Page 77 of The Healer and the Wolf: Part Two

I blinked at the man. I wasn’t against therapy, but I’d never really thought of it as an option for shifters. Naturally, the pause was a bit awkward, and Benny cleared his throat.

“Not that any of you have to. It’ll take at least a year before we get anything off the ground. I didn’t mean to offend?—”

Chiga tensed, and I could tell he was ready to defend his partner if needed, but I wasn’t alarmed.

“No, no. No offense taken. I just need to reframe my mind. I’m sure you can understand that most of us are orphans so, uh, that kind of thing wasn’t exactly on the table for most of our lives.”

Benny let out a nervous chuckle, and Chiga draped an arm around his shoulder. Oh, Ven was going tolovehim.

“Right! Of course. Chiga has told me y’all come from pretty dire circumstances. I gotta admit, I come from a huge family with seven brothers and three sisters, so I can’t even imagine. It really is miraculous what you’ve all managed to accomplish.”

Seven brothers and three sisters? Now,thatsounded like a pack and a half.

“We’re just happy to be alive and able to celebrate together,” I said, inclining my head. “Lovely meeting you.”

“And you as well.”

I left them with the cluster of people. I had about two minutes to myself before Ricky and Andromeda found me, one with a bottle of water, the other with a small packet.

“Drink up,” Andromeda said, flicking off the cap for me. “Don’t want your mouth to get dry.”

Although she hadn’t gotten a ton of time to bond with Ven like Ricky had, Andromeda had made it plenty clear she was fond of the dryad. Part of it was their mutual love of cats, and part of it was that Ven had orchestrated my rescue. They were on genuinely friendly terms, which made me beyond happy because Andromeda was like a sister to me.

“And this is for luck,” Ricky said, handing me the packet.

I frowned down at it. Why was he giving me lettuce seeds? “What’s this?”

“That’s Ven’s favorite lettuce.” He grinned. “Figured if she can sense such things, it might be a nice bit of comfort for her, given how she’s not the biggest fan of the spotlight.”

Yet again, I was truly touched. Without another word, I pulled the two of them into a hug. The warlocks had tried to destroy us, yet despite everything, we were closer than ever before. And maybe, if things kept going how they were, we would end the cycle of trauma that permeated shifter culture. Withpeople like Benny and Ven, and who knew who else, it felt like we could accomplish things our parents never even dreamed of.

When I parted from my two pack mates, I drew in a deep breath. “Gather everyone up,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “As soon as Ven is ready, I want to get started.”

“Eager to get it over?” Andromeda teased, gently nudging me in my ribs.

“Eager to start the rest of my life with all of us unified as one pack.”

They nodded at me, then hurried off. They were good at what they did, because within fifteen minutes, I was standing in the center of the clearing, surrounded by friendly faces and supportive spirits.

I didn’t recognize everyone, but everyone was an ally. They’d fought with us, and those who hadn’t had come to help afterward. I wanted all of them to see us welcome a non-shifter into our pack.

It was quiet, almost eerily so, until Chiga began a low sound somewhere between a hum and a chant. It didn’t take long before several others joined in.

Cluster by cluster, different tones sounded, until a beautiful but somewhat intimidating sound rose up into the cerulean sky above us. It spoke of ancient power and bonds that could never be broken. It echoed the earth itself, ever present, and called back to ancestors beyond those we even knew.

I let it move through me, awestruck at the beauty we could create when we were united as one, and that feeling only increased exponentially when part of the crowd stepped aside, allowing my beloved to step through.

Vanessa was always beautiful, but in this moment, with the sun shining down on her hair, her cheeks pink from excitement and nerves, she looked truly stunning. Someone had given her a green dress that befitted her nature. It hung off her shouldersand hugged her curves. She truly looked like a dryad of myth, too spectacular and important to touch, and yet all I needed to do was reach out, and she would be right there beneath my fingers.

The song swelled as she walked toward me, ancient melody and rhythms carried through our souls as much as our DNA. It surrounded us, echoing the profundity of the moment, only stopping when Ven was right in front of me.

My friend.

My mate.

My savior.

Mybeloved.

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