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SARITA HEARD HER NAME and turned. Kim, her former college roommate walked toward her with a soft smile.

Happy to see her friend, Sarita returned the smile and met her in the middle of the doctor’s lobby. Similar in height with dark, long hair pulled back in a pony-tail, jeans and a tee-shirt, Kim pulled Sarita close in a loose embrace, something she always did.

“Think positive thoughts, before you know it you’ll be going home to see your parents and David. You’ve got this,” Kim said moving some of Sarita’s long, dark wavy hair and placing it behind her ear.

Sarita nodded and took a deep breath. “Thinking positive thoughts and hoping you’re right. Thanks for coming, I know this is out of your way. Tell Jake I said hi.” Kim and Jake, her mate, were headed for a weekend trip out of town but made this stop to check on her to wish her well.

“Will do,” Kim said smiling. “You’ve got something for the pain or the itching?”

Sarita looked around the near-empty room and nodded. She didn’t like discussing her condition but since Kim had the same problem, they discussed everything.

“Good.” She squeezed Sarita’s hand. “Hey, you’re not alone, if you need anything, call me or David. We’re here for you, always.” She leaned forward and touched Sarita’s forehead with her own. “Love you, Dimples,” a nickname she’d given Sarita because of the deep dimple in her right cheek. “Take care of yourself.”

Sarita inhaled deeply, sought courage and nodded. “Will do. Have fun and call me when you get back. Be safe.”

“Will do, sweetie. Let me know what the doc says.” Kim looked at Sarita again. “You sure you’re okay? I can stay until you’re done.”

Fighting the urge to beg her friend to stay as she had all the other times, Sarita forced a smile and shook her head. “No, you guys don’t want to get to the mountains after dark. You’ve got a ways to go. I may stay in town myself rather than drive to my aunt’s in the dark.” She released Kim’s hand and stepped back as her name was called.

“See, I’m going in now, this won’t take long. Go on, have fun. Talk to you when you get back.” Sarita waved goodbye, turned and walked toward the nurse who escorted her to the examination room.

After changing into an exam gown, Sarita stood waiting near the door for the specialist to enter. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer that this doctor could help her. No one else had been able to do anything. She pulled the garment closer and bit down on the corner of her lip as footsteps stopped in front of the door. Moving back a bit she watched the door open and then released her breath when Dr. Lisa entered.

“Hello, Sarita. I’m Dr. Lisa, we spoke on the phone yesterday.” She extended her hand. Sarita shook it and took another step back.

The doctor read information on a hand-held tablet for a few seconds and then waved her hand in front of Sarita’ chest and down toward her pelvic area. “Everything seems normal. Let’s have a look at the problem.”

Sarita exhaled and took off the gown.

Dr. Lisa gasped.

Sarita didn’t blame her. She did the same thing almost every morning.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. The black lines are translucent, I see your flesh behind them.” The doctor ran the pad of her finger down the longest black line from Sarita’s shoulder down to her pubic hair. “How does this feel?” She looked at Sarita.

“Like you’re running your hand on my skin.” There was nothing wrong with the nerve endings. “I tried to peel them off once, used a knife to cut out the lines. Not only did the skin grow back, but the black lines doubled in size. Never did that again.”

“I’m sure.” Dr. Lisa pushed, then pinched the black line while watching Sarita. A few seconds later, she shook her head.

Sarita’s heart dropped. Another dead-end failure.

“Your blood work is normal. One would think there would be a different color or something behind these black jagged stripes. Fascinating,” the doctor murmured as she stared at the dark lines creeping across Sarita’s abdomen like a bad tattoo.

“No, I bleed red.” Sarita could do without all the “fascinatings.” She wasn’t in a zoo or a freak. Not yet anyway.

“The lines have been growing for five years?” the doctor asked.

Sarita closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded. She’d explained all this before. Why had she allowed Kim to talk her into coming here? Nothing ever worked. “Yes.” She left it at that.

“If you’d let me run more tests —”

Sarita whirled around. “What difference does it make?”

Helpless, the full-blood doctor shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Exactly. My wolf can’t stop this from spreading or make it go away. Soon it’ll spread to my chest and back, up my neck and then my face. I’ve been told it’s a curse. Another doctor said it’s a blessing. Another said I’m doomed unless I get the curse lifted.” Depressed, Sarita sat on the edge of the examination table and dropped her head. How could she go home like this? No way she could hide her condition from her parents. One of the specialists said she was contagious, another said she’d contaminate her mate and pups. None of the specialists she talked to gave her the same diagnosis.

Aggravated and filled with despair, she wanted to scream.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. The lines, they pulse as if they share your heartbeat. It’s amazing.”

Sarita cut her eyes at the doctor and finished dressing in silence. Only an insensitive jerk would say something like that.

“I’m sorry. Sometimes I get distracted...” Dr. Lisa turned away. “Do you need something for pain?”

“No.” Sarita wanted out of there. She’d traveled six hours to meet with this supposedly specialist. Complete waste of time.

“You’re not in pain?”

Sometimes, but I’m not taking anything from you, Sarita thought. The woman was a bit too curious for her liking.

The doctor asked again when Sarita didn’t answer.

“I’m okay, thanks.” Dressed, Sarita picked up her bag and offered the doctor a slight smile. “I appreciate you seeing me.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help. When you made the appointment, I thought your problem was something else.”

That surprised Sarita. “Really? Like what?” She looked at the doctor.

“Another disease that struck a couple of full-bloods a few years ago. They had severe skin discoloration, but it was localized, like on an arm or leg. Nothing this distinct.” She pointed to the now covered lines creeping up Sarita’s body.

“I see. Well, thank you.” Sarita left the room without looking back. This was the last time she’d take Kim’s advice. Moments later she left the medical facility, pulled out onto the highway and headed into town to grab something to eat. Maybe she’d find a hotel, spend the night and head to her aunt’s in the morning.

The small town boasted of several quaint shops, bistros and a small hotel on the main road. “This is nice.” She liked the ambiance of the place and decided to get a room first.

For a small hotel, there was a lot of activity in the lobby. Sarita waited in line five minutes before reaching the counter. After checking in, she went to the bistro across the street. Since it was a nice day, she sat outside, watching people. Her heart ached for home, her parents and her brothers.

She missed the compound, Adam, Renee, and Jackie. Most of all she missed David. What would become of them? She loved him too much to return home in this condition. The knowledge that something was destroying her from the inside filled her with unfathomable terror.

David had offered to visit, help her find a cure. But the risk, what if it was contagious? Worse, if they were mates, she’d pass it on to him. The idea of doing anything to hurt him almost drove her insane. After showing him proof of her disease, he’d kept her secret, and never questioned her about her long absence again. When he took European trips, his family thought he was with her. But, they hadn’t been together since her first year of college.

She placed her order with the waiter and leaned back in her seat with her face toward the sun. The warmth chased the chill of fear threatening to choke her.

If she could turn back the hands of time, she would never have gone to that party with Kim that night. During her sophomore year, her room-mate had asked her several times to go places with her. Sarita always said no. Drinking had little to no effect on full-bloods, plus the music was too loud and she didn’t want to see juvenile boys scoff down red meat. But Kim kept pushing until Sarita agreed.

The party was as bad as she knew it would be. She ignored the guys who wanted to talk to her and counted the minutes until she could leave. After an hour leaning against a wall, she went to find Kim to tell her she’d see her later. Kim was drinking a fruit drink and gave Sarita a cup. Laughing she told Sarita she could leave after she had one drink, claiming it was a party after all. Sensing it was a harmless drink, Sarita drank it and left.

The next day she dropped into hell. For a week her guts were on fire. Shifting didn’t help. The doctors were stumped. Her grandparents were concerned and took her home to stay with them until she felt better. By the end of the week, she could walk and hold down soft food. Shifting helped and she returned to school.

During that time Kim had moved in with Jake, her new boyfriend, but felt bad Sarita had been sick. She came to see her and apologized. The next month, two black, crooked lines appeared just above her pubic hairs. She didn’t pay them much attention at first. A few months later, they had grown an inch or so.

Then the pain kicked in. Sarita had shifted. The pain eased somewhat but not entirely. Later, Kim told her she had experienced the same thing and shared the name of the specialist she’d gone to see. That visit changed Sarita’s life.

“Can I join you?”

Startled, Sarita looked at the older woman standing in front of her table. Noting there were several empty tables nearby, Sarita wondered why the woman wanted to sit with her.

“I don’t want to eat alone,” the woman said.

“Sure. I apologize. My mind was elsewhere.” Sarita inhaled, picked up the full-blood’s scent and offered a smile.

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

Sarita’s brow rose. “No. I’m Sarita.”

The woman’s cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry. That’s rude of me to sit without introducing myself. Halas.” She chuckled. “I’m rusty at this but we’ll make do.”

Sarita watched the small woman move around her seat, pushing her glasses up her nose.

“Can’t really see with these.” Halas took them off, squinted and put them back on. “Maybe I’ll keep them on. What’s good?” She looked at Sarita.

“This is my first time here, I ordered a sandwich, that’s usually safe.” Sarita smiled and took a sip of her drink.

“Safe. Interesting word. The lengths a parent will go to make sure their pups are safe. Amazing.”

Sarita’s gaze sharpened at the pointed comment. Halas wasn’t talking about food. Did she recognize Sarita as Alpha Barticus’ grand-daughter? Or Hawke or Asia’s daughter? The lines on her stomach pulsed as her heart raced.

“Calm down little one, I don’t mean any harm.” Halas smiled, and her eyes twinkled. “What brings you to this small part of the world?”

Sarita wasn’t sure why she talked to the older woman. Maybe it was the compassion she read in Halas gray eyes. Or the sound of genuine concern she heard in her voice. Perhaps she had too many disappointments lately to guard her tongue.

Unwilling to examine her motives too closely, Sarita shared an abbreviated version of her trip. “I came to see a specialist, unfortunately, she couldn’t help me.” She tried to shrug off her disappointment.

The waitress served her food and took a drink order from Halas. Sarita wondered if the woman had changed her mind and would no longer eat.

“Would you like some?” She pointed to her plate.

Halas smiled, and it was like the sun peeked from behind the clouds. “Yes, thanks. It looks tasty.” She took a knife and cut off a quarter. “Mmm, that was good,” she said looking at Sarita’s sandwich.

“Have another piece,” Sarita offered as she picked up the other half.

“Thank you, that’s very kind.” Halas finished the other half of Sarita’s sandwich just as her drink was delivered.

Sarita placed another order for later that night and finished her drink. Halas watched her a few moments. “You’re a strong lass. But you’re going about this all wrong.”

“Hmm?” Sarita looked at her.

“You need fixing, no question. But the problem may not be physical as much as generational. Do you know anything about your family history?”

Sarita’s cheeks warmed. “Just my father’s side. I never knew the woman who birthed me.” She was given to my father to impregnate and then discarded, Sarita thought.

“Not good. Your problem is hereditary, only happens to —” She eyed Sarita. “Do you know of Salah?”

Surprised, Sarita nodded. “Salah, the wolf pardoned by the patriarch Jacob and then blessed by Yahweh. What do you know about her? Plus, all of that happened thousands of years ago, why is it relevant now?”

Halas laughed. “Oh, you have spirit. I love that.”

Sarita rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink.

“I’m not sure what you’ve been told,” Halas said, softly. “I can help you.”

Recalling her recent disappointment, Sarita’s brow rose.

Halas smiled. “Sometimes you just have to look in the right places, show the right amount of humility and kindness.”

Sarita stared at the woman, taken by what appeared as starbursts in Halas' eyes. “What? Your eyes, they’re... who are you?”

Halas clapped her hands and laughed. “Delightful, just delightful.” She pushed away from the table. “Come, we will talk as we walk.”

Conflicted, Sarita wasn’t sure what to do. Far from home and support, she didn’t like the idea of going with a stranger with funny eyes. The waiter placed her take-out bag on the table and handed her the check. He glanced at Halas and turned.

“Wait.” Sarita pulled out several bills and gave them to him as she stood. Taking her bag, she decided to walk with Halas but not go to a specific place. The two walked in the direction of the hotel in silence.

“How long have the vines been growing?” Halas asked in a somber tone.

Surprised to hear the black lines called vines, Sarita looked at her. Maybe Halas knew something about this after all.

“Since college,” Sarita said, hesitantly.

“And the pain?”

“Manageable.” She never told anyone how David helped draw away the pain to keep her from taking medication. She hadn’t talked to him in a couple days, but he’d told her to call out if she needed him while he was in Canada.

Halas looked up at her but didn’t say anything. “The gifts and curses come through the maternal line for some reason. I’ve never understood that. Why not the Alphas? Or the Betas?”

Sarita shrugged. “Maybe because pups come through the female and it’s easier to imprint them that way.”

“Exactly.”

They reached the hotel. Halas continued walking toward the entrance. Sarita wondered if the older woman was staying there as well. They entered and headed toward the lobby. Halas pointed to a few comfortable overstuffed chairs.

Sarita looked around, the place was conspicuously empty, a big change from when she checked in an hour earlier.

“Sit. We will chat.” Halas looked up at her expectantly.

###

SARITA LOOKED AT THE bag in her hand, placed it on the chair next to her and looked at Halas. “Okay.” She had no intention of telling the woman about her problems. Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. Her eyes widened.

“I didn’t tell you about the pain or lines, how did you know about that?” The only thing Sarita shared was an unspecified disease that seemed incurable.

Halas waved her hand. “Tell me what you’ve been told so far.”

Skeptical but desperate for answers, Sarita spoke honestly. “I’ve been told the lines are a contagious curse that will destroy my mate, family and any chance of happiness.” She held up two fingers. “Then I was told it’s a blessing, but I’ll have problems in childbirth and may never know my mate because my wolf’s senses may be off. Oh yeah, most of Salah’s descendants don’t mate because of this.” Eyes narrowed, she held up a third finger. “Then I was told I could reverse the curse, but it was a difficult task because I would need to find the high-priestess of Salah and no one has seen her for a millennium.” Sarita threw up her hands. “A millennium? Seriously? How am I supposed to find someone like that?”

“With patience and by asking the right questions.” Halas held up her hand. “First off each person told you a part of a larger story. They were all right and all wrong.”

Staring at her companion, Sarita slumped back in her seat. “I’ve spent years searching for answers and a cure. I’ve been patient. But what you’ve just said, makes little sense. How can you be right and wrong at the same time?”

Halas’ eyes gleamed as she sat forward. “Right question. Take a pie. If you cut it into several pieces you still have the whole pie. But if you remove any piece of the pie, take a bite out of a slice, or pinch off a piece, the pie is no longer whole. That does not mean you don’t have pie, you do. Just not the whole pie.” She looked at Sarita with a look that asked, do you understand?

“So, they gave pieces of the answer but not the whole answer?” Sarita watched Halas’ smile widen while wondering where all of this was going.

“Pie. That reminds me I’m hungry.” Halas pointed to Sarita’s bag. “Whatever’s in there smells good.” She stared at the bag as if it held manna.

Sarita handed her the bag, thinking she’d be going out for dinner after all.

“Are you sure?” Halas asked taking the bag and opening it before Sarita could answer.

“No problem. Want something to drink? I don’t see anyone around, but there’s probably bottled water or soft drinks somewhere.” She stood.

“No, no. This is all I need. It’s very kind of you to offer. I appreciate it.” She gave Sarita a large gamin smile while waving her back into her seat. Within a few moments, she ate the entire sandwich and wiped her mouth with the napkin. When she finished, she covered her mouth with her fingertips and burped.

“Excuse me.” She smiled and stuffed the napkin into the bag. “Now onto important matters. The vines only appear on the direct female descendants of Salah. That part is true. It’s both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing to be a part of a blessed lineage. Have you read the story in the Apocryphal Book of Jasher?”

Sarita nodded. “A couple times.”

“Good. History is important.” Halas rubbed her palms together. “In grief over the death of his son Joseph, Jacob instructed his sons to bring the first wild animal they came across. Since he thought a wild animal killed his son, he would kill an animal. They brought Salah to him. As Jacob spoke out his grief and heartbreak, Yahweh blessed Salah and allowed her to speak to Jacob to plead her case. When she explained she was looking for her pup and had nothing to do with the death of his son, the patriarch released her. From that moment and experience with Yahweh, her entire line was blessed with gifts.”

“Gifts?” Sarita brightened. That sounded good.

“Salah found her pup a few hours later, he’d been killed by a hunter. In her grief, she cursed the delay caused by the patriarch. Yahweh took exception and cursed her descendants.”

“Cursed?” Sarita’s heart dropped.

“He couldn’t curse her after blessing her, but her line... that was different.”

“I knew it. These things are going to kill me.” Sarita’s heart filled with sorrow. She’d never have a den or pups. Never experience her mate or the joy of long life.

“The vines? They’re inconvenient but can be dealt with. They’re a small part of the curse. But also, a part of the blessing,” Halas said.

“I’m confused. Would you explain the curse, please? The whole curse? I need to know.” Sarita braced herself for a lifetime alone and stared at Halas. Please, please, please don’t be bad, she silently prayed.

“A grievous event caused Salah to forget the blessing she received. Everyone in her line will lose someone, and experience a grievous event that will break their hearts. How you handle it will determine the depth of the curse for you. Each person is different.”

Sarita couldn’t breathe through her tight chest. Lose someone? “You mean die? Someone close to me will die? Is that what you mean?”

Halas sighed. “What is death other than separation from one plane to another. Salah and her pup have eternity together but in her grief, she forgot and was ungrateful.”

Forget the different planes, there was no one in her life she could comprehend losing. The idea of her parents or siblings or she stopped and closed her eyes as David’s face appeared before her. Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks.

Throat clogged with tears, she couldn’t fathom living without him somewhere alive in the world. Sure, they discussed how they’d handle not being mates, but she never factored in him being dead. That... that broke her heart into a million pieces.

“Why are you crying?”

“Someone’s going to die. I don’t want to be a part of that.” Sarita rubbed her face with the back of her palm.

“Death is a natural part of life. But you know this already, we all know this,” Halas said sounding confused.

“Yes. Natural death. But for someone to die as a part of a curse... because of me. Someone special, I don’t want to be a part of that.”

Minutes passed without either of them speaking.

“We don’t choose our families. Someone greater than us handles those assignments,” Halas said softly. “But we have choices and those decisions shape our destiny.”

“Can I choose for someone not to die?” Sarita snapped.

Halas smiled. “Good question. You want to know if you can die in their place?”

“Not exactly,” Sarita said, surprised the woman jumped to that conclusion. “But can I?” There were a few people she’d die for in a heartbeat.

“Of course, you can. It’s a choice you may have to make.” Halas sat back in her seat with a satisfied smile.

“Is that all of the curse?” Sarita prayed there was nothing else but needed to know all of it.

“Yes, child. That’s the curse. That’s why you were told it’s contagious and would impact your mate and den and any chance of happiness. One of them may be the source of your grief, to lose a mate or pup is devastating. Most full-bloods die at the loss of their mate, the curse prevents it, increasing your grief to live after your heart is gone. It’s one of the reasons most descendants don’t mate.”

Sarita’s breath caught in her chest. This was worse than she imagined. And over the past few years, she imagined all types of scenarios but never living through that kind of pain.

“Your wolf’s senses are off because of it, you may not recognize your mate,” Halas said.

Stunned, Sarita stared at the woman without saying anything. Her mind blanked at the impossible situation she landed in. “So, it wasn’t the drink at the party that night?” It was such a trivial question at a moment like this but right now she needed trivial.

“No, of course not. They would have displayed at some point. The vines prove you’re a part of Salah’s lineage.”

Sarita wasn’t impressed and wanted nothing to do with this Salah mess. Immersed in the gloomy prophecy she wondered how to explain this to David and her parents. She had run out of excuses and would be returning for Renee’s wedding. There was no way to hide her disfigurement or the pain she experienced.

After several minutes passed, Halas cleared her throat. “Ask the right questions, Sarita.”

“How can I get rid of the vines?”

Halas smiled dimmed. “That part was true, the high priestess can remove them for you. Remove is the wrong word, but she can help you with them.” She stared at Sarita.

“Will the pain ever stop?”

“Yes, child. I said the vines are part of an ID system, like a birthmark.”

“How big will it grow?”

“Unchecked, they’ll cover your entire body.”

Sarita’s heart slammed in her chest. She couldn’t breathe. What had she ever done to deserve this? Goddess help her.

“Sarita?”

She looked into the soft, glowing eyes of Halas.

“Don’t you have other questions now that you know about the curse?”

Sarita blinked and tried to think. “Yes, the blessings. What are they?”

Halas smiled so brightly Sarita blinked and looked away briefly. “Finally!” She sat forward. “You have to ability to move quickly and can change forms to avoid detection and capture, think invisibility. The Divine did not want Salah to become prey again and gave her this gift. The gift of her beast speaking to humans was never rescinded. Many of her descendants excel in working with animals. You also have the ability to travel between different planes just as Salah did after finding her pup.”

Sarita didn’t see how any of these things would help her but didn’t want to seem ungrateful since Halas was so excited.

“Your beast’s senses are off when it comes to intimate relationships but keener in every other area. It’s the only reason you’re sitting with me, right now. I’ve been judged as non-threatening.”

Sarita’s brow rose but she didn’t say anything. So far, the blessings didn’t seem like a fair trade-off to losing a mate or a pup.

“Then, of course, there’s the ability to prove yourself worthy to avoid the full impact of the curse.”

“What? How?” Finally, something she could get excited about.

“It’s different for each person. The High Priestess will tell you.”

Sarita’s face dropped. Not that again. “She will?”

“Yes. One thing I don’t think you understood. Your vines are a calling card. Once they appear, you’re known. It’s just a matter of time before you’re in her court. I have a good feeling about you Sarita Farkas.” Halas stood and looked at a surprised Sarita.

“What I’ve told you hasn’t settled, you’re focused on what could go wrong instead of the tremendous opportunity set before you. To be a descendant of someone who’s been blessed by Yahweh is awesome in and of itself. Think about that before you decide to throw away your birthright.” Turning, she walked toward the lobby and it was as if a bubble popped. Sounds of people talking and walking around filled the air.

Sarita turned to ask Halas what she meant but the old woman had disappeared.

###

SARITA LAY ACROSS THE bed looking at the ceiling while scratching the persistent itch just beneath her skin. She thought of reaching out to Gem, her brother Damian’s wife. Gem was an excellent doctor who probably would’ve have found a cure by now. When they learned the real reason she stayed away all these years, her brother was going to be pissed she didn’t share it with him or Gem. 

But how could she? They would’ve rallied around her, talked her into coming home. Then what? Damian’s three pups would’ve been at risk or her two brothers. Rose and Tyrone’s four, Tyrese’s four? She couldn’t take this home, not as long as there was a chance someone could catch it.

“Sarita?” Jackie reached out to her.

“Hi Jackie, how’re you?” Sarita sat up, wondering what was going on. Jackie and Renee had stopped contacting her since she’d been shaky about being in Renee’s wedding.

“Okay. Have you talked to David?”

Chills ran down Sarita’s back. “David?” She thought back. “Not today. Now that I think about it, we haven’t talked since he left for the mountains in Northern Canada.” She paused and reached out to him. “David?” After a few seconds, she tried again. “David?”

“We haven’t been able to reach him either. But something’s happened, we all sensed it.”

Cold dread clogged Sarita’s throat. “Happened? Like what?”

“We don’t know yet. I’ll let you know when I learn something, okay?”

“Thanks, Jackie, I appreciate it.” They disconnected. Sarita curled into a ball and tried to reach David. She glanced at the clock. It was too late to head out, first thing in the morning, she’d return to Aunt Piamitsu’s house, pack and fly to Canada.