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“Stephanie, this is Rex. Our Alpha.” Bennett made the introduction, and some tension simmered in the air between them.
Rex reached out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, although I wish the circumstances were different.”
There were so many new faces, several resembling each other. Stephanie knew she’d never get them straight, but it didn’t matter right now.
“She’s lost a lot of blood.” Dawn, the woman in scrubs cleaning Annie’s wound, replied. “I’ll have a better idea of just what I’m dealing with once I’m done with this. If she could shift, she’d heal up in no time. That’s not something we can teach her right now, so we’ll have to rely on other methods.”
Shift? Stephanie reeled all over again. Her daughter was no longer going to be human. It was impossible to comprehend. Bennett had told her that shifters could heal quickly, but Annie didn’t know how to do that yet. It was so unfair.
Stephanie blinked and leaned her head on Bennett’s shoulder. “I think I’m hallucinating. Her hands are green.” She couldn’t take her eyes away from Dawn, whose palms and fingers exuded an emerald halo as she worked.
“You’re not hallucinating,” Bennett replied softly. “Those are her healing powers. Some of the women in this family are witches as well as shifters. What you’re seeing here is actually the best medical team Annie could possibly have right now.”
It was then that Stephanie realized the older woman’s hands were glowing as well. Lori had gone to sit next to her. She’d put her hands on Annie’s back as well. She’d closed her eyes and tipped her head back. “Selene, we pray for your help. Our sister has so newly come to us and doesn’t yet know the way. Halt time as only you know how, and give her the grace to come into herself and heal properly.”
There were so many things happening in front of her that she didn’t quite understand, but Stephanie was watching with pure fascination. The shifters worked in such perfect coordination, more like a trained team than a family. They’d instantly responded to a drastic situation, with everyone helping in whatever way they could. They were there for each other, and they were there for Annie.
Stephanie’s healing methods weren’t exactly traditional, but the lengths these women were going to stepped even beyond the bounds of her naturopathic training. Healing powers. Praying to someone named Selene. The warm glow they spread through Annie’s body. It was incredible. She just had to hope it worked.
Dawn put fresh gauze over the wound and checked Annie’s vitals. “That’s about all we can do right now. She needs to rest, and then we’ll reevaluate her.”
“You need some rest, too,” Bennett said, rising from his seat.
“I want to stay here with her.” Stephanie couldn’t leave her alone, not after this.
“He’s right.” Dawn gave her a stern look. “You won’t be any good to her if you’re exhausted. Rest, and we’ll make sure someone is with her constantly.”
Stephanie didn’t know Dawn at all beyond her name and her remarkable ability, but she recognized the authority of another medical professional. She nodded. “All right.”
Bennett kissed the back of her hand. “Come on. Lori is already getting a room set up for you.”
12
“Bennett, honey. I came as soon as I heard you were here, but I wasn’t sure what was going on.”
“Mom.” Bennett rose from his seat in the living room. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, what’s a mother supposed to do?” She rubbed her hands on his arms and checked him over for injuries. “I get a phone call from Kane saying the Bloodmoon Crew has been after you, and things are bad enough that you’ve had to take shelter at the packhouse. I’m not just going to sit at home and knit a pair of socks.”
“You don’t knit, Mom,” he reminded her with a smile.
She patted his cheek. “No, but even if I did, it wouldn’t help right now. Talk to me. Tell me what’s happening.”
Bennett glanced over his shoulder toward the dining room. He could see that Brody’s mate, Robin, had been stationed with Annie for the moment. The other women who’d worked with her had gone to rest, knowing they’d be needed later. Delicious scents were filtering in from the kitchen, so as usual, someone had taken up the role of making sure everyone was fed no matter what was happening. The beta’s daughter, Ava, had kept the dogs entertained during the most crucial moments, but now they were all asleep under the dining table, waiting for Annie to wake up. “It’s a little complicated.”
She smiled at him. “Bennie, I’m a mom. I know how to do complicated.”
If things were different, he would’ve asked her not to call him that. Bennett had outgrown that old nickname a long time ago, but it seemed trivial right now. “Let’s go outside.”
“Are you sure it’s safe?” she asked as they stepped onto the front porch. The roof overhang protected them from the slow drizzle that’d started up. “My heart about flew out of my chest when Kane mentioned the Bloodmoon Crew.”
“Rex has guards posted all around the perimeter of the territory.” Bennett moved over to a glider set up in front of the large picture window. “I’ll have to remember to thank Kane personally for getting you involved.”
Patricia sat down next to him and patted his knee. “Now, don’t you be too upset with him. He’s always seen you as a brother, and he sounded genuinely worried over the phone.”
“No, I’m not.” As Bennett watched the mist settle down on the driveway and pool into little glistening pearls on the porch railing, he realized he actually did need to thank Kane. If Nelson had ordered his men to come after Stephanie, his mom could likely be next. “It’s much safer that you’re here, actually, and you’ll probably need to stay here for a while.”
She gave him a look. “Bennett, you’re going to have to tell me what’s going on. All this waiting means I’m either going to have to start pacing or get a stiff drink. Or maybe both.”
