Purpose launched me down the path, my feet sure and lungs full. We passed enforcers Left Side warned away from us. They weren’t happy about it, but they continued on to where Right Side stood watch over the others. I decided there and then I liked Left Side. I would let Rían know if I required babysitting in thefuture, and Sloane wasn’t available, I wanted his name at the top of the list. As soon as I learned it.
Not only had he let me interpret Seamus’s orders to suit myself without comment, but he followed mine without hesitation. He read my cues, defended my choices, and didn’t posture when I insisted on doing things for myself. That kind of loyalty right out of the gate was as rare as finding the end of a rainbow.
As my feet hit blacktop, I spied a familiar silver truck and made a beeline for its driver, who had yet to exit his vehicle.
“Seamus,” I yelled as he swung open his door. “Can you give us a lift?”
His eyes widened when they landed on Sloane. He slammed his door, cranked the engine, then leaned across the seat to shove open the passenger side door. I hesitated only a second, debating how to climb in without relinquishing Sloane, but Left Side solved the problem for me. He gripped my hips and sat me in the cab, Sloane and all, before leaping into the bed of the truck.
Wheels skidding on asphalt, I could finally breathe. “Any word on Liam?”
“He’s conscious.” He cut his eyes toward the bed of the truck. “If I know Dane, he’s already called Burdock and alerted him to the incoming situation.”
“That’s his name?” I committed it to memory. “He was a big help out there.”
“He’s one of Liam’s distant cousins.” He chuckled, foot on the gas. “Very distant.”
That must mean a cousin on his mother’s side to not be a direct relative of Rían’s too.
“He listens, and he doesn’t argue.” I stroked Sloane’s flushed cheek. “You’re sure they’re related by blood?”
“I’ve never had them tested, but Dane is the spitting image of Liam’s maternal grandfather.”
Part of me wondered how Liam had ended up in Fayne’s care if he had such a large network of extended family, but I was quick to remind myself that Fayne did not. She had lost her mate and her sons, so it would have been a kindness to entrust Liam to her care and ease that throbbing wound for them both.
Thanks to Seamus’s driving, we arrived at the clinic within minutes. The truck hadn’t fully stopped when Dane jumped out and slung open my door, allowing me to slide down with Sloane bundled in my arms. I smiled to myself when he waved off the enforcers pouring out like ants from an anthill, eager to lend a hand. Maybe it was the link to the clan’s magnus and maguri, but they obeyed him without question.
“I’ve told you girls if you miss me this much, you can take me to lunch.” Burdock stood in the doorway, holding it open wide. “You don’t have to get yourselves almost killed for an excuse to visit.”
“I’ll let Sloane know to dial down the dramatics after you wake her.”
He would heal her. Of that, I had no doubt. Not only for her sake, or mine, but for Rían’s as well.
“Has she been unconscious since you found her?”
“Yes.” I hesitated. “The others appeared stunned, including Pete.”
“They’re incoming as well?”
“They should only be a few minutes behind us.”
“Good.” He led me to the room prepped for Sloane. “I can’t say what caused a reaction like that until I examine them and determine how the substance responsible was ingested.”
“You think this was dragonsbane too?”
“That does seem to be the theme, but I’m not sure why the person responsible would dose so many other shifters with an herb that only reacts predictably in dragons.”
“I figured Sloane was Liam’s point of exposure, probably from him stealing her food, but now I’m not so sure. Could she have had a delayed reaction? Liam was mobile but dazed. Pete would have sent her home if she showed up in that condition.” I turned the timeline over in my mind. “We don’t know how long it took for Becca to get sick, but Sloane is pure wolf. Do you think that will help or hurt her recovery?”
“Becca is a special case.” He gentled his tone. “Sloane is strong. She’ll bounce back from this. I promise.”
Sweet relief spiraled through me, clearing my mind enough for me to recall what he said earlier about a victim being easy to spot. “You said the reaction’s identical?”
“All infected dragons present the same way, yes.” He bustled around the end of the bed as I laid her down. “That’s the one blessing about dragonsbane poisoning. It’s easy to identify and simple to test for confirmation.”
Three nurses gave me a wide berth on their way to assist Burdock. I excused myself into the hall to give them room to work and ease their fears about their future magna ripping their heads off with her teeth.
Torn between waiting for news on Sloane and the urge to check on Liam, I cut the nurses a break.
