Page 95 of Hunted

While he gently probed my abdomen, I reached up to touch River’s cheek. “I thought I’d lost you.”

He kissed my palm, frowning as he gently extracted something I had clutched tight in my fingers. “You’ll never lose me. Never. I’ll always come for you. Always.”

The sound of sirens announced we were approaching the hospital. At last, I allowed exhaustion to pull me under.

* * *

FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS, I DRIFTED IN AND OUT. As Topher had predicted, my abdominal wound required exploratory surgery to remove the bullet, followed by a high dose of IV antibiotics. Apparently getting shot in the gut, then swallowing half of Lake Austin was not recommended. I would be lucky if I didn’t come away from this with a tapeworm. Fun times.

“I like the new fashion statement,” Hayden said dryly from beside my bed, where she was flipping channels on my TV.

“Seriously. I’m afraid to look every time the door opens.”

In addition to the three signs taped to my door, warning people that I was a newly turned werewolf, I got another plastic warning bracelet every time a new nurse came on shift. WEREWOLF. BLOOD-BORN PATHOGEN. ISOLATION. FEED EVERY THREE HOURS.

The last one hadn’t been a problem. Meera and Piper had an assembly line going in their kitchen at home, making hearty soups with beans and tofu. River had gotten me takeout from my favorite Thai and Indian restaurants, vegetarian curries in rich sauces. And Dallas had driven down from Blood Moon with an insulated carryout bag full of veggie cheeseburgers and fries that Meera and Piper could reheat and have on hand for me. I had to hand it to him, no one could grill a burger like Dallas.

“When did you know that you had turned?” my sister asked, voice serious. “I can remember the first time I realized there was this monster living in my bones, I was so scared. I was alone with it. I didn’t want you to be alone.”

“I wasn’t,” I reassured her. “I always knew no matter what happened, I would have you and River. That was never what scared me.”

Maybe some part of me had understood what was happening in the moment I’d snapped the plastic ties at my wrists like they were cellophane tape. Maybe I’d known since the Impossible Burgers. Had some part of my subconscious understood that months of visions had been leading me to this inexorable point? They had never been the nightmares of an unstable girl suffering a mental health crisis after her memories were erased, but the quiet warnings I needed to make sure that in the moment I turned, in the moment Rossi found me, I would be prepared for what I needed to do. I traced the bare skin of my forearm. The scars from where Rossi’s wolf had clawed me were gone. There was no sign the attack had ever occurred.

A knock sounded at my door. The Tracer guard outside moved aside to allow River in.

Hayden flicked a glance my way. “I’ll just go down to the cafeteria. You want anything?”

“Mmm… macaroni and cheese?”

“You got it.” She threw me a smirk. “Just remember, if you get him kicked out for getting frisky, they’ll slap another bracelet on you. Werewolf in heat.”

I threw my pillow at her. “Just for that, you can bring me chocolate milk, too.”

She caught the pillow and threw it back. “Done.”

River bent down, gently kissing me before setting something on the bed. “You look better every time I come back. The bruises are completely faded. I’m still getting used to your eyes.”

“I know. I jump every time I look in the mirror.” My irises had darkened to a deep brown. Their natural color would return by the end of the first moon cycle when my fever stopped spiking. I picked up the stuffed bunny River had left in my lap. A floppy lavender bow was knotted around its neck. “Okay, this is officially adorable.”

The stuffed bunny was wearing sky blue socks with syrup drenched waffles knitted on them. It was clutching a butternut squash that was also adorned with a big silk bow.

I hugged the squash. “You do realize I’m a vegetarian which means I’m going to hack this little guy to pieces and turn him into a soup?”

River bent down to kiss the tip of my nose. “At least cover his ears while you say it.”

I pushed the squash towards him. “Please identify the ears on our love squash.”

“Clearly someone failed Mr. Potato Head as a child.” He pulled the waffle socks off my bunny’s feet and covered her ears protectively with them.

I burst out laughing, and held my side. “Ow. Don’t make me laugh. The pain meds aren’t that good. Okay. Takeout it is.”

“I checked on Zucchini and Omelet. They’re fine. I gave them fresh hay, helped Meera and Piper get lunch ready, and did a security sweep.”

My heart melted. “You checked on my rabbits.”

“You love them. And I love you.” He laced his fingers with mine. “I’m glad you’re looking better. I was worried. Things were kind of touch and go there for a bit.”

I nodded. “Any news on Rossi?”