After a nice, long, scalding hot bubble bath, Josephine dressed in a white t-shirt and black yoga pants. Pulling her hair into a bun high on her head, she climbed into the middle of her bed and let her mind picture the symbols on the Bear Scroll. Roman wanted the ritual translated so he could have it performed before his father died.

Plan B, he’d called it. Josephine felt like he had already said his goodbyes to his father and now he raced to save his clan. But deep in her heart, she knew she could save his father. They’d found the Wolf Scroll and she just needed to make sure the doctor got it.

Bouncing from the bed, she opened her door and eased down the hallway to the head of the stairs. Stopping, she listened for voices or movement. When she was satisfied that everyone was otherwise occupied, she crept down to the library and began sifting through the documents littering the table.

Brushing aside the maps she’d had Robert pull out, she searched for the Wolf Scroll. After an hour or so of nothing, she decided that Roman had probably hid it somewhere safe. So, resigned to wait until he emerged from his dungeon of torture, there wasn’t anything she could do but wait.

She went back to her bedroom and opened the sliding door separating their rooms so that she would know when he returned. Crawling back into her bed, she fluffed the pillows and relaxed.

She must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew, Roman’s bedroom door slammed and her body was suddenly abuzz with anxiety.

“Roman?” she called and extracted herself from the covers to pad over to the adjoining door. Still clad in his tactical gear, Roman paced the carpeted floor like a caged animal. Anger rolled off him in huge waves.

Roman whirled to face her. “How are you feeling?” he asked tersely.

“Better,” she answered and hesitantly moved toward him.

“Don’t lie to me,” he threatened and pulled her roughly into his embrace. “I can feel your emotions, remember? I can also feel your physical pain,” he added and then held her at arms’ length so he could look her in the eye. “The bond between us has grown very strong Josephine, I never imagined feeling this way for someone,” he admitted softly and then lowered his lips to capture hers in a soft, passionate kiss.

A knock on his bedroom door had him pulling away from her with a curse. It seemed as though every time they got close, something or someone intervened.

“Your father has asked to see you,” Robert announced softly once Roman pulled the door open. “He’s awake,” he added.

“The Scroll,” Josephine gasped and rushed toward Roman. “I need the Wolf Scroll; I can translate it for the doctor.”

Roman reached inside his vest and pulled out two scrolls. Handing them to her, he padded over to his closet and began removing his battle gear.

It took every ounce of self control to pull her eyes from the gloriously naked body of her mate in order to study the documents. Within a few moments, Josephine had a tentative spell translated.

“I have it,” she announced proudly. “I’ve translated the ritual to lift the curse from your father.”

Roman emerged from his bathroom, a puff of steam hot on his trail. Apparently, he’d found time to shower while she’d been lost in her own mind.

“Would you like to change while I gather the necessary items?” Roman asked and motioned at her t-shirt and cotton pants.

“Oh, yes,” she agreed absently. She left the documents lying on Roman’s bed and raced off to her room.

* * *

Once they were seated in the town car with Leo driving, Roman explained that his father was in a private estate they’d retrofitted as a hospital. The doctor who cared for him lived there so that he could be in close proximity to his patient.

She also learned that the doctor happened to be a very close family friend of the Williams bear clan as he, himself, was a bear shifter.

After offering these few explanations, Roman fell into a contemplative silence and Josephine chose not to disturb him. Pulling both the Bear and the Wolf Scrolls from her bag, she opened the Bear Scroll and began deciphering the cuneiform texts.

Even though she knew deep within her heart that Roman’s dad would be saved, she also wanted to be prepared should Roman ask for the other ritual. Luckily the Bear Scroll didn’t ask for anything other than the two participants and a simple chant to sever their ties.

“Where did you get the ingredients for the Wolves’ counter-spell?” Josephine asked as the thought suddenly occurred to her. The Wolf Scroll called for the blood of the original caster as well as blood from the victim’s sire in order to successfully lift the curse.

Roman shifted uncomfortably in the seat next to her and produced a small pouch from his inner jacket. Offering it to her, he gave a small shrug and waited for her to study the contents.

Inside she found two vials: one, containing Rafe’s blood and another one, unlabeled. Holding the unlabeled vial up before her, she arched an eyebrow in question.

“Blood and other samples are taken when one of us joins the military,” he explained. “Just in case situations like this arise. That’s my grandfather’s blood,” he added with a nod at the second vial. “We keep them all in cold storage.”

She carefully placed the vials back into the pouch and handed it to Roman. She wanted to question him as to what ‘other’ samples would’ve been taken, but didn’t feel that it was an appropriate time.

They pulled through the main gates and Roman barely waited for the car to stop before rushing up the steps and disappearing into the house. Leo shifted the car into park and lumbered out, offering Josephine his hand through Roman’s open door.

“Allow me to escort you in Ms. Baxter,” he offered with an apologetic smile.

Taking his hand, she followed Leo into the house and down a series of hallways until they reached Mr. Williams’ room. The moment she laid eyes on the pale, sunken body in the bed, she wondered if perhaps they weren’t too late to save him after all.

Numerous tubes and I.V. lines were connected to his body and machines beeped quietly from various points in the room. One large tube ran to his open mouth and she inhaled sharply when she realized it was a ventilator. Mr. Williams was no longer able to breathe on his own.

“We don’t have much time,” Roman murmured as he bent over the bed and took his father’s hand in his.

“What happens if we sever your ties and your father lives?” Josephine asked softly.

Roman bowed his head and sighed. “The answer is complicated,” he admitted. “But essentially, his shifter genes will decrease and gradually, over time, he’ll become mortal. By severing his ties from me, and thus the Clan, he’ll no longer have that connection to his own bloodline. That’s the down side to using magic.”

“If the ritual causes him to become mortal all at once, will the Wolves’ curse kill him before the doctor can cure him?” she asked, wanting to make sure everyone understood the pressure they placed on her shoulders.

“He’ll still be a shifter,” Roman answered hoarsely. “It’ll take years for his DNA to convert. I wouldn’t suggest doing the ritual if I thought it could potentially kill him.”

Josephine nodded. She couldn’t blame Roman for his insistence on performing the severing ritual. He wanted to protect his Clan and his father and this was the only way he could do both.

“Is there a way for him to re-enter the Clan?” she prompted. She refused to believe that the only way to save the man was to condemn him to a mortal life and death. Having been immortal all his existence, how would he handle being simply human?

Roman lifted his head and studied her through narrowed eyes.

“I’m sure a genius like you can figure out a way,” he said and then smiled. “If you’ll stay on as my historian, I’ll give you full access to all my mother’s research and anything else you may need.”

Josephine’s heart swelled with so many emotions, she almost felt like she would burst.

“Shall we get started?” Roman prompted.

* * *

Standing solemnly over his father’s unconscious body, Roman took a small scalpel and gently pulled it across the flesh of his wrist. After doing the same with his father’s wrist, he pressed the two bleeding wounds together.

A palpable weight shot through the room and Roman doubled over in visible pain. When Josephine started toward him, he thrust out his hand to keep her at a safe distance.

“It worked,” he panted and pulled his wrist free of his father’s. The doctor stepped forward and wrapped Mr. William’s wound before turning to tend to Roman’s who simply waved the man away.

“Mine’s almost healed,” he explained and then turned to face Josephine. “Let Dr. Hemp have the Wolf Scroll and translation. He’ll have to do the rest on his own.”

Doing as she was told, Josephine offered the parchment to the doctor and then allowed Roman to lead her from the room.