Etta’s shin was a bloody mess. Doc talked me into going back to the cabin, if only to get her wounds dressed while we regrouped and came up with a plan. Without her wolf, she wasn’t healing fast enough, and the scent of her blood would make it hard to remain stealthy around William and his men. True to my word, I didn’t let her out of my sight. I sat on the couch, Etta in my arms as Chav doctored her injuries. She put salve, the stuff Doc made with his healing saliva, onto Etta’s shin wounds and her wrists where the shackles had dug into her flesh. Within seconds, the bleeding stopped.
“Much better,” Etta breathed out. “Thanks.”
“That’s the magic juice.” Chav leaned over and kissed her forehead. “We were scared out of our minds with worry. But we should’ve known you’d figure out a way to save yourself.”
Etta blushed as she rubbed her wrists. “I’m not sure I did anything impressive unless you count crying a river of tears impressive.”
I tilted my head to hers. “There’s no shame in tears. Every one of them was earned.”
A knock at the door put everyone on high alert. Doc held up his hand and closed his eyes. When he opened them, his eyes were golden with his wolf again. “It’s my mother,” he said, and we exhaled a collective sigh of relief.
He opened the door, and Bette stood just outside, waiting for an invitation inside.
Doc nodded and gestured with a flourish.
“I’m so pleased they found you,” she said to Etta. “You’re remarkable, child. The fact that you managed to project your shadow over such a great distance is incredibly impressive. I haven’t seen a hedge as strong as you since my mother. She was magnificent.” Her eyes were wet with her own tears. “You’re magnificent.”
Etta scooted off my lap and stared at the woman who was her grandmother. “Does this mean you're ready to help us take down William?”
Bette nodded. “I’m emboldened by your courage.”
Etta snorted a disbelieving laugh. “I’m glad someone is.”
Her grandmother strolled to the couch. “I can help speed your healing along if you’ll let me.”
“As long as you aren’t going to spit on me,” Etta razzed. “One Smith’s saliva on the owies is enough.”
“Don’t listen to her,” I said gruffly. “If spitting gets her to a hundred percent, spit away.” I couldn’t stop Etta from taking on her psychopathic grandfather, but I could make sure she was in top fighting shape before the confrontation.
Etta opened her mouth to protest, but Bette held up a hand. “No spitting required.” She did her little glow thing with her hands barely parted, then she laid them on Etta’s wrists. The skin began to heal, and the redness and bruising disappeared.
“That’s a handy trick,” I told her.
She smiled wanly. “Given some time and practice, Etta will be able to heal minor wounds and ailments as well. A boon for any community.”
“I’m integrating right now.” Etta shrugged. “I’m getting my degree in child psychology.”
Doc cocked a brow at her.
“What?” she asked. “I changed my major.”
“Again?” he smirked.
“It’s only the third time, and I’m going to be graduating on time and with honors,” she said in her defense. “I want to be a school counselor and look out for the kids who don’t have anyone else looking out for them.”
Etta wasn’t a loner, no matter what she thought. She was a protector, and her dream to help children who’d had to grow up the way she had, and hell, the way I had, proved it. I took her hand and laced my fingers with hers. “That’s really great.”
She gave me a shy smile. “Thanks.” Then less shy, she turned a hard stare at her father. “But none of that will happen if we don’t take care of William.”
Doc grunted his agreement. “We’ll have to act fast,” he said. “They won’t bother to check the boat house tonight, not with the way they had you locked in, but I don’t want to take a chance of them finding out you’re missing. Our best shot is taking them by surprise. I saw three men with William in the cabin.”
“Five,” I corrected. “Tom Warrant, Silas Penn, Todd Hall, and two other men I didn’t know or recognize. They must be new to the pack.”
“I saw several guns in a bedroom on the bottom floor. Back of the house on the left,” Chav added. “I’m betting they’re heavily armed.”
“I have a shotgun,” Bette said. “It’s not great for distance, but up close, it gets the job done, and I have a few other goodies that might come in handy.”
“I’ll gladly take the shotgun,” I said. “It might give me an edge if any of them try to wolf out.”
