Gretchen nodded. “I thought so.”
“Shaman?” Jax and I said in unison. My skin burned from fighting the shift, but I was more help as a human. My wolf just didn’t seem to agree right now. The shamans were shrouded in mystery. A long time ago they had cursed the werewolves with infertility because we were overpopulating the earth and not sharing our resources. They thought it would protect Mother Earth, and it did, but it ended up also letting the vampires rise to power and our race began dying off … until my mother came along. Now it was easier to find our mates and have children and the shamans blessed our mating ceremonies with giving us fertility again. Other than that, we knew nothing of their kind, their powers, or their purpose. My mom had a close relationship with Nahuel, her shaman friend and some type of spiritual guide, but I had never talked to him. Only seen him a few times through my bedroom window on the rare occasions she called for his help. She said he could do crazy shit like stop time and shape shift, but she barely saw him since the vampire war. She said it’s because he was needed elsewhere.
“If he’s a shaman, how can he be my mate? Is he also a wolf and why is he dying?” I pleaded. So many questions were swirling in my head. My mother’s mouth opened and closed, like she was unsure of what to say.
Suddenly, Gavin began to convulse and Gretchen pushed past me and jumped into the tub as my mom stepped out to give her room. Oh God. Gretchen took the spell paste that Saben had made and rubbed it on Gavin’s chest and on his eyelids. She was trying to move around his thrashing.
“This ill that befalls you will have a pause. Until the next full moon you shall have no claws.” Gretchen placed both hands on his chest and his shaking stopped. White mist, magic poured from her hands and cocooned Gavin inside. My mother and I shared a look. No one could actually see the magic except us. Seers.
“What happens next full moon?” My voice was deadpan, my body rigid as my heart hammered in my chest and I resisted that fight or flight instinct rising up inside of me. The full moon didn’t affect our change like it did in movies, but we did seem to have some inner knowing of when the full moons were and we were more sensitive and emotional during that time. I knew instinctively that the next full moon was only four days away.
My mother slipped her hand into mine as if she knew what Gretchen would say.
Gretchen was our coven leader and the most powerful healer in the Pacific Northwest. I trusted her opinion.
“He will die.”
Gretchen’s words bounced off the bathroom tiles and slammed into me as a huge howl ripped from my throat and my wolf forced the change. In shock, my mother backed into the wall as my clothes tore and my limbs cracked. I welcomed the pain that came with the shift because it masked the pain my wolf was feeling now. My mate, dead in four days. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t fair!
Gretchen reached out to soothe me, but I turned away finishing my shift until I was on all fours.
“I’ve done what I can to make him comfortable in the final days.” Gretchen’s words fell on deaf ears because I didn’t want to hear them.
I burst out of the bathroom like my tail was on fire. I needed to run. My father, lightning quick, flung open the door and took off after me, shredding his clothes and shifting instantly. The sound of his paws pounding after me only succeeded in pushing me harder. I leaped over a fallen log and treaded deep into the thick moss-covered forest behind Gretchen’s house.
‘I want to be alone!’I roared in his head.
‘You’re hurting, you’re my wolf, my daughter. I would never leave you like this,’came his reply.
His words tore me open further, and I skidded to a stop, tilted my head back, and let a howl rip from my throat. It echoed out into the mountain. Two things I knew with absolute certainty then. One, Gavin was my mate. And two, there was no way in hell I was letting him die.
My father’s howl matched my own and I knew I wouldn’t be alone. That’s what being a wolf was all about.
‘Pack,’my wolf chanted and I met my father’s burning yellow eyes.
He sent calm feelings through the pack bonds and they saturated my frayed energy.
‘Your mother and I have been through worse. We can handle this. Together.’
I nodded, but his words didn’t seem reassuring. What was worse than watching your mate die? To die a painful death before you even got to fall in love with him. Werewolves mated for life and if Gavin died, it meant I was destined to spend my immortal werewolf life alone.
My father picked up on my thoughts and his eyes blazed yellow.‘That’s not going to happen, Anya. I take your life’s happiness seriously and I will do everything in my power to help the boy.’
I felt something then, a tingle, an awareness, a knowing. Gavin was awake. I don’t know how I knew but I did. We were connected somehow.
I simply nuzzled my father’s neck and then we took off back to the cabin. After shifting, we put on some clothes that were stashed in a basket by the front door.
Turning, I faced my father. “There’s a human in the car. He’s Gavin’s grandfather, can you talk to him? He seems cool with the werewolf thing, but …”
My father brushed a stray hair from my forehead. “I’ll handle it,” was all he said and then his huge hulking figure left the porch and strode over to the car.
Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door.
Gavin was sitting on the couch holding a cup of hot tea with a blanket around him. My mother and Gretchen were fanning him with sage and when his eyes looked up and met mine, my stomach fluttered.
Gretchen and my mom shared a look and then silently left the room.
Gavin’s hair was a dark, unruly mop of wild wisps and his caramel skin now looked so Native American in color, I can’t believe I didn’t put it together before.
