Page 101 of Healer's Call

“There’s a fire?” I ask in surprise. We throw away our trash, and he leads me away from the pool area to another open area that has a huge fire pit and chairs lining it. Mav and I take chairs next to each other, but I leave mine almost immediately to get closer to the fire. I stand in front of it, letting it warm me for a few minutes. When I turn back around, Mav is in deep conversation with a shifter I recognize but can’t recall his name. Somebody is sitting in my chair now, and there are no other seats available. I’m just about to head back over to the pool area when Mav calls my name softly. When I turn to him, he pats his leg for just a moment before answering the shifter next to him. I stand there a moment, uncertainty weighing me down. When I don’t move, Mav reaches his ridiculously long arms out and tugs on my hand, pulling me towards him and onto his lap. I sit on his hard thigh with my back ramrod straight and keep myself as far from him as possible. In the next moment, he reaches and puts his hand on my outer hip and slides my entire body closer until my body is snug against his chest. He does all this without breaking the conversation with the guy next to him. I hold myself stiff for a little bit.

“Relax,” he says in a low voice against my ear. I’m tired after all the swimming. The fire is warm, and I’m safe here on Mav’s lap. My eyelids begin to droop, and I reposition myself against Mav. His hand tightens around my hip, and he pulls meimpossibly closer. I'm not sure how long we sit like that. His chest vibrates with his quiet words as he talks to the shifter, and I rest against him, dozing and coming in and out of it.

A piercing scream suddenly rents the air, and I jerk on Maverick’s lap. More screams join in, and Mav jumps up, standing me on my feet. “What is—?” I don’t get the question out before wolves come tearing into view. Chaos ensues as screaming continues, and shifters all around me transform into wolves. I stand there in shock, unable to move.

“Rose, get inside!” Mav shouts at me. He spins around as a wolf comes running at us. I stumble backwards as the wolf jumps at me, but a dark wolf appears where Mav was standing a moment ago and tears into the wolf. Mav’s wolf turns to me and nudges me backward. I stumble a moment before I turn around. I know what he wants me to do; he wants me to get inside. I know I am of no use in this fight, so I begin jogging towards the house. Suddenly, a large wolf jumps in front of me. I scream and stumble backwards. I have no idea where it came from. And then it lifts its head and howls. The sound of it sends a chill down my back, and it begins stalking towards me.

“Mav,” I call out as I back away, my heart thundering in my chest. I may not be a wolf, but I’ve been around a wolf pack long enough to pick up on a few things. And I’m pretty sure that was a call to the rest of the pack. Mav growls fiercely and places himself in front of me, but he doesn’t attack and I’m scared to death to know why. Another wolf joins the one in front of Mav and then another. A low growl sounds from behind me, and I realize two more have joined ranks behind us. Terror rises in my throat, not for me; but for Mav. There’s no way he can fight and win against five wolves. Another one joins the ranks, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.

For the first time, I wish Mav and I had a link. His wolf has gone unnaturally still next to me, and his hackles are raised.He's ready to attack, but I think he doesn’t know which one to attack first. “It’s okay, Mav,” I say softly. “They won’t hurt me.” I don’t know that for certain; it’s more a hunch I have based on the fact that any one of them could have easily taken me down by now and haven’t. The wolves continue to close in around us. I hear fighting and snarling all around us, so I know the others are busy fighting. I take a breath and try to still my racing heart. I recognize this for what it is. It's a coordinated attack in which they are keeping the rest of the pack busy while they corner Mav and I, knowing Mav can’t fight this many wolves on his own.

Chapter 47

Rose

“Mav, it’s okay,” I say again. I reach out and touch my hand to his fur, finding my strength and courage. “It’s going to be okay. I'm just going to—” I don’t finish the thought before he attacks. “No!” I shout, but it’s too late. He rips into the first wolf, and I gag and turn away; but there’s nowhere to go. I’m completely surrounded by wolves. I watch as two wolves jump on top of Mav’s wolf, and I nearly cry out but I don’t want to distract him. I spin around in a circle.What do I do?And as if fate determined it, Amber’s words suddenly come flooding back to my mind.

“Rogue wolves are wolves who for one reason or another lose connection with the part of them that makes them human.”And her next words...“It’s because they don’t find their mates.”

And just like that, I know what I have to do. I know I can’t get far from Mav, or he’ll come to me. I stay next to him as I turn and observe the two wolves standing guard behind me. I have a feeling their job is to not let me get away. I face the smaller of the two of them and take in his mangy, dirty coat. My heart begins to speed up, but I will it to stay steady so Mav won’t get distracted. I take a step towards the wolf slowly and as non-threateningly as possible. It growls low in its chest but doesn’t make a move to back away. “That’s good,” I say in the voice I use when I’m healing. “Just stay right there; I’m not going to hurt you.” I take another measured step.Be brave. You can do this.Finally, I’m right in front of the mangy wolf. And then digging deep for courage, I drop to my knees next to his side. I squeeze my eyes shut, knowing this could be the end for me. I feel hot air on my face and smell a putrid odor and will myself not to flinch.I open my eyes and stare at the wolf in front of me. When he doesn’t bite my face off, I reach out my hands and put my hands on his side. His entire body jerks, and he growls at me. I ignore it and take a deep breath and let my healing power rise to the surface. It comes forward quickly, jolting me. I send the power into the wolf’s body and realize quickly that something is very, very wrong. My power ricochets and comes back at me. There’s a darkness to it, and yet there’s something about it that knocks at my subconscious. And then it hits me, and I nearly fall back on my backside. It’s the same kind of power that nearly took over us healers.It’s vampire power. That thought nearly bowls me over. An energy pulsates through me when I realize that it’s within my power to be able to heal this wolf. I steady myself and take a deep breath, preparing for what I have to do. Taking a steady breath, I close my eyes and force my healing power into the wolf‘s body. The vampire power in him fights against me, but I grit my teeth and force my healing power to stay inside the wolf’s body. I feel the evil there, and I work to purge it. I have no idea how long I’m at work inside the rogue’s body. It may be a few minutes or a few hours, but I finally get to a point where I know it’s gone. I send three more waves of healing, cleansing power through the wolf’s body before I pull back. I close my eyes as my senses return to me. Dizziness overtakes me a moment, but finally I feel like I’m back. I open my eyes and stare at the wolf in front of me. I hear low growling but ignore it; I need to see if it worked. The wolf sways on its feet a moment. Then it shakes itself, and I watch as its body begins to contort. A painful sound escapes its lips, and I reach forward to help but it jerks backward. The shift is painfully slow and unnatural, but finally he completes the shift and a...boysits in front of me. I look away quickly, giving him privacy, even as my mind races. From that quick glance, I could tell that he was long and lanky but not an adult; I know that for sure.Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen? My mind reels, trying to take it in.It’s then that I notice the silence. Absolute silence when there should be fighting and snarling. I blink and look around, taking in the scene before me. Eli and Cade have Mav restrained, while the enforcers of the Orlando Pack surround the rogue wolves in a circle. The entire area looks like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.

“Did it work?” Cade asks through grit teeth as he strains to hold Mav in place.

I face the lanky kid. “Um, are you okay?” I ask gently. He looks up, and his eyes meet mine. His eyes are wild and unsteady, but he doesn’t look threatening. “I’m Rose,” I say calmly.

“What’s your name?” I ask when he doesn’t give me anything.

“Jesse.” His voice is rough, as if he hasn’t used it in a long time.

Compassion spills from me, and I smile at him. “Nice to meet you, Jesse.”

“Can somebody get our new friend a pair of shorts or pants please?” I ask. I know they’re kept all around the property for shifts. It takes a moment, but finally somebody throws him a pair of sweats. I look away as he stands and puts them on. When I look back, he’s wearing the pants but looks like a baby deer just taking its first steps. “Why don’t you sit down, Jesse,” I quietly command. He drops to his backside and puts his head down. “Are you all right?” I ask after a moment.

He looks up after a long while. “I haven’t shifted in four years.” Shock keeps me from saying anything, and I stare at him.

“Why?” I finally ask softly.

“Vampires.” He says the word hatefully. With that, the illusion of peace we’d been hanging on to shatters. Wolves start fighting again, and everything goes to chaos.

And then I hear Cade yell above it all. “Shift!” There’s so much power coming from the command, I can practically feelit. I know his wolves feel it, because they duck and lower themselves to the ground. The wolves all around me start shifting back, and I drop my gaze to the ground. There's so much nudity all around me. Cade starts barking orders again. I’m feeling a little lightheaded from my healing, so I find a chair and drop into it. Somebody places a cup of juice into my hand. I don’t even get a glimpse of who it is before I throw my head back and swallow it in three big swallows. I drop my head again and wait for my equilibrium to come back. My mind races trying to figure out what just happened. I don’t understand. How could a teen be rogue? Surely, he’s not even old enough to even have a mate yet. It makes no sense. My head tightens painfully, and I am aware that I have a headache coming on. Each of Cade’s shouts reverberates through my head.

“Rose.” I lift blurry eyes and see Maverick in front of me. I can see the anger coming off him, and I’m too weary to have this battle right now.

“I know you have to deal with all this. I’m fine.” My words are breathless, belying my words. But I push on. “I’m just going back to your room.”

He stares down at me. “Carl! Van!” His words are harsh, and the two enforcers stand at his side a moment later. “She’s going back to my room. You’re on protective duty.” He eyes each of them. “If something happens to her, I’ll be coming for you.”

“Mav,” I say with a weary sigh.

He steps close to me and leans down so we’re eye to eye. “Straight to my room. Don't stop to heal another rogue wolf along the way.” His words are fierce, but his hold on me is gentle. “Get some sleep.”

I nod. “Okay, Mav.” I turn away, but a tug on my wrist has me turning back. And then I’m swallowed up in Mav. His arms come around me and pull me close to his chest.

“You took years off my life tonight,” he rumbles against my hair. I smile despite myself. “Don’t ever do that again.”

I shake my head. “So bossy,” I mutter against his chest. He's quiet a moment.

“I thought I was going to lose you tonight.” I hear the brokenness in his voice, and I look up at him. His eyes are darker than usual; I can see them clearly in the light of the fire behind us.

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