Page 57 of Doctor Wolf's Human Nurse

Abby grabbed her purse and they left together. She called Beth and asked how the kids were doing.

“Fine. Their families came to get them earlier, so by now, they are safely back in their own homes. Right now, we’re tryingto figure out how to create some kind of spell and potion to help those affected by the virus.”

“Can I come and observe?” Abby asked hesitantly, not wanting to get in the way.

“Absolutely. We’re still at Rory’s.”

The witches had finally managed to isolate the two synthetic materials that the lab created, designed to permanently alter the shifters’ DNA. Taryn, Beth, and Savvy crafted a potion that would counter act the effects.

“How does magic work? How can you heal people with your touch and words?” Abby asked.

“It’s all about energy,” Beth said. “Energy exists in all things, from the dirt to the trees, rocks, animals, and even the air. Magic manipulates the energy. Most witches manipulate it for good. For example, let me see your arm.”

Abby held out her arm, which had a small scratch on it. Beth touched it and the scratch healed.

“I used the energy in the air, the energy in my body, and your energy to heal that scratch. It was a minor wound, so it didn’t take much.”

Taryn spoke up. “When Daddy was attacked by the bull at the rodeo and it crushed his organs, it took a lot more of our energy. Every time I touched him and focused on healing his injuries, I could literally feel the energy draining out of my body. It’s like watching the battery drain on your phone.”

“Why can’t everyone do that, then?” Abby asked.

Savvy smiled. “Everyone can to an extent. When you lay your hands on a person and you have positive intentions, that energy helps heal physical and emotional wounds. I’m sure you’ve heard studies about how extremely sick people are seemingly suddenly cured because they are surrounded by their friends and family.”

“Emotions play a part in it, too,” Beth added. “Laughter really is the best medicine. Having a positive attitude is a matter of life and death.”

“Still, there are some people, like me, who are born with the ability to make things happen that others can’t. I can conjure things, heal people, and do all sorts of cool tricks. It’s just like some people can shift, and some people are able to walk into a room of gloomy Guses and light up the room.”

“That is amazing,” Abby said. “I’ve always wanted to be a shifter, ever since I found out about them.”

“You’re pretty terrific the way you are,” Savvy said, hugging her.

Abby watched Savvy carefully pour the contents of a cauldron into a dark blue bottle. “What do we do now?”

Beth sighed heavily. “Now, we experiment and hope this works.”

22

Sawyer

Sawyer went home, brushed his teeth, and crawled into bed. As tired as he was, he didn’t fall asleep right away. He stared at the ceiling and thought about Abby. Their energy seemed to mesh together and helped him get through the day. When the last patient left and they sat together on the couch, her touch sent a wave of peace through him.

Her scent clung to him. He knew it would be there, even if he took a thousand showers. Inhaling deeply, the scent of vanilla and Abby’s essence created the same calm that her presence did.

Fated mates?was the last thought that went through his mind as he fell asleep.

Thirteen hours later, his alarm went off. He groaned, thinking that he had only snoozed for a couple of hours. His eyes widened with shock when he saw that it was already seven.

Although it was the weekend, he tried to get up at the same time every day to keep his body on a schedule. He also tried to go to bed at the same time every night, but that didn’t always work out so well for him.

Sawyer had several errands to run, so he quickly ate breakfast and drove into town. He briefly considered askingAbby if she wanted to go with him but thought that she might be enjoying the opportunity to sleep in.

The grocery store was his last stop. He was squeezing loaves of bread when he caught a glimpse of a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. Leaving his cart where it was, he strolled outside and called Zac.

“I have spotted one of the rogue shifters that Dahlia and Rick hired. Blake’s at Wegman’s Grocery.”

“Notifying Sebastian. Don’t let him leave.”

Zac hung up before Sawyer could answer. He peeked in the windows to see whether he could spot Blake. The rogue shifter was pushing a cart full of tortillas, energy bars, a case of water, and other non-perishable grocery items to the check-out. The man looked as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

---