Page 18 of Firefighter Midlife Wolf

“Mmph,” Verna snorted. “I guess that depends on what kind of energy you mean. There are all kinds of energy, you know.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Jessica murmured as she reached for her blood pressure cuff, although she had no idea what Verna was talking about. A bit of a misunderstanding wasn’t enough to say that the woman was incompetent, though. “Did you see in the news that they’re going to build that big housing complex downtown that they kept talking about? I heard the city council finally got together and agreed on a budget.”

Verna was watching her carefully. “About half of them are going to be for those living below the poverty line. It’s about time they created something decent for folks in that situation instead of just leaving them to live in slums. Of course, Eugene has been better about that than plenty of other cities.”

That was a much more thorough answer than Jessica had expected. Was it enough to balance out the other oddities? Verna’s mental health was about more than just ticking a set of boxes. It was a big picture made of numerous puzzle pieces. “That’s true. Has everything been going well for you? Any issues with getting around?”

“Not at all.” Verna tapped her hands on the arms of her chair. “In fact, I have a feeling that I’ll have fewer and fewer problems with that soon. Things are going much better for me, Jessica.”

“That’s great.” Jessica casually observed Verna’s apartment, looking for anything that was obviously out of place. Often, older folks who were starting to have issues with dementia kept items in odd places. The crystals and grids she’d seen around the place the first time were still there, but everything was neat and tidy. “I hate to ask, but my hands are so dry after washing them so much all day. Do you have any hand lotion I could use?”

“In the bathroom, on the left side of the counter,” Verna directed. “It’s the white pump bottle. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.”

“That’s exactly what I need,” Jessica said with a smile as she stepped into the bathroom. Though the fixtures were the same as what would be found throughout the rest of the senior living complex, it’d been accessorized in a dark, dusty purple. The lotion was precisely where Verna had said it would be. The rest of the bathroom looked clean and organized, as well. Jessica couldn’t see anything alarming; in fact, it probably looked better than her own bathroom.

“Thank you so much,” she said as she emerged, rubbing the lotion in. “I really appreciate it. How are things going with your medication?”

Verna’s nostrils flared and she shook her head. “Just fine, since I’m not taking it anymore.”

Jessica’s shoulders stiffened. The last time she’d been there, it’d appeared that Verna had been taking everything exactly as she should. “How long has it been since you stopped taking it?”

“Well, that depends on which medication you’re talking about,” Verna replied calmly. “That one for the hallucinations isn’t one you can just stop cold turkey. You have to wean yourself off of it, so that’s been a slow process. That’s a long month of flushing them down the toilet at the right times.”

She knew her mouth was hanging open, but Verna had truly surprised her. The old woman had been fooling her, and she’d done a damn good job. “If you weren’t happy with your prescriptions, we could’ve talked to your doctor about changing them. Why did you do that?”

“Because I don’t need them, and that’s why talking to the doctor wouldn’t have done me any good. He was the one who prescribed them in the first place. Don’t look so shocked, Jessica. You’re not a bad actress, but I see what you’ve been doing.”

That same bolt of adrenaline she’d felt whenever she got in trouble for talking in class shot through her. “What do you mean?” Jessica asked.

“Oh, come on. I’m not stupid, and I’m not mad about it. You’re being much more observant than any of the other nurses who’ve come through in the past.” Verna’s eyes were hard on her now, challenging her. “Of course, you should have more sense about you, being a wolf and all.”

Jessica swallowed. A faint ringing sounded in her ears. No one had ever called out her secret like that. She’d learned at a very young age to control her wolf so she’d never accidentally shift in front of the wrong person. She’d been so careful not to reveal herself. It’d never happened, and at this point in her life, she hardly even worried about it anymore. But now, her wolf staggered in shock.

If it hadn’t been the truth, Jessica would’ve taken Verna’s statement as the ultimate proof that Verna wasn’t as sharp as she used to be. “A wolf? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Verna laughed, which was probably the lightest sound Jessica had heard from her since she’d become her visiting nurse. The old woman hoisted herself out of her chair and walked over to the sliding glass doors. “Oh, I know. You have to keep your secrets. I don’t blame you. You’re not the only one who’s got secrets, though.”

Jessica focused on Verna’s movement, noting that she was walking with much more ease than she had before. She wasn’t shuffling or grabbing random furniture for support. Her lower back might be a bit stiff, but she walked just like anyone else. Maybe it would be better to get the subject off herself. “Who else has secrets?” Her voice was hoarse, and now she wished she’d asked Verna for a glass of water instead of some hand lotion.

“I do.” Verna turned away from the door to give Jessica a sly glance. “I’m part elf, myself.”

“Wait. What?” Jessica knew with all certainty that wolves existed. She was one, and she’d met plenty of them. But elves? They were only in fantasy movies, but she didn’t want to offend Verna. “I don’t know anything about elves.”

“That’s because there are very few of us these days,” Verna said with a sigh. “In fact, I’m not sure there are any full-blooded elves around anymore. We’ve all been watered down with human blood and blended into society. I’ve had to fake my birth certificate a time or two, but otherwise, it’s not much trouble. I’m no spring chicken, but I sure don’t look my true age.”

“One hundred and thirty-five,” Jessica repeated, her tongue feeling like sand in her mouth.

“That’s right.” Verna stepped away from the door and came to stand in front of Jessica. “Of course, I looked plenty old with all the poisons Darcy had been putting in my body. She’s always been a master manipulator, and it irks me to hell that she’s the only living heir I have. The problem is that she’s been trying to rush that process along.”

“With the medications and doctors,” Jessica whispered. Tears pricked her eyes. Elf or not, it wasn’t right that anyone should feel they could take advantage of their elders. With everything else they’d just spoken of, any other need to keep secrets had gone right out the window. “She wanted me to help her put you in a nursing home.”

Verna’s laugh was a full cackle this time. “Dumb girl. She asked the wrong person, and I’m grateful for that. The problem I still have is that I don’t want Darcy to get her hot little hands on my inheritance at all.” She lowered herself slowly back into her chair.

“Then we need to do something about that.” Jessica sat on the nearby couch, needing something solid beneath her instead of just her two feet. Her wolf was still reeling at being discovered, and her human side wasn’t tolerating it any better. “Do you have an attorney you’ve used for your will? You can have that changed, and your inheritance will go to whomever you like.”

Verna shook her head. “Not yet. I’ve got some thinking to do.”

“Then we need to get you in with your doctor so you can be reevaluated,” Jessica insisted. “You seem to be in very good health to me, but I want to make sure someone can give you an unbiased opinion. Without Darcy there.”

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