Brandi’s startled gaze went to her adopted son’s. “Bear lady? You mean the one Dad and I fought before. Are you sure she was the one in your dream?”
Sighing again, Stewart nodded and laid his head against Brandi’s chest. “I’m sorry, Mom. You told me to always tell the truth, no matter what. Only I don’t know what that means. I just know Aunt Heidi needs to know this stuff.”
“It’s okay,” Brandi said, running a nervous hand through Stewart’s hair. “And yes… you should always say what you see. That’s our secret rule just between us visionaries. What we see is ours to discuss.”
Stewart wrapped both arms around her neck. “Okay. Don’t be mad at me for seeing her… please?”
“I’m not mad at you,” Brandi whispered. “I’m mad at the bad guys… only the bad guys. You’re being a brave hero for telling us what you saw.”
“Okay,” Stewart said, letting his arms go so he could slide from her lap. He walked over to Heidi. “It’s all scary, but it turns out okay. Do you believe me?”
Heidi reached out a hand and put it against Stewart’s cheek. Brandi’s children were impervious to her skills. She hoped that meant they would be safer in the world than she, Brandi, and Ariel were. “Yes, Stewart. I believe you.”
Stewart took her hand and kissed her knuckles, making Heidi giggle over his chivalrous action. “Your magic won’t save you, but it will help you do what is most important.”
“Thank you, Stewart. I’ll be sure and remember that,” Heidi whispered.
“I’m going back to bed now. My head hurts. Kent’s waiting for me to see if I got in trouble. Aggie told me to come sleep with her and she’d pet my head until my headache went away.”
Brandi nodded as she looked at the boy. They were so freaking smart, it was easy to forget how young and emotionally fragile they were. “Good. Now get some sleep, honey. Nothing’s happening tonight. Dad and I are not going to let anyone get into our house.”
“Cause you’re true badasses,” Stewart declared, fist pumping the air.
“Damn Skippy,” Brandi said back, making him giggle as he took off. She looked back at Heidi. “I’m working on the swearing thing. I swear I am.”
Heidi snickered. “You and Gareth are the most badass parents those three could ever have gotten. I hope you know that.”
Brandi nodded. “All flattery accepted. Now I’m going to hug you and you’re going back to sleep.” She reached out and hugged her now laughing friend.
“Sure, Mom,” Heidi teased, sliding back down in her bed. “I know I should be worried, but I’m not. I’ll try to be careful. All I can say is that bad guy Boris is going to be shocked as hell when he finds out Natasha has changed sides.”
Brandi laughed at the cartoon reference. “Let me guess… Boris is Travis in this case. Katarina is Natasha. Who’s Dudley DoRight in your analogy?”
Ryan’s serious face popped into her head. “He’ll be off saving Penelope Pitstop come tomorrow.”
“So you say… my money is still on Ryan’s feelings for you being something unchangeable,” Brandi declared.
“Better keep your money. No one has ever been immune to me,” Heidi said.
Brandi started to leave, then stopped. “Stewart is obviously Mr. Peabody. How about Bullwinkle and Rocky?” she asked from the door.
Heidi snickered again. “Ariel and Matt,” she said as seriously as she could. “Don’t ask me which is which. I’m afraid she’d hear my answer all the way out here on rancho Longfeather.”
Brandi laughed and then grinned. “How about me and Gareth?”
Heidi sobered. “You’re not cartoon characters at all. You’re the best friends a newbie werewolf could ever have.”
“Damn Skippy, we are,” Brandi declared, smacking the doorframe as she left.
7
One thing she liked about diagnosing via a person’s energy was that patients didn’t have to completely undress. She could feel their pain through their clothes, or at least through a couple layers. Coats were still a problem for her, but Eva could practically tell what was wrong when a patient walked into her room.
Heidi preferred to touch them because that allowed her the greatest insight. Today she felt along the edges of her repeat patient’s flannel shirt. He’d fallen again and cracked even more ribs. The others had yet to heal from last time.
“Thomas Howard, no more arguing with me. You have to shift until these ribs heal themselves,” she ordered.
“Last time I shifted, that hairy SOB tore up my chicken coop and ate two of them just because I shifted before I ate dinner. Damn thing’s too lazy to go chase down a rabbit for himself. No, he had to let my chickens loose. I almost didn’t get them back in before the non-shifters came round to hunt.”
Heidi heard a snicker from the far corner, but didn’t turn her head. Katarina had been laughing at nearly every patient she saw all day. And yes… most of them were elderly like Thomas. Children, expectant mothers, and stubborn seniors created a steady stream of daily patients for her still developing skills.
Young werewolves had no problem shifting back and forth until they were mended. They only came in for healing in dire circumstances, like when Reed got shot with silver bullets. Sometimes, they accidentally severed a limb and Eva had to sew it back on. She’d helped with a severed foot once, but that level of healing had been hard on her. Even shifted, the man’s wolf had to wear a splint and hobble. He had to stay wolf for a couple days.
“Lock yourself in your basement and deal until the two of you find a compromise. Your wolf’s the other part of you, Thomas. He’s probably mad because you’re treating him like a bad relative you don’t want to see. Remember you share the same soul.”
Grumbling something about his wolf being a soulless bastard, Thomas plopped his fur hat back on his head. Heidi didn’t want to think about what kind of animal had contributed to the warmth the man’s head enjoyed with all that fur sticking out around his face.
“Okay, Ms. Heidi. I’ll do what you say, but that asswipe better not get into my chickens again or I won’t shift until I kick off for good. He’ll stay one frustrated wolf until we both die.”
Heidi nodded. “No chickens. I’m sure he’s hearing you loud and clear.”
Thomas snorted. “Doubtful. Stubborn bastard never listens to anything my human side has to say.”
Heidi’s head whipped around as Natasha’s full body laughter rang out. She watched Thomas give her the evil eye. He straightened as he slid from the table. Even elderly werewolves were intimidating when they set their minds to being stern.
“I’m going to let you get by with laughing at me, but only because I’ve liked looking at your big tits while Ms. Heidi checked me out,” he informed Katarina.
“Apologies, comrade. I have great sympathy for your wolf situation. Eh… glad me and the girls could offer you distracting view,” Katarina said carefully, grinning at the man as she cupped her own breasts.
“Katarina… that’s enough,” Heidi said, wincing when the Russian Alpha laughed even harder at her discomfort. She heard Thomas Howard chuckling at both of them as he walked out.
“I get little respect as it is, but your attitude is making things worse,” she said, glaring at Katarina.
Katarina shrugged. “The man will do as you ordered and he will be healed. That is better than respect, yes? Then he say only good things about wonderful healer Ms. Heidi.”
“Stop right there. That’s not my name… Thomas was just being polite.”
Katarina snorted. “He was being male chauvinist wolf, but we allow him this because he is also charming old fart.”
Laughing at the accurate description, Heidi rubbed her forehead to ease the headache growing between her eyes. This shadowing thing was never going to work. Katarina was driving her crazy.
“Tomorrow you will sit outside the door instead of being in here with me. Bring something to read. The inn has a bunch of books. Borrow one and work on your slow English reading skil
ls.”
Katarina laughed and fetched their coats from hooks. “Da. I will do as Ms. Heidi tell me. Nicolai forbid I disobey woman he sent to save me.”
“Is that more sarcasm about my healing skills?” Heidi demanded.
“No humor, I see. You must need food. Maybe we find sexy Ryan to buy dinner again, yes?” Katarina teased.
“Ryan won’t come looking for me anymore,” Heidi said, wrapping the extra scarf Katarina had shown up with around her neck. The Russian Alpha had apparently raided the winter version of the donation barrel in Matt’s office and brought extra layers for both of them.
“Bychit,” Katarina said tersely, then stomped her foot. “Sorry—I reach for English—but Russian come instead. It mean don’t be bull in the head. Sexy werewolf already in waiting room. Been there last hour. I smell him.”
Heidi’s heart did a flip in her chest. No. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be. They walked out together, but there was no sign of Ryan. Her body wilted in relief and spasmed in disappointment at the same time. Apparently her lack of sleep was catching up to her because she was confused on many levels.
“Maybe it was someone who looked like him. He has two identical brothers. Ryan’s a triplet.”
Katarina made a face. “Could explain smell. Others sexy too?”
Heidi shrugged. “They’re just as physically attractive, but asses on the inside. It shows in their eyes.”
“Bah—all males asses when they want. That no problem for me. Can other handsome triplets use their dicks like sexy Ryan?” Katarina asked.
Heidi chuckled at the question. The Russian was more blunt than Ariel or Brandi, which in Brandi’s case was saying a lot.
“I don’t know and don’t want to know. Ryan’s dick is the only one of the three I found worth finding out about… and that’s why I chose him to see me through my burning time.”
“Da. Make sense. So you always like him best,” Katarina declared.
Heidi nodded. “Yes. Always.”
“Then why he hiding from you? Why he not come fix fight? You could be with him tonight instead of stare at ceiling.”
Heidi’s head whipped around. “What do you mean? Ryan and I broke up. He’s supposed to be forgetting me.”
Katarina chuckled. “Forget not work with mates.”
“We aren’t mates,” Heidi declared.
“Ah… I understand. You want to try other dicks before settle down with only one?”
“No, I don’t want to try other dicks,” Heidi insisted. Her head spun on her shoulders to see if anyone was listening to her embarrassing argument with Katarina.
She nearly wept with relief when Gareth’s truck appeared.
“Remember what I said,” Heidi warned as she opened the truck door when Gareth stopped. “Tomorrow you will sit outside the room. I need to be alone with my patients.”
“Okay, Healer. We try that for you,” Katarina agreed, closing the door firmly behind her and then waving her off.
Katarina watched Ryan step out from beside a building and watch as the truck now containing Heidi sped off. He never even looked her way. Instead, he tucked his hands in his pockets and took off walking in the opposite direction.
She knew she’d smelled him. Her nose never failed her. She could track anything.
“Love make everyone crazy,” Katarina said sadly and headed back to the inn for the night.
“Why is Ryan hiding in the woods? We heard Aunt Heidi tell him to leave and forget her,” Kent said, peering through the leaves on the tree.
Aggie and Stewart rolled their eyes. “Because Aunt Heidi’s secret magic didn’t work on him.”
“Oh,” Kent said, watching the large brown wolf patrolling the woods. “Man… I sure hope we shift to that size one day. I wish I could do it now.”
“I don’t think us becoming wolf puppies would help anyone,” Stewart declared.
“You don’t know that, Stewart. Maybe we’d skip the puppy stuff like we’ve skipped other things. Maybe we’ll hit werewolf puberty by the time we’re six. Grandpa Crane said he had no idea what we were capable of becoming.”
“Good. Then I want to be the biggest wolf anyone has ever seen,” Stewart exclaimed. “Bigger than even you, Kent. Bigger than Matt—but don’t tell him I said that, okay?”
“I’ll still be your Alpha no matter how big your wolf gets,” Kent said calmly, never doubting it a bit.
Aggie laughed at her brothers and their bickering. She loved that they were all a real family now. “Ryan’s letting Heidi believe her magic worked. Matt told him to so he could secretly follow her around. I read Matt’s mind when he was lying to Mom and Dad about not knowing what happened to Ryan.”
“Matt lied to Mom?” Kent demanded, outraged by the idea. Dad he could see. Sometimes Dad got stubborn, but he didn’t like anyone messing with his new mother. She was the only person who’d ever told them the whole truth about things.
“He’s only doing it to keep Ryan’s secret,” Aggie said, laying a comforting hand on Kent’s arm. “I’m sure Matt would tell Mom and Dad the truth if it was super important.”
Kent sighed, thought about it, and then nodded. “Then I guess it’s okay. We can tell Dad and Mom ourselves if we need to.”
“But you said I shouldn’t tell them I read minds. If we tell Aunt Heidi’s secret, then they’ll know one of us figured it out,” Aggie protested.
“Don’t worry. We’ll find some way to let Mom know without revealing your secret powers,” Kent declared.
Stewart snapped his fingers. “I’ll say I saw Ryan spying on Aunt Heidi in a vision. I’m used to lying about the really scary stuff. They’re used to me having visions. Of course, then I’d be lying to Mom, but only a little bit. Right?”
Kent and Aggie exchanged a look and then grinned over the plan. Kent held up a hand and they all high-fived in agreement. They jumped from the tree in tandem when Heidi slid open the door and called them in to dinner.
His spot on the hill allowed him to discreetly observe the large brown wolf pacing restlessly.
Travis was suddenly very glad he’d killed a deer for dinner earlier. Rubbing scent from its glands over his body had nearly eclipsed his wolf smell. It was the sweetest of colognes to his wolf, but his human side looked forward to washing it off.
When Heidi the Healer called her offspring inside, they sure had shot off in run to obey her. More and more he believed they were hers… or more aptly they were the brown wolf’s, but for some strange reason, he’d given the children over solely into her keeping.
Strangely, there was even a moment or two where he’d had sympathy for his fellow male werewolf. The brown wolf whined and whined when the kids disappeared, and then he lay down to stare longingly at the door. He’d never in a million years allow his mate to shut him out of her life that way. The wolf obviously didn’t have a real pair of balls.
He’d thought about nabbing the kids, but this was probably better, and would likely be a lot less trouble. It would have been hard to have gotten more than one whelp anyway. Taking down their father would be easy… so very easy. He really liked it when things were easy.
Shifting to human, Travis reached into his ready bag and pulled out his long-range rifle. He loaded it with a special dart and took careful aim. He’d released the safety and cocked the trigger before the brown wolf even turned in his direction.
Why was he getting so lucky?
Because love made everyone crazy. In apprehension work, that was considered a good thing.
When the wolf sprung to his feet and growled, Travis took his best shot and watched the dart hit home perfectly in the wolf’s neck. The wolf took off in a run, but he wouldn’t get far. The shifter knock-out juice he’d lifted from Sheldon Crane always took down its victims… whatever the species.
All he had to do now was follow his prize until he found the unconscious body. Then he would finally have the bait he needed to draw out his real target.
8
Spring in Wasilla was cold. It was just less cold than it was during the knee-deep snow of winter. Sidewalks were clear of ice, but you still needed your boots just for their warmth. Coats, hats, scarves and gloves were almost never stored away. Sunshine only made rare appearances.
Every day when she went outside to go to work, Heidi wondered if she’d given up sunshine for good. She tried not to think sadly about it, but longing for her old sunshine filled life in the lower forty never seemed to go completely away. It wasn’t that she was unhappy in Alaska. It was that she still felt like someone else was making all the decisions in her life.
At least she felt like that everywhere she went except the Healing Center.
She hopped out of the truck when Gareth coasted to a stop in front of it and found Katarina waiting on the sidewalk.
“Good morning,” Heidi said.
“Dóbraye útra,” Katarina answered with a shrug. “Means same, but easier on tongue.”
“For you maybe,” Heidi said, grinning at the flash of Katarina’s perfect teeth. “Any sign of Ryan this morning?”
“Nyet. Maybe he need beauty sleep.”
Heidi shook her head. “He’s not coming back, Katarina. Just like those guys in the store never came back. We’ve had this discussion. What’s done is done.”
Katarina shrugged as she pulled a chair up to sit outside the door of the consultation room. If the Healer wanted to stay in denial, who was she to interfere?
“Instincts sing today. Temptation bastard clone come for us so I wait for him. If your best dick show up, I let you know.”
Heidi sighed as she moved by Katarina into her consultation room. She was not having another sex discussion about Ryan and his brothers.
She hung up her things and looked at her appointment calendar, which was still transferred nightly between physical books. Apparently the Gray Wolf pack feared technology would mess up their simple existence. They considered such open data sources as computers to be dangerous to their shifter way of life. Maybe they were right, but it was strange not to have the schedule in a smart phone she could consult when needed.
Heidi: Nano Wolves 3 Page 6