He looked at me earnestly. "Yes, that's exactly what we are. We boost one another. Your proximity made me strong enough to become the youngest Alpha the Ramseys have had.”
“Then it must have been you who gave me my speed and endurance because we were close. Have you been in the west end for a while?”
“I recently returned three years ago.”
“We’ve been here for two.”
They were quiet for a moment.
"Where were you before that?"
"In a special wolves school," Keiron said. Hadleigh studied him pondering wolf education. She opted to not ask more.
“About your parents, I'm really sorry. Do you think it was natural?”
“No. Neither Faeden nor I think so.”
“Do you think it could be internal? Someone on the inside?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. I believe it has something to do with the changing earth around us. The lilacs don’t bloom anymore in the northeast. You see how they are in our visions.”
The two of them stared at the bare branches of the lilac trees around them. There wasn’t even a hint of old growth on them from prior springs. Only death.
“I didn’t think that lilacs had any healing properties,” Hadleigh commented. Keiron smiled at her.
“Jasmine, my healer, can turn anything into something medicinal. I bet yours can too.”
“What should we do?”
“Let’s get back to our families. I need to check in with Faeden. See if you can find anything out about this kind of thing with your people.”
They nodded, shifted, and parted ways.
When Hadleigh arrived at her den, she could hear a bustle in the dining hall. Plenty of happy voices echoed between chewing and drinking.
Hadleigh wanted to take a shower before eating something. As she made her way to her place, she overheard whispering. She caught a few words mixed with, “Luna” and “sick.” She tiptoed closer and trained her ears to the voices.
“I thought I was being a hypochondriac by proxy. Until I remembered what happened to the Ramsey clan,” said James.
“You were right to be worried. I’m glad you came to me when you did,” Lucy voiced. “I think the same thing happened with Eagle Miigwan too.”
“Their long-standing Alpha and Luna died?”
“Yes.”
Hadleigh backed up. Keiron was right. There were others who thought his parents’ deaths weren’t natural and also other packs who were affected by this illness. She pondered what that could mean as took a shower. Noticing her hunger, she pursued a fresh meal.
When she arrived, Hadleigh could see James at the head table, but he was without Rainy. He held his emotions in and presented a strong exterior but the Eyres knew him. Even without the information that Hadleigh now had, she could see that James wasn’t doing well.
Luckily, those who had come back from the recent hunt were loudly and joyfully celebrating, serving to distract James. Chandra, a seasoned fighter, was shouting drunk words across the room. She was an excellent storyteller. Hadleigh smiled to herself as she heard about the hunters slipping down a hill that they didn’t expect to be so muddy and scaring their prey.
Hadleigh glanced at the seat next to her where Evan had sat. It was empty. How had things gone downhill so fast? A weight in her chest made her realize just how much she missed him. When she glanced at the doorway, there was Evan.
He always knew when she wanted him nearby. He peeked at her, not moving. She waved him on. By the time he sat down beside her, he was holding back tears.
“I’m so sorry, Hadleigh,” he whispered. “To both of you. I know how mates work. I even knew you weren't mine. I don’t know what the fuck came over me.” He lowered his head and tried to squeeze his tears away.
“It’s weird because now that you’re with him, I don’t feel the same about you. You’re still beautiful and everything, but it's like I'm no longer confused.”
“I'm glad you feel more sorted out.”
“But I’ll do anything, anything you ask ... if we can just be friends again.”
“Of course, we can. I forgive you, Evan.”
“Thank you!” He was crying and she hugged him.
“You will have an amazing mate,” Hadleigh said. "To some lucky girl out there."
“You know, I’ve started looking forward to meeting her. She must not be from around here. Kind of exciting.” He smiled, raising his eyebrows once.
She grinned and handed him some of her food. The two ate together and listened to more drunk stories from Chandra. They cheered with the rest of the crowd until they were full.
As the two of them were getting out of their chairs, they couldn’t deny that James was depressed. They could sense and smell it. Hadleigh explained to Evan what she overheard between James and Lucy, plus what she saw outside with Rainy.
“That’s not good at all. Have you spoken to Keiron about it?”
“A little. He’s looking into something like that too.”
When they were finished, they hugged and then Hadleigh went to visit Lucy to do some investigation.
Lucy let Hadleigh in. Her short dark hair matched her perky personality. As always, she was comforting and welcomed Hadleigh to sit down.
Hadleigh asked her about the illness that Keiron’s family had experienced. Lucy was reserved at first. Hadleigh decided to fill Lucy in on how she learned about the possible illness. While talking about it, the subject of her visions came up.
“So, you experience visions?” Lucy asked.
“Only dreams.” Hadleigh’s stomach wound up with anxiety. Perhaps she had said too much.
“I’ve heard of this.”
“You have?”
“Yes, and I know that it needs to be kept secret,” Lucy spoke quietly. “It sounds like the Ramsey family experienced what’s happening here too. I believe that if you can use your visions, you can find the antidote for this illness.”
Hadleigh looked into her healer’s desperate eyes. If Lucy was worried, then they were in trouble. Hadleigh knew she had to help in any way she could.
“What do you need me to do?"
Upon further questioning by Lucy, Hadleigh explained that her visions were sometimes stress-induced. That had been a mistake to reveal her ability to Lucy, at least at that time.
Once James knew about Hadleigh's gift, from then on out, he was constantly checking to see if she had experienced one.
When she hadn’t, he told her to get out and push her body. It seemed to be the only reliable way to get them to come, except when she was with Keiron, but she didn’t want anyone else to know about his status as a Visionary. Who knows what James may try if he did?
***
Keiron and Hadleigh had been training together to incorporate shifting when she finally told him about what was going on.
“You’re allowing them to push you in order to get a vision?” he asked with concern.
“Yes, but it’s for my pack," Hadleigh explained.
“Hadleigh, don’t let them do that to you," Keiron insisted.
“But I also want to know what happened to your parents,” Hadleigh admitted. He stared at her for a moment in silence. “Don’t you?”
“Part of your motivation has been for me?” Keiron questioned.
“Of course. I’d do anything to help you." Hadleigh looked at him. He moved to her and held her closely.
“I appreciate that but please, I need you alive and well. We can do what we have in the past to get connected. No more stress induced visions, okay?”
***
Keiron suggested that instead of running Hadleigh ragged, they should go to a place where intense emotion had occurred, together. Hadleigh led the way for Keiron. The pine needles felt soft under her wolf feet.
Keiron stayed close with Hadleigh as they traveled to her and her dad's favorite place. She found comfort in the smells that she had known her whole life. The Eyres pack hadn't traveled away from the northeast much. The woods she walked through were just like the last territory, and the last, and the last.
When she got to her destination, she sat down. When she shifted back to human and pulled her legs up to her chest. Her chin rested on her right kneecap as she brought her arms around her knees. Keiron ran his hand lightly over her head and sat down beside her.
The feeling of her long hair upon her thigh was surprising. It had grown fast in the past two months. She pulled on it, noticing several strands falling out. The stress was affecting her body in multiple ways.
Her gaze tilted upward at the stars. Without the lights of any nearby city polluting her view, she was able to enjoy their twinkling beauty. She wondered if her father was looking at the same sky or perhaps, he was already up there watching over her.
"When I was younger, my dad used to take me up here. We'd have what we called, 'Dadleigh talks.’ I'd tell him about my day and he'd do the same. More than once, he let things slip. Things that I wasn't supposed to know, like spoiling my tenth birthday surprise party or how my sister secretly loves country music."
Hadleigh smiled at the memory.
"How long has he been gone?" Keiron asked quietly as he gently touched some nearby grass blades with his rough fingertips. Hadleigh was silent for a few seconds.
"A little over two years.”
"Same with me," Keiron replied.
"What do you mean? You lost your dad?"
"Yeah. Then my mom," he said.
“Oh, Keiron, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“It’s not as bad, now that I have you.”
As she turned to him, he kissed her gently, then a flash of white light hit her.
“It’s working,” she whispered. They sat together and he pressed his lips to her again. The world began to shed pink. Within moments, Selene walked to them.
“You’re all right?” Hadleigh asked. “Last time Lucien …”
“Yes, these are only representations of me," Selene said. "Young ones, we must make this quick either way. What are you here for? Illness perhaps?”
"My pack’s Luna is sick. They need you to help her," Hadleigh pleaded.
"There is a recipe for a tincture."
Selene showed Hadleigh the ingredients in quick flashes. As simple as that, they were burned into her mind.
"Thank you," Hadleigh said. "That’s a neat trick."
"You're welcome. Go, straight away.”
Hadleigh and Keiron promised to meet later. With the healing recipe fresh in her mind, Hadleigh vowed to get home quickly.
On four legs she could run like the wind, and as soon as she shifted she sprinted off. This time in the woods, she wasn't as careful to avoid the thorny bushes. Their rigid stems raked across her amber fur, some poking her skin. She didn’t care. Her love for Rainy energized her.
When she arrived back at the den, Hadleigh rushed to Lucy’s bedside and shook her frantically. Lucy sat up with a start.
"What is it? Is the Luna–"
"I got the recipe to heal her from Selene. Hurry!."
Hadleigh wondered, had she made it back in time to save Rainy?