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I followed his progress with a wince. Damn, did my neck muscles hurt. “Not gonna pop inside?"
“And get my head chewed off?" He already had his keys in his fist. “I won't call on you for a couple days. If you're smart, when I do call, you'll be gone."
I braced myself on Cal's door, feeling woozy the longer I stood. “Say I go. What happens when they find out you let me slip away?"
“Won’t matter to you at that point, will it?” He rubbed his knuckles, hesitating on the bottom stair. “Look, I'm real sorry about Rachel Walker. About Mila, James and everyone else. About you."
The door opened. Calico’s lips pursed. “Oh, you mother—”
I sagged against Cal before she could chase the retreating sheriff. “Let him alone, Cal. He tried to stop me.” But he’d also wanted me there, so the sore parts of me felt she was a teensy bit justified if she shrugged me off and dragged him into the orchard.
After a blistering stare at his back, the alpha drew me into a hug. “Oh, sugar, what's he done to you?"
“This was on me. I picked a fight with his brother." She hustled me past the kitchen and into a living room housing a painting of a distorted Picasso-styled woman. Authentic at first glance, but right now my eyes were for the couch: a plastic and towel covered loveseat across from the television. “He warned me to stay out of it."
Her hand fell on her hip. “Why the hell didn't you?"
I eased onto crinkling plastic. “Guess I should leave the fighting to the actual werewolves. It's unfair, you guys healing so quick.” At a terrible thought, I sat back up. “Where's Mila? I don't want her to see this."
“She and Aiden are at the movies with Mina."
“Thank God. And this doctor, healer, whoever ...You trust them?"
“Listen, sugar." Cal laid her hand on my knee. Her smile was gentle, concerned, calming. “I'm not saying we're going to give you drugs you can't get from your doctor, but you aren't going to remember the rest of today. Close your eyes, rest. She'll be here soon. We'll talk tomorrow."
“Wait." I grabbed her hand. She raised an eyebrow. “Can you feed my cats and clean their litterbox?"
“Sounds like a suitable job for Harlowe.”
The day passed in a series of blurry memories. I remembered a woman's bony fingers feeling around my shoulder. I thought I saw Mina's angry face in passing sometime later, and Mila might've slept snuggled into my side a while, but I had no idea what had happened or what stinky herbal remedies lurked underneath my bandages come morning. Hell, I had no idea how I'd gone from my clothes into a lacy nightgown and fluffy pink bathrobe.
“Don't pick at it," Calico warned, setting a plate of toast on the coffee table. In a trim business suit, she draped herself on an armchair across from me, ever composed.
I pulled my hands away from the bandage and picked up the plate. “Werewolves and humans do not mix."
Her dark brown eyes landed on mine. “What happened?"
I nibbled a corner of crust. “We were investigating a suspect when August arrived demanding Caelan finish an assignment. Long story short, they killed a woman, I shot his beloved deputy in the knee and he got even."
“You're lucky it wasn't worse. You'll need a week off to keep yourself from damaging the stitches, and no strenuous activities for a while after. You can stay here. Aiden loves having Mila around, and I make an attentive nurse," she purred. “I'll make you forget what ails you."
I tucked the bathrobe tighter around my body. “I'd prefer to be home."
She scowled. “With the hellcats?"
“Igor means well." I took another bite of toast after being certain she hadn't stuffed a pill into the strawberry jam. “Hey, how much do you know about reapers?"
About to toss me the TV remote, she hesitated. “Why do you ask?"
“Caelan told me what he came from. I want to know if it's true."
Her lips pursed. “They pull 'em out of the pits and teach them how to act. The ones who chose not to swing the scythe are dead and digested. He might think a little different, but different is still dangerous, and he didn’t get out without being as nasty, or nastier, than the rest of the lot. He created and climbed over a mountain of bones to walk among us, Marcy. Never forget that."
Cal set the remote beside me and adjusted the sleeve of her suit. She looked sharp in dark grey, not that she could ever be dull. "I may have a piece of information for you. Before Stephen's death, I remember Jaz telling me someone came around the place one afternoon. I'll have him talk to you when he gets back from his trip."
“Where is he?"
“Antiques dealer in Rockport. Stephen collected old bikes. I have no use for them, but Jaz found a potential buyer." She rose to get coffee, and I leaned my head back into a towel-covered pillow, wondering if the pack I saw the night Stephen died had been alive or dead.
