Page 72 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

He nodded, glancing over her head at Auryon. "Make sure we're all touching."

A second later, Tessa felt the now familiar tug at her naval before they reappeared inside somewhere. She looked around, and it only took a moment for her to recognize where they were.

She lurched to her feet, frantic as a large black horse stuck his head over the top of his stall gate, huffing in irritation. Whirling to Luka, she demanded, "Why are we here?"

"Because you asked me to help, Tessa," he said calmly. "Theon keeps a Healer on staff specifically for his horses and hounds."

She hadn't known that. She'd avoided these areas as much as possible, mainly because the animals terrified her at first, but now…

Swallowing thickly, she glanced down at Roan. The wolf's eyes were closed, and her own welled with tears again just as the stable door swung open and Theon strode in.

He wore the same casual attire he'd been in a mere hour ago. His gaze connected with Luka for a moment, before he nodded and those emerald irises found her. He stayed back, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"Shea is on her way," he said.

Tessa nodded, her hands fisting in the sopping mess of her dress. She assumed that was the animal Healer.

"You don't have to do this," she murmured, unable to look at him. “I mean, I would understand?—”

"Is it what you need?" Theon cut in.

She swallowed again, nodding once.

"I promised to always give you what you need, and I also keep my promises."

Ignoring what those words did to her, she turned her back on him, lowering to Roan's side once more. She stroked his head, tracing the edge of his ear with her finger. Leaning in close, she whispered in a strained tone, "I am so sorry. Please don't go. Please don't leave me here after we just found each other."

There were silent tears tracking down her cheeks now, and once again, Luka had to pull her back a minute later.

"Shea is here," he whispered into her ear. "We need to give her room to work."

Tessa nodded, letting Luka tug her to her feet. A Legacy with black hair pulled back in a bun was beside Roan now. She was smaller than Tessa had expected, maybe only an inch or two taller than she was, but she was already holding her hands over the wolf. A faint blue-silver light was emanating from them, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"What is she doing?" Tessa asked, only then realizing Luka had her loosely held to his chest, her fingers curled tightly into his shirt.

"In the simplest sense, she is seeing all the injuries. She is no different from the Healers for people," he answered.

"I've never seen a Healer work," she said tightly. “I’m usually unconscious for this part of the assessments.”

Luka didn't say anything to that, but she could feel Theon's gaze on her and knew he was listening to everything being said.

"He is more than wolf? Like your hounds?" Shea asked, looking up at Theon.

"I don't know," he answered. "Auryon?"

The female's features were tight where she stood a few feet away, Nylah sitting beside her. "Yes," she answered.

"I am going to need more than that," Shea replied, pulling things from her bag.

"They are Trackers," she answered.

"You mean they are relatives of the Trackers," Theon clarified.

Auryon shook her head. "No. They are Trackers. From the god realms. Arius gifted a litter of Trackers to Temural as a gift when his powers emerged. These are from that litter.”

“But that means a vampyre cannot kill him, right?” Tessa interrupted. “Because he is not a normal wolf?”

“Trackers can be killed,” Auryon said, swirling eyes fixed on the injured wolf. “They are not invincible.”

---