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“He's right, Jane,” Gerri said. “Mason’s wolf wants to protect you, but he would do more harm than good right now. It’s best that Mason sleeps for a little bit until this is all said and done. I’m here with you, and I won’t leave your side. I promise.”
“Okay,” Jane said with a weak nod. Her friend was right, but it didn’t matter. She was still worried about Mason. She hated the very thought of her big, strong shifter being rendered unconscious by a witch. That just didn't sit right with her.
Krista’s words became louder and louder until they started to ring in Jane's ears. Suddenly, she felt like her head was going to explode from the pressure inside. She grabbed her head and let out a loud, blood-curdling scream. The pain intensified to the point where she felt like she might literally die from whatever it was the witch was doing to her.
“Hang in there, Jane,” Gerri shouted, holding on to her tighter than ever. “She's almost done. Just a little longer. You can do this for Mason.”
Jane wanted to believe Gerri. That she would be all right, but with the pain shooting through her head, her friend's words went in one ear and out the other.
The pain intensified once again. This time to a whole new level of ridiculousness. It was almost as if she could feel her skull splitting in half, and it did not feel good. Not at all.
“Please!” She begged for the pain to stop, but Krista’s shouts kept getting louder and louder until nothing but a deafening silence swept over the room. The ringing in Jane's ears finally stopped. The pain of her skull cracking suddenly vanished. The aches and pains she had been feeling, the fever, the headache, all of it was suddenly gone.
“It's done,” Krista said and backed away from Jane.
Caleb cautiously approached her with a jar in his hand. “I promise what I'm about to do won't hurt nearly as bad as what you've already been through. But I will warn you that this is going to sting a bit. It's a salve, an ancient recipe used in treating wounds like yours. This will make it as though you had never been bitten to begin with. Is it okay for me to put it on your neck?” he asked.
“Sure,” Jane said weakly, “why not?”
The cold salve felt good at first as he spread it across her wound. That feeling only lasted for a few seconds before the sweet relief was replaced with a burning heat she hadn't been expecting. A sting, yes. The feeling that she was being branded with a hot iron? No. That she hadn't expected. Jane sucked in a deep breath, followed by another, and another as a fresh wave of pain tore through her neck until it suddenly disappeared.
“See? All better. That wasn't so bad, was it?” Caleb asked.
“Hah, trust me when I say it wasn’t fun,” Jane snarked at him. She took a calming breath, trying to slow her racing heart. “Are we done now?” she asked, hoping like fuck the answer was yes.
“Not quite. I need you to drink this.” Caleb handed her a small vial with a bright orange substance inside.
“What is this?” she asked, eyeing up the goo.
“An elixir to help you regain your strength. You’ve been through a lot in the last few hours, and unless you want to sleep for the next week or so, you’d best just go ahead and chug it and be done with it.” He gave her thatmother knows bestlook that her own mother had given her so often as a child.
“Fine,” she pouted and chugged the orange goo down her throat. “Holy shit!” she shouted. “That was godawful. Try adding some sort of decent flavor to it next time,” she suggested.
“I'll have to keep that in mind for the next batch I mix up,” Caleb chuckled. “I'm going to set the second bottle of this on the table. When Mason wakes, make sure he drinks this. Krista depleted his energy sources in order to save you. He's going to need this as much as you did, if not more.” Caleb set a larger jar on the table next to the bed. “Giles knows how to get a hold of us if you need anything else,” Caleb said.
“Wake in your human form when you are ready,” Krista said, touching Mason’s arm.
“Thank you,” Jane said to both Caleb and Krista.
“You’re welcome. A suggestion. Stay away from those big bad wolf types. They can be deadly.” Krista winked at her and left.
Gerri scooted off the bed.
“You’re not leaving, too, are you?” Jane asked.
“No, I’m sticking around until I know you and your hunk are back on your feet. But both of you need to get some rest and get your strength built back up. I’m going to hang out with the pack. I saw a couple of people who look like they might need my help to find their mates.”
“Ahh, ever the meddler.” Jane giggled.
“Always. Now, get some rest, and I’ll see you in a bit. I’ll see if Giles can fix up your favorite dinner for later,” Gerri said.
“Oh, I don’t want to bug him with that,” Jane said.
“Please. He lives for requests. That’s literally what he does. It’s in his nature,” Gerri said.
“What do you mean by that?” Jane asked.
“It means that he was literally born to serve. He derives pleasure from helping others,” Gerri explained.
