Page 12 of Broken Mate

“Me too,” he replied.

He rose to leave, but Jericho called out to halt him.

“Ledger. This is going to be very difficult, not only for her but for you as well. You’re going to watch her suffer, so you must be prepared for that.”

“I understand,” Ledger said quietly. “Thanks.”

****

Anais was exhausted. Her body tired easily, even without the slightest bit of strain. She laid down to take a nap, leaving Ruby to unpack. They had separate rooms, and although she loved her aunt dearly, Anais was thankful for the privacy. Sometimes, she wanted to cry at night, and she refused to do that in front of Ruby.

In the late afternoon, she awoke, needing to use the bathroom. She pushed herself up with her hands and reached for the crutches, maneuvering her body to slip them on and push herself off the bed. She made her way carefully to the bathroom, leaning against the counter so she could slip her panties down. Peeing took a lot of effort and by the time she finished and washed her hands, she was in desperate need for another nap. She left the bathroom, intending to lay down, but her aunt stepped into the room.

“I have dinner ready,” she said. “Soup from the diner.”

At the mention of food, her stomach gave a little rumble. “Oh, okay.”

Ruby turned and exited the bedroom, and Anais slowly followed out to the small sitting room. Once she got to the round table, bowls of soup were laid out, along with crackers and a bottle of water. Anais carefully sat down, slipping off her arm crutches to eat.

“Alpha Jericho called,” Ruby said, breaking some crackers up in her soup. “You’ll start therapy tomorrow morning.”

“All right,” Anais replied.

“And, uh, Beta Ledger will be working with you.”

Anais’s spoon clattered loudly as she dropped it. “What? No, Alpha Jericho was the one who cured himself. He’s the one that needs to fix me.”

“I guess Beta Ledger was there, helping him every step of the way. So, he is qualified.”

“But … but…”

“Anais,” her aunt said sternly. “I love you. I support you. But he is your moon-fated mate, and he has chosen to not only accept you, but to help you through this journey. He will stand by you as you heal.”

There was nothing to say to that. Anais wanted to argue, but she knew nothing would change Ruby’s mind. So, she ate her soup and then afterward, she went back to bed.

Chapter Five

At eight o’clock the next morning, a firm knock sounded on the door. Anais jumped and a little coffee sloshed over the rim of her mug onto her leg. Grimacing, she set it down and grabbed a tissue to wipe up the liquid. Then she slipped her arms into the crutches and made her way to the front door.

“Who’s there?” she called through the door.

“It’s me. Ledger.”

She knew he was going to help her get her wolf back. Once she did that, her body would heal. Taking a deep, calming breath, she opened the door. Ledger stood there with hands in his pockets, and a tender look came into his gaze.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

He held up his arm where a blanket was draped. “We’re going to meditate.”

Slowly, she exited her room, closed the door behind her, and followed him through the large pack house. The meeting room was dark and all the chairs were pushed to the side. She thought this was their destination, and was surprised when he headed toward the back and opened the heavy doors. Sunlight spilled inside, illuminating Ledger. He led and she followed, across a large deck that overlooked a beautiful field. Green grass lay neatly mowed. Dandelions and white clover dotted the peripheral landscape. The air was fresh and crisp as she breathed deeply. A sense of peace and wonder flittered through her, and belonging settled into her soul. She’d never been happy in New Mexico. Had never connected to the land as a wolf should. Yet here, in a place that was not her pack, she discovered home.

And that included the man in front of her.

The High Luna clearly worked in mysterious ways. If it wasn’t for being poisoned, she would never have known what it felt like to be around the man destined for her. Instead, she would’ve been married off to a horrible man to prevent a war. Relief flooded through her. She’d washed her hands of her family and pack, except for Ruby who had allied herself with Anais.

“Do you want me to help you down the stairs?”

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