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Travis hails his son from the throne.
Tavion’s patrol peels off, save for Casper, who stays at Tavion’s side. Judson and Jay, Deba’s sons, come to join us, snatching up a couple of furs and tossing them around their waists, which is a pertinent decision given both lads are blessed with being impressively endowed and are sinfully handsome in human form. Every young lass sitting in the vicinity swings their heads our way, hoping to catch the eyes of the young shifters. I’ve seen a few lasses actually swoon if they don’t cover their assets up.
“There has been an attack at Andell,” Jay says, wiping my amusement away.
Andell is a large village with strong ties to the pack on account of it being situated closest to our border. I’ve had no cause to travel that far, but shifters patrol regularly. In exchange for protection, the village often trades goods and services that shifters have no skills for, including fine pelts and grain to supplement our food in the winter. It’s true the village is under the jurisdiction of a king to whom they also pay tithes, but his stronghold is far away, and his protection does not stretch this far.
“When?” Deba asks, setting her sewing aside as her two lads sit down. “What happened?”
“Earlier today,” Jay says. It is only now that I see how tired the young shifters look. “Bear shifters attacked two hunters from the village, while they were in the forests.”
My heart plays giddy-up with worry for Doug, having not seen him all day. He is strong and capable, but he also patrols alone, more often than not. There have been increased patrols of late due to several run-ins with a neighboring pack of bear shifters. This is the first time they have attacked villagers, though.
“Goodness!” Deba says. “Was anyone hurt?”
“Yeah, one hunter was badly injured. Thought we were going to lose him. Fern, ah,” —he flushes— “Fern saved him.”
“The young healer?” Deba asks.
Both shifters turn pink-cheeked and shifty-looking.
“She…” Jay clears his throat and lowers his voice, mindful of the many lasses leaning to catch what he says, “lay with him to heal him.”
I blink a few times. I had heard many healers’ ways were unorthodox, but never quite inthisway.
“The wound was mortal,” Judson adds. “And after they,” he makes a circular motion with one hand and grimaces as though in pain, “he didn’t have a scratch on him. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d never have believed it.”
“You watched?” Deba says, raising both brows.
I also raise my brows.
“We had to make sure no one interrupted,” Jay says, his ears near crimson. “The bitchy lord’s daughter was screeching for the lass to be whipped, and all Fern was doing was healing a man. I swear it felt like the Goddess herself was there. It was a miracle for sure.”
I bite my lip, torn between outrage and the amusement that the pack watched this ‘miracle’ unfold.
“Fern,” Deba says. “That wouldn’t be the same lass your whole patrol is sweet on, then?”
“There is only one Fern in the village,” Judson blurts, sitting a little straighter at the mere mention of her name.
Jay thumps him on the shoulder. “Would you shut the fuck up!”
“Jay! You are not too old to get your mouth washed with soap root!”
“Sorry, Ma,” he mutters, still cutting a glare at his twin.
Jim, the unofficial leader among us lesser pack members, joins us. “Did I hear them mention bear shifters?” He thumbs in the direction of where Travis, Tavion, and now Ashe are talking in the center of the cavern.
Judson nods and brings Jim up to date on the attack.
“The bear shifters sent a human envoy here today,” Jim says.
“What did they want?” Jay asks.
“My mate was sent to take food to them, and she overheard them talking. The bears want peace. Said they wouldn’t trouble us nor poach game from our lands.”
Judson makes a scoffing noise. “That ought to be good news. Except Travis rarely does anything without there being a catch.”
“Travis is no leader,” Jim agrees. “He is merely the shifter who presumes to take the role.”
