Page 58 of Shifting Winds
I relayed as much as I could, telling him how all the flowers in my yard had bloomed at once and Seymour had jumped onto the table and bit me, fortunately not sending venom through his teeth. “All the signs were there, so I headed straight to Evie’s to find her on the ground.”
Only a select few knew what she’d done with the seed, and I left that part out. Yes, it was important, and if I had to speculate, the seed was probably behind what was happening to her now, but if Ben knew what she’d done, the info might not be safe from the other Lords.
Ben’s moral compass was rigid and unyielding.
Thus why he’d fucked up so spectacularly with the woman currently trapped in a cage of her own making.
Evie and I both had strong morals, but whereas Ben was an oak, she and I were willows, pliable and able to bend when circumstances demanded so.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Ben demanded.
“Nothing you need to know at this time. Will she be okay?”
Ben shook his head. “There’s no way for me to determine. She’s alive. All her vitals are stable, but she is out of it. I suspect she’s put herself into a form of hibernation while her body repairs the damage.” He eyed me. “The damage you won’t tell me about so I can help her.”
“Did you sense any damage?” I asked.
His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t look closely enough. Mostly I wanted to make sure she was still alive. I’ll look at her again in a minute.” He crossed his arms over his massive chest.
Ben wasn’t a wolf. Nor, like everyone guessed, was he a bear, though he had the barrel chest and tree trunk arms reminiscent of our bear brethren a few states over. He was something far worse—so deadly even my wolf hesitated to tangle with him.
“You aren’t going to tell me.” Flat words, annoyance flashing in his eyes.
“I will if she takes a turn for the worse.”
Ben blew out an annoyed breath and turned toward Evie, going to his knees once more. His magic swept through the air, blowing through the trees and down into the ground, eyes turning the color of ice.
I knew the moment Ben found it. An explosive curse and the magic disappeared. He rose and stalked toward me. “What,” he bit out, “is inside her?”
“Is she stable?”
“For now.” Ben’s nostrils flared. “What the hell have you brought onto your property?” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “And even worse, into your life?”
“Don’t,” I cautioned him, my voice a low growl in the quiet. A few trusted wolves kept watch on the area, ensuring curious eyes didn’t get too close. I hadn’t been subtle when I’d shattered the window to get to her, and carrying out a woman covered in blood was bound to get people talking.
One, Garrett, on break from his frustrating watch of Thalia, turned, his eyes glowing. I shook my head, and Garrett turned away.
“Thinking of siccing your wolves on me?” Ben said with a dangerous smile. “I’d hate for you to lose them.”
“Can we at least try not to be dicks to each other?” I said in frustration. “I get it. You hate Evie. She feels the same way about you.”
Ben flinched. “She does?”
I closed my eyes for a second. “Yes, you fucking prick. You haven’t been exactly kind to her. She asked me not to call you.”
Ben’s eyes glowed with fury. “I’ll cut the shit if you will. What did she do?”
I studied him for a long moment. “This can go no further than here. If you can’t keep my confidence, tell me now. You’re a Lord, Ben and no longer tied to my pack.”
To his credit, he didn’t answer right away. “How bad is it?”
I snorted. “She’s unconscious in a cocoon of wood and flowers. I’d say pretty bad.”
Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “Does it affect us all?”
“Only time will determine that answer, but if I had to guess, yes.”
“Fuck,” Ben snarled. “I hate you for making me a Lord, you ass.”
