Lynn shot up from the bed with a gasp, and I nearly wept in relief. Wendy and Toya jolted back, surprised, but then grabbed Lynn again. "Are you okay?" Touya turned Lynn''s face to hers.


    Wendy wrapped her hands around the soaked towel and peaked under. "Thank the goddess." She pulled back the towelpletely, inspecting Lynn''s wrist. "She''s healed." She stood and brought the towel to the bathroom. I heard the p of the towel hitting the bottom of my tub and water running right before she came back with a washcloth. She wiped the remaining blood off Lynn''s wrist, cleaning her up before she turned to me. "You did it." She looked back over my shoulder, her eyes catching on something again.


    Toya and I followed her eyesight and Toya''s mouth dropped open. "Holy goddess." She looked back at me. "Did you do that?"


    I stared at the nts I had in the corner. The nts I collected and my mother had taken care of while I was gone. The nts, all six, that were now shriveled and dead. The once vibrant green now had turned yellow, like dried corn husks. I mourned their loss, but I looked back at Lynn and I smiled. "Sometimes, magic gives back to nature, and sometimes we pull from it. My well wasn''t big enough to bring Lynn back from the brink while cleansing the wolfbane from her system. I needed the boost." I felt my shoulders sag. "I will give it back once I''ve refilled." I stood and grabbed the jewelry dish of blood. "I''ll be right back."


    "But your magic..." Wendy held up her hand, worried.


    I nodded. "I''ll have to pull a little extra from the nts outside to add Lynn to the shield, but it needs to be done. I''ll hopefully be able to bring them all back to life when I have the strength." I started back into the closet but paused. "Can you both stay with her until I cane back and bring her to her room?"


    "Of course." Toya nodded.


    I nodded, then turned back to the cabin. I hurried past Carly sitting on her bed, surrounded by nkets I didn''t recognize. I headed out the front door and headed north. I pulled tiny bits or power of life from the grass and nts as I passed. I didn''t want to kill any outright, so I spread it out. By the time I got to the statue, I had a n formed in my mind.


    "Do you know what to do, love?" My grandmother stepped around the corner with a smile.


    "I think so." I settled on my knees in front of the statue, then I sighed.


    "Say what you want to say, my girl." My grandmother settled next to me.


    "I''m barely able to take care of myself, and now I have a child, and another grown woman to take care of." I turned my head. "What am I doing?"


    She smiled. "You''re afraid. And that''s okay." She raised her hand to my face, and I closed my eyes. When we were like this, I swore I could feel her hand, her warmth. “Do you regret either choice?" His question was soft. "The girl, or the warrior?"


    I shook my head instantly. "Carly is mine. I knew that when I was eighteen. And Lynn, she''s my friend. My wolf. My duty. But also, she''s mine to protect, and I failed her.” I opened my eyes to see hers full of understanding.


    "So you


    find them to be a duty?" She tilted her head at me. Take your time to think of your answer. I want you to really consider the question and your feelings about this."


    I sat back and really turned inward. How did I feel about Carly? About Lynn? Fuck, how did I feel about everything?


    Nix and Megan came over. Carly is our pup. Nixid down and stared at me.


    Megan nodded. She was always supposed toe to us.


    I felt the same. Carly was ours, and even though I was terrified about raising a


    child by myself, I would figure it


    out.


    You have us, asshole. Nix called out and I smiled.


    I turned to the next person, Lynn. I felt in my gut she was linked to me. We have a bond, I could feel the cord connecting us.


    She is our pack, our home. Nix looked at Megán. It''s like us, we are together; we are sisters.


    Megan tilted her head. Toya, Cas, Wendy, Hanna and Ma are our sisters. Lynn is like a cousin. She is a part of our family. And we need to care for our family. I think you are worried about making her better, but she is stronger than you think.


    Nix chuffed out augh. And I think you are seriously downying the drive of someone fueled by hatred and revenge. Which is surprising, since you, yourself, have been on a revenge path for years now.


    I had to agree to that.


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