AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lira was in the kitchen now, banging doors open and closed while mumbling to herself. Maybe we were all going crazy. Maybe something shifted in the Earth’s gravity, and it messed up all our brains and we were all hallucinating, and—
Lira was back in front of me then, with a bowl full of ice cream. She placed the bowl right next to my cheek, and I shuddered from the coldness.
“Good, that’s the first reaction I’ve gotten from you all night. Here, take a bite.”
I saw the spoon coming toward me, but it was like I’d forgotten how to move my muscles. However, the coldness that touched my lips reminded me of the jump I had made into the icy lake—and also of the kiss that had followed, warming my body back up. I opened my mouth at the memory, and Lira took advantage and stuck the spoon in my mouth. The feel of coffee ice cream melting on my tongue made me tear up. I started bawling and couldn’t stop. Lira sat down next to me and held me, crying along with me.
“I don’t know why you’re crying, but I’ve never seen you like this. I’m so worried, Millie. Please talk to me.”
But I couldn’t. I just clung to Lira and let her rock me until I fell asleep.
Jacob
“How is he?”I asked, looking down at Bruno’s prone body.
“He is stable,” Miti said, but for once, she didn’t sound confident.
“What happened? I thought the tonic had amplified his calmness exterior. He was stoic but agreeable the last time we discussed Millie.”
“I’m not sure.”
I waited for her to say more, but Miti remained tight-lipped. “Okay. Well, now he’s stable I need to find Millie,” I said, turning to leave, but Miti caught my arm and forced me to sit down.
“No. You must watch over your brother. Family comes first, especially when your mate probably wants nothing to do with you at this moment.”
I groaned and let my head fall onto the bed by Bruno’s arm. Tears started streaming down my face, and I let them come. I had lost Millie; I would never be able to claim her as my mate.
Miti clucked her tongue. “It is not the end of the world. You will get your mate, but right now you need to give her some space. Make yourself useful and watch over your brother.”
I nodded and wiped away my tears, praying she was right.
“Your father will be making an announcement today, too, and you need to stay to hear it,” she added.
“What announcement?”
“It’s for him to say.”
“Is it something to do with the tonic we drank?”
“It’s for him to say,” she said again, giving me a pointed look.
But Miti looked worried, and that was never a good sign. Our family never had to worry about getting sick for too long because Miti always had a cure. Was Pac so cunning that even Miti couldn’t find a solution? I shivered at the thought.
* * *
Dad called the whole pack together at his house. When I saw Luc and Jill sitting next to Dad and Mom instead of with us at the dining table, I had a bad feeling. The whole pack was here, including the guards who had scared Becca the last time we had a pack meeting.
I looked at my brothers and Sandy, and everyone shrugged their shoulders in reply. They all wore the same worried look Miti had earlier today—the same one I no doubt wore on my own face.
Dad stood up, and a quiet hush rolled over the room. “Thank you for coming so quickly. There is some troubling news I have to share but also some hopeful news too.” He paused to look at all of us, and I could sense sadness coming from him. My wolf was unusually calm, and I could feel the collected absence of breath in the room as we waited on Dad to reveal what had him looking so serious.
“Miti has been working hard to come up with a cure for our latest ailment; the tonic Pac tricked us into drinking.”
The silence in the room was building, and I found myself gripping the table.
“She has seen some promising results in a couple of her test subjects, and she gave a dose to Bruno last night, which seems to be working.” He paused, and said slowly, “But she let me know yesterday that I am too far along.”
The breath everyone was collectively holding released in a loud outburst. Then everyone was talking all at once. A moment later, Dad got everyone’s attention again. “I am not dying!” he said firmly. A gleam came into his eyes, and we all cowered as he said more quietly, “I will not die until I see Pac’s plans demolished.”
