Page 20 of In Hawke's Eyes (Toron's Pride 2)

“I’ll watch Meechi,” Stella said. Stephanie allowed it. She needed to know.

“Doc, he’s in trouble. I have no idea how long he’s been this way. We sniffed him out in an abandoned building.” Toron turned to Stephanie. “You might as well know the truth now.”

“W-what truth?” she stuttered.

Toron placed the bundle in his arms on the narrow bed, and that’s when she figured it out. The creature he held was a bird, and like a shot of cruel revelation, she knew it was also Hawke.

“A hawk,” she said in a tiny voice. “Ironic.” With her head spinning, she gripped the side of the bed, but she would not collapse on the floor in front of all of them. She had known she and her daughter were outnumbered being the only humans in Sutland, but she’d thought Hawke was the same at least. After all, he had joined Toron’s band of shifters by happenstance on his wanderings after he was abandoned. Now she knew the truth. He was drawn to his own kind—sort of.

“We heal faster in our animal form,” the doctor said, leaning over Hawke, “but I’m not used to dealing with other species. Hawke’s never been sick a day since he came to us. It would be better if he was in his human form.”

“He won’t respond.” Toron paced some steps away from them, and Stephanie thought he looked like a caged lion. “Perry, please do what you can.”

Perry nodded. “Of course. Hm, do you think you can try using your ability on him? He’s not a lion, but he is an official part of the pride. Just maybe it will work.”

“I didn’t think of that.” Toron hurried over and sucked in a deep breath then blew it out. Stephanie wanted to ask what was meant by his “ability” but didn’t want to break his concentration. Whatever he could do to help Hawke was most important.

In silence they all watched, Stephanie with her hands clutched together. Toron laid a hand on Hawke’s feathers and stroked them. “Listen to my voice, old friend, and come back to us. Everything is okay.”

Stephanie started when the other shifters seemed rattled as if something flowed between them. Then a calm settled over them as Toron continued to speak in a low tone. She willed whatever he was doing to work, adding her mental energies such as they were with her eyes shut. When someone gasped, she opened her eyes. Hawke made a sound as if in protest, and then he began to grow. His feathers appeared to fall out, but they didn’t lie on the bed. They dissipated, and his skin turned flesh colored. Without being able to explain how it happened, she stared at her lover lying on the bed, fully human.

A slash of redness marred his right side, and she put a hand to her mouth, knowing it was where he had been shot. On impulse, she clutched Hawke’s hand and sniffed against tears.

“Now let me work on him,” Perry commanded. “Everyone out except his alpha and his mate.”

Stephanie blinked and stared. She glanced around to see if she’d missed any other woman in the room who Hawke might have been involved with, but the only two present were herself and Sienna. Maybe the doctor meant the alpha and the alpha’s mate could stay. Stephanie released Hawke’s hand and started for the door with everyone else, but Sienna dropped her hands on her shoulders and turned her back.

“You stay here. He needs you to pull through,” she whispered in Stephanie’s ear.

A tremor passed through Stephanie, and she licked her lips, but she did remain where she was as the last person shut the door behind them. What felt like hours passed until the doctor straightened and stretched his back.

“I’ve done what I could. We can let his natural healing do the rest.”

Toron spun to face Stephanie and touched her cheek. Then he left the room along with the doctor. No one told her to go, but she didn’t know why. They weren’t “mates” because she wasn’t a shifter.

“Hawke?” she called, taking her time approaching the bed.

He moaned and turned his head toward her. She leaned in close to stroke his hair. Her heart picked up its beat, and exhaustion rolled over her for all the time she spent worrying about him.

“I’m okay, baby.”

She wanted to cry at the hoarseness in his voice.

>

“You’re safe now.”

Stephanie shook her head. “Forget about me. You’re the one in bad shape. They said you were shot. Maybe I should leave so you can rest.” He grabbed her hand when she started to turn away, and he winced in pain. “Hawke! Don’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Then stay.” He shut his eyes and took a few shallow breaths. “Don’t leave, Stephanie.”

Why did the use of her name leave her breathless? “Okay, I will.” He seemed to drift off, and she muttered, “For now.”

Stephanie must have fallen asleep because when she opened her eyes, it was to find herself stretched out on a couch with a blanket over her. She didn’t remember moving to it or the furniture even being in the room. The door opened, and Doctor Perry bustled in. She knew him by his long white coat and the humming.

“Oh, you’re awake, little lady. Are you hungry? I ordered Chinese a little while ago, enough for three.”

She yawned and sat up. “Three?”

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