Page 21 of Broken Mate

“No. He left once you fell asleep.”

She ran a hand over her face. “What time is it?”

“Late morning. Your aunt was by, checking on you. I think she went out and bought doughnuts.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You need to keep your strength up.”

She slowly sat up. “I want to get started on the day.”

Ledger also sat up and placed his hand on her shoulder. “You should rest today—”

“No,” she said adamantly. “I think today’s the day. My wolf finally came to me.”

Ledger closed his eyes, relief evident in every line of his face. “Thank the High Luna. It was killing me to see you fight so hard, knowing I couldn’t do a damn thing to help you.”

“But you did help me,” she whispered. “You made me want to keep fighting.”

He brushed the hair off her forehead. “I’m so fucking proud of you, baby. All right, today’s the day. Need help in the bathroom?”

She shook her head. “No, and hopefully, I won’t need crutches for too much longer.”

He leaned close and kissed her lightly on the mouth. He rose and brought her the crutches and she used them to rise from the bed. She knew in her heart and soul her days of using the damn things were numbered. He kissed her on top of her head and then moved toward the door. Anais rose and hobbled into the bathroom to pee. After washing her hands and brushing her teeth, she used a comb to tame her wild hair.

Her reflection showed a brightness to her eyes that had been missing for a long time. It had been a long time since she felt anything but despair, but excitement flooded through every cell in her body. When she left the bathroom, Ruby waited in the armchair by the window.

“Your mate said you had a dream of your wolf?”

“Yes,” she replied, smiling.

Ruby clapped her hands together. “I’ve been praying so hard every single day and finally my prayers have been answered.”

Anais wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Happy tears,” she assured her aunt. “Wanna help me dress? I have to go meditate.”

****

Ledger glanced up at the sky and sent a mental thank you to the High Luna. He had to step out to bring his emotions back under control. He’d been so afraid for Anais. So afraid she’d give up. Now, she had hope. Her determination had returned.

She made her way carefully over the meadow to join him on the blanket. He wanted to help her, but she gave a shake to her head. All he could do was watch as she took her time and sat down.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

“All right, close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Relax and focus on finding your serenity.”

She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. He mimicked, breathing with her.

“I can feel her,” Anais murmured. “She’s pacing. Anxious to be let loose.”

“That’s good,” he said. “That’s the way to heal.”

A low growl rumbled through Anais, and he opened his eyes to see her skin ripple as fur sprouted. The sound of bones cracking echoed around them. One minute he watched Anais, the next a beautiful grey wolf stood in her place. The fur was an ombre of silver to smoky, with paws and a muzzle of white.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, holding out his hand.

Anais walked over to bump her head against him, and Ledger ran his fingers through the soft pelt. The wolf tilted her head for a moment before she turned and took off running.

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