Page 33 of Shifter's Homecoming

Finally, his heartbeat seemed to slow. He was almost asleep on the cold hard floor, when she spoke to him.

“Talk to your brother, ask him if you had a reaction to the vaccine the first time.”

Trent’s head was still fuzzy and he did not want Troy to hear him like this. “Can you call him?” he said in her general direction, raising his free hand to his forehead, forcing the words out.

She gave him a sharp look. “You know I can’t speak shifter telepathy.”

“Oh. Right.” Trent took a deep breath and composed his thoughts, posing the question exactly as she had.

Troy, Rowan wants to know if I had a reaction to the vaccine when you—

Troy responded right away, his voice saying he was worried.No, no reaction. What’s going on?

Nothing, you stay where you are,Trent told him, too quickly.

Troy laughed in his head, but it turned into a snarl.Look, if you faked this shit just to get back with her, I will shove my boot so far up your ass you'll be tasting steel-toe for a week.

Trent felt a bit better. He bit back at his brother.Calm down snapperhead, … not faking… not getting back with her either. … healing. … recovering. Cool your fucking jets.

Troy chuffed in his head and Trent turned his attention back to his mate. She was coming in fast with another needle. This one went in the I.V. tubing.

Trent felt dreamy and disconnected. He watched his mate while she scribbled notes in her notebook. Every once in a while she would peek at him over her notes, then she would scribble more. Her face was set in worried lines.

Eventually, he passed out.

21 - Heading Out

Reed watched out the window of the small private jet that she, Troy, and their team were in. It was their third flight, and their last. Darkness had fallen already, and if it weren’t for the moon’s light, they would have no light at all. The land below was almost dark from the air, with only a few small towns dotting the landscape.

Once they touched down, they would take ATVs to the point of entry… and then it was all on Reed. The forest they were heading into covered over a million acres, and Trent hadn’t been seen for weeks. He could be anywhere. If they could get close, no doubt Troy would be able to scent his brother, but Reed was the only one who could get them close.

If the trees would cooperate.

She had no idea what this “power” of hers entailed. She’d seen trees rip in and out of the ground. She’d seen trees make a sort of cage, one to protect her a long time ago when she was very young, and one to protect Troy when she hadn’t even been there. She had to admit she was communicating with the trees… but she did not know if she would always get an answer, she did not know what the limits of the forest’s knowledge and ability was, and she did not know exactly what the trees would be willing to do for her.

Troy was seated next to her, staring out the window at the forest, a sublime look on his face. He grasped her hand and smiled at her. When he was close to her, when he looked at her and touched her and smiled at her, he made her feel like she could do anything. She didn’t know how he did it, he just did. She smiled back, still praying the trees could and would help her find his brother.

They’d been talking all day, and he’d told her story after story about Trent. He’d told her about their young lives in the “war camps,” he told her about their jobs in New York, and their move to Illinois after Trevor had been called to head the KSRT. He’d told her about what it had been like for him and Trent to live as wolves for so long. He’d told her the full story about Trevor meeting Ella and about her cat Smokey, who mirrored or “echoed” Trent’s coloring, and how he’d been attached to Trent ever since.

The plane started to descend. Reed craned her neck, and could see a dimly lit runway far ahead. It only took another twenty minutes and they were down.

They stopped near a hangar and the co-pilot opened the side door for them. Reed and Troy let “their team” get out first. The team consisted of five men, all cops, all patrol officers, Troy said. He hadn’t introduced her to any of them. They’d all been polite, but reserved, leaving her to Troy and Troy to her. There was a plan, Troy had told her all of it, but she was leaving the details up to him. She would just focus on talking to the trees.

Troy got up and grabbed their bags, hoisting his rucksack onto his back, and hoisting hers on top of it. She tried to take it, but he hadn’t let her carry it once yet, and he wasn’t going to let her now. “I got it,” he told her. “And if you need it, I’ll carry you, too.”

She laughed and took a step back. She would get the rucksack from him later, when he was tired… if he got tired.

They headed out.

22 - Trent Takes Charge

Trent woke up still on the floor, but with a pillow under his head, a blanket over him, and the I.V. still in his arm. He was sore as hell, but he held still and took a few moments to get his bearings. 4:42 in the morning again. Again? Had he really lain unconscious on the floor all afternoon and most of the night?

Disbelieving, he propped himself up on one elbow and saw his mate sitting near him, slumped against the bed, sleeping, her pretty face pressed against the sheets, pen still in her fingers, notebook on her lap, notes abouthimon every page.

Trent lowered his head back to the floor and thought hard, trying to remember his dream. It had been in the meadow, but outside the shut T-Rex doors. His wolf had arrived at the same time as he had. Neither of them asked for admittance. They could not merge. Trent’s wolf had flopped over on his side and panted all night, while Trent watched him helplessly.

Trent shook his head and rubbed a hand up the side of his face, not knowing what to do, not knowing what was right, and what was wrong, and what was next. He knew only one thing. He would take care of his mate. She would not sleep on the floor.

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