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I hadn’t even processed what I’d just done when I saw Fenris’s wolf rush by in a blur of dark fur. He pounced on the warlock and grabbed him by the shoulders. The man’s scream was cut short as Fenris began to shake, immediately snapping the warlock’s neck. I forced down the bile in my throat and looked away.
Fenris shifted back into his human form, shoulders slightly hunched as he marched by me to gather Kal back up. The poor shifter looked like Fenris had just dropped him in a heap in the snow.
“Did you really have to kill them all like that?” I said softly, staring at the back of Fenris’s head as we resumed our journey back to the cabin.
“Sometimes, it’s easier to give in to my wolf’s violent tendencies, especially this close to the full moon.” He sighed. “Dispatching the last of Faulkner’s associates seemed as good a reason as any to unleash him for a bit.”
I frowned but said nothing else. I knew I needed to be ready to help Kal in any way I could as soon as we returned to his home. For now, I had to focus on the task at hand.
Chapter4
Fenris
Kal’s Cabin
Outside of Coldfoot, Alaska
It was a good thing Celeste was such a quick learner, or Kal would’ve surely been a goner. Even a shifter’s enhanced ability to heal was no match for the dark magic Faulkner’s warlock had wielded. I could feel the shifter’s presence fading even as we hurried back to his cabin.
As soon as we were inside, I set Kal down on the pile of blankets we’d left by the fireplace. The flames were starting to dwindle. “What do you need me to do?” I asked Celeste, taking a step back as she crouched down next to Kal’s limp form.
She shook her head, motioning with one hand. “Just space, please. I just need to focus.”
I nodded, taking a few steps away. I secured the door before returning to the fire, spending a few moments reviving the flame. When I looked up, Celeste seemed hesitant.
“Do you think he has a first aid kit here? I—I mean—” She made a frustrated noise, looking down at her palms as if they’d betrayed her. “Any bandages he has would be helpful.”
“I’m sure he does,” I said confidently, quickly striding toward the tiny bathroom off the kitchen. It was barely big enough to turn around in, but there was a tiny medicine cabinet above the rusting sink. I didn’t see a first aid kit, but there were several gauze pads and a roll of adhesive. It was the best we had in the moment.
I grabbed the supplies and returned to Celeste’s side. We worked in near silence while she pointed to wounds too grievous to close with her magic alone. I wrapped them, protecting them from outside forces. At the very least, Kal wasn’t bleeding nearly as profusely as he’d been before, which was a good start.
“I wish I could do more,” Celeste said, sounding strained as she pulled her palms away. I watched the skin on Kal’s exposed shoulder become a little less ragged, the blood flow diminishing. “If Val was here, she’d probably have him all mended. And if Tessa was here, she’d have him on his feet again.”
I snorted softly. “Both of those witches have decades more experience than you do,” I said gently. “And if you’re referring to what Tessa did with Cody, she had her entire home at her disposal. And all her tools. We’re in the middle of Bumfuck Nowhere.”
Celeste laughed and gave me a look, but at least she wasn’t disparaging herself anymore. “I guess,” she sighed, looking back at Kal’s face. “But he needs real medical attention. And soon, or he won’t survive.”
“And he will get it,” I said firmly. “Walter will meet us as soon as possible, and Kal will receive medical aid in Keziah Palm’s pack. Both shifters and witches live within the Snowmass Pack, and there are several talented healers as well. He will be seen to.”
Celeste sighed, giving Kal one last look before turning toward me. Before I could argue with her, she grabbed one of my arms and pushed back the remains of my tattered sleeve, scowling when she saw the burn mark the warlock had left behind on my skin.
“I’m fine,” I said. “It will heal slowly, due to his magic. But it will heal.” For me, “slowly” was still far more quickly than any human’s healing ability.
Celeste cast me another dark look. “Let me do this,” she huffed, gently hovering a hand over my arm. “I can hurry it along, at least.”
“Alright,” I agreed, forcing myself to relax as she closed her eyes. I decided to do the same, evening out my breaths as Celeste murmured something to herself. A moment later, a cooling sensation washed over my skin, starting at my fingertips and working its way up through my fingers, palm, and finally, my arm. It tingled, and I sighed softly. The sensation was surprisingly relaxing.
When I opened my eyes and glanced down, I realized that while my skin wasn’t completely healed, the redness had faded from an angry color to a much more muted tone. “Thank you,” I said quietly.
Celeste offered me a wavering smile. “Your other arm next,” she said. I could hear the strain in her voice, and I shook my head.
“I’ll be fine,” I said. When she opened her mouth to argue, I held up a finger. “Celeste,” I said, trying to keep my tone level. My wolf growled, his tail flicking in irritation. “I will be fine. Sabine did much worse, and I’m fine now, aren’t I?”
She gave me a dark look. “You said she killed you.”
I sighed. “She did,” I grumbled, running my tongue over my teeth. “And I recovered, did I not?”
Celeste narrowed her eyes. “I guess,” she said, albeit a bit mulishly.
