“It means…” I cut in. “That your wolf woke up to you being already under attack. And to keep you alive, without a second thought, Nala stepped in to save you.”
Abby snapped her head to look at the wolf in my arms. She pushed herself up and shuffled over to me. “But she didn’t know me yet. We had never even talked before.” Her lips trembled. “She’s dying because of me?”
I pushed more power into the pup, guiding it to the organs first. There was no reason to worry about her fur when her lungs were failing. “Not because of you. For you.”
Abby slapped her hands over her eyes and started crying. “Why would she do that for me?”
Nix huddled closer. “When we first wake up, we sit in the silence of your minds and watch through your eyes. We see whatkind of person you are, and that influences how we develop. If you are kind, giving, and sweet, your wolf will become the same.” Nix licked a tear from her face. “But it is much simpler than that. She was born to be your first protector. She woke up and her first thought was you. She felt you were dying. She felt your pain. And she took it into herself to give you more time.”
She dropped her hands and looked at me. “More time for what?” She sobbed as she reached out and stroked Nala’s fur. “I won’t live without her.”
“There is a small chance you could live without your wolf, but…” I stroked the fur on Nala’s muzzle. “She probably didn’t know that. She probably took some of it from you so that you had enough time to say goodbye.”
Abby shook her head. “I was always going to die.”
I nodded. “Yeah, but I think your wolf gave you enough time to get used to it and to write your letters. To tell your mom and dad how much you love them. And to hopefully get a chance.”
“A chance at what?” She stood on shaky legs. “A chance to see my wolf die?”
“No baby. A chance to find a cure. A chance to meet me.”
I had finally pushed enough power into the pup for it to lift her head. “Hello there sweetheart.” I brought her up to snuggle and then put her on her feet. “Nix.” I nodded, and she was already inching closer.
She put her snout right against the pup and we waited. She was feeling her strength, trying to gauge how much time I bought them. She pushed closer, and the pup shuffled over and curled up on her front paws. She rolled over, showing her belly, and Nix nuzzled in, breathing in her scent. “A week.” Her words were soft. “We bought them a week.”
I looked down at the two girls. “Can we do this every week?” I sat back on my heels. “Will this keep working?”
Nix huffed out a breath as she settled with the pup. “I don’t know, but it means we will have to keep track until we can remove the hex.”
Abby wiped her face. “We won’t die?”
I pulled her into my arms and stood. “Not today.” I walked away, but stopped. “Are you staying here?”
She placed her head down on to Nala. “For a bit, I want to calm her down. She has been alone for too long, and she is touch starved.”
I looked back at her. “She was supposed to be out already?” My question was soft, and Nix just nodded.
“She has been awake longer than we think.” Nix closed her eyes. “I’ll try to find out more and I’ll tell you when I come back. Megan should be okay alone for a bit.” I just nodded and carried Abby back out of the trees.
“Who’s Megan?” Her question was soft, but I could hear the tears still in her voice.
“Someone who is very excited to meet you.” I smiled and then stepped out. One second I was in a dark forest and the next I was back in my bathroom holding on to Abby’s arm. Her color was better, and she wasn’t shaking.
“Was that real?” Her voice was surprisingly loud.
“What do you think?” I winked at her and looked back down at her wrist, fully healed.
“What are you talking about, baby?” Rick knelt down and I pulled back, putting the cup of Abby’s blood on to the counter.
Abby looked at me, and I could see the question. I tilted my head and smirked. “Your decision.”
She turned to her dad and took a deep breath. “I’m going to tell you something and I need you to not get upset.”
Rick looked over her shoulder at Shelly, who instantly looked worried. She came over and knelt next to them. “Whatever you have to say, we will figure it out.”
Abby nodded. “When Amy cut me, I met my wolf.” She looked down. “She was going to die tomorrow, and I was going to go with her.”
Rick and Shelly grabbed each other’s hands. “What?” Rick looked lost. “But…” He trailed off, praying she wasn’t finished.
