Ryan opened a piece of paper from the envelope and read the first few lines of scribble. And smiled.
Chapter 28
THE FRONT DOOR TO DOC’S HOUSE OPENED, AND CAROL wondered if Ryan had found anything this time. She immediately straightened her back as she stood at the counter. She was boiling water in an electric teakettle in the process of making anise tea, one more possible herbal remedy for fighting a viral infection.
Again, she considered the wolf’s bane solution she’d cooked and hidden in the crisper of the fridge. She wouldn’t risk giving that remedy to anyone else. She did consider drinking a bit of it herself, now that she was sick with the flu, to see if it might be a cure.
She tilted her head in the direction of the footfalls. They were a woman’s, much lighter and delicate than Ryan’s heavier step. She thrust the container of wolf’s bane back in its hiding spot and closed the door.
Then someone else’s footfalls sounded. Two women? At first, she thought it might be Bertha, bringing her and Ryan a snack as she’d been doing for the past several days, trying to help out in any way that she could, but they’d eaten breakfast an hour earlier.
Carol turned stiffly to see who was coming. Her skin felt warmer than normal, and she suspected—although she couldn’t find a thermometer in Doc’s house to confirm it—that she had another low-grade fever. She felt tired and out of sorts, her head throbbing, and she was deathly afraid that anytime now she’d shift.
The only reason she hadn’t yet, she figured, was because she’d shifted to help Ryan fight Miller. Before that, she’d shifted so she could play fishnet tag with North and his men. That might have knocked out the urge for the time being.
With any luck, maybe she’d find a cure before she felt the compulsion again.
The footsteps grew closer. Couldn’t be Silva. She was sick and terrified of shifting. She didn’t want to get near Carol and risk contaminating her. Or Nurse Charlotte. She was too busy dealing with patients to come to the house.
Which left Lelandi and some other women in the pack that Carol didn’t know well. Lelandi had better not be coming here to see her!
“Who’s there?” Carol called out, not wanting Lelandi to come any closer, if that’s who it was.
The footfalls continued through the living room in the direction of the kitchen.
“’Tis I, Rosalind,” Ryan’s sister said, her voice bright and cheerful.
Carol’s mouth dropped. Oh, hell. She didn’t want anyone to lose faith in her ability to find a cure now that she was sick and could be on the verge of shifting at any time, but she didn’t want Rosalind exposed to what she had, either.
“You can’t come in,” Carol said, her voice firm.
“Lelandi said it was all right.”
“Lelandi’s wrong.” Carol frowned. “Who’s with you?”
“Lelandi,” Darien’s mate said, sounding amused.
“Lelandi, you shouldn’t be here. Neither of you should. I… I’m sick.”
They were nearly to the kitchen. Carol turned off the teakettle, but she didn’t know what else to do. It hurt to stand or sit or even lie down. Her joints all ached. Her throat was sore. She felt miserable.
“Don’t come in,” she warned.
Lelandi and Rosalind ignored her and entered the kitchen, each carrying a brass container of red roses. Rosalind was wearing a pale pink sweater and matching jeans. Her curly, long brown hair bounced on her shoulders, and her amber eyes sparkled with excitement. Her smile was sweeter than Ryan’s and not as devious as his often was.
Her red hair tied back in a bun, Lelandi wore a loosely fitted emerald sweatshirt and sweatpants. Carol wondered if Lelandi’s jeans were getting a little too snug around her waist with triplets on the way. Lelandi gave her a knowing smile.
“Ryan has good news. But you’ve beat him at the game again.”
Carol slumped on the chair, feeling lightheaded. Tears blurred her eyes. Even if Ryan had found the vaccine, it would only protect werewolves from getting the virus, not cure those who had it already.
“What are you doing here, Rosalind? You shouldn’t be here,” Carol said, defeated though hopeful that Ryan did find the vaccine and that it would help those who weren’t sick.
“I couldn’t stand being in Green Valley and not knowing how this was all going down. Lelandi told me you were looking into herbal remedies. I have a greenhouse and wanted to bring all kinds of fresh herbs for you to use in your search for the cure.”
Carol sighed. “You shouldn’t have come. What if you get sick, too?” Then she frowned and looked at Lelandi. “If Ryan found the vaccine, how would I have beaten him at the game?”
Lelandi beamed, then crossed the floor, pulled Carol from the chair into her embrace, and hugged her soundly. Carol wanted to break loose and dash away from her. But Carol didn’t have the strength. Was Lelandi mad?
Rosalind waited, but the way she was standing so rigidly and grinning from ear to ear, Carol wondered if it was because she knew for sure Ryan and she were mated. But that would all be for nothing if she didn’t find a cure!
“Darien shifted a few minutes ago,” Lelandi said, tears misting her eyes. “God, Carol, you did it. That first remedy you tried—the one he balked at and I had to force him to drink? The spicy ginger tea? Combined with the raw onion chunks left soaking in honey overnight that he growled at me over, and the Echinacea… all of the different remedies together worked. It just took a while, but… he’s back to his usual self. Well, a little gruffer than usual. He would have come down here personally and thanked you…”
Tears streamed down Carol’s cheeks like a river run amok. She couldn’t grasp the ramifications of what she’d done, and she wasn’t sure she could accept it. What if they turned back? What if this didn’t last?
Rosalind joined them. “Ryan found a jewel when he fell in love with you,” she said, and tugged Carol into a hug. “I’ve always wanted a sister who could beat him in something.”
But it wasn’t a game. She embraced Rosalind back, pleased to have another sister to add to her family in any event. She reached over and drew Lelandi into an all-girls’ hug.
“Are you sure, Lelandi?”
Tears streaked down Lelandi’s cheeks now, too, and she nodded vigorously.
“Oh, hell yeah. He’s giving orders, yelling at Tom for allowing you to let North into the exam room and nearly taking off with you; giving Jake grief for shape-shifting and getting stuck, even though he knew it couldn’t be helped; and scolding me for allowing you to mate with Ryan without letting him know first.”
She smiled. “We’ll miss you, Carol. Will you be all right when Ryan takes you home to his pack?”
Rosalind took Carol’s hand and squeezed. “Silver Town’s not that far from Green Valley. She’ll visit. We both will, if it’s all right.”
“For the all-girl-night parties,” Carol said, trying to smile.
Rosalind gave Carol another hug. “Sounds like those could get out of hand, and I’m in. After you and Ryan are all right and no one from our pack will get sick with this…” She grinned even more broadly. “…You can come home. Don’t tell Ryan, but I’m moving to a condo in town, closer to my garden shop. The house will be yours and Ryan’s. He’ll say no, because he wants to keep an eye on me, but I need a little freedom, and… well, this is going to be perfect.”
“I… I—”
“Darien is so proud of you,” Lelandi said. “So very proud of you. He’ll tell you himself after he finishes ordering everyone around. At least those who haven’t shifted yet.” She motioned to the doorway. “Ryan ran the vaccine to the hospital, and Charlotte and Matthew will be giving vaccinations to anyone who isn’t sick. Rosalind and I were already vaccinated.