Page 3

T he moment she stepped into the apothecary, Kinleigh’s mouth dropped open. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling. All different types of bottles lined the shelves. She saw charms, candles, incense, jewelry, and knickknacks interspersed with ibuprofen, toothpaste, and tampons. It was truly a mix of modern drugstore and metaphysical.

“This place is awesome,” Kinleigh breathed, looking around in awe.

“Thank you.”

Both she and Payton turned. A tall, statuesque woman stood there, smiling. Her long, dark hair was braided down her back. Next to her was a shorter woman with curly red hair.

“Hi, Savannah,” Payton said. “Hi, Brinnah. This is my cousin, Kinleigh. We’ve come about a problem of the heart.”

Savannah cocked her head. “What type of problem?”

“I had to reject my moon-fated mate,” Kinleigh said.

Brinnah’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. I know how painful that is.”

Savannah put her arm around the younger woman. “Brinnah was rejected, which caused her to flee her pack. She came to Sheridan and found her true mate.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Kinleigh said to the pretty woman. “But true mate?”

“The High Luna always has a plan,” Savannah said with a wink.

“The man the High Luna gave me was a very bad person,” Brinnah said. “But he was a false mate. Now, I have a wonderful man.”

“I’m happy for you,” Kinleigh said sincerely. “My ex-mate is also a bad man. Payton thought there might be something to help with this emptiness inside.”

She tapped her chest, right over her heart.

Brinnah pushed her long hair behind her ear and Kinleigh saw the tip on the top curve, and she couldn’t help but stare in confusion. Brinnah must have seen where her line of sight rested and self-consciously moved her hair back into place.

“I’m sorry,” Kinleigh said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

“It’s fine,” Brinnah said with a shrug. “I forget that my ears are different.”

“Were you born with them?”

She shook her head. “I come from a very secular pack. When our wolf presents itself, we’re taught to keep our ears in honor of our true nature. I never knew my pack was so old-fashioned until I came here. Unfortunately, I haven’t learned to retract them, and I’m not sure I ever can.”

“I think they’re beautiful,” Kinleigh said.

Brinnah’s eyes widened. “Really? Thank you.”

“Savannah,” Payton said. “Do you have something to help Kinleigh?”

She tilted her head. “May I?” she asked Kinleigh, who nodded permission.

Savannah reached out and ran a finger lightly over Kinleigh’s forehead. A flash of heat seared through her head, and the slight headache that had been lingering since she rejected Vaughn disappeared.

“Oh,” she said, surprised. “Whatever you did, that felt great.”

“The wound he placed on your heart is seeping,” Savannah murmured. “One gossamer thread ties you to your ex-mate.” She walked over to a wall and took down an amber-colored glass jar. “Unlike Brinnah’s case, the High Luna has not tricked you into leaving to find your true mate. She hoped this union would’ve healed the rot in his soul, but it’s too far decayed. He is to blame, not you. Would you like me to cauterize the slice?”

“Will that completely free me?”

“Yes. Once the thread is severed, you can find love again.”

“But I won’t have children,” Kinleigh said sadly.

Savannah held up a finger. “Actually, I do see children in your future, just not biological ones.”

“Oh,” Kinleigh said. “I never thought of that. I bet there are lots of pups needing a forever home.”

“Precisely,” Savannah replied. “Shifter children can’t integrate as foster kids. They have to stay with our kind. But finding homes for them can be a little tricky since most packs are isolated.”

Savannah walked behind her counter and grabbed a few more jars. Then, in a mortar dish, she added all the ingredients and mixed it with the pestle. Then she added the concoction to a mesh bag.

“Drink this tea,” she instructed. “It will sever that fragile cord and leave you free to find a chosen mate.”

Kinleigh smiled happily. “You have any hot water?”

****

D aire pulled his truck into the garage of his house and shut off the engine. Grabbing several folders resting on the passenger seat, he hopped out of the cab and entered his house. The idea of a date night excited him. It’d been too long since he enjoyed a female’s company.

He tossed the folders onto his kitchen table and then made his way to his bedroom. Stripping off his dirty clothes, he tossed them into the laundry basket and stepped into the shower. Hot water cascaded down his body as he lathered up his hands to wash every inch of himself, while thoughts of Kinleigh Shire filled his head. He hoped they could have a little fun before she went back to her pack.

As he stepped out of the shower, his cell rang. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he hurried to his nightstand where his phone rested. The number that flashed made him pause.

Fuck! He really didn’t want to answer it, but guilt was a nasty bitch. Swearing under his breath, he accepted the call.

“Daire?”

The fragile voice made him cringe. He didn’t want to talk to her. Hell, he even went out of his way to avoid thinking about her. Guess he couldn’t dodge her forever.

“Hello, Evonne,” he greeted.

“Is she with you?”

He sighed. “No, Evonne. She’s dead. Remember?”

She was silent for a moment, then the sobs came through. “Not my baby. Not my baby.”

“Evonne, where is your doctor?”

She just kept crying.

“Evonne!” he said louder. “Where’s your doctor?”

Finally, some noise and the obvious sound of the phone being taken away.

“Hello?” a male voice asked. “Mr. Nolin?”

“Yes, Doc.”

“I’m sorry about this,” he said. “She’s allowed cell phone privilege once a month.”

“I know,” Daire remarked. “But I have no answers for her. Maybe you should revoke her phone privilege because she’s not getting better if she still thinks she can talk to Nicola.”

“Actually, I’m thinking about sending her to a new facility in upstate New York,” the doctor said. “Her psychosis is expanding. She’s living in the past more and more.”

“If you think it’s best, then I support that decision.”

“All right. I’ll start the paperwork and will send it when I have everything organized. Good night, Mr. Nolin.”

“Good night.”

He disconnected the call, and then stood there. His mind traveled back in time, to when he’d found his moon-fated mate and everything made sense. He’d been happy for an infinitesimal moment that ended far too soon.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed all that to the side. He was going to have a nice evening out with a beautiful woman. Maybe he would visit Savannah in order to finally break free from the lingering pain and sorrow festering in his soul. After all, how could he find happiness again if he was stuck in the past?