Page 64 of The Healer and the Wolf: Part One

“They did something to my memory, so when I came back, chunks of my life were lost to me. Are all your memories intact?”

“I-I think so. It doesn’t feel like there’s anything missing,” he answered.

“They must have made mine a bit worse, then. I’ve been wandering around as a mindless wolf. I was sort of aware that I was looking for something, but I could never place it, and I didn’t know I was.”

“I didn’t know either when I was in that body, but once the curse was broken, it all came rushing back. I remembered who and what I was.” He finally let go of me, wiping his face. “How did you break the curse?”

“It wasn’t me.” I grinned. “My friend did it. You’ve already met her. She’s pretty wonderful.”

Just then, the driver’s door opened, and Ven stepped out of the truck. I expected her to be jubilant over our victory, smiling from ear to ear at the success of our mission, but I could smell even before I saw her face that she wassteamed.

“What the hell was all of that out there?” She wasn’t yelling. In fact her voice didn’t rise above her normal volume, but it didn’t need to. Every syllable was coated with white-hot rage. What could I have possibly done?

“What are you talking about?”

She glared at me. “Look, I know things went sideways out there, and I understand that him putting his hands on me kind of threw us both for a loop, but that is no excuse for how crazy you went out there. There were innocent people, innocentchildren! And you put them all in the line of danger.”

Had I done that? It was difficult for me to remember. I did recall seeing that bastard grabbing Ven’s wrist, and smelling the rage and fear emanating from her. I’d had no choice but to act. I had to protect her. The only reason she had been in danger was because she was trying to help me.

But after that? After that it got a little blurry. Snippets of the night replayed through my mind, but everything was cloudy. I still wasn’t used to shifting back into my wolf form, and my inner animal had completely taken over, pushing human Leo back into the deepest recesses of my mind. That wasn’t how it was supposed to be. A shifter was two equal parts, animal and human, working in harmony. The curse was still affecting me and had clearly thrown that balance out of whack.

Still, part of me knew I was an alpha protecting my pack. What did Ven possibly expect?

“I had to run all over that estate protecting people from you! And that’s not to mention how hurt you got. What if you lost? Did you ever think of that, Leo? Ricky and I were both depending on you being okay, and it’s like you forgot the both of us existed!”

My beta was looking uncertainly from me to Ven. I felt a bit embarrassed and guilty that he was put into the middle of something he didn’t understand, and maybe he didn’t even have the emotional capacity to deal with it, but if Ven was upset with me, she had every right to express it.

Although I couldn’t remember everything, I knew the plan wouldn’t have worked without her. She’d gotten a job at the compound, found a way to get us inside, rescued Ricky while I was consumed by bloodlust, and she had literally slammed into a powerful warlock with the very vehicle she was driving in order to stop him from casting a spell on me while I was recovering from a particularly hard hit.

Did it rankle my wolf’s nerves? Absolutely. He was seething, wondering how one of his pack could challenge him after such a clear victory. But I knew better than he did, even if he wanted to fight me on that.

“Sorry if this is awkward timing…” Another head popped out from the extended cab. I didn’t recognize the woman, and my growing concern and confusion with Ven doubled at the unknown presence. “But we really shouldn’t stay around this place much longer. I’m sure that bastard’s brothers will come swooping in at any moment, and I don’t want to be anywhere in the proximity of his compound when that happens.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Sorry, the name’s America. America Aguirre. Long story short, that warlock tricked my parents into signing over ownership of their first-born child. I’ve been in his custody since I hit puberty. Not exactly a fan of the guy, and I really want to go back to my family. So, if we could all just pile back into this truck, I know a chop shop where you can drop me off. I can probably get you a different set of wheels for your ride back home… wherever that might be.”

I blinked a couple of times. It didn’t surprise me that Chadwicke was involved in trafficking. How many other shifters and magical folk had been put into a similar position? Good riddance to him.

“I would like to not be with the compost,” was all I said.

While I wasn’t ignoring Ven’s anger or her words, I had no idea how to respond. I wasn’t even sure I had done anything wrong. I trusted her, but also, I’d done what I was supposed to do. We were all safe, and even people like America were already benefiting.

Surely that was a good thing, right?

Because if it wasn’t, and if the only thing I was good at was inherently bad, what did that make me? What was my purpose outside of protecting and defending my pack?

Too many questions, one right after the other, and they were really bringing down the joy. I finally had a solid victory but…

Ugh.

Complications.

“Why don’t I drive for now?” America said, looking to a still-fuming Ven. “You be my shotgun? That way, the two of you can sit in the back and continue your reunion.”

“Yeah, sure,” Ven said flatly. “As long as you don’t mind if I pass out for a bit.”

“By all means, snooze away. But let’s go now, okay?”

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