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“I can’t hear her,” he said. God. It meant their telepathic link had been severed.
“Daddy,” I said. “She’s alive. She’s still alive.”
“It’s happened all over the lake,” he said.
The door creaked open. Pat was there.
“Tucker,” she said. “Don’t strain yourself.” She moved to the window and carefully opened the shades, flooding the room in light.
My father’s skin had become translucent. My mother’s had gone white and waxen.
“Dragonblood,” I said. “We need to get a hold of Xander Brandhart. Why hasn’t anyone sent for him? If it’s all the packs, the Devanes are ill too.” Xander Brandhart, one of the last remaining dragons on earth, had a family connection to one of the Alphas settled here.
“Tempest,” Pat said. “We need to talk somewhere in private.”
I turned back to my father. I put a hand to his cheek. Like my brother, he was cold to the touch. I pulled the blanket covering him up to his chin.
“You need your rest,” I said. “I’m here now. I’ll get help. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
My father’s eyes wandered up, searching for mine. “Why did you come back here?” he said. “Pat, why did you let her?”
“Hush,” Pat said. She grabbed my arm. “Let them rest. They can handle the sunlight for a little while. If I had the strength to get them outside, I would. Maybe now that you’re here…”
“NO!” My father found the strength to shout. “Tempest, you need to leave. That’s an order. I’m still the pack leader around here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said. Pat pulled me toward the door. She put a finger to her lips and ushered me back into the hall. She closed the door softly behind her.
“What is this?” I said.
“Shh,” she said. “Keep your voice down. Your father’s ears are still sensitive. If he hears too much, it’ll agitate him.”
“They need Dragonblood,” I said. “Whatever this is, it’ll heal them. The Brandharts should be here. We have to send for them.”
“Follow me,” she said.
“Gran,” I said. “You need to be resting, too. Have you been going up and down stairs to care for them by yourself?”
“You’re here now,” she said. “The four-wheeler is still out in the barn. You can make your rounds when you feel up to it.”
“My rounds?”
Pat took the steps one at a time, letting each foot fall side by side before she tackled the next one. When I moved to pick her up and carry her, she waved me off.
“I can get there,” she said. “Don’t need to show off with your wolf strength.”
We made our way back to the kitchen. Pat went to the nearest chair and sat down. I looked at her. Really looked at her. New lines carved through her face. For as long as I’d known her, she had always held joy in her eyes, no matter what drama had befallen Wild Lake or the world. Now, she just looked sad.
“Dragonblood doesn’t help,” she said. “Your father believes this is fae magic. That’s why your brother said we had to find this Lissa. He said she’s fae. Or part fae…something. He goes in and out.”
“I told you,” I said. “She’s dead. She tried to hurt someone I thought I cared about. I had no choice. I killed her.”
“Where have you been, Tempest?” Pat said, her eyes filling with tears.
“I came back,” I said, not knowing how else to answer.
“Thank God for that,” she said. “I don’t know how much time they have left.”
“Where are the others?” I asked. “The Tullys? The Laniers? The Monroes?”
