A Cursed Bloodline
Page 85
Aric placed his large head on her lap. I simply nodded. She had nothing to apologize for as far as I was concerned, so instead I asked her about Aric. “Why does he continue to maintain his wolf form?”
“He, like the others, is in wolf mourning.” She stroked my hair again. “Soon I shall join them. Our inner beasts are capable of dealing with more physical and emotional suffering than our human sides.” She sighed and wept softly. “The treachery and pain you endured, Liam’s death, and the death of my grandbaby have been too much for us. We need to rely on our inner animals to help us survive this time. When our mourning as beasts concludes, we will mourn as humans and say goodbye to our beloved Liam. Then we will go on as life intends.”
—
Eliza left our room a while later, taking Aric with her so my sisters could spend some time alone with me. My eyes bugged out when I caught a gander at Shayna’s new limbs. Small, delicate arms grew from her elbows, resembling an infant’s with hands to match. She waved them at me. “Hey, Ceel. Don’t worry,” she added quickly when she noticed my alarm. “They’re just growing back.”
Taran rolled her eyes and adjusted the long silk gloves she wore. “For shit’s sake. Can’t you keep those things covered? You’re going to freak her out!”
Emme ignored them and rushed to embrace me with her arms and her healing light. She studied me expectantly when finished, until disappointment creased across her delicate features. “I didn’t help at all, did I?”
“You kept me from dying. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your light.”
Emme’s gentle green eyes welled with tears. I gathered my arms around her petite frame. It felt good to be strong for someone else. I hadn’t liked falling to pieces and Lord knew I’d done it enough over the past few months.
Shayna climbed in bed next to us. “It was a combined effort, Ceel. Everyone needed you to make it.” She gulped back some tears and stared at the wall. “Bren performed chest compressions when Aric ordered him to leave the fight. Taran and I couldn’t help you.” She flexed her still-growing hands to prove her point.
I wasn’t sure if they were ready to discuss what had happened, but I thought I should at least ask. “How did Anara die?”
They gawked at me, likely surprised I’d thrown out the bastard’s name so casually.
Taran sat beside me. She glanced at my belly, but caught herself and returned her gaze to my face. “In smashing the blood vial, you broke Anara’s hold over Aric. Anara used the strength from the other Packs, but it wasn’t enough. Aric was too vicious. So that son of a bitch drained every wolf under his control in order to fight Aric. He fried their brains, Ceel. Some are just starting to wake from their comas.”
“Then how did Aric do it?” I asked. “He’s strong, but he’s only one wolf.”
Emme smiled. “He wasn’t then, Celia.”
Shayna bounced on the bed. “Danny came in while they were fighting. He ran to each of our wolves and to Tye, freeing them from Anara’s hold just by touching them.” She took a breath, trying to contain her enthusiasm. “They healed, and—and merged with Aric. It was the coolest thing I ever saw.”
Emme nodded. “Danny served like their glue, keeping them together within Aric.”
Taran tugged on her glove again, pulling it further up her arm. “Makawee wasn’t able to fight. She was too weak since that asshole had been draining her power for so long. She crawled across the floor just to help you. Misha and his family arrived soon after Bren began CPR.” A smirk played across her face. “He rushed to your side and ordered the vamps to shield us from the fight. I hate to admit it, but I finally get why you’re so close to him.”
I couldn’t discuss Misha then and focused on Danny’s gift. “Danny can manipulate and block were magic….That’s his ability as a blue merle werewolf.”
Shayna wrinkled her brow, suddenly sad. “What sucks is he didn’t realize how to use it in time to save Heidi.”
I jerked up suddenly. My body didn’t like me moving so fast and punished me severely. I hunched over and grunted. My sisters gathered around. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” I insisted.
The ache gradually receded but their eyes reddened and teared. Their sadness broke my heart. I’d sent Heidi to rescue Danny, not to end her life. It wasn’t until Taran explained that I realized their sadness had been over my pain.
“It’s all right, Ceel. Heidi’s alive.” She pursed her lips and glanced away. Aric wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stand to see me suffer. “She took on the group that attacked Danny. He’d been terrified they were going to kill him, but then his fear turned to anger when they turned on Heidi. That’s when he realized how to control his gift.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
Taran leaned back on the bed. “Danny’s ability is more pronounced when he’s angry. When he’s scared, he can’t manipulate another were’s magic—he can only sense it. That’s why he couldn’t free Aric when we arrived. He was scared shitless.”
“When he grabbed the wolves attacking Heidi, he was able to freeze them,” Shayna added.
Everything made sense. When the Warriors had assaulted me, Danny was able to use his power since he was angry they’d hurt me. That’s why he couldn’t lift Bren out of his coma: he’d been sad at the time over Heidi’s infidelity.
I smiled. “Danny saved us all.”
Shayna grinned. “And got himself a mate.”
I angled my chin in her direction. “Heidi is Danny’s mate?”
Shayna laughed. “Yup. Poor dude. His ability to block magic prevented their wolves from recognizing their connection. It had to take her almost dying for them to realize it.”
Taran laughed, too. “Yeah, I don’t think she’ll have a problem staying faithful now.” She brushed my hair away from my shoulders with her gloved hands. My eyes trailed up her arms. Sadness claimed her beautiful face when she noticed how they fixed on her gloves. “I guess I should tell you about these, huh?”
I didn’t respond. Throughout our conversation, I couldn’t help but sense a difference in Taran. She was all attitude, all the time. She didn’t do “insecure” and kicked self-doubt repeatedly in the ass. This wasn’t the same Taran before me. Something had drastically changed.
“He, like the others, is in wolf mourning.” She stroked my hair again. “Soon I shall join them. Our inner beasts are capable of dealing with more physical and emotional suffering than our human sides.” She sighed and wept softly. “The treachery and pain you endured, Liam’s death, and the death of my grandbaby have been too much for us. We need to rely on our inner animals to help us survive this time. When our mourning as beasts concludes, we will mourn as humans and say goodbye to our beloved Liam. Then we will go on as life intends.”
—
Eliza left our room a while later, taking Aric with her so my sisters could spend some time alone with me. My eyes bugged out when I caught a gander at Shayna’s new limbs. Small, delicate arms grew from her elbows, resembling an infant’s with hands to match. She waved them at me. “Hey, Ceel. Don’t worry,” she added quickly when she noticed my alarm. “They’re just growing back.”
Taran rolled her eyes and adjusted the long silk gloves she wore. “For shit’s sake. Can’t you keep those things covered? You’re going to freak her out!”
Emme ignored them and rushed to embrace me with her arms and her healing light. She studied me expectantly when finished, until disappointment creased across her delicate features. “I didn’t help at all, did I?”
“You kept me from dying. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your light.”
Emme’s gentle green eyes welled with tears. I gathered my arms around her petite frame. It felt good to be strong for someone else. I hadn’t liked falling to pieces and Lord knew I’d done it enough over the past few months.
Shayna climbed in bed next to us. “It was a combined effort, Ceel. Everyone needed you to make it.” She gulped back some tears and stared at the wall. “Bren performed chest compressions when Aric ordered him to leave the fight. Taran and I couldn’t help you.” She flexed her still-growing hands to prove her point.
I wasn’t sure if they were ready to discuss what had happened, but I thought I should at least ask. “How did Anara die?”
They gawked at me, likely surprised I’d thrown out the bastard’s name so casually.
Taran sat beside me. She glanced at my belly, but caught herself and returned her gaze to my face. “In smashing the blood vial, you broke Anara’s hold over Aric. Anara used the strength from the other Packs, but it wasn’t enough. Aric was too vicious. So that son of a bitch drained every wolf under his control in order to fight Aric. He fried their brains, Ceel. Some are just starting to wake from their comas.”
“Then how did Aric do it?” I asked. “He’s strong, but he’s only one wolf.”
Emme smiled. “He wasn’t then, Celia.”
Shayna bounced on the bed. “Danny came in while they were fighting. He ran to each of our wolves and to Tye, freeing them from Anara’s hold just by touching them.” She took a breath, trying to contain her enthusiasm. “They healed, and—and merged with Aric. It was the coolest thing I ever saw.”
Emme nodded. “Danny served like their glue, keeping them together within Aric.”
Taran tugged on her glove again, pulling it further up her arm. “Makawee wasn’t able to fight. She was too weak since that asshole had been draining her power for so long. She crawled across the floor just to help you. Misha and his family arrived soon after Bren began CPR.” A smirk played across her face. “He rushed to your side and ordered the vamps to shield us from the fight. I hate to admit it, but I finally get why you’re so close to him.”
I couldn’t discuss Misha then and focused on Danny’s gift. “Danny can manipulate and block were magic….That’s his ability as a blue merle werewolf.”
Shayna wrinkled her brow, suddenly sad. “What sucks is he didn’t realize how to use it in time to save Heidi.”
I jerked up suddenly. My body didn’t like me moving so fast and punished me severely. I hunched over and grunted. My sisters gathered around. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” I insisted.
The ache gradually receded but their eyes reddened and teared. Their sadness broke my heart. I’d sent Heidi to rescue Danny, not to end her life. It wasn’t until Taran explained that I realized their sadness had been over my pain.
“It’s all right, Ceel. Heidi’s alive.” She pursed her lips and glanced away. Aric wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stand to see me suffer. “She took on the group that attacked Danny. He’d been terrified they were going to kill him, but then his fear turned to anger when they turned on Heidi. That’s when he realized how to control his gift.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
Taran leaned back on the bed. “Danny’s ability is more pronounced when he’s angry. When he’s scared, he can’t manipulate another were’s magic—he can only sense it. That’s why he couldn’t free Aric when we arrived. He was scared shitless.”
“When he grabbed the wolves attacking Heidi, he was able to freeze them,” Shayna added.
Everything made sense. When the Warriors had assaulted me, Danny was able to use his power since he was angry they’d hurt me. That’s why he couldn’t lift Bren out of his coma: he’d been sad at the time over Heidi’s infidelity.
I smiled. “Danny saved us all.”
Shayna grinned. “And got himself a mate.”
I angled my chin in her direction. “Heidi is Danny’s mate?”
Shayna laughed. “Yup. Poor dude. His ability to block magic prevented their wolves from recognizing their connection. It had to take her almost dying for them to realize it.”
Taran laughed, too. “Yeah, I don’t think she’ll have a problem staying faithful now.” She brushed my hair away from my shoulders with her gloved hands. My eyes trailed up her arms. Sadness claimed her beautiful face when she noticed how they fixed on her gloves. “I guess I should tell you about these, huh?”
I didn’t respond. Throughout our conversation, I couldn’t help but sense a difference in Taran. She was all attitude, all the time. She didn’t do “insecure” and kicked self-doubt repeatedly in the ass. This wasn’t the same Taran before me. Something had drastically changed.
