Luna Ray climbed out of the SUV on shaky legs. Evie, the female panther that had saved her, promised the pride wasn’t going to harm her, and she had no other choice than to believe the warrior female. There was a sense of calm and love that filtered through the cats as her eyes scanned the home in front of her. Several pride members rushed out of a beautiful brick home, and the males, whom she assumed to be Guardians, welcomed them all with open arms and heartfelt brotherly hugs.
She inhaled and her wolf prowled in her head at the scent of the wilderness that surrounded her. Just beyond the brick home were trees…so many trees. The wolf inside her wanted to run. The animal needed to be let out, but she wouldn’t shift yet. The last month had taken a toll on her, but she was determined to heal, and heal she would.
No one would know if she used her powers to repair the damage, right?
“Ma’am,” the big, beastly-looking male who’d been there to save her and the others called out before he approached. “The healer would like to see you.”
“Healer?” she asked, frowning.
“Our doctor,” he replied, looking over his shoulder. “Theo can walk with us if you’d like.”
“I would like to see him first, please.” She shivered involuntarily. Theo was the only male she trusted at the moment. Getting her wits about her was harder than she ever thought possible.
Theo approached and she felt his calming power. The older alpha had been nothing but comforting during their captivity and she wanted him close. She needed his strength so she could get better.
“Are you well enough to walk?” Theo asked as he approached.
“Yes,” she answered, eyeing the people who’d gathered. Luna tucked her chin and turned toward the alpha. “Are you sure we are safe here?”
“The Shaw pride has many Guardians on their land, and our safety is their number one priority.” Theo stopped and placed his hand on her undamaged arm. The other one was still cut from the tree that exploded when the wizards fought with magic on the island. “What can I do to make this okay for you?”
“I’m going to be okay, Theo,” she promised. “My wolf is scared and uncertain, but I understand that my nightmares are over. This is a new beginning for all of us. I just need a meal and a good long run in the woods.”
“Let the Guardian get you some food and take you to the healer,” Theo urged, dropping his hand. “I will meet you at the healer’s place as soon as I am done with this pride’s alpha.”
“Okay,” she replied, looking at the large male from the island. Taking a deep breath, she gave her trust over to the pride of panthers that had saved her from certain death. With her head held high, she put one foot in front of the other and followed the male.
Luna’s wolf panted in her mind when they walked beside the alpha’s home on a gravel road that led into the woods. She could make out several little cottages, but one in particular stood out. There was a bright porch light on at the stark white home the male was leading her to. Time to meet the healer.
Luna froze as the door to the home opened and a large male filled the doorway. His head was shaved bald, but his icy blue eyes captured her when he looked past the male and directly at her. His head tilted to the side as he watched her approach. His long, thick legs were encased in dark denim, and he wore a fitted, white cotton shirt. The muscles in his arms were so thick, it stressed the seams of the clothing.
Closing her eyes, she scented the air and her wolf pushed at her skin. She felt the stirring of something she’d never experienced…something she’d only been told about by her mother. An ache built in her chest, but she willed it away. It couldn’t be happening, because this was not the right time for her…or the right place, and it sure as hell wasn’t the right species.
Mate…
No, no, no.
Harold knocked on the door to the exam room where Luna was resting in the bed. The injured female had turned on the television to watch the nightly news while she ate and had been waiting quietly for her alpha to arrive. His beast was prowling in his mind ever since her scent had wrapped around him after she’d showered. It wasn’t the perfume from the shampoo she’d used that sent his mind reeling. It was her natural scent.
She didn’t smell like the wolves he’d ever encountered. They were disgusting, making his enhanced senses turn away from the stench. Luna was different; a white wolf. No one in their history had ever seen a white wolf shifter, and Harold still couldn’t believe she was real. The other alpha, Theo, had promised she was one-of-a-kind, and he had to believe the male, but in all of his years, Harold never thought he’d be giving aide to one.
“Has my alpha come from his meeting?” Luna asked when she turned away from the television and saw him standing in the doorway.
“He’s on his way now,” Harold replied. “I need to talk to you about what happened on that island, but it can wait until Theo arrives. If you’d like.”
“He already knows,” she hiccupped, wiping a tear that welled up in her eye and fell over her long, dark lashes. “He was in a cage next to mine and saw what the scientist did, but I’m fine, healer…I promise.”
“I’m so sorry,” he sighed, pushing his panther back. His animal wanted blood for the acts against this female, even if she was a wolf. “I still want to give you an exam for our own peace of mind.”
Another knock on the outside door had Harold turning away from Luna. He headed to the front room and opened the door. Theo, an alpha friend of Talon’s late father, and his alpha stood in the doorway. Theo was in his mid-sixties, and he looked worn down. He should’ve been back in Upstate New York with his pride, not in Mississippi, a broken man with a pride of misfit shifters.
“Healer,” Theo greeted with a nod, stepping inside when Harold turned so he could enter.
“Thank you for coming, Theo,” he began. “I’d like to exam Luna, but she’s pretty adamant that you were here.”
“How is she?” Theo asked, his voice soft.
“Scared,” Harold growled, taming the sound when Talon raised his brow. “I need to make sure she has no damage, and she will need a pregnancy test in a couple of weeks just to make sure.”
“Could she have been impregnated by the human male who violated her?”
“Our species cannot,” Harold shook his head, “but I’m not entirely sure with wolves.”
“I see,” Theo scowled. “Let’s go talk to her.”
They entered the room and Luna sat up straighter in bed. She clasped her tiny hands in her lap and took a deep breath. It was obvious that Theo was calming her. The knowledge that any shifter could live by taking the blood of an alpha of a different species fascinated Harold.
“Luna,” Theo greeted softly and took a seat in the chair next to the bed. It was more of a stretcher than an actual bed you’d find in a home. The females had made quilts for them to make the patients more relaxed and some of the older females promised it made his clinic more inviting.
“Yes, alpha,” she replied, but looked over his shoulder to glance at Harold. Her yellow eyes had cleared since she’d arrived and had eaten. Harold didn’t think he’d ever forget how dull and lifeless they’d been when she had arrived earlier in the day.
“The Shaw pride’s healer will need to exam you,” Theo began, taking Luna’s hand in his own. As an alpha, he could also give strength through his touch. “I’ll give you privacy and sit in the other room. If you need him to stop the exam, you say something. I will be able to come to you in an instant.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. A lone tear escaped her eye and she wiped it away quickly, but another one replaced it. “I’d prefer not to be examined. I’m fine.”
“You’ve been through a lot, my dear,” Theo cooed, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “I, as your alpha, want you to be looked at so we know you have a clean bill of health. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable when we travel back to my pride…your new home.”
“Yes, alpha,” she sighed, resigned.
Harold went about preparing the things he would need to exam her. As he set the items on a tray, he looked down at his shaking hands. His beast was prowling, upset and agitated. Theo made his exit and closed the door behind him. Harold had the overwhelming urge to barricade the door so no one could ever hurt Luna again. His panther growled in agreement.
“Healer?” Luna spoke up.
“Are you ready?” he asked after clearing his throat.
“Yes,” she tried to say bravely. The female was wide-eyed and nervous. He had to be cautious with her, because Luna had been through so much. “Maybe?”
“I’m going to check all of your vital signs and then draw some blood to just check a few things,” Harold explained. “I will need to do a pelvic exam to make sure there was no damage done.”
Harold watched as Luna froze for a moment. She seemed to be having an internal struggle with the idea of being touched by him. He knew it was nothing personal, but he had to make sure she was okay. He told himself it was from a doctor standpoint, but deep down, he knew he was checking to reassure himself that she was truly okay.