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Lola frowned. “That’s horrible. Who would do such a thing?” she asked, her words wavering slightly.
“We’re still trying to figure that out.” Tori’s eyes darkened, and I saw a flash of her wolf. “Right now, our main focus is on helping Zander recover both his memories and his inner wolf.” Tori glanced toward me. “That is, at least, if he still has his wolf.”
Lola clasped her hands together and looked at the now sleeping man. “Of course. Now that I’m aware of what’s really going on, I can try and find out what I can or see if there’s something I can do to help him psychologically. Help him find his inner wolf again and regain his ability to shift. This sudden breakdown has to be connected with his loss. He was born a shifter, so it being taken from him…his body and mind can’t cope with it. I’m slowly grasping onto this whole shifter business, but none of this is natural. Nobody is just okay after losing a part of themselves.” Lola stepped toward Zander. “I’ll do whatever I can to help, and with my knowledge about the psyche, hopefully I can fix what they did to him.”
Although I appreciated her help, I was still skeptical. It wasn’t like we were dealing only with memory loss here. “It’ll still be hard to fix this issue through psychology alone, though. Considering he’s in this state because of a witch’s role in all this, who’s to say whatever she’s donecanbe fixed?”
Lola gasped, her eyes darting toward mine and staying there. “Witches are real?”
“Yes,” I said. “A dark witch working with hunters did this. They’ve been trying to separate shifters’ animals from their humans for a little while now. Which is ridiculous because we aren’t separate entities. Zander and his wolf have always been one being. Who knows what damage doing this has caused to his psyche? She’s a powerful witch to have gotten this kind of result.”
Excitement shimmered in Lola’s eyes, but it quickly faded when she looked around the room and remembered where we were. She tucked her hair behind her ear. “The more I learn, the more fascinating and heartbreaking it becomes. The whole reason I came to Blackwood Creek in the first place was to check out the town’s history, but also because I had ancestors from the area who claimed to be witches.”
Witches.The hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end. I looked into her eyes, convinced she was playing with me, but all I saw was truth and excitement.
Her excitement was contagious, and a new sense of hope swelled inside me. This could be a turning for Blackwood Creek. If we had a witch on our side, coupled with Kyle and Tori’s hunter training, we’d have an edge. At the very least, we’d have a level playing field against the hunters.
“My ancestors fled to this area, particularly Blackwood Creek, after the Salem witch trials,” Lola continued. “I always wanted to learn about that part of my family history, but I never believed they actually possessed magic. So you’re telling me it’s possible? That it’s real?”
Tori and I gaped at Lola. It elated me to think of all of the possibilities that could arise from this development. From the look on Tori’s face, I didn’t doubt she was thinking the way I was.
If Lola was descended from witches, she possibly had magic, too. We’d need to figure out a way for her to tap into that power, but it’d be worthwhile. It was nearly impossible to find a witch out in the world, and here we had a descendant living among us the whole time.
“Ridge, Lola,” Tori interrupted my thoughts, her voice low and urgent. “I need you to wait here for a moment. I have to go get something.” Before either of us could answer her, she was rushing down the halls.
“She’s excited about something,” I remarked, then turned back to Lola. “Thank you for taking all this so well. It’s not every day that someone learns about the existence of wolf shifters and other supernatural beings. To answer your question, yes, it’s real. If shifters existed and you watched one morph right in front of you, why wouldn’t there be witches and other paranormals out in the world?”
Lola laughed softly, her eyes warm. “Well, I guess you have a point there. It’s just a lot to take in. But I’ve always wanted to help people. I never thought it would involve werewolves—sorry, wolf shifters—but I’m happy to do whatever I can. I wouldn’t dream of causing problems when shifters and humans living together have clearly worked in this town for so long.”
Blackwood Creek was an amazing feat. Many shifters liked to build their lives in the dense woods and mountain ranges, far from civilization. However, with the populations growing as they were and more people venturing into different lands, shifters were being forced to cohabitate more frequently with humans. Blackwood Creek had been ahead of the mark in that evolving resolution, and it was a great example to showcase to the packs coming here for sanctuary. My dream was for more towns like ours to be replicated in different parts of the States and the world.
“Maybe you’ve found your niche,” I suggested with a grin. “Shifter counseling could be an untapped market.”
She smiled back at me. “Who knows? I guess stranger things have happened.” Lola blushed and said, “That was pointless to say. Alotof stranger things have happened.”
I laughed, and while we waited for Tori to return, Lola began to relax in my company. She asked questions about Zander and his condition, and put forward ideas of how she might reunite the man with his wolf. Her perceptions were insightful, and our conversation was surprisingly easy, considering the circumstances.
It wasn’t long before Tori came rushing back into the room, out of breath and clutching a small bag. “Here,” she said breathlessly, handing it to Lola. “This is what I wanted to show you.”
Lola studied the witch pills, her eyes wide with fascination. “Are these super tiny glow sticks? Because they’re all glowing purple.”
Tori squealed and did a little happy jig, and I became enthralled with her all over again. She was the most adorable creature, and my wolf and I were tempted to snatch her away right now and not let her leave until she officially let us claim each other.
“Lola, these are witch capsules, made by a witch. Nobody else sees them glowing!” Tori exclaimed. “Do you know what this means?”
“What’s that?” Lola asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Only those with magical blood can see the glow,” Tori gushed.
“Does that mean…” Lola trailed off, her eyes wide with wonder.
“Quite possibly. Probably.” I grinned. “You could have magic in your blood, too.”
Lola stared at us for a moment, then down at the glowing capsule in her hand. “I can’t believe it,” she said with awe. “Maybe I can help you more than I thought.”
Chapter 9
Tori
