Page 56 of Healer’s Betrayal

“What?” I ask in confusion. And then Jackson leaps...and lands as a wolf. And then Max is no longer...human. I fall back against the wall. Screams ring in my ears, and I can’t get out fast enough. I turn and run for the door, but a wolf runs towards me. Adrenaline and fear crash through me, and I grab for the door. I throw it open and run into the hall, screaming. Ransom and Bryce appear in the hall ahead of me with eyes wide.

“What is it?” Ransom demands.

I can’t even form words. “There’s a...they’re...wolves...”

Bryce swears and runs past me, disappearing in a flash. Ransom drops his hands to my shoulders. “Jackson?” he asks. I nod, terror still fueling me. “I’ve got to go talk him down; stay here.”

“No,” I scream, holding on to him. “Don’t leave.”

He gives me a regretful look. “I have to. Go in the room; you’ll be safe.”

“No, there’s nowhere safe. They—”

“Kayla,” Ava says, appearing beside me. “Come with me; everything will be okay. Bryce will straighten it all out.”

I laugh hysterically. “There’s nothing to straighten out; they turned into wolves.” I barely recognize my own voice right now.

“Kayla, look at me,” Ava says in a stern voice. “I know; give me a chance to explain.”

Ransom disappears, and I watch him go. “Come on.” She puts a hand on my arm and pulls me gently. I reluctantly follow her back to the conference room, only because I don’t know up from down right now. She leads me into the conference room and to a chair. “Take a breath.” She sits down right next to me. “That’s right. Breathe.” She waits a moment. “So, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Jackson’s never told you what he is.”

“What he is?”

She doesn’t skip a beat. “He’s a shifter; he can shift into a wolf.”

I would think she’s crazy, certifiably so; but I know what I just saw. I can’t even ask a question because I have no idea what to even ask. The door to the conference room opens, and I turn, ready to jump out of my chair and flee if need be. But it’s only Raechel that stalks into the room. She drops into the nearest chair. “What a mess.”

Ava walks over to her. “What happened?”

Raechel shakes her head and looks over at me. “You good, Chica? You’re looking a little pale.”

“You’re not looking so good yourself,” I tell her.

“Yeah, are you okay, Rae?” Ava asks dropping into the chair next to her. “What happened?” she repeats her question.

“Max overreacted, scared Kayla. Kayla made the mistake of screaming and running.”

Ava winces, and I look between the two of them. “What was I supposed to do? He turned all freakish.”

Raechel rubs a hand over her face. “Max and Jackson went at it.”

“Why?” Ava asks. “Surely Jackson doesn’t bother Max; nothing fazes him.”

“Yeah, well, he just found out his mate is pregnant.”

Ava’s mouth drops open. “He what? You’re pregnant?”

“Yep.” Raechel pops the p.

“No wonder Max lost his mind,” Ava says.

“Yeah, he’s already on edge around Jackson. And then he found out about me, and then it all went downhill from there.” Raechel looks over at me. “I need you to know; Max would never hurt you.”

I’m already shaking my head. “You don’t get the way he looked at me.”

Raechel sighs. “I do; I really do. But he was just protecting me; he wouldn’t have done anything to you.”

I eye her. “Agree to disagree.”