“Well, you ain’t winning any beauty contests as that critter,” Henry said.
“Ow, my knee.”
“Oh, my eyes. Damn. That was foul,” Ralston said in complete agreement with Henry.
“Come on, Honey. You need a warm bath, a soft nightgown, and a fire.”
“Oh, Sam. You know all of the right things to say.” He picked me up, and after he had carried me through the second gate, I heard someone running.
“What happened?” Aponi asked.
“I got jumped by the wicked witch, but Cecil got her. I did save Mrs. Hughes from becoming one of her sacrifices, so I’m taking it as a win. I can’t believe I got my ass kicked. I can fight. I’m no slouch.”
“Honey, the older you get, the more experience you’ll gather. From the looks of you, Sophia was an expert knife fighter in her day.”
“I’m good with knives,” I sullenly replied.
“She really is,” Aponi said in my defense.
“Alright, but Sophia was a murderous bitch, and she wanted you dead.”
“Ha. The jokes on her. I’m part Wendigo, part werewolf, and wholly indestructible.”
“Oh? How’s the knee?” Henry asked.
“It must have healed wrong,” Aponi suggested.
Around us, the men’s faces were grim, like I was about to be inducted into a secret club which I’d never had any intentions of joining. Ralston said, “I’ll get Kora.”
Henry held open the door to Sam’s cabin, and Aponi hurried inside to fill the tub. Soon, I was clean, dry, dressed in a warm flannel gown, and resting on the couch in front of the fire. “It feels like a heavy weight has been lifted from me.” I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the pillows.
Aponi opened the door and welcomed Kora. The medicine woman said, “A great evil has been banished. Cecil was victorious. It had reached its insidious claws into our land and had started imbuing it with corruption.” While she spoke, she walked over to the sink and started making something. While the kettle heated, she carried a large wooden bowl over to me and sat on a chair beside me. Reaching down, she hauled my nightgown up to my thighs.
“Damn, Kora. You haven’t even bought me dinner.”
“Oh, hush up.” She applied a cold, muddy paste to my left knee and covered it with cheesecloth. When the kettle started whistling, she went to the kitchen and came back with a cup of hot tea. “Drink all of this.” Her expression told me not to argue.
“Do it,” Henry said.
Sam patted my shoulder.
I was asleep before I’d finished it.
An agonizing pain had me screaming awake. “Hold her still,” Cecil said. Kora, Sam, Hunting Wolf, and Henry were holding me down while Cecil inflicted pain on my poor knee. I was laying flat on the dining table. “It’s all over. That was the worst of it.”
“What the hell?” I slurred, still out of it from whatever Kora had given me.
Hunting Wolf said, “Cecil had to break your knee and reset it. It healed wrong.”
“What are you doing here? Have I ever seen you here before? What’s going on?” He wavered in front of me.
“How much did you give her?” Cecil asked.
Kora said, “Enough to keep her still and out.”
I yawned. Then, I heard wolves howling and the sounds of terrified livestock.
Cecil said, “Damn it! Would someone go and tell Colby and Holden to get their shit together? They can’t go off like this. They need to get those wolves under control. I told them what had to happen with her knee. She needs to stay still for a day or two. Getting her all upset and running home to please them won’t do this knee any favors.”
Kohanu kissed Aponi on the cheek and left the cabin while I contemplated the ceiling.
“I’m bracing your knee to keep you from moving it. You’ve got to stay off of it for a few days. Then, I’ll come check it.”
“But, but, I’ve got super powers and heal super-fast.” I tried to snap my fingers but couldn’t figure out how to get them to touch.
Pale blue eyes loomed over me. “Yes, I’m aware of your super-duper healing abilities. It would take a normal person six to eight weeks to heal from this, and it would have required surgery.”
“Oh, six to eight weeks is a lot more days than two.” I tried to figure out how many days all of those weeks would be, but it was too much for my drugged mind to handle, and my fingers kept doubling when I tried to count on them.
Cecil chuckled. “Give her some more tea, Kora. She’s hilarious. Sam, put her to bed. Don’t let her put any weight on her knee.”
Sam was holding me in his bed when I again became cognizant. Kora’s tea had finally worn off. How long I’d slept, I had no idea. Since I couldn’t feel my knee, I decided it was a good idea to get up and go to the bathroom. Two large hands suddenly appeared and pressed against my shoulders, holding me back against the pillow. I relaxed my stomach muscles and gave up. Sam and I weren’t alone. Hunting Wolf’s presence in Sam’s bed was enough to keep me still.
“Honey, have you already forgotten Cecil’s orders?” He scrubbed at his sleepy eyes, so naturally my attention was drawn to his muscles, dark skin, and chest. I tickled him. “No! No! Don’t! I might jostle you. You have to stay still until your knee heals.” He slid out of bed to escape my fingers.
I didn’t bother hiding my disappointment when I saw his boxers. “I just woke up between the two sexiest men to walk the Earth. What is this talk of no jostling? I’ll stay still. I won’t even move my hips. I promise. Come back to bed.”
“You can’t be still. You’d end up hurting your knee, and I’d have to explain it to Cecil or worse, Kora. I won’t risk hurting you for my own selfish needs.” He crossed his arms over his chest. The Chief had spoken.
Hunting Wolf yawned and rolled over.
“Come here, Honey.” Sam gently lifted me. I winced when my knee moved slightly.
“Exactly what I thought,” Hunting Wolf said as he sat up and put his feet to the floor.
Sam carried me into the bathroom, sat me on the toilet, and gave me some privacy. Sadly, I watched him go with his long black hair brushing against his back. “Leave it to me to wake up to the fantasy to end all fantasies and not get lucky,” I grumbled.
The flush was Sam’s signal to come and get me. He put me back in bed with a pillow under my knee. Hunting Wolf gave me a cup of coffee.
“Well, fill me in. What did I miss?”
“She is truly gone.” Hunting Wolf kissed my forehead.
“Thank goodness. I’ve had enough of her.”
Sam said, “We all have.”
“We must remain ever vigilant. We stand between the innocent and the darkness. Well, some of us can stand. Others must sit for another forty hours.”
I rolled my eyes.
Later in the morning, Aponi came over to keep me company. We sat in bed and worked on our projects. I was busy with my Christmas stockings, and she was working with brown suede. “What’s that gonna be?”
“I’m making Kohanu a toolbelt. He likes to woodwork.” She smiled happily. I didn’t need to ask how things were going. It was obvious they adored each other.
I put the finishing touches on one stocking and got to work on another one. I was in the sewing zone when the sharp sound of gunshots made me jab myself in the finger with my needle. Aponi and I stared at each other with wild, frightened eyes. “Oh, no! What now?”
“Stay put. I’ll go find out.” She didn’t make it far.
Sam came inside, and he was red in the face with anger. “Colby’s gone nuts, and he’s taken his pack right along with him!” He slammed a fist into his open palm. “He can think again if he thinks he’s coming onto our land and taking you.”
Suddenly even more alarmed, I said, “Don’t you dare let anyone hurt him, Sam!”
“Hurt him? We have women and children here to protect! He’s got no control! Do you have any idea the harm he and his pack could cause?” He turned his fury toward m
e. “Werewolves aren’t welcome on our land.”
“You’ll share our bed with him, but a bit of soil is too much! Is that it?”
“It’s a whole hell of a lot more than that, and you know it!”
“Then, take me to him!” I scooted toward the edge of the bed.
Sam threw his hands up in the air. “You can’t reason with him when he’s like this! You’re injured, and his wolf knows it. It’s why he’s lost his mind and wants to take you.”
“Then, let him!”
“Oh? He’ll grab you and run off with you somewhere! It’s the last thing you need.” He walked over to me, picked me up, put me back against the pillows, put a pillow under my knee, and looked under the ice pack at the swelling. In a softer voice, he said, “You’re supposed to be still. I can’t have him slobbering all over you, bouncing you around, and tearing up your knee.”
More gunfire erupted. Aponi almost jumped out of her skin. I clutched at Sam’s arm. Imagining Colby shot and bleeding tore my heart, and I was sure Sam could hear the sound of it breaking through my quiet sobs. He stormed out of the house. Aponi walked back over to the bed and climbed onto it beside me where we waited for news.
Eventually, Kohanu arrived with bags of food and a large bucket of beer on ice. He acted like nothing was happening.
“What’s going on out there?” Aponi asked.
“It’s alright, but you won’t believe it. Holden came to the rescue.”
I gaped at him.
“When Holden showed up with his pack, we thought we’d have a war on our hands, but after one hell of a fight, he forced Colby to shift and talked some sense into him. Colby apologized to Sam for losing it. He knows you need to stay still.”
“Did they get hurt?”
“Don’t cry, little sister. They hurt each other but healed. It wasn’t long before they were sniffing each other’s asses, wagging their tails, and running off together to play in the woods.” He handed Aponi a beer and a bag of food.
Aponi smirked at him. “They did not,” she admonished, not believing him.
“No, but it was close. What matters is that Colby snapped out of it, and no one died. Here.” He passed some food and beer over to me.
Chapter Seventeen
It took longer than two days for my knee to heal. During that time, Colby and I wrote notes back and forth to each other. Kohanu had no qualms about delivering them. Each night, the two werewolf packs howled together at the moon and waited for me to add my voice to theirs from Four Bears. It was only a couple of miles of land separating us, but the hostilities between bear shifters and werewolves made it seem like a continent. Before settling on the idea of writing letters, I’d considered going to the main office and using the CB to call him, but two seconds on the golf cart had me changing my mind. Cecil had shaken his head at me for it, but Kora had chewed me out, sent me back to bed, and knocked me out with more of her special tea. I’d woken up with a sore, swollen knee and a bit more sense. I used my time to finish sewing Christmas stockings.
“Sam, is there any possible way for the tribe and the packs to call a truce?”
He was busy working on calculations for grain distribution. “We have called a truce with them, Rosie.” He put the papers down and moved to sit beside me. “I know it seems to you like the tensions will never cease, but think about how far we’ve come in such a short time. Hunting Wolf, Avonaco, Growling Bear, Silver Star, Kohanu, and Mato have been welcomed back into the tribe. We all worked together in New Mexico and here against Sophia and the dark one. There are trust and brotherhood where before there were fear and hate. Time heals many wounds, even broken knees.” He bent his head and placed a gentle kiss on my kneecap. “The swelling is gone along with most of the bruising. Be patient. The trust between our peoples has been broken for many generations and will take longer to repair than it takes bones to mend.”
“Alright, Pooh Bear. I’ll try not to give up hope. Have you seen Colby?”
“Yes, I brought him a load of lumber to keep him busy.”
“What’s he doing?”
Sam winked at me and didn’t seem as though he intended to answer. A knock at the door drew him away from me before I could question him. “Cecil, welcome.”
“I came to check on my patient.” He brought his bag over to where I sat on the couch. After some poking and prodding, he removed the brace and wrapped it with bandages for support. “I know it’s still sore. You can limp around inside, but don’t lift anything or go tromping around outside for a few days.”
“Alright.” It still hurt a little, so I wasn’t arguing.
“Take this.” He handed me a small tin. “If it bothers you, have some tea.”
“Is this Kora’s tea?” I narrowed my eyes at it.
“No, it’s mine and stronger. Have you given any thought to what we discussed?”
“It’s a big decision and would change my life.” Becoming Cecil’s apprentice would change everything. “What about Mrs. Delaney? She needs me.”
“We brought many new people back with us. Many of them need jobs.” He shrugged.
Sam asked, “What’s all of this about?”
Cecil looked up at him, patted my hand, and stood. “I have asked Rozene to be my apprentice. She and I walk the same path.”
Sam’s face lit up.
Cecil shook his head. “It is her decision. Let her think about it on her own.” To me, he said, “You know where to find me. I think you first must see to Colby before you can think about yourself.”
I twisted the corner of a pillow which I had pulled to my lap. “Yes, my mind has been preoccupied. I feel like the animosity between bears and wolves needs to be overcome before my family can truly be whole.” I wondered what it would take to get them to put their differences aside for good.
Cecil said, “Often, a strong bridge can hold two separate lands together.” He winked at me and left.
“Come on, Honey. I know you’re ready to go home and see your puppies and Puck and Macduff. You should be recovered enough so as to not be damaged by their love.”
I snorted. “I’d better protect my knee with pillows before they come at me.”
“From whom? Your werewolves or your hounds?”
“Take your pick.” I laughed along with him.
After a slow ride on the golf cart out to the parking lot, Sam drove me in his fancy new truck the short distance to my house. Colby and Holden were sitting on my front porch drinking beers. “They must not have missed me too much,” I said sarcastically.
“Is that how it looks to you? It looks to me as though they have been working and are simply taking a break.”
The two men got up and were at my door opening it as soon as Sam came to a stop.
“How’s the knee?” Colby asked.
“It’s still sore, but it’s better. I am worried about Puck and Macduff jumping all over me.” I caught a whiff of Colby and Holden and wrinkled my nose. “Dang, Sam. I think you’re right about them keeping busy with work.” I held my hands up to keep Colby away. “Oh, nope. I love you, but you’ve got a powerfully manly scent.”
“Baby,” Colby complained.
I pointed at the house. “No, both of you can go take turns in the shower. You both smell like beer and man stink.”
Holden laughed and followed Colby inside. Sam walked around to get me and carried me to our bedroom. I could hear the shower going and pulled back the covers. I hadn’t bothered getting dressed and had worn a gown, robe, and socks home. Once I was settled, Sam went back out to the truck to get my things.
“Well, you’re finally back where you belong,” Hunting Wolf said.
“Hey, yikes.” I wrinkled my nose at him, too. “Did you all give up bathing in my absence?”
He smirked at me. “We’ve been working.”
Colby, having taken the fastest shower ever, came in with a towel around his hips which he quickly replaced with a pair of jogging pants. Then, he got into bed beside me to cuddle. “Oh,
the wife. I missed the wife.” Our kiss ended when his curiosity got the better of him. He unwrapped my knee so he could examine it for himself. “Looks like it was painful.”
“Oh, it was. When you get hurt, does it ever carry over from one form to the next?”
“Sometimes.” He carefully wrapped my knee and covered me up.
Concerned that I wasn’t being licked to death, I asked, “Where are my puppies?”
Hunting Wolf laughed. “They are helping to herd your cattle.”
“Cattle? What cattle? Since when do I have cattle?”
Colby said, “You didn’t tell her?”
Sam said, “Nope.”
Holden came into our bedroom freshly showered in his jeans but without a shirt. “Got anything I can borrow?” Colby pointed to a drawer. Holden pulled out a shirt and put it on. “Now, may I have a hug?”
I gave him a hug and a kiss. Capturing his face between my palms, I said, “Thank you for what you did. I mean it. I was terrified they would go to war over a misunderstanding. I kept picturing Colby shot and bleeding with every shell I heard fired. I mean it. I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me a thing, sweetheart. The last thing any of us wanted was for you to get all upset. That old hag put you through enough. Anyway, what kind of daddy-brother to Colby would I be if I didn’t help him out?”
My chuckles turned into uncontrollable giggles. It was like all of the stress, fear, and worry just bubbled out of me, and it was contagious. My fit had all of them joining me. When it subsided, Hunting Wolf turned to Sam. “Is it okay to carry her out back?”
“It should be alright. Cecil told her she could move around inside but not to lift anything heavy for a few days.”
Soon, I was bundled up, and Colby carried me outside. At least thirty men from both packs were hard at work alongside my Wendigoag brothers. “A barn? You already built the barn?” It was a big, beautiful barn of a classic design. It could have graced the cover of a children’s book.
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