Page 43 of Blood, Shadow & Claw

More tears ran down my cheeks as she embraced me tightly. It felt good to be held by someone who had known me when I was so broken and still cared about me.

“But child, despite the heartache leaking from your eyes,” she teased, and I laughed through my tears. You’ve changed. You aren’t the same person who left all those weeks ago. You’ve an inner light that shines so brightly that it nearly takes my breath away. Don’t allow whatever happened to change who you’ve become. No matter what you decide, you have a place here with me.”

I blew out a deep breath, feeling the weight of those words. I hadthought I’d been all alone in the world. But the truth was, Mrs. Thompson had always been there. I just hadn’t let her in. How many others had tried to get to know me, and I’d inadvertently shut them out? I’d been so wrapped up in myself that I’d forgotten about anybody else. It was a pivotal moment that I’d never forget.

“Thank you, Mrs. Thompson,” I said, wiping the rest of my tears away. “You have always been there, and I want to be there for you, too.”

It was time to figure out what the following steps would be. It meant facing the world again, piecing together the shards of my fractured existence.

“Oh! I meant to tell you,” Mrs. Thompson exclaimed with a rueful smile. My memory isn’t what it used to be. Anyhow, I remembered seeing your therapist on the news, Dr. Baker. I hope you don’t mind. I called her office and spoke to her. She’s so thankful you are safe, dear.”

My stomach clenched. The thought of speaking to Dr. Baker again had me feeling nauseated. She’d belittled my ability to think and act for myself. However, Mrs. Thompson could not have known that. She had watched me go to Dr. Baker’s office for years.

“That was kind of you to reach out, " I muttered, the memory of Dr. Baker's stern face clouding my mind.

"Perhaps she can help you." Mrs. Thompson's apprehension fell away. I’ve given her a ring, and she said she would come by the house—free of charge. I wasn’t sure where things stood for you financially. Wasn’t that kind of her?”

"Oh,” my voice hitched with sudden worry. Clearly, reaching out to Dr. Baker set off alarm bells in my head. The thought of seeing the woman escalated those alarm bells into tornado sirens. “Very kind. I have to run an errand, but I will be back.”

I hurriedly started to clean up the blankets and straighten the pillows on the couch. All I knew was that I couldn’t stay here. My umbra, sensing my unease, threatened to come out. I fought my claws from extending. This response was new to me. The last thing I wanted was to shift in front of Mrs. Thompson.

"Are you quite sure, Mazie?” Mrs. Thompson’s brow furrowed. Itwould be best to have all the support you can get right now. Oh, never mind; she’s pulling into the drive.

The doorbell chime sent a tremor through my already jittery frame. Mrs. Thompson glanced at me with a look that mixed reassurance with concern as we both made our way to the front door. There, framed in the morning light, stood Dr. Baker, her posture exuding a controlled calm that somehow managed to slice through the chaos of my thoughts.

"Hello, Mazie," she greeted, her voice a smooth balm. "It’s nice to see you in person. I understand you've been through quite an ordeal."

"Hi," I replied, my voice a pale echo. The vulnerability gnawed at my insides like a starved animal, desperate and raw.

"If you would like, I’ve arranged for you to stay at a hotel for a few nights. It will give you some time to get back on your feet.”

“She’s welcome to stay here,” Mrs. Thompson interjected.

“That won’t be necessary.” Dr. Baker brushed her off like a gnat. “Let's go somewhere private. We can talk about everything," she suggested, reaching out a hand that seemed to promise safety.

"Thank you," I whispered to Mrs. Thompson before she again hugged me. Afterward, we packed my suitcase, and I placed it in the trunk of my car.

“Before you check in, Mazie, let’s go for a drive and talk about your adventure,” Dr. Baker suggested. I didn’t want to be alone with her. Yet, I had spent hours upon hours with this woman, telling her my deepest, darkest secrets. Maybe she could shed some insight into the disturbing text messages I’d received. I just had to protect the pack.

The drive was quiet, Dr. Baker's car humming along roads shaded by towering pines. My gaze wandered outside, but my mind was caged in its darkness, clawing for a sliver of hope.

"Everything will be alright, Mazie. You're not alone," Dr. Baker said, casting me a reassuring glance.

Her words should have comforted me. Instead, they snagged on the barbed wire of my skepticism. But the loneliness clutched at mychest with icy fingers, willing me to grasp any semblance of connection, even if it was as fragile as a spider's web.

I was lost in thought and didn’t notice when she avoided the freeway entrance to downtown, where her office was. I’d closed my eyes, attempting to get some sleep on the thirty-minute commute to her office. Instead, I’d fallen asleep. I was awakened by the car coming to a halt and turning off.

The dark of night was the first sign of something awry. The second was the forest surrounding us. We were in a secluded location that I didn’t recognize. Dr. Baker's demeanor shifted subtly—a predator masked by a caretaker's smile. "We're here," she announced, grabbing her bag and exiting the car. “Come along, Mazie.”

I got out of the car and took a deep breath, letting the smell of the earth fill my senses. My umbra was already itching to shift and find our mate. Fighting her back, I turned to Dr. Baker. “What is this place?" I began, only to be cut off by her soothing tone.

"Somewhere safe. For people like you." Her words were coated in honey, yet they buzzed with an undercurrent I couldn't catch. She’d come up beside me and touched the small of my back. “Don’t be shy now, Mazie. We’ve work to do.”

Turning to ask a question, my voice froze in my throat as I felt the sudden prick of a needle. My head whipped around to see Dr. Baker retracting a syringe, her eyes no longer warm but cold and calculating.

"Wha—?" I stammered, shock rooting me to the spot.

"Shh, it's for your own good," she soothed, her voice warped by the drug coursing through my veins.

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