“He’s on a liqui---” the healer started but Ivan held up a weird little tube of golden liquid.
“Honey,” I said, my mouth already watering.
“Exactly.”
“If he gets sick…”
“Then you’ll deal with it,” Ivan said, biting off the end of the tube and crossing the room.
He held it out and it took a few seconds for my fingers to remember how to hold something small and squishy without smushing out all the good stuff. It tasted like heaven compared to the salty chicken water the healer had given me.
“See,” Ivan said to the healer.
“I’m not a cruel dragon, Ivan,” the healer said.
“I know. You haven’t left the clinic since we showed up,” the wolf nodded. “It’s different for me. I want him to feel better because he’s pack. I want him to have some color in his face before Lero shows up.”
“How is Mori?” I asked Ivan since Dara hadn’t given me a straight answer.
“Sad. He keeps leaving his body and we’re not sure if it’s on purpose or not. Barry thinks it is. Starry – he’s a local witch, thinks it is too. No one’s sure and Mori isn’t talking to anyone.”
“Oh--- because---” I stopped myself. If the healer hadn’t been in there I might’ve told Ivan what the shebear said about Mori’s true-mate. Maybe it was a lie. Maybe it was the truth. I didn’t know about her or the situation to make that call. Someone needed to be told, though.
“Hang on. I’ll get Barry,” Ivan said and left the room.
“You can ask for privacy,” the healer said. “Unless he’s going to try to sneak you something you can’t eat yet, I’m okay with it. I think by tonight we’ll be able to try you on something more solid. The good thing is that you’re a bear and I’ve consulted with some bear healers who think you’ll fair better than some other shifter types because your body is primed for hibernation. Though, two years is abnormally long for a bear to hibernate. We’re not sure how the food you ate in astral form will factor into your recovery.”
I nodded at him. My bear would speak up when he wanted something and then no healer would stand between me and food. This dragon seemed nice enough so I kept quiet instead ofruffling his scales. Maybe our timelines would line up in a way where I wouldn’t have to hurt his feelings.
“Ivan said you knew something about what might’ve upset Mori?” Barry stood in the doorway.
“I’ll leave you to it,” the healer nodded at me. “Just press that red button or holler if you need anything.”
I opened my mouth to say that Barry was a healer too but stopped short. I didn’t think hurting his feelings after he spent so much time bringing me back to the waking world was called for.
Barry took up the chair that the healer had vacated and waited for me to be ready to speak. I took a drink of the water, wishing my stomach would accept more, but things were slow going. Slowly, I told him about what the shebear said. He swore under his breath.
“This isn’t the first time someone messed with Mori about his true-mate. The dead wolf tried to trick fate so that Mori could meet him ahead of time. I’m not sure if I believe his mate is her son. I don’t know. Hell, if she’s right the guy might not even know. What I do know is that I don’t believe for a second Mori won’t meet his true-mate. Between you and me, Xenos has seen them together. Not the guy’s face but enough to know what was going on. Don’t tell Mori. He gets so in his head about his true-mate.”
“Mori wants his dog,” I said, unsure where the information came from.
“Uh… They’re bringing Snowy,” Barry nodded after thinking for a few seconds. “Is he talking to you?”
“I don’t know how I know. Maybe Lero is thinking about it,” I said. “Do you have any of that honey? Ivan gave me some and…”
Barry nodded and left the room. It wasn’t Barry who came back but Ivan who sat on the edge of my bed this time while I ate the honey.
“Are you a coffee elf or a tea elf?” Ivan asked.
“Uh.. I’m a whatever is there elf,” I shrugged.
“Yeah, that’s a bear trait,” Ivan laughed and dug around inside his bag again. He pulled out a glass bottle with a colorful label that read ‘Bad Wolf Cakes’ and twisted the lid off of it for me. I smelled it, not because I thought Ivan would poison me on purpose, but because my stomach was tender from being empty for so long. Ivan held up a finger and dug around in his bag again. This time he pulled out some of those little orange candy bears that were used for morning sickness over here. I ate one and then another. I might’ve gone back for a third if he hadn’t already put the bottle away. Those little fuckers were good.
Ivan nodded to the coffee and I took a sip. Chocolate, sugar, coffee, and milk flooded my brain.
“Thank you,” I said between sips.
“You’re out kid now too. Yeah, I know. You might be older than some of us,” he chuckled. “But that’s just how it works.”
