Perrin
“On the floor?” I repeated, incredulous. The thought of Deidire sleeping on anyone’s floor, let alone Kira’s, was almost laughable. But the look on Ethan’s face was equally confused.
“I’ve never seen my mom go at her like that,” he said, as if reliving the memory. “I’m surprised you couldn’t hear her.”
I shrugged. “I decided to get in a run this morning, so I probably left before it all went down.”
“It doesn’t really make sense though, does it?” He asked. His face cocked to the side when he was lost in thought, just like his sister’s.
“Honestly? No,” I said, racking a set of weights and spotting Ethan as he took his turn.
PerrinI opened the heavy doors to the pack library, feeling the strain on my already-tired muscles. Apart from a quiet she-wolf at the reception desk, the entire building seemed empty.I walked past a few shelves, my head swiveling from left to right. She had to be back here somewhere.I gambled a look over my shoulder. The pack receptionist pointed with a long, bony hand to my right without raising her head from her book. I silently thanked her, then treaded lightly towards the stacks in the far side of the giant stone room.“Hello.” I looked around but didn’t hear her voice.“Lo?”Her blonde head popped over a set of books that she had been hiding behind, her chin-lengt
Kira I pulled into the staff parking lot behind the infirmary, parking Ethan’s motorcycle behind a row of cars. I checked my watch. Good. I was a few minutes early. I hauled the food off the back of the bike and set it on one of the picnic tables by the door. A few healers on the neighboring tables didn’t even look at me, absorbed in their phones or magazines as they took their breaks. I set out the food, meticulous that everything was there for Jaz. I had called ahead to one of her favorite spots--one of the places I knew Perrin loved to take her, and ordered way more food than necessary. But I wasn’t sure what she was in the mood for, and apparently I owed her my life. I may not have booze money for the next week, but at least it was something.&nb
Ethan“What did she say?” I asked as Perrin returned to the locker room.“8:00 tonight. Her suite. Don’t be late.”I squared my jaw and mentally threw out the plans I had been concocting for another midnight stroll with Justin out the window. “Ok. Thanks.”“No problem.” Perrin threw on his sneakers and walked with me to the sparring room.“So?” I prodded.“So what?” He said, preoccupied with his taping up his wrists.“What was the emergency?”“Oh, it wasn’t an emergency,” he responded. “Not even clos
EthanThe rest of the afternoon I spent tidying up the living room, cleaning what I could, and (once I found it) vacuuming the dining room.I had stopped by the kitchen on the way up, requesting service for three in our suite for 7:00. Dina seemed overjoyed to help, but only under the condition that I’d eat the three sandwiches she handed me on my way upstairs. (“You’re too thin!”)I had texted Justin to confirm that I’d meet him around the back of the pack house by the gardens. After deliberating what Perrin had shared this afternoon, it didn’t seem as though meeting him in the pack house lobby, nor him taking an elevator up to the top floor, would go unnoticed. So he agreed, with full understanding, to meet me out back by the gardens outside of the kitchen. To my surprise he knew exactly where I was
EthanI adjusted my jeans as I prepared to wheel the cart into the hallway, making a show out of scanning for onlookers while I calmed myself down, knowing full well that nobody would be up here.I grinned, feeling how swollen my lips had already become. Daring a glance back over my shoulder as I started into the hallway, I could see a flush on Justin’s own face. And the sight of him? Visually reacting the same way I felt? I practically glowed at the thought. This sense of unspoken understanding between us was magical. And effortless.We made our way to the suite and I opened the door, pushing the cart in before me. The table I had set in the dining room had steady glowing candles. It wasn’t lavish. But it was clean and simple. And afterall, this was my home.“Please, take a
JustinIs she there?Yes. And it’s not pretty. Worse than last night, I think.Fuck.“She’s there,” I said to my mate.Ethan almost stopped short in the parking lot, his mother’s car keys in his hand. “How do you know?”“Mind link with Gowan,” was all I had offered. I tapped into him immediately as soon as we left Ethan’s mother in the suite.Ethan nodded and didn’t ask. So he knew who Gowan was; that was good. At least I didn’t have to explain that. But he surprised me by saying, “He’s at Toby’s?”I
EthanBy the time I had finished with Toby, I considered bringing him with me to the infirmary. His jaw was dislocated and his lip was cut, but Jack assured me that leaving alone was my best option. He had been rather tight-lipped when he had walked in on me with his friend, but I didn’t care. My sister was responsible for her own mess, but there was no mistake in what role Toby played enabling her to get like this. Had he even known she was upstairs like that?I walked outside to find my mother’s car idling in front of the house. Gowan was leaning against the hood of the car despite the rain, clearly unsure of what to do. His hands were deep in his pockets.“Would you like to drive?” He asked calmly.I stared down at my bloody knuckles. “If you don’t
JazNo. No.The Luna was standing above Kira’s body, the paddles of a defibrillator in each hand. The feel of static hung in the air. The machine chimed.“Clear!” She said, as if to herself. She was the only one in the room. And despite what I had seen in my own rotations, seeing the Luna perched over Kira’s limp body made me freeze. The entire room seemed in a standstill as we waited to see if the mountain of Kira’s independent heart would appear on the monitor.Nothing.“Call Jennivah. NOW!” She had seen me, after all. I dashed to the nearest phone, dialing from the list taped to the wall. Jennivah picked up on the second ring as the Luna recharged th