Page 94 of Healer's Call

I shoot a glance at Mav. “No. The beta didn’t tell me about it.”

He scowls at me, and I can’t help but grin back. When I look back at Amber, she and Cade are both giving me curious expressions. I shrug. “He calls me Healer, so I’ve taken to calling him Beta until he starts calling me by name.”

Cade smirks and goes back to eating, and Amber laughs. “Oh, Mav. You have definitely found your mate.” I glance over at him to see his reaction, but he’s staring at me.

“I know,” he says without looking away. I duck my head, trying to hide the heat that rises in my cheeks.

“Well,” Amber continues on. “Tonight is the annual pack pool party. It’s going to be a great time. You should come.”

“Okay.” I accept the invitation before I can talk myself out of it. “What time?”

“Six.”

I take a breath. “Do I need to bring anything?”

“Just yourself,” Amber says with a smile.

“Any shifters need healing?” I ask. And just like that, the mood in the room changes. I mentally kick myself.

“Yes. Two. I’ll take you after breakfast,” Amber says. I chance a glance at Cade, but he’s not looking up as he eats. Amber puts her hand over mine. “We appreciate everything you are doing for our pack.”

I feel the weariness in her words. “I’m sorry that it’s still happening,” I say softly.

She glances at Cade and nods. “I know. It makes no sense. We’ve switched everybody over to bottled water. Everything in our pack house has been switched over. I don’t understand how they’re still infecting members of our pack.”

I glance over at Mav and notice he’s sitting unnaturally still. “You okay?” I ask in concern.

He looks at me and then over at Cade. “The air just kicked on.”

Cade nods, looking at Mav like he’s lost his mind. “Yeah?”

“We weren’t using the air before, but now we are because of the heat,” Mav says.

Cade sits back in his chair. “Yeah. So?”

“They put it in the water, but we figured it out. What if they switched to the air system? It wouldn’t affect us nearly as quickly, but over time—”

Cade stares at him. A moment later, he shoves his chair back. After picking up his plate, he bends and kisses Amber. She puts her hand on his stomach. “That could be it, Cade.”

His terse nod tells me exactly how he’s feeling right now. “We’re on it.” He puts his plate in the sink and sweeps Paige up into his arms. I take the opportunity to start cleaning off the table. “Don’t worry about it,” Amber says, stopping me. “I’ll work on it after I get back. I want to take you to the infected shifters.”

“Okay.”

I turn around, and Mav is right there. “Two shifters will be outside the door. I’ll be right across the hall. Get me before you go anywhere—anywhere outside this room. Okay?”

“I’m not going to bother you every time—”

“It’s not a bother. Until the end of this, you’re stuck to me like glue. We’re going to get this figured out.” His gaze is intense.

“I know you will, Beta.” I bite back a smirk at my own little joke.

He scowls. “I hate it when you call me that.”

“Doesn’t feel so good, does it?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

He leans forward, and I catch my breath. “I like it when you challenge me. Only you can get away with it.”

My heart starts to beat faster. “So, are you going to call me by my name now?” I ask, feeling brave.

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