her, and look her in the eye. I wanted to ask her why.
There was something so familiar about that scent. Had I smelled it before? Maybe in town? I shook my head. Downtown Joy Springs was a nightmare for scent tracking. Too many types of magic and creatures made it impossible to differentiate. Plus, there were coffee shops and cafe’s...I was nose blind any time I walked anywhere around there.
My wolf, normally a silent, wise partner, had been unusually vocal since we’d woken up in the forest, soaked in blood and with the tantalizing scent of jasmine swirling in the air. He stalked the corners of my mind, agitated and anxious for us to hunt. Not food. Her.
But there was more to it. More I buried deep inside.
A secret between my wolf and me.
I’d find this woman if it was the last thing I ever did.
She was the first to ever see me broken and had not taken advantage of my vulnerability. Finding her had become my top priority.
Chapter
Six
“Are you insane?” Moira hissed as she breezed into my house. The smell of garlic and basil followed her, and honestly, I was so hungry I was more focused on that than the barely suppressed rage in her voice.
“Can we eat first?” I begged.
Moira slammed the bags down on the kitchen counter. “Evie.” She squeezed the space between her brows. “You healed the Shifter Lord?”
I took the bags from her and started digging out the to-go containers. “In my defense, I didn’t know it was him.”
“How could you not know?” Moira said through gritted teeth.
I pushed the Bolognese her way and took the Alfredo. “It was dark. I was tired. He was face down and covered in blood and wounds.”
Moira stared. “Did you know he was a shifter?”
“Not until I touched him.”
She opened her container and shook some Parmesan over the top. “You could have walked away. You should have.”
I took the cheese from her and did the same to my dish. “You know how difficult it is for me to see things in pain.”
Her eyes softened. “I do,” she agreed.
She should. It was how we’d met. I reached over and squeezed her hand. “It will be fine. The thistle protects my identity. He won’t be able to track me.”
Hazel had done a hell of a job on the thistle tattoo. It kept me hidden from anyone searching—even the gods. Caelan could hire the best tracker in the world, and it wouldn’t help.
As long as I stayed out of his direct path, I’d be safe.
