Chapter 26 Chapter 26
The next morning, Suki sat on a bench in the parterre in front of her home, looking out at the cherry trees that she and her mother would pick together. She clenched onto the stone of her necklace, wishing her mother were here with her so she could ask for advice on everything that seemed to be going wrong around her.
“You seem deep in thought,” Reynard said.
Suki stood suddenly and turned to face him. “I’ve got a lot on my mind,” she said. Wanting to change the subject immediately, she looked him up and down. “Nice leathers, I almost forgot how hot and powerful you look in your warrior’s uniform.”
Rey chuckled, wrapping his arms around her in a warming embrace, “And you look entirely impeccable and beautiful in your formal leathers. Are you ready for me to escort you to Silver Moon?”
“Yes,” she whispered, squeezing him for a moment before relaxing and looking him in the eye, “but first I want to see how that man is doing.”
Furrowing his brows, “Are you sure?” he asked.
A nod.
“Alright, I’ll tell the driver to take a detour that way. Let’s go.”
✧ ✧ ✧
The two arrive, both looking like a perfect power couple in their leathers. They approached the room where the patient was kept, and they noticed the man fast asleep in bed, and a doctor from the hospital and Cassandra were in the middle of a discussion. They paused as they saw Suki and Rey arrive.
Suki smiled, “Good morning, Cassandra.”
“Morning, Suki,” she returned the smile, “and to you, too, Reynard.”
Placing his fist over his chest, he bowed. “Good to see you.”
“How is he?” Suki asked, looking to the doctor.
The doctor hummed a sigh before she spoke, “We’ve done all the tests we could and discovered none of the usual weaknesses for lycanthropy had prevented him from shifting. No wolfsbane detected in his system.”
“None at all?” Reynard asked.
She shook her head.
Cassandra chimed in, “I’ve also used my magic to connect with nature, to see if I could sense if this was any form of magic used against him, but also nothing. No witch alone is powerful enough to commit such a curse without leaving a magical trace behind, and there are no indications of a simple block spell either. So, unless this was a curse implemented by nature or the Moon Goddess herself, I cannot confirm if it was magical.”
Suki’s eyes glistened with fear. “So, what does that mean? Is there something else at work here? Is he losing his wolf?”
The doctor stepped over to Suki and smiled faintly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “From what I can see from his vitals, his strength is restoring, and if you focus, you can smell his wolf more now, as if that wall is crumbling down. Whatever effect this was, it was temporary.”
A glimmer of hope shone in her eyes. “That’s great,” she said, but noticed a disappointed look on the doctor’s face. She frowned, “Why don’t you look pleased about it?”
“Whatever this was that caused it…” The doctor paused for a moment and sighed as she continued, “It was undetectable for us, Suki, and yes, it is amazing his power is restoring, but that also means we have little to no chance to discover what exactly caused this.”
Her breathing stuttered, and her eyes watered slightly as she stepped back, where Reynard was already standing so close to her.
He held her shoulders and pressed his chest against her back to offer her comfort.
“So that means,” Suki began, trembling over her words, “this could happen again?”
The doctor tried to reassure her. “For now, there is nothing to worry about. Whatever this was, it was temporary, and we’re monitoring him to ensure he recovers to perfect health. This likely was just a one-off thing.”
“He could’ve just been sick, and it was his body’s way of healing quicker,” Cassandra added. “As supernatural creatures, you heal in different ways compared to humans, and as things adapt in the world, even you will adapt along with them.”
Suki nodded, “Okay, thank you for sharing this information. We’d better get going.”
The pair left the medical centre and got into the car, seated in the back of the car as the driver silently drove them to the Silver Moon pack.
‘I can feel your agitation down the bond.’ Rey spoke softly to her, embracing her through their connection.
She sighed. ‘They both seem so confident that it was a one-off thing.’
‘You don’t feel the same?’
‘No… My gut is telling me this is just the beginning.’ Suki looked down at the space between them on the middle seat, their hands so close to one another. Her fingers twitched closer, begging for his touch and warmth.
He inched closer also, allowing their pinky fingers to brush against each other before they softly intertwined their fingers together. Neither of them had to say anything down the bond; they both knew to enjoy each other’s company and be in the moment before the chaos continued.
✧ ✧ ✧
The air surrounding Silver Moon felt different to the last time Suki had set foot in their borders; it was more refreshing and clear, as if all the darkness of the curse that once poisoned their home had finally vanished.
Suki led the way towards the Alpha’s manor, once named the Shaw Manor, now rightfully named Rieka Manor. Reynard followed behind her to ensure he could monitor her entire surroundings, like the perfect guard he was.
Walking up the steps towards the door, Suki faltered, “I still think we should have contacted them beforehand instead of just turning up like this–”
“Suki!” Rey sped towards her and pulled her behind him in time as three guards appeared and held up spears right at him.
One of them growled, “What are you doing here, trespassers?”
Rey held his arms up in defence as he spoke slowly and concisely, “My name is Reynard Otake, warrior of the Moonstone pack and chosen protector to escort Suki Twyla, daughter of the Beta, to meet with the leaders of Silver Moon.”
“We have not been informed of your arrival,” another guard sneered, pushing the spear closer towards Reynard.
“Please,” Suki tried to step forward, but Rey forced her back, holding her behind him protectively. “It’s urgent, we have to speak to them, we had no time to plan for a meeting.”
“Leave now,” the guard demanded, pointing his spear towards Suki, “or we will be forced to retaliate.”
Rey snarled, “Point those spears at me for all I care, but if you dare point that at Suki again, I’ll be forced to retaliate.”
“How dare you threaten an officer of the Alpha?” The guard on the left lunged for Rey.
He grabbed the guard’s spear, gripping it tightly as it punctured him in the shoulder ever so slightly. Though looking at his face, it didn’t seem to bother him and only allowed him more control as he jolted the spear back with great force, shoving the guard to the ground. He threw the obtained spear out of reach.
Suki stumbled back and fell to the ground as the two other guards plunged for Reynard, but his reflexes were insane, manoeuvring himself swiftly as he wrapped his arms around the spears and grabbed them, allowing him more control. He hauled his parted arms together and slammed the two guard into each other, relinquishing their holds of the spears and also throwing them out of reach.
As the guards all shot back up to their feet, Rey was ready to counter all their moves, taking them on in a fight single-handedly without allowing any of them a chance to make a move for Suki, who watched in awe, seeing how strong her best friend had truly become.
The three guards managed to hold him down for a moment, and before he had a chance to break free, a familiar deep voice echoed as it approached closer. “What in the name of the Goddess is going on here?!”
Turning to the voice, a chill ran down Suki’s spine, which was no surprise to her. His voice had that impact on everyone he crossed. “Everett,” she shuddered.