He was already dying.
We had to hurry.
We pushed past the barrier of his unconscious agony and entered his mind. It was chaos itself. His thoughts were everywhere, scattered by the broken agony of his body.
Deeper, came Katie’s comment. We must go deeper.
We sucked in a breath and pushed harder. The deeper we went, the more chaotic it became. He might be dying, but there was some fragment of his unconscious mind, some part of his soul, that wanted to fight, wanted to live.
That was what we had to find.
The blood now pounded so loudly through our body, it erased all other sounds. Pain bloomed—not Dillon’s, but ours. In our head, in our body. It was a warning that this link drained us way too fast.
Belle, there, Katie said. See it?
“It” was a faint pulse of light that appeared in the chaotic darkness of Dillon’s mind.
What I see, came Belle’s response, is that we’ll have to step fully into his mind—join him, as we are joined, however briefly—to force his change. That could kill us all.
Because by going that deep, we could lock ourselves into his spiral of death.
Yes, but I will not see my brother die without doing all that I can to save him. Would you not do the same for each other?
We said nothing. There was nothing we could say against a truth like that.
Reach for his spirit, Belle, Katie said. Connect. I will take it from there.
She reached out, telepathically encompassing that bright pulse, drawing it into us, fusing it to our body, our thoughts and our minds, and three became four.
And, oh God, the memories … they were hammer blows that hit multiple times, their force so hard our whole body shook. The tree, the crush of its weight, the mind-numbing agony that forced the shutdown of instinct that was now threatening his very life …
Energy swept through us, energy that spoke of both the earth and the wolf. Not Dillon this time, but Katie. It flooded into that bright pulse, giving it strength even as it took the reins of control and forced the change.
It was a moment unlike anything we’d ever experienced. Energy swept through us, energy that came from within, a force that stung even as it concealed. Limbs and bones and muscles twisted and altered as they reformed and reshaped. Our skin twitched and crawled as hair retreated and fur sprouted. It hurt and yet it didn’t.
We became wolf, and the scents and the smells and the noise overwhelmed us, and we didn’t want this, didn’t want the pain … Again, the electric force that was Katie took charge, reversing the change, once again claiming Dillon’s human form. Awareness stirred, despite the drugs, but it hurt, everything hurt. Our heart, our mind, our body …
Belle, came Katie’s distant cry, pull us out. Now!
Somehow we did. Somehow, we ripped our hands from the side of Dillon’s temples, and four dissolved, leaving one.
That one collapsed.
Chapter Four
I woke to the nagging sensation that something was different. That something had changed, within rather than without.
And I had no idea what that something was.
In truth, I physically felt no different. Other than the faint pulse of a headache, I seemed to have come through the whole merge thing relatively intact.
Of course, relatively was a far cry from absolutely.
I shifted and stretched; cotton rustled as the top sheet slid across bare skin, a sensation that was close to sensual. Light shone into the room from the windows to my left, pressing coldly against closed eyelids. In the distance, thunder rumbled, a promise of an incoming storm, and one I could smell. The thick, heady scent of musk and man filled every breath, but Aiden wasn’t in the bedroom, and I couldn’t hear him moving about downstairs.
I opened my eyes and immediately spotted the note on the bedside table next to my phone. I reached out and grabbed it.
Just in case you wake and discover I’m not here, it said, I’ve gone to the bakery to get some fresh bread. Won’t be long. A.
Sadly, there were no XX substitutes for kisses after his initial. Romantic, he was not. Or maybe he just wasn’t inclined to be so with me. I frowned at the thought, dropped the note back down, and reached out for Belle. You there?
Always, came her response. Glad you’re finally awake. You had me scared for a little while there.
How long was I out?
Three days.
Three! Holy fuck.
Her amusement bubbled through me. Indeed. Aiden didn’t know which way to turn.
I’m guessing family won. There was no bitterness in that statement, although I couldn’t deny hurt lingered deeper down.
Until Dillon came out of his coma, yes. But he did take you home as he promised, and he arranged for Ashworth and Eli to come over and watch you while he was at the hospital.
They’re not here now.
No, they went home yesterday, after Dillon had fully woken and Aiden felt it was safe to leave his side.
My eyebrows rose. Have you been reading his mind from a distance?
Belle hesitated. Didn’t need to. There was a lingering connection between my mind and Dillon’s. It gave me some insight into what he was seeing and hearing.
Alarm slipped through me. Have you severed the connection?
Yes, though it was rather interesting eavesdropping for a while there.
I just bet.
She chuckled. Karleen is a piece of work. I believe you’re right in thinking there’s more behind her hatred of witches than just Gabe helping Katie become one with the wild magic.
I suspect it has something to do with someone close to her dying—someone from her past. One of her parents, perhaps, or maybe even a sibling.
Possibly. I’ll certainly find out if the bitch ever gets within reading range.
A smile twitched my lips. The only reason the bitch would ever get within reading range is if she’s on the attack.
Belle’s surprise flitted through me. What makes you think she’d ever physically attack you? Alphas have far more control than that. Besides, you’re not a pack member, and she’s well aware attacking a civilian could have serious consequences for both the pack and the reservation.
I hesitated. It’s a niggle, nothing more.
Unfortunately, your niggles have a tendency to become fact.
Maybe this will be one that won’t. As you said, she’s well aware of the penalties involved. I took a deep breath and pushed away the inner voice that said she wouldn’t care. What about you, Belle? Aside from that lingering telepathic link, how did you pull up after the immersion?
I was out less than a day. You were the host, so it affected you far more than me.
But you’re okay now?
She hesitated. Yes.
Meaning no.
Honestly, it’s nothing to worry about.
A statement guaranteed to make me worry more.
Her smile ran through me, a bright, warm wave. Seriously, it’s probably just a soon-to-fade consequence of our souls being joined with Katie’s when she forced Dillon to go through the shape shift.
But?
My senses have sharpened.
All of them?
To the point where I was close to telling one customer yesterday she seriously needed to stop bathing in her goddamn perfume. Belle paused. It didn’t happen to you?
My senses have been sharpening for a while.
And yet, until this morning, I’d never been so aware of the sensual caress of the sheets against my skin or known without even looking that Aiden wasn’t downstairs.