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“I am.” Jelani emerged from the narrow hall, stepping over two deltas propped against the kitchen counter, spooned together, and watching the screen on a cell phone.
He rubbed his eyes. “Is everything all right?”
“Go back to sleep. We can talk in the morning.” Isaiah started to turn.
“I wasn’t—” Jelani stifled a yawn. “—asleep.”
“Really?”
“No, I promise. I’d just laid down.”
A few of Isaiah’s people cast a worried look his way. He pushed down his emotions, and they slowly returned to what they’d been doing.
Jelani furrowed his brow.
Locking away feelings might keep Isaiah’s pack from sensing his distress, but Jelani wasn’t only Isaiah’s oldest friend, he was empathic.
To Cassie, Jelani said, “I’ll be back in a bit.” He shut the door on his way down the steps.
“I meant it. We can talk in the morning.”
“And you would have never taken the chance at waking me up unless it was important.”
He was right. Isaiah knew how hard it was for Jelani to sleep. And when he did, his pack mates watched over him.
As long as Isaiah had known Jelani, he’d been plagued by nightmares left behind when his family had been killed. They’d been on their way to anAutemfor Jelani to stand before the Cana to take a wolf.
While the Fenrir had changed him from the shell-shocked young man too traumatized to speak and brought him back, it couldn’t block the memories from his dreams.
Isaiah headed back toward his camper and Jelani followed.
It wasn’t until they were inside that Isaiah spoke. “What can you tell me about thepurificationsyou helped with?”
Jelani stopped by the kitchen table. “Why?”
“I want to know exactly how it worked.” Isaiah waved a hand at Jelani. “Sit. I’ll make us some coffee.”
“If you want coffee, I’ll—”
“Sit, Jelani. This is my domain. My rules. I serve the coffee. Now sit.”
Jelani slid onto the small bench beside the table.
Isaiah prepped the coffee maker. “How much Raktadid you use? The older, the stronger, right? Did you ever use any freshly drawn?”
The fluid collected in a pouch behind an Alpha’s heart could be used to heal wounded bonds or strip wolves from their host.
Isaiah took out two cups from the cabinet.
Jelani watched him.
The coffee maker gurgled.
“Well?” Isaiah leaned against the counter.
“Not until you tell me why you’re asking me this.”
“Because I’d like to try my damndest not to murder an innocent man.”
