Declan pushed his foot on the pedal urging his car to move forward faster, but the other drivers seemed determined to slow him down. He was feeling antsy, and he continuously shifted in his seat trying to find a more-comfortable position. Glancing down at his phone, he noticed with disappointment that no new notifications were waiting for him. It seemed like no one wanted to hear from him. He sighed and smacked his palm against the steering wheel a few times, muttering under his breath.

Looking at the clock on the dashboard, he realized he’d been driving for a little under three hours. Just one more to go until he reached his goal, and then from that point, it’d all be a guessing game because he still didn’t know the woman’s name or which room she was staying in at the hospital. He veered his car over to the farthest left lane on the highway and pressed down on the gas. Within seconds of him jolting forward, he saw familiar lights flashing in his rearview mirror. He glanced sideways at the mirror and saw a police car driving right behind him, the lights indicating that he should pull over.

Declan slid his car safely into the emergency lane of the highway and started shuffling through his bag for his ID. There was a light tap on the window, and he turned to find a female officer standing next to his car, her hands placed firmly on her hips as she waited for him to roll down the window.

“Good afternoon, Officer,” Declan said quietly.

Her expression was blank, and she stood staring at the car for a few seconds before responding to Declan. “Do you know why I pulled you over?” she asked.

“Yes,” Declan admitted. “I was speeding.”

“So then, you were aware that you were breaking the law.” Declan nodded but said nothing else as he tried to figure out how he might be able to turn this situation around in his favor. “License and registration, please.” The woman held out her hand and wagged her fingers toward Declan impatiently as he shuffled around in the glove compartment, now searching for his vehicle’s registration.

He handed her the document with a sad smile and the woman studied his face for a moment before asking. She asked, “Why were you speeding?”

Declan looked down at his hands which were gripped tightly around the steering wheel, and he consciously relaxed his grip, allowing the blood back into his knuckles.

“I just found out my grandmother’s very ill,” he said, trying desperately not to give away his lie. “She’s at the hospital in Miami, and I was in a rush to get to her. I’m sorry. I promise I won’t speed again.”

The woman raised her eyebrows at Declan and quickly handed him the documents. “Why didn’t you just say so?” She smiled kindly, giving out the first indication that she was actually human. “Come on. I’ll escort you there.”

Declan observed her as she climbed back into her vehicle and turned on the lights and sirens. Cars immediately began moving out of the way for her, and she pulled out in front of him. Smiling to himself, he slid the car into drive and followed after the officer as she led him back out, and onto the highway.

From that moment on, the trip seemed to go by in a blur of stationary cars and ignored traffic lights. What should’ve taken over two hours, took a little over forty-five minutes. It occurred to Declan that the officer who escorted him must be way out of her district, but he wasn’t going to bring that up at all. She pulled into the parking lot of the hospital with Declan right behind her. He swung his car into the valet lane and climbed out of the car, grateful to be able to stretch his legs. The officer parked and stepped out of her vehicle as well.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Declan said, a small grin pulling at his lips.

The officer nodded her head and reached out her hand toward Declan. He took it, and they shook, all business-like, and with no suggestive lingering. He watched as she got back into her vehicle and pulled back out onto the road. He felt stunned, but even more than that, he was becoming more and more amazed by the generosity he’d seen from ordinary people over the past week. Had he spent so long living in his own world with constant obstacles that he’d become blind to the goodness out there?

Declan shook the thought from his head and turned toward the valet who was waiting by his stand, watching Declan expectantly. He grabbed his backpack from his car and walked toward the building, handing the valet his keys. The young man nodded his head seriously before walking over to the driver’s side of his car. Declan watched him as he drove the car off slowly and toward the parking area.

He turned to the doors; which slid open slowly as if daring him to enter at his own risk. He inhaled a deep breath and stepped inside, and immediately, the frigid air in the hospital sparked his attention. He looked around the lobby and watched the people bustling around. A young nurse pushing an older man in his wheelchair, nodding as he constantly grumbled under his breath. Declan’s eyes drifted over to a petite woman sitting with a small child in her lap as he bounced up and down on her knee —but Declan could tell from her expression that her legs were moving out of anxiety, and not from entertainment. A few doctors were milling about, and Declan’s eyes landed on one who was studying her clipboard, more than carefully.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Maria’s number. It rang a few times before she answered. “Hello?” she said, sounding annoyed that she’d been interrupted.

“Maria, it’s me. I’m at the hospital.”

“Already?” she asked in astonishment. “Well, I haven’t been able to find anything out yet, Declan. No one’s answering. Give me some more time.”

“Call me when you have something,” he murmured under his breath, all while looking away from the young couple that was eyeing him curiously.

Declan started walking down the hall, and with every step he took, he felt as if someone was going to jump out at him and demand to know what he was doing there. He couldn’t shake the weird feeling.

He climbed into the elevator, and at the last moment, he saw the young doctor look up from her clipboard and yell out, “Hold the elevator!”

Declan stood there, unable to move, and watched as the doors slid shut right before her eyes. He closed his eyes and exhaled shakily —he’d wanted to reach for the button, but the fear of being found out prevented him from doing anything at all.

The elevator crept to the second floor and Declan slowly got out. He scanned the hallways carefully, and didn’t see anybody there except a nurse sitting at her station. He walked calmly by her and even smiled as he passed, and she flashed him a bright smile in return. He hadn’t the slightest inclination as to how he’d be able to find this woman. Should he walk in every room a lady was present, and ask if she’d seen a witch? Surely that’d land him in the psych ward, and rather quickly too.

He continued down the hall, peering into the windows as he passed, but most of them either had frosted glass, or some kind of blackout device for privacy.

Just in case an ex-werewolf ever comes hunting down an old witch, Declan thought to himself. He laughed at his poor joke and found a small gurney sitting in the hallway. He leaned against it for a moment and dragged his hand through his hair, feeling hopeless.

He closed his eyes and tried desperately to connect with his inner wolf. If there was ever a time he needed to be able to communicate with the other alphas, it was now. He focused his mind and felt as he pushed deeper into his psyche, but a sharp voice broke through his concentration. Declan opened his eyes and saw the young doctor who he’d ignored whilst he was in the elevator. There she was, standing before him, her eyes in dangerous slits as she glared at him.

“Well, well,” she said, her voice dangerously low, “it looks like you have found your way here, after all.”

* * *

Noelle awoke to a banging sound coming from the first floor. Instinctively, she sat up in her bed, and the searing pain ripped up through her leg and traveled to her abdomen and chest, where it seemed to try to strangle all the blood from her heart. A scream hurdled from her throat before she could stop it, and tears sprang into her eyes. She could hear the sound of Lucas’ footsteps on the stairs before she could recover herself, and then he burst into the room, half-expecting to find her crippled on the floor.

“What happened?” he asked. His face was flushed with the exertion from the unexpected sprint. But he wasn’t out of breath, Noelle duly noticed, with a peaking interest that shocked even her.

“I, uh,” Noelle said through gritted teeth. “I kind of forgot what happened and tried to get up.” Lucas stared at her, his expression floating carelessly between bewilderment, concern and humor.

He shook his head, grinning, and sat on the edge of the bed, taking care not to sit anywhere near her legs.

“You wanted to leave that badly?” he asked. He tried to inject humor into the question, but it was a curious tone, almost as if he was half-joking and half-afraid of what the answer might be.

“No,” Noelle said, struggling to bring herself to a sitting position without reliving the anguish. “I’m not used to being so —immobilized.” She struggled to find the right words because she didn’t want to say anything which might suggest to him she felt like a prisoner, which, in all honesty, was exactly how she felt.

He nodded at her slowly as he took her words into consideration. “I think I might have something to help with that.”

Lucas looked at Noelle, and she nodded; understanding his unspoken request to lift her from the bed. He wrapped his arms carefully under her bottom and tightly around her shoulders. He lifted her from the bed as if she was a child. He adjusted her slightly and then carried her down the stairs where he put her down on a chair. He carefully brought another one over to her so that she could rest her leg on it. He disappeared without a word, and Noelle looked around and realized that the banging she’d heard must’ve been the various pots and pans laid out sporadically on the kitchen counter.

She looked out the large window and stared into the trees that were beautifully bathed in sunlight. When the light was upon them, the trees looked absolutely stunning. For whatever reason, the colors seemed so much brighter and realistic in nature. The greens seemed greener, and everything fell in nicely together. Noelle smiled in appreciation of it all, and for the first time, she thought about what she might be missing out on, now that she wasn’t a wolf any longer.

Lucas returned and was carrying a collapsible wheelchair, and it took everything in Noelle’s power not to burst out laughing. How she’d managed to go her entire life without breaking anything, and then in the last year, become reliant on both crutches —and a wheelchair. The whole situation was beyond her. He saw the smirk on her face and pulled up short.

“What is it?” he asked, misinterpreting her expression.

“Nothing,” Noelle said, still smiling. “I’ve never considered myself a cripple, I guess.” Lucas screwed up his face as she spoke, and Noelle instinctively felt as if she’d stepped into a sensitive area. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that.”

“I know,” he said, his shoulders relieving some tension. “I just really hate that word.”

He took a few steps closer to her and put the wheelchair out, next to her seat. He put his hands underneath her arms and counted to three before he lifted her, placing her in the wheelchair.

Noelle observed him as he walked into the kitchen and began moving the pots and pans again, creating the same loud music that startled her awake. She considered his actions —how he created a splint, how he carried her to and from her room, how carefully and efficiently he was able to transfer her into the wheelchair. She pondered this as he started to cook. She slowly rolled herself over to the window and looked at the outside world. It was a curious thing; feeling so close to nature, as though you could reach out and touch it, only to find that you were still enclosed.

She didn’t know how long she sat staring out of the window, but when Lucas came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her chair.

“Should I start wearing a bell, so you can hear me coming?” Lucas asked, laughing slightly. It was a nice sound, very deep and throaty, almost as if he’d forgotten how to laugh and was learning all over again the spectrum of human emotions and expressions.

Noelle smiled at him, and he told her their breakfast was ready. She rolled back over to the table, and the aroma wafted to her as she looked down at the feast he’d laid out before her. Pancakes with blueberries sat stacked on her plate, and in the center of the table was a fruit salad, a plate of bacon and sausage, and some perfectly-fried scrambled eggs. Noelle’s stomach grumbled loudly as if to warn her that if she didn’t eat soon, it might jump out of her body, and instantly swallow everything on the whole table, itself.

“Are you expecting company?” Noelle said, smiling at Lucas as he gingerly took a few pieces of fruit from the salad, and a single scoop of eggs.

“Only you,” he replied simply.

Noelle started with the pancakes on her plate, and to her surprise, she was able to eat them quickly. She was still amazed by how wonderful everything tasted after having spent so much time alone in the woods, practically starving to death.

“You know,” Noelle said softly, interrupting the silence. “Had you not found me, I probably would’ve been done for.”

“I doubt it,” Lucas said, shaking his head. “You’re a fighter. You would’ve found a way, no matter what.”

Noelle smiled at him and she felt a pull at her heart. She remembered how her father would always tell her that very same thing; she was a fighter. The thought of her father suddenly put an end to her hunger, and she put down her silverware slowly.

“What’s wrong?” asked Lucas, watching her curiously.

“Nothing,” she said softly, but she knew he’d only ask her again if she didn’t change the subject. “So, tell me, how do you know so much about taking care of people?”

The question seemed to take Lucas by surprise, and he stopped mid-chew. He swallowed down what was in his mouth before asking, “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re very good at carrying me all over the place, and you made me this splint and helped me in the shower, and then, of course, you’ve got a wheelchair, conveniently hanging around in the house.”

He watched her as she spoke and then exhaled loudly as if he’d been caught with something. “It was my brother.”

“Your brother?”

“Yes.” He nodded and then looked out of the window. “He was born with osteogenesis imperfecta. Do you know what that is?” Noelle shook her head. “Well,” he continued, “it’s a disease where your bones break extremely easily. As in, you could trip over a pebble and shatter your ankle.”

Noelle’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything. She waited while he grabbed the memories from his mind. It was a decent pause to grasp the past, or maybe a respectful one; she couldn’t be sure.

“Since he was born, he was always breaking things, and at first, I resented him for it. I was the older child, and my parents were always paying attention to him, making sure he didn’t do anything to hurt himself. What I didn’t realize was how much he resented me for being so —independent of everyone. The grass is always greener, I guess, right?” Noelle nodded her head slowly.

“Anyway, once the change happened to me and I built this house, I told my family that I was leaving, and no one really seemed to care very much at all. I guess they figured I’d be fine wherever I went. And Matty, well he’d surpassed all the doctor’s expectations of his life expectancy. He pulled me aside the day I’d announced I was leaving and he begged me to take him, too. At first, I was entirely against the idea. But I saw it in his eyes —he longed for something more. He told me that what he was doing was surviving; not living, and even if he died in a week’s time, he’d prefer to know he died because he tried to live.”

This story brought unexpected tears to Noelle’s eyes, and suddenly she understood why Lucas hated the word “cripple” so much. Here, she was complaining of a broken leg when there were people out there who were so far worse off than she was. She felt rather selfish.

“What happened to him?” she asked. She was almost too afraid to ask because she already knew the answer wasn’t going to be good.

“We came out here, and he loved it so much. I’d never seen him laugh and smile so much in his entire life. He became an expert bird watcher, and even though he was already nineteen, I’d only just gotten to know him as a person; like a friend.” Lucas stopped talking and his eyes glazed over a bit and Noelle felt that he was lost in a memory. “He spotted a scarce bird in the tree,” Lucas said, half-whispering. “He wanted to see it up close, so he waited until I left the room. He managed to make his way outside and up to the tree where the bird sat. I don’t know exactly what happened, but that’s where he passed.”

Noelle felt her heart heat up, it was as though it might burst into flames at any moment. She’d never met his brother, and still, she felt a familiar pain of loss course through her, and her nana’s face came to her mind.

“Anyway, I took him home, and my parents blamed me for everything. They told me I’d killed him, and that I couldn’t go to his funeral.” Lucas shook his head as his story came to an end. “But I know better. I was his only chance at life.”

“It was a curious thing feeling so close to nature, as though you could reach out and touch it, only to find that you were still enclosed.”