Page 67 of The Healer and the Wolf: Part One

“That’s one way to put it,” I said. “Youscaredme, Leo. Your bloodlust, the way you went after people… it was almost demonic. It was like I couldn’t feelyouanymore. And it wasn’t just because you were in your wolf form. It’s likeyouweren’t there at all, and only this killing machine remained. You didn’t care who got hurt. You didn’t care who got caught in the crossfire as long as you got your pound of flesh.”

Once more, Leo’s face was awash with several emotions. I thought he’d interrupt, ask me what I’d expected, but he only listened intently. And to be honest, that made me bolder, made it easier to put my words in the right order.

“I understand we went there to kill someone, but it consumed you. Did you even notice the guards firing their weapons at me because of you? And I don’t know if any children like Rosette were hurt.”

“Rosette?”

“A girl at the party. We were talking about gardens before her mom whisked her away. And I know she wasn’t the only kid there, because the warlock specifically mentioned having activities for the young ones. A lot of those security guards were firingeverywhereto hit you. Can you look me in the eyes and tell me you know for a fact that no children were hurt because of that?”

Guilt spread across Leo’s handsome features. He took a long moment to answer, but I didn’t interrupt the silence. Although my patience wasn’t exactly at its best at the moment, I could tell he was thinking. And to me, thinking was better than having a snap answer, because he was making sure he meant what he said.

“No. There are gaps in my memory of what happened. It concerns me. I’m worried I no longer have control over my inner wolf—something I have to have as an alpha.”

“Hearing that scares me.”

Leo met my eyes. “It scares me, too.”

What were we even supposed to do now? I wasn’t certain, but what struck me was how Leo was being completely honest with me. I wasn’t a wolf or a shifter, but I knew it was no small thing for an alpha to admit he was worried of being incapable of leading his pack. Despite the grim news, I valued that immensely.

Even if I didn’t know where this left us—if we were incompatible and from far too different worlds—I did know I could trust Leo to always be honest with me.

“What happened is over, but I feel like you understand where I’m coming from. Am I wrong?”

Leo shook his head. “I do understand where you’re coming from, and I’m ashamed I let myself get so carried away. That I lost sight of the lives that were important. I don’t know what the future is bringing, but I don’t want that to happen ever again.”

I stared at the shifter across from me. Who would have thought the nearly mute and overwhelmed shell of a man who had stood covered in rags in my kitchen turn out to be so eloquent? Maybe I really was making a mountain out of a molehill.

“Okay, then.” I took a deep breath. “Clean slate?”

“Clean slate.”

Well, at least that was one thing taken care of.

All that was left was approximately two thousand questions, number one being: how had I broken Ricky’s curse?

“How is it?”I asked, draping a hot, damp wash cloth over Ricky’s head as he slowly sipped broth in my kitchen. He didn’t seem to have the dexterity to hold a spoon yet. Fine motor function would probably return once we got the tremors to stop, and hopefully that would stop once his temperature was regulated, and his temperature would probably regulate once we got calories in him and?—

I cut myself off before I went to deep down that spiral. I needed to take it one step at a time, or I’d lose my place. That wouldn’t help anyone.

“Delicious,” Ricky said with a pleasant drawl, and I smiled. His voice had almost completely healed. Shifters certainly were something else. “You said there’s actual grass in this?”

“Lemongrass,” I corrected with a chuckle. “It’s a tasty herb.”

“Huh. Haven’t ever heard of that before.”

“Ven here is a prolific gardener,” Leo said, giving me a dazzling smile.

“Ven?”

“That’s what I prefer to be called,” I said. Leo had probably used my proper name when he’d first mentioned me to Ricky.

“Gotcha,” he said before slurping at the broth again.

My cats had taken notice of our overnight guests sometime during the night since Leo had taken their spots in my bed. Nothing had happened between us, but where else would he have slept with Ricky taking up the couch?

Thankfully, my three were keeping their distance, allowing Ricky to enjoy his broth without interruption. Leo and I weren’t eating—it would be rude to eat the solid food right in front of a man who couldn’t. Maybe later in the day we could all dine together, but right now, I was intent on keeping an eye on him.

It was quite an ego boost that he liked my broth. After all, the man had been starved. I had a feeling that hunger was the one easy way to humble a shifter real fast. As far as I could tell, their bodies had much higher caloric needs than a human. I supposed it was a bit of a double-edged sword. They got a lot of fancy powers from all those disposable calories, but when famine came, their bodies didn’t handle it very well.

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