Page 57 of The Wolf's Mate
“Yes, well…” Lucielle shakes her head. “I fear it will only continue to get worse until we break this wicked curse or have enough wolfsbane to counteract it.”
I feel the eyes of the other healers on me. I don’t need to hear their thoughts to know they are waiting for me to play my part as their Luna. I found wolfsbane once, but haven’t been able to do it a second time.
I haven’t even tried. I’ve been busy enjoying my mate when I should have been helping my pack.
Guilt threatens to drown me. Is this what Rip feels all the time? If so, he shouldn’t be carrying this burden alone.
Before I can dwell on my shortcomings as Luna, the door to the lab opens, and all heads swivel in that direction.
Thorne walks in, scanning the room until his attention falls on Tallie. His features soften, and he smiles in a way that’s reserved for her. Then his gaze lands on me, and his smile dims some. “Luna, King Alpha Rip requests your presence in his meeting. I can escort you when you’re ready.”
I look back at Lucielle and Tallie. Both women nod at me, telling me it’s okay that I go. “I promise to look for wolfsbane soon, Lucielle.” Though I don’t know how to keep that promise. I’m not sure how to make the plant sing for me—or whatever the hell Tallie said it did to call me. But I’ll figure it out. Somehow.
I offer my companions a soft smile before turning to Thorne. “I’m ready to go. Take me to my mate, please.”
I’m the last one to enter Rip’s office. Thorne shuts the door behind us. The room feels austere, lacking the warmth I associate with Rip and our pack. Rip sits behind a mahogany desk. The corners of his lips twitch up when he sees me.
“Your Luna is here, King Alpha,” Thorne says, keeping up the formality when in the presence of…someone.
There are two people seated on the opposite side of Rip’s desk. They are large, like my mate, and possess the same aura of strength he does. Neither man looks at me as I cross their paths, moving to find my seat by Rip.
It’s only when I’m next to him do I realize there’s no chair for me. Does he expect me to stand like some intimidating bodyguard? I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot until Rip grabs my waist and pulls me into his lap.
“My mate, Luna Hettie,” he introduces me.
My face heats in embarrassment, but I do my best to smile at the two men. Neither seems fazed by Rip deciding to be my chair, but I try not to read too much into it.
“Hettie, this is Alpha Grant and Alpha Maximus. Both serve as our army commanders,” he explains.
Alpha Grant is the older of the two, with salt-and-pepper hair. He’s shorter than Maximus, at least sitting down, but both men feel equally powerful. Maximus looks young, younger than even Rip. There’s a certain hardness in his expression, hinting at a rough life.
“It’s good to meet you, Alphas.” I offer my hand in greeting, expecting one of them to take it. Maximus and Grant simply stare at it until my cheeks flush red, and I drop my hand.
Rip rubs my back gently. “It’s frowned upon for other alphas to touch mates who don’t belong to them. Especially the Luna.”
“That would have been good information to know five seconds ago,” I murmur.
“Our humblest apologies, Luna. We mean no disrespect.” Grant offers me a half smile. I awkwardly return it. Clearly there’s plenty I still need to learn about shifter culture and customs.
“None taken,” I assure.
“It’s good to finally meet our King Alpha’s Luna,” Maximus says in a deep voice.
“We were just discussing Michael. I wanted you here to listen to the report,” Rip explains, and I straighten my back, fully tuned into the conversation.
“Did something happen? Was there another attack?” I think of the poor wolves already in the infirmary at capacity and the healers with nowhere else to put them.
“Not yet.” Something in the way Grant speaks doesn’t reassure me. “But we believe it’s only a matter of time.”
“The wolves on morning patrol report seeing Michael speaking to a creature described as monstrous. We can only assume the witness spoke of a Nephilim, but there’s been no confirmation yet,” Maximus adds.
“More sightings of these monstrous creatures have come almost daily for the past week. If these creatures are Nephilim, and we have no reason to think otherwise, we believe the war for our kingdom isn’t far off.” Grant runs a hand through his buzz-cut hair, sighing.
“We believe it is time to call in for backup,” he continues. I wait for him to explain, but he doesn’t.
“What does he mean by backup?” I ask Rip.
Rip is deep in thought, and at first, I don’t think he heard my question, but then he sighs. “He means Malix.”