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“You ready to get out of here?” Jasper asked, glancing at his brother, who nodded. “Some place quieter?”

“Yeah, I should be studying,” I rasped, not caring whether I made anybody here feel like I was angry at them or fleeing from them. Even though I was.

Jasper’s eyebrow quirked, and the corner of his mouth pinched, but neither he nor Flynn vetoed anything I said. Jasper extended his arm, and I tucked myself against him as he ushered me out of the den, through the exit tunnel, and into the sunshine. I paused and turned my face toward the light streaming through the leaves before he brought me back to his much smaller, more intimate den.

“Have a seat,” he said. “I’ll bring food.”

“I’m not sure I can keep anything down.”

The couch creaked as I settled on the far edge of it, unwilling to get comfortable. My thoughts flew through the last day. I knew training would be hard. It should be difficult, but I hadn’t expected to accidentally knock myself unconscious. I tucked the cover around my body, not caring Jasper could see through the blanket.

“You should try to eat.”

“Do you have something to drink? I’m thirstier than anything.” My dry-mouthed smack put an explanation point on my parched throat.

“What strength?”

“What strength?” I echoed. I frowned and studied the ground as I tried to decipher the meaning of his question.

“Then it’s water strength for you.” He chuckled. “Ye’re exhausted, Emma. Ye need food and sleep.”

“I’d like to think I’m doing well with all this,” I said.

I thought of Riley and Shannon. I needed to check in with them and make sure they hadn’t been bothered by anyone.

His previous words suddenly made sense, and my gaze cut to him. “Oh, you were asking if I wanted something stronger than water,” I said.

“Ye guessed it.” He marched into the kitchen and rattled around before walking back out, carrying a tray with a bowl and a large glass of water.

I downed the water and handed the empty glass back to him. “Can I get another?” The next one went down as easily as the first. Then I eyed the stew in the bowl. “Bone broth?”

“Aye. Me ma’s best magic for what ails ye.” He settled in an armchair beside the couch and shrugged. “In other words, leftovers are easier to make than something new.”

“Listen, I need to talk to Riley and Shannon.”

“They’re fine,” he said.

“How do you know?”

“We have people watching their homes. Neither one has been bothered.”

“Well, my mom has to be losing her mind over mycontinued absence from Willow Creek, so I need to check in with her. Then I need to check on my patients and make sure everyone’s referring over to the other vet easily. Shannon would know to transfer the patient files, but?—”

Jasper waved his hand. “We’ll get it worked out. Maybe this afternoon. After you get a nap.”

“I’m not a child. You don’t have to treat me like one.”

Mostly, I had to check on Sully-Boy. I wasn’t about to let Callie down.

“No, but ye’ve proven ye don’t know when to go easy on yerself. Ye push harder than anybody I’ve ever met, and ye do things…” His voice trailed away, and he shook his head. “Nobody should be able to do after so few days.”

“Yeah, well, everybody you know has been shifting for years and isn’t expected to save the shifter world from some bad magic wizard asshole named after some river in Greece.” I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. “How the fuck did this asshole wind up in Louisiana, anyway?”

“I never asked him.” His face twisted into a beaming smile. “Maybe Logan knows. You could ask him next time ye see him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I wasn’t in the mood to be teased about how fast Logan had abandoned me.

He shrugged and glanced toward the door.