Page 149 of Black Bird

“Sarah, don’t. Don’t go in there. Let him handle it.”

Headlights bounced in the long driveway and reflected off the remnants of glittering snow in the yard. Jenkins threw his car in park and shut it off, slamming the door and jogging to the porch. He paused on the top step when Rhaena loudly wailed from inside.

“Dear, God …” he mumbled under his breath. He palmed over his thickening beard and blew out a deep breath. Wren stood, gripping his upper arm.

“Look … whatever you’re imagining right now, it’s probably worse. I’m not gonna try and sugar-coat it for you. But … I just keep reminding myself that she’s in there. Somewhere under all that rage, Rhaena’s still in there fightin’ her ass off. I dunno if that helps.”

Sarah smiled softly and nodded. Jenkins looked between them both and did the same before opening the door and stepping through it. Sarah trailed behind him and looked over her shoulder. “You coming?”

“No … no, I think I’m gonna stay out here a little longer. Give them some space.”

Sarah offered her a half-smile and closed the door. Wren turned toward the yard and stepped forward to lean against the post. She couldn’t muster the strength to see that guy’s face when he realized all that Rhaena was going through—what she’d been going through all these years. She realized something then. What she’d told Rhaena about being too selfish to be in a relationship … maybe that wasn’t completely honest. Wren found herself alone. Rhaena had this man. A man that had quietly pined for her for God knows how long and accepted her for who and what she was. Drove like a bat out of hell to get to her, all the while knowing that what he’d find when he got here wasn’t the woman he loved, but a beast that could rip him to shreds … and he wanted to be here anyway.

Sarah and Athan had finally come to some kind of understanding that offered them peace enough to be together … even after everything that had happened, and what Athan truly was. She had always overheated just being close to them when they stared at each other—even before they’d actually gotten together. They had something real, and it ran deeper than an ocean. It exploded like a supernova when they finally let it happen, and now … now they couldn’t be apart for more than a few minutes.

But here she was. Cold and alone. And it wasn’t as pleasant as she thought it would be. In fact … it hurt a little. Wren peered down at the steps, dropping her cigarette and stomping it out. A lone tear inched down her cheek as she kicked it under the porch.

It was almost 4:00 in the morning. Wren was barely awake, laying next to Denver’s carrier near the fireplace, and wrapped in a blanket on the floor. Rhaena had nearly taken Brandon’s throat out every time he tried to get close, and he’d given up trying hours ago, but refused to leave her side. Athan had finally seen the exhaustion in his partner and was able to slip his ring over one of her claws. That had been a good half-hour ago, now. Sarah leaned against his chest as they sat on the couch, her legs draped over his lap. He held onto her, and his fingers idly stroked her forearm. Sarah noticed that it had gotten a lot quieter, and Rhaena’s growls were becoming more of a whimper as her claws scraped against the wooden floor in the closet.

“Should we ask her now?” she asked, turning her face up to him.

“We could. I’m gonna have to probably take that ring off her in the next few minutes, either way. She doesn’t need to keep it on longer than an hour. It’s basically poisoning her. She’ll rage, but if she keeps it on, it could hurt her. I dunno what kind of long-term damage that could do.”

“Does she know that?”

Athan nodded softly. “Yeah, we’ve talked about it. We only came up with this game plan last month. It was the first time we tried it. It gave her enough time to get some strength back and get through the rest of the night. I didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of leaving it on her the whole time.”

Sarah stared off, lost in thought at what something as simple as silver could do to someone like her. She supposed mercury had a similar effect, but who even knew what a werewolf could endure? Where would one even start in trying to figure it out? Her blood wouldn’t be much different. It was just as much a trial-and-error situation as the ring Rhaena was wearing. She decided it was time to see if the brave detective was willing to take the risk. Sarah leaned in and kissed Athan’s neck before sliding off the couch and walking to the fridge to get the syringe. Wren sat up, watching her, and Athan stood. Sarah took the impossibly old first-aid kit from the top of the refrigerator and grabbed the sealed needle from inside, unwrapping it and fixing it to the end before allowing a couple drops through it.

“Let’s go,” she breathed, making her way towards the bedroom door. She pushed it open and poor Rhaena was slumped in the closet with her snoutresting on her paw. Her golden eyes raised when Sarah walked in, and Brandon lifted his head as he leaned against the nightstand.

“What the hell is that?” he asked, looking at the needle.

“It’s my blood. It’s the magic everybody seems to be after. If she wants to try it … it could, possibly, end all this.” Sarah felt Athan’s hand on her lower back.

“Possibly?”Brandon’s tone was defensive. She understood why. Athan would have been the same way. “You’re saying you don’t know what it’ll do to her?”

“She’s—” Athan came to her defense.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Sarah cut him off. “I’m not gonna keep you in the dark about it. My blood heals. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why … but it does. If she wants it … this could maybe change something in her blood and relieve her. We’re leaving it up to Rhaena.”

“And she knows about this?” Brandon asked, looking down at Rhaena who was watching him closely.

“She does,” Athan finished.

Jenkins knelt down and moved closer to where Rhaena whimpered on the floor. “Rhaena … you don’t have to do this. If it’s because of me, I swear I’ll be here for you every time. I’ll help you through every full moon and bring you Thai food to get your strength back. I’ll let you have the last piece of chicken. I won’t tell you that your team sucks ass or laugh at you when you snore. I’ll be whatever you need me to be, babe. I swear it.” He started to crack a little, and his eyes went misty. Rhaena’s pants started getting a little more rapid.

“Jenkins, we gotta get that ring off her. She’s got about two hours left until sunrise.” Athan’s hand gripped a little tighter on Sarah’s back. “It’s hurting her, man.”

Rhaena whined through her snout and looked up at Sarah. “It’s your choice, Rhae.” Sarah leaned down. “You don’t have to do this, now. You don’t have to do it at all. If it’s what you want … we can give it a try.”

Wren stepped up behind Athan and leaned against the doorway. “We’re all here, Fleabag. We’ve got your back. Whatever you decide.”

Rhaena moved her head closer to Brandon and a purring rumble echoed in her throat. It almost sounded … affectionate. He leaned in and rested his head on hers. She shifted and looked up at Sarah again, blinking slowly once, and then closing her eyes in anticipation. Athan moved around Sarah, joining Jenkins on the floor and holding her paws down. He slipped the ring off just as Sarah jabbed the needle into her side and emptied the syringe into her. Rhaena yelped, and then roared in agony. Neither Athan, nor Brandon moved an inch. They held her steady while she thrashed, and Sarah reached around her massive body and held her tight. Wren joined them, taking a spot on her shoulders while Rhaena fought against them wailing. Thick fur was disappearing. Her roaring started to sound more human. Her body started to mold itself smaller, and Sarah felt the dampness of sweat against her arms. Rhaena’s last roar finished in an exhausted scream, and she took one last gaping breath before she slackened and lost consciousness.

“Rhaena!” Brandon yelled, as they all slowly released her. Athan flipped her hand over and checked her pulse. “Baby, answer me! Rhaena!”

“Pulse is strong,” Athan said, his voice heavy with relief.

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