Page 5 of The Healer and the Wolf: Part Two

“Why do you sound so surprised?” I asked with mock offence.

“Come on. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to spell it out. A human versus two aggressive bear shifters enthralled by a group of evil warlocks? That pretty much only has one outcome.”

“Two outcomes, apparently,” I teased, and it felt like the tension eased ever so slightly. Good. I needed Ricky to relax before I cleaned his wounds. Although I had witnessed the wonders of shifter healing firsthand, it was a bit less effective while they were in their human forms. Also, they healed so rapidly it was easy for foreign objects to become sealed within their body, causing little pockets of infection. Their systems could handle it, but it took a lot of extra time and energy. The wounds I managed to clean first healed much faster than the ones I didn’t, and they never scarred. Not even temporarily. “But if I’m being honest, they probably already thought Leo was dead. All I did was scream and wave my hands around. Made a real fool of myself.”

Instead of chuckling, Ricky simply shook his head. “Leo wasn’t kidding. You really are something else, aren’t you?”

Oh, no. I could barely tolerate it when Leo got all complimentary; it felt downright weird coming from Ricky. “Youknow, normally when people say that, they don’t mean it in a nice way.”

“Well, I do, so fuck all of ’em who say otherwise. Leo’s a good judge of character—always has been. So, if he says something, I’m gonna believe my alpha.”

“Fair enough.”

The conversation tapered off as I focused on tending to his wounds. The entire time, my mind raced. I knew I had to say something, but I wasn’t sure how best to do it. It wasn’t until I finished up and tossed the last bloody washcloth into the sink that I turned to Ricky.

“If you’re going to rescue Leo, we have to do it together. This is not a solo project.”

“Ven, I admire you, I do, but I’m already pushing things by even trying to rescue him. My orders were clear, and it isn’t right for a beta to be going an’ exploiting loopholes. Taking you would be a step too far. I’ve gotta keep you protected. For Leo.”

I took a deep breath, quickly calculating what cards I had to play. “I understand that, but I need you to understand something as well.”

“What’s that?”

What I was about to do was underhanded and would likely ruin the trust I had built up with Ricky, but I was desperate. And desperate times most certainly called for desperate measures.

“I’m the one who broke Leo’s curse and then yours. Neither of you would have your humanity or even an idea of what happened to your pack if not for me. I’m the one who orchestrated the plan to save you. And in the end, I’m the one who drove the truck into that bastard and then found the medical facility.”

Ricky looked downright uncomfortable. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying the two of you owe me, and pretending you know better than me, like you’re grown men and I’m some little child, is ridiculous. You need my help. Either we build this rescue plan together and try to come up with the best way to keep all of us safe, or I will find a way to go on my own. And I doubt this time the bear shifters will be so accommodating to my strategy of screaming and waving my arms.”

Ricky didn’t say anything for a long while. He just gave me a hard stare colder than any look he’d ever given me. Not that I could blame him, but I hoped he would understand in time.

“You drive a hard bargain, but all right. Let’s come up with a plan to get Leo back.”

“And this time you won’t automatically shoot them down because you don’t think they’re good enough? You’ll give real reasons if you’re dubious?” I hated to be such a stickler, but I felt like I had to be considering the switch-up he’d already pulled on me.

“Yeah, I promise. We do owe you everything, so the least I can do is honestly hear you out.”

“All right, then,” I said, trying not to let my voice crack as relief flooded through every cell in my body. “Let’s get to planning.”

2

LEO

Zap!

I awoke with a jolt, the entire world spinning so violently, my body rattled with it.

Wait, no, that was actual electricity zinging through me, courtesy of the bleary figure standing around me.

Where was I? What was happening?

It took me a couple of moments to remember. Right. We’d infiltrated the medical facility, which turned out to be less of an office and more of a secret lab dedicated to experimenting on magical folk. I’d known the brothers were twisted, but somehow seeing so many different people in cages made it all the more real for me. They were some real sick fuckers. The world would be better with them put down.

Except it seemed I was the one who was at risk of being dispatched at the moment.

Another surge of electricity went through me, and every muscle in my body tensed, making me jerk and seize against the restraints binding me to the metal table.

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