“Scared. Nix is antsy, pacing just below the surface.” I shook myself as my father slid another plate in front of me.
“Another one.” My father pushed a new plate to me. I snatched it up, ripping into it like it was my prey. “Rare meat will settle your wolf for a time, but sometimes you might need a little help.” My father pulled out a little bottle from the desk. The bottle screamed danger.
“What is that?” I chewed the last bit of the second steak and my claws shifted back to my normal fingers, but my eyes were still golden. Nix had stopped pacing, but she was alert.
My father twisted open the bottle and the spicy scent of whatever was inside hit my nostrils. I could feel myself twitching to move away from the bottle. “This is wolfsbane.” He pulled the last steak to himself and sprinkled a tiny amount onto the steak and then pushed it towards me. “You don’t need to have a lot. Just a sprinkle will do when you’re on edge.”
“Will do what?”
“Wolfsbane removes the ability to shift.” He nudged the plate again. “It burns a little. But it isn’t horrible. Try it.”
I grabbed the last steak and took a bite. The wolfsbane set my gums on fire, but it didn’t taste like anything. I ate the rest of the steak with no problem, but by the time I finished, I could feel my gums were a little swollen and burning.
“It burns.” I swiped my tongue over my teeth, and my dad nodded.
“I want you to take a little every day.”
“Why?”
“Well, first, I want to keep you from shifting. You’re ready. Second, I want you to start to build up a resistance.”
“Why?” I couldn’t seem to form a different thought. My mouth was alight.
“Because I want you to be able to protect yourself. And if you ever have someone try to poison you with wolfsbane, you will be able to still shift, and you can recognize the signs and be ready.”
“How often do people poison others with wolfsbane?” I wiped the sweat that had gathered on my lip.
“I was poisoned with wolfsbane more times than I could count, but my father did this for me, and I’ll do the same for you.”
“How do I know I can still shift?” I wanted to itch my gums, but I clenched my fists instead.
“Take wolfsbane daily. Once you have mastered covering your scent, we will stop for a while until your first shift comes on. Then every day you will take the wolfsbane, and then try to shift. Once your body has built up enough resistance to it, and you can shift still, we can move on to the next thing.”
“What’s the next thing?” I was out of my depths. “Why do I even need to do this?”
“Because I need to know that you are safe, even away from me. And that you will always have access to your wolf.” My father shook his head. “You never shifted in your last life, and you were made into Brandon’s victim. I will ensure you will be no one’s victim ever again.”
“You ignored my question.” I pointed out, and that gave me an uneasy feeling. “What’s after wolfsbane?”
My father looked down at his hands and then back up into my eyes. “Silver.” I shivered at the word but nodded.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“C
lose your eyes.” I had barely wiped the sleep from my eyes when my dad sat me down in his office with Uncle Ronnie. I settled deeper into the chair and closed my eyes. “Now I want you to pull Nix closer to the surface until your eyes shift.”
“The wolfsbane?”
“Won’t interfere. We waited the last two days to clear it from your system.” My father settled behind his desk. That made sense. I have been shut in my room for the last few days, doing my best not to shift. And staying clear of other wolves has been my saving grace. “Close your eyes Amy.” I nodded. “Once Nix is close to the surface, I am going to have Ronnie scent you. Once your scent has shifted, we can work on the next step.”
“If Uncle Ronnie can scent me, won’t that screw me over?” I peeked out of one eye and my dad shook his head.
“We won’t be shifting fully, just bringing Nix forward enough so we can tell when you manage cloaking yourself.” I closed my eyes again and shook myself.
“Nix, I need you to come closer.” I whispered, and Uncle Ronnie laughed.
“You know you can talk to her in your mind, right?”
