***[POV: Recovering Ricoat]***
Feverishly dreaming of the practice scenario, of the pressurized release from the canister and the monts before and after... I found it harder not to believe Citra’s suspicions. Our plans have us entering the example structures at predetermined spots.
aning if soone had wanted to target specifically, it would not be difficult. As long as they were part of the setup crew. We rotate the mbers that are not involved in the training to work on the layout.
I’ve done it this way for years. Because I find it helps to get them thinking - by placing objects and understanding hunter traps, they get a feel for what to expect. The next month after we began doing things that way, more than half of my pack had recorded improvent on locating and avoiding them.
So I know quite well that using equipnt in the proper way is important. I’ve taught my pack that. Which is why, while a few accidents have happened these years, I wanted to believe this was the sa type of thing...
The sort of mistake that the Princess from another world, curled up beside as a wolf, seems poised to believe is not remotely possible given my position. Citra’s muzzle nudged closer to my shoulder and sniffed before wiggling her whole torso closer my way again.
Carried all this way to the witch’s farm and still hasn’t left . Took scent blockers... took command while I couldn’t. Does repaying debt actually require sothing like this?
I turn my face and let my nose touch hers. Then she snorts and aims her snout so that I cannot do it again.
My mate... is very troubleso.
⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖
Waking suddenly to burning pain in my chest, I began to cough out more of what I’d breathed in. The wolf beside shifted back to her human form and rubbed to comfort before her hand stilled. But only for a few seconds before Martha ca in.
Then black hair and intense blue eyes was running out the opened door, not even stopping to grab a set of clothes. When I smiled after spitting it all up in the bowl...
"Happy the treatnts are helping already?"
"Yes, but I’m happier to see her running away. Without being able to sll her, she might have been an imposter or a hallucination. But now I know she is herself."
"...The two of you are very strange."
After that, the witch put through another session of steam and herbs. Left for a few minutes to clean up and then ca back in the room to whisper sothing to that made my heart clench.
"If you’d like for your pillow to stop pacing out on my porch, I can send her back in? Though I think she probably needs to talk with soone for a bit..."
"If you... don’t mind. Please. Talk with her, if she really wants it. But don’t tell her I want her to co back in here."
"Don’t you?"
I hate being looked at like that. Not exactly smug, but like soone who knows everything already. So I cover my face with the gray blanket that slls so faintly of that wild fragrance of hers.
Not enough. Of her. I would always take more. I’d take everything.
"...What I want isn’t as important as what she wants."
Ten seconds later, when I hear the door click shut, I swear that I hear her repeat her assessnt of the two of us on the other side: strange. While I know that I likely should be looking more critically at being labeled that...
I just smile instead. A little too happy to be paired with Citra Lomdi in... anything.
⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖
Soti later, with the sun streaming through the window, I woke again and sat up in the bed. A soft sound from beside drew my attention.
Light gray eyes blinked open and looked disoriented for a few seconds from the other corner of the bed. Then she focused on my face with a sparking blue intensity that made my heart hamr.
Reaching for my forehead to check my temperature, her chest rubbed against the clothing I’m wearing. An outfit I’m sure I’d been changed into at so point
Her entire unclothed body still soaked a perfect temperature into everything it touched. I had to fight not my wolf - still subdued, from the feeling of things - but my own desire to not lean hard into the contact.
To not touch... anywhere. No matter how much I want to see if she would let .
"How do you feel? Any difficulty breathing? Chest pain?"
"Better. Much better."
She started to pull away and my willpower broke. I caught her hand and held it against my cheek, with a low amount of force she could have likely avoided.
"Thank you."
Rosy color was added to the tips of her ears before spreading to her face. Weakly tugging against my grip with the sa amount of strength I was using. Probably just so she could claim she was trying to pull away, if ever pressed.
"I told you, all of it was practical. Helping the person I already told so much about what is coming just keeps from explaining it all again. And finding soone else to... trust."
"If you say so."
Just a little stronger, Citra began to drag her arm back. Like she was afraid to jerk away completely while I was weakened. I released my hold instead of taking advantage of that.
I also averted my gaze and closed my eyes as she crawled over to retrieve the blue robe she must have tossed before getting in bed again. Not because I haven’t seen a lot of her already, but because...
Of how greatly annoyed I am. I feel too weak to do anything about what I catch a glimpse of. Opening them slowly, only as I heard her footsteps go across the room towards the door, I see her finger circling the doorknob.
With her other hand spreading through her hair. Both of them make her look nervous.
"If we’re both gone too long, it might be suspicious. So, I was thinking about leaving tonight. There are things I need to do, still, after all."
"...No. That’s not happening."
Gray eyes showed indignation when she turned at my possessive tone. Sothing that I don’t even need my wolf for, in this situation. But she didn’t raise her chin today and tear into - she lowered it.
"I can take care of myself. Besides, it will only be a few days before you can go back, yourself."
⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖
Sitting in the middle of the forest at night with the moon high, I tap texts on my phone to my assistant. Frowning at what information cos back to through the phone, I set it down.
I wouldn’t even be able to work like this at all if it wasn’t for Citra leaving my stuff. Which she didn’t have to do. Even if I asked.
The witch does whatever it is she is doing with this circle drawn with geotric patterns and offerings burning. Supposedly, all of it is to strengthen the connection to my wolf so I can get back on my feet quicker.
Also... why I wear this unsightly talisman around my neck. Werewolf claws dipped in my blood.
I’m not sure where Martha Callaway even got sothing like this. Or why she was hanging onto it at all.
But I have to admit that for the past thirty minutes, I’ve felt the connection to my wolf stuttering back. And for the first ti I feel like I might just let it do what it wants - if it could heal instantly.
Chase her down, pin her, and mark her before she can use her words to convince the both of us to wait. Luckily, her ’magic’ is not so effective.
"Or is it unlucky...?"
"Hm?"
"Nothing... just thinking strange things again."
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