Page 26 of Healer's Call

I cave. “It’s Rose. She got this...this...she...”

“Hold on, Maverick. I’m getting Sage.” Garrett’s voice is quiet and calm, too calm for me. Anger courses through me. Anger and something else I’m not willing to think about. Something that feels a lot like fear. Soon I hear voices, and then a female voice.

“Hello.”

“Is this the healer?” I bark into the phone.

“This is Sage,” the calm female says. If I was in my right mind, I would recognize her voice. I’ve dealt with her before, but nothing about me right now is calm.

“And Paul, her mate,” a male voice adds, and I snarl into the phone. I couldn’t care less about the doctor right now. I put the call on speakerphone and shove it toward Ava.

“Tell Ava to heal Rose now.”

It’s silent a beat. “Ava?” Sage’s voice comes through the speakerphone.

“I’m here,” Ava says tersely. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Okay. Take a breath. It’s okay Ava. You--” Sage starts.

“It’s not okay,” I cut her off. “You’re a healer. Heal!” My voice reverberates off the walls of the hallway.

“Maverick,” Cade says in warning, but I don’t care.

“I’m not going to let my mate die on this floor right next to me when there’s a healer sitting. Right. Here.” My voice is filled with rage.

“Maverick.” This time it’s Paul’s warning voice on the line, but I couldn’t care less.

“Tell me what’s happened to Rose,” Sage says through the phone.

I can’t take it. “She’s got the sickness,” I all but roar.

“It progressed really fast, or maybe she didn’t share how sick she was,” Cade’s calm voice says. “But she’s convulsing on the floor now like she’s having a seizure.” I curse low and fierce. I want to tear something apart.

Sage takes control. “Ava, pull up her shirt.” I growl at that. Sage ignores me and continues. “You’re going to do just like we’ve practiced.”

“I tried; it didn’t work!” Ava says in despair.

“What happened when you tried?” Sage asks.

“I don’t know...it just didn’t...do anything,” Ava says in distress.

“Ava, you have to send your healing power into her blood. Do it again and tell me exactly what’s happening. I’ll be right here the whole time.” Sage’s voice is calm, and Ava leans up and over Rose. She takes a deep breath and leans forward. When she reaches for Rose’s shirt and begins to pull it up too high, I snatch it away and pull it back down, keeping just her stomach exposed for the healer. She closes her eyes and breathes out.

It’s silent in the hall, and I hardly dare to breathe. After several long moments, I watch Rose’s struggle to get air begin to diminish. “It’s working,” I breathe.

The next hours pass slowly. The blonde healer continues on and on until she finally sits back. “It’s done,” she says wearily.

“Why isn’t she waking up?” I demand.

Chapter 15

Rose

I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling a moment in confusion. I turn my head and see Ava in a seat near the bed I’m lying on. I blink again. “Where am I?”

Ava turns startled eyes to mine. “Rose!”

I see movement in the corner of my eye and look over to see Maverick standing in the doorway to the bedroom. “Where am I?” I ask again, confused.

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