Chapter 29
Elodie
Islept deeply, without dreams, and woke in the circle of Valens’s arms. It was strangely wonderful. Strange because it should have been awkward, but wonderful because it felt as natural as breathing. Easy and right.
Valens seemed to make everything that way without even trying.
The awkwardness finally set in when he handed me a still-plastic-wrapped spare toothbrush.
“Have a lot of one-night guests needing toothbrushes?” I asked, then wanted to kick myself. We were strangers until a few weeks ago; I had no claims on his time or affections before I came along. It made no sense to be jealous at the thought of him buying a toothbrush for some unnamed other woman.
Since when did a mate bond make sense, though?
But he wasn’t offended—he just laughed and kissed me on the forehead. “Not quite. I do have a sister with a bulk-buying problem, though.”
I grinned and snatched the toothbrush from his hand, my wolf oddly pleased, though I’d never admit it.
By the time I’d arrived on the doorstep of my own cottage to get a fresh uniform for the day, Galyna was already up and gone.
Part of me was glad, but still, a flash of guilt twanged through me.
It was wrong, being at odds with my partner.
None of this was her fault or her doing.
So why was I taking it out on her as if she were my own personal punching bag?
It wasn’t what we did. She was my first true friend, not just my partner.
I guess what they said about messengers was true. They tended to take friendly fire.
Freshly dressed, I vowed to apologize for losing it on her as soon as I saw her.
I was just rummaging through the nearly bare fridge when someone knocked softly on the door.
Not Galyna.
I pulled it open and smiled to find Fiona on the other side.
“Fi! What’s up? Want a cup of coffee?” I opened the door wide and gestured for her to come inside. “I’d offer you breakfast too, but Lyna and I aren’t great about stocking the fridge, so I don’t have any. We never run out of caffeine, though. That we’ve got.”
Fiona snorted, shooting me a quick sideways glance. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? If anyone can run off caffeine and pure confidence, it’s you two.”
I grinned at her accurate description as I poured her a cup of joe. “So, what are you up to today? Not that I don’t love a visit, but I figured you’d be busy helping Lucien wrangle every wolf in the world.”
She went to take a swig of coffee but froze, gaze lingering on her misshapen purple mug.
“We are, but I wanted to check on you, make sure you were all right. Oli gave me a rundown of what happened yesterday, and… I thought you might need to talk. Girl talk is good for the soul.” She winked at me, then finally took a small sip.
My smile was weak, and I knew it. But Fiona was too sharp for me to simply hide behind platitudes and pretend I was hunky-dory.
“I don’t know what I am right now. Mixed up, mostly?”
She nodded. “A new mate bond will do that to a girl, I think all of us would agree.” She drummed her fingers on the cracked linoleum counter, thinking.
“Is there anything you want to talk about? Vent about? Rage at the heavens? I can’t howl, but I can whip up a good storm if you need something to rage with. ”
Her eyes, one blue, one brown, flashed suddenly amber, and condensation formed on the outside of both our cups as she pulled moisture from the air around us, probably by accident.
“I’m lucky to have a friend like you, you know that? Not many people can offer to throw a literal damn hurricane at my enemies.”
She grinned, flexing her fingertips. “Your wish is my command.”
I couldn’t help but grin at the genie reference. “Yeah, unfortunately, I don’t think even your talents can help me. All I wish is that I didn’t have to choose between my calling and my mate.”
Fiona frowned. “I know. You shouldn’t have to. But maybe, if it’s fate, you don’t actually have—”
She froze, words dying on her lips. Her still-amber eyes widened as she started to cant to the left on her barstool.
“Fi? Fiona!” I leapt over the counter as she started to fall, several seconds passing as my sheer panic broke enough for me to realize what was happening. She was having a seizure.
I caught her before she hit the ground using my wolf’s speed, but just barely. My brain flipped through everything I’d read about how to help during seizures when Fi joined the pack and I quickly rolled her on her side.
Oh Goddess, her eyes had rolled back. Shit, this was really happening, and I was alone. Her body was stiff, jaw tight and back arched, as I whipped the cell phone out of my pocket to call backup.
Galyna answered on the first ring. Goddess bless her for never holding a grudge.
“I need you. Fiona’s having a seizure, we’re at our cottage, bring Reed.”
“I’m on my way.”
The line went dead, and I dropped the phone, not caring where it landed as Fiona convulsed in my arms. I held her head and one shoulder for balance, saying soothing nonsense on autopilot as I prayed with everything I had that she came through it safely.
I couldn’t tell you if a minute or an hour had passed before the cottage door slammed open, and then we were surrounded. Reed and Galyna, Olivia and Dakota encircled us, dropping to their knees to check on her.
Tears blurred my vision as Olivia took over, the usually meek healer barking orders with the confidence of a drill sergeant.
I didn’t process a word she said. I watched, mute, as Reed lifted Fiona from the floor, carrying her across to our tattered couch, but I was frozen, unable to follow.
We’d been friends for a few months now, but I’d never actually seen her have a seizure.
All the late-night reading in the world couldn’t prepare me for watching her go through it for real.
I sucked in a strangled breath, tears running freely now as someone squatted in front of me.
Lyna.
“She’s going to be okay. Reed and Oli have her. You did exactly the right thing, and it should pass in a minute or two, okay?”
I bawled as I threw myself into my partner’s arms, and she didn’t hesitate to nearly choke me with the force of her return hug.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I mumbled against her hair.
She laughed, patting me briskly on the back. Galyna had never been much for emotions, no matter how long we’d been partners. Yet she didn’t push me away, just whispered some soothing nonsense of her own.
When I was calm, she pulled back, gripping me tightly by the shoulders.
She made sure to stare me down so I couldn’t ignore her when she spoke.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re getting a shit deal from the maidens.
I can’t deny that even if I have to follow orders.
But you and me? We’re a unit. No matter what. ”
“I know that. I’m just sorry I took it out on you. I know it’s not you. I just—” I swallowed hard, unable to admit the truth. I was scared my life was veering sharply away from hers, and I didn’t know how to handle that with grace. She was my family; the first family I’d had since my parents died.
Leaving her felt impossible. Scary on a cellular level.
How could I tell her any of that? How could I tell her that I was pretty sure I was about to be booted from the Maiden’s Enclave because Valens was my fated mate, and despite my best efforts, I was falling head over heels for him?
That I was making choices that took me away from her?
It cut sharper than the butterfly swords we both carried, and it cut deep.
“Just remember—no matter what.” Somehow, she seemed to know it all without a word passing between us.
I closed my eyes, letting her hold me up in more ways than one.
“Elodie!” Valens skidded into the room with Lucien hot on his heels, and my eyes snapped to my Brute. He was the sun and I his moon, drawn to him inexorably through the ages.
He dropped into a squat at my side, searching me over as if looking for physical wounds. “Are you okay? Is Fiona?”
I dashed away my tears as Galyna finally released me. “I’ll give you two a moment.”
“I’m not sure, honestly. I panicked, and when everyone got here, Olivia took over, thankfully. I needed a minute to compose myself, but we should go check.”
He nodded gravely, offering me a hand up. I placed mine in his, not too proud in the moment to admit my knees were jelly.
The second I was on my feet, he wrapped his arms around me, tucking my head under his chin and scenting me. His warm campfire-and-sugar scent enveloped me, and one by one, my muscles loosened, the tension sliding off me like rain off a duck’s back. It was pure magic, the way he held me.
After a minute, when I was truly back to myself, we separated and crossed the room to where Fiona lay on the tatty couch.
“Is she okay?” I asked, hating how weak I sounded.
It was shameful for a maiden to break down the way I had.
But damn it, I was trained to handle combat, not medical emergencies.
Something I’d be addressing with the head priestess next time I saw her.
Not all our charges were wolves with perfect healing.
We should have more medical training than just how to apply a pressure dressing and a tourniquet.
“She’s resting now. It’s done. She’ll probably be groggy and tired for a while, though. I’m not sure how her djinn powers affect her recovery compared to a human with a seizure disorder. Maybe she’ll recover more quickly, but I’d like her to rest either way.”
“Thank you, Oli. You saved the day when I lost it.” I reached over to squeeze her hand. She thought of herself as weak, but damn if she wasn’t strong as steel when it counted.
“You didn’t lose anything until I had her.
You did well,” Olivia insisted. “In fact, if you’d like to know more about seizures, we can get Bri on the phone and go over the protocol in more detail, but you handled things perfectly, I promise.
” She squeezed my fingers, punctuating that I’d done well with simple physical reassurance.
“I’d like that. As soon as we can, actually. For all the maidens,” I added, turning to Galyna.
“I agree. We should all know how to help her in case of emergency,” an unexpected voice called from behind us. I turned, and there was Dakota, guarding the door.
Bitterness rushed up in my throat with strangling force, but I pushed it down.
It wasn’t her fault either. She was one of the sisterhood, doing as she was ordered. And I would not make the mistake of taking my anger out on her too.
“I’ll let Marciana know and see about getting us all some more training.” Galyna patted me on the shoulder before turning and walking into her room, possibly to go make the call right then.
“Oh no, not again.” The angry whisper stopped us all in our tracks.
“Fi! I’m so glad you’re awake.” I squatted next to where she lay on the couch. “How do you feel?” I wanted to squeeze the stuffing out of her, but that might hurt, given what she’d just been through, so I opted to take her hand instead, rubbing my thumb soothingly over the back of her knuckles.
“Like hammered shit. But I’ll live. There’s—” She cleared her throat.
“I’ll get you some water,” Valens offered, darting to the kitchen.
A minute later, he was back and pressing a cup into my hand for her. I helped her take an awkward sip. “Better?”
“Yes, thanks. There’s something I need to tell you all.”
“It can wait until you’ve rested, healer’s orders,” Oli scolded from my side.
“No, it’s urgent. I had another vision.”