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“Bullshit,” Nero blurted out. “Remember that time we encountered that tiger shifter and he couldn’t stop gawking at your junk? He wascomparing.”
“What? He was jealous. Simple as that. Everyone knows tigers don’t pack great ammunition. If you want a real man, it’s wolves all the way.” Oryn leaned against me and kissed my cheek. “Isn’t thatright?”
“I can’t speak for tigers, as I’ve never seen one. But in relation to normal guys, let’s say you three are the abnormality in the best way, or every single female needs to move to the Den and get herself a hunter.” I waggled my eyebrows, and Nerochuckled.
I chanced a glance over at Dagen, and he watched me while biting into the bread. Was he remembering I’d said something similar to him when he was unconscious? Remembering how I’d helped him? Remembering I was the good person here, not someone who would hurt himintentionally?
Outside, the wind howled, and the door rattled. The drumming of rain struck the roof, yet in the kitchen, heat cocooned around me. I loved storms when I was at home in front of the fire. I’d read a book under a blanket on thecouch.
With our plates empty, Nero cleared the dishes, Dagen reclined in his seat, and Oryn brought the bucket of river water to thetable.
“Okay, let’s do this.” I crouched near the vines and plucked free half a dozen translucent petals. With Oryn bringing the vinegar, I prepped to test fortoxins.
I filled a small bowl with vinegar and tossed a petal inside. No reaction. I needed to confirm the acidity wouldn’t impact the flower. With a few sprinkles of the river water into the same bowl, I dropped two petals into themixture.
Oryn and Nero both stared at the experiment alongsideme.
“It’s changing,” Nero calledout.
Black dots formed on both translucent petals, spreading like lava, and within seconds, they both turned a charredtone.
“Is that what I think it is?” Orynasked.
“Yep,” Ireplied.
Dagen stood and approached us, so I added two more inside for him to view theresults.
I retreated as all three gawked at the evidence. “It’s a simple test but accurate. Any toxins present will react to the crystalweedflower.”
Oryn glanced at me, his cheeks ashen. “So the river has beenpoisoned?”
“I’m afraidso.”
“At least we’re narrowing itdown.”
Nero patted Oryn on the shoulder, then faced me. “So, what poison isit?”
I scratched my head as all three shifters studied me. “I don’t have the herbs with me to check. To determine, I have to run dozens of tests on water samples to see what plant reacts with it. It’s a process of elimination. And in the meantime, no one should drink any water from the river until we find a solution. Maybe we can find other sources and determine if they’repoisoned.”
Oryn was pacing to the door and back, his fists curled by his side. “I’ll murder the priestess. Rip her spine out and shove it up herass.”
Fear looped around in my head that if he went off like this to the priestess, he could get himself killed. “How about we find the toxin to help your packfirst?”
“But I’ve seen no other animals go feral,” Dagenadded.
“Meaning, something specific was used to target wolf shifters,” Isaid.
“Then we leave now,” Oryn said, reaching for the doorhandle.
“We’re not going anywhere in this storm.” Nero moved to stand near his friend. “Let’s get an early night and we depart at first light. Hopefully, the rain will pass by then and the wolves will besleeping.”
I joined them and placed a hand on Oryn’s waist, pressing up against him, and he wrapped me in an embrace. “I’ll do everything to find out what poison it is and heal yourpack.”
“That means the world tome.”
Nero nodded. “We’ll do this together. I’ll take Scarlet to her house in Terra to run thetests.”
For days, I’d been eager to return home, and now that it was happening, I hesitated. The whole idea of facing the priestess sat on my mind like a boulder. Would she be waiting at my store? Should I head into Terra alone to avoid the guards apprehending my men? Talk about asking for a death sentence, and if I got caught, I wasn’t dragging them into my troubles. Maybe I’d get them to wait for me at the border between ourlands.
