Page 34 of The Healer

She carved through the snow, veering from left to right, squealing, and laughing as she headed for the tower in the distance. The sounds of slapping snow behind her said she wasn’t alone and could enjoy this moment without fear of abandonment.

The chilling wind, the warm sunlight, the bright snow, and the crisp air elevated her out of her sorrow, freed her to soar like an eagle. The snow was harder than the sand but easy to work with when she knew the techniques. When she aligned with the tower, she rested her weight on her heels and whipped to a halt, spraying a cloud of white powder. She grinned at an approaching Dane who glided like a graceful ballerina on creatine.

Jake trailed him by a few seconds. “You’re a natural.”

She shrugged, unclipped the board, and tucked it under her arm. “Now what?”

He nodded to the sheer rock wall hundreds of yards away. “We trudge back to the car.”

Each step felt like a mountain rested on her shoulders and her legs like cooked spaghetti, but it brought them closer to the cliff she had leaped off. Sadness struck at the scars they had left in the pristine snow. In the shadows beneath the cliff, Jake pointed north, so up the mountain she went, curving around until the jagged rockface dominated her view but shielded her from some of the chilling wind.

“Do you think the tower is strong enough to handle an avalanche?” She rasped the words, proving her fitness level needed work. Shifts, sleep, shifts, and more sleep had summed up her life for the last three years.

“Dr. Ferguson, who leads the research team, said there’d been a little rumbling which implies tectonic activity below.” Dane nudged his chin at the face of the mountain. “There’s been a gentle shift of snow. If the two combine, they could be in for an avalanche.”

“They need to stay inside the tower if it happens.” Jake dug into his back pocket for his buzzing phone. He grunted his name as they hiked higher, nearing the top of Lover’s Point. “On our way.” He shoved his phone into his pocket and hiked past Ilona with renewed vigor.

“Jake, what’s up?” Dane followed him, grabbing her hand to drag her with him. Her thigh muscles protested the abuse.

Jake didn’t pause, just kept moving. “Edison got into the catnip again.”

“Shit.” Dane peeked at Ilona. “Why do we keep that stuff?”

“I’ve tried confiscating his stash, but they grow their own.” Jake removed his gear, tossed his board in the trunk, and the medkit on the backseat before sliding in.

Ilona sliced glances between the two men. “Catnip?” She stacked the board on top of Jake’s, the goggles and helmet beside it, then hurried to the front passenger side.

Jake met her gaze. “It’s like a drug to cat shifters.”

“Drive, Doc. There’s no time for your fish-out-of-water impression.” Dane guided her around the hood and lifted her into the driver’s seat as if she weighed nothing. He leaped over the hood of the car and climbed in, closing the door behind him.

“Hurry, Doc, catnip tends to drive Edison wild, and he starts challenging the younger shifters.” Jake patted her shoulder.

She hurried to start the engine with trembling fingers.

Careening to town was easier with the tire tracks dark sludges and ruts, showing her the way. “Um, does Amos know?” She peeked at Dane and hesitated, studying his profile for signs of a polar bear. For a man of his size, he had to be a big animal. Or was that not how it worked?

“Of course, he’s half shifter.”

She closed her eyes for a second then whipped them open, having forgotten she was driving. “I’m a human doctor. I don’t know how to treat…shifters.” Animals was what she was thinking. Hell, she couldn’t even treat someone’s pet pig. Cat shifter? Like in lion, panther, puma? She bit her lip to smother a squeak.

“Relax, we have phenomenal healing properties.” Jake patted her shoulder. “Now and then, an injury might be too much for our blood to deal with. That’s where you come in.”

“What am I supposed to do for a catnip overdose?” When the car jumped a hidden bump, her eyes widened, but she managed to land the SUV on the tarred main road with a jerk. After veering onto the verge, she hit the brakes but kept the engine running. She twisted to face the men. Were they still called men? Were they like a morphing artificial intelligent robot, or was it magic that helped them transform?

She shook her head at the concept of magic and leveled a glare on them, the same look Mom had used on her when her teenage sass had crossed a boundary. “Listen, I don’t know what the fuck you two are expecting, but I’m sure as shit not a vet.”

“Just drive, Ilona. Head straight for Tuesdays.” Jake pointed at the building down the road past Mo’s, like she didn’t know where the hell it was.

“Fuck. We’ll talk about this later, Dane.” She floored it, fishtailing the SUV’s ass on the road. When she steered into the parking lot in front of the door, she switched off the engine. She didn’t move when Dane and Jake leaped out of the SUV and bolted into the bar.

Sighing, she palmed the steering wheel, debating whether to head to Cozy Cromwell’s and pack her bags. Dane tucked his head out and waved at her to hurry.

Thunderous crashes from inside the bar mimicked the urgency in his wild gestures. She laughed as hysteria rose to choke her.

Yanking off her gloves, she dropped them onto the seat. She closed the door and ducked under his arm and into the bar.

Chapter Thirteen

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