CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & FORTY SEVEN


    Talia’s POV


    “The Lonefur Ember is a gem,” Solon said.


    “Clearly,” De huffed. “But if it was just a simple gem, Leslie wouldn’t have responded like that. So, what’s so special about it?”


    “There are only three in existence and all three have been protected in the Lonefur pack. The gem has properties that work on the bearer over time,” Solon exined.


    “Can it heal her?” I asked.


    “Better than that. It’s the reason why Landon’s family has held onto the pack for so long,” Leslie interjected. “It calms the mind during stressful situations, offers protection, and it slows aging if worn consistently.”


    “Giving one away is not a small gesture. These gems do not leave the Lonefur pack. That has been the rule for as long as the pack has existed. Landon gave this to Leslie to show his sincere apology,” Solon added.


    Leslie looked at the ne again. She set it carefully around her neck with a smile.


    “I forgive him,” she said.


    De stared at her. “You are forgiving him just like that?”


    “Yes, just like that,” Leslie said.


    De sat back in her chair and looked at the ceiling briefly. “I did not think Landon had that in him,” she said.


    “Neither did I,” Leslie said.


    De snorted and crossed her arms. “He should be giving one to Talia for causing all that trouble too,” she muttered.


    “Now that Leslie is awake, we should get back,” Solon said.


    “You don’t have to leave so fast. Stay overnight. I know Leslie will appreciate the additional rest,” I offered.


    “I told Father we’d be back today,” Solon said.


    “At least have dinner with us and see how you feel afterwards,” I suggested.


    “Then we’ll stay for dinner. I’ll let Father know,” Solon responded.


    Solon looked at Leslie and she nodded. “Why not?”


    Nn released my hand and stepped out to arrange it. He came back a few minutester and led us down the hall to one of the smaller dining rooms off the main hall.


    We sat down without much discussion about who sat where. Solon pulled Leslie’s chair out before she reached it and sat beside her. He filled her water ss before his own and when the food came, he moved the dish closest to her slightly so she could reach it without stretching her arm.


    De leaned over to me at one point and said quietly, “He is almost unbearable to watch.”


    “Don’t be like that. You should see how you and Marco are together,” I giggled.


    “We are not like that,” De responded.


    “Yes, you are. At least Solon isn’t groping her underneath the table,” I added and De blushed. Nn almostughed and covered it with a cough.


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    “Where is Marco anyway?” I asked.


    “Walden was more injured than we thought. Marco is filling in for Walden and will bete to dinner,” Nn exined.


    De nodded. She picked up her fork and began to eat without saying anything else. I watched her for a moment. She was looking at the empty chair next to her where Marco would have been sitting.


    “You should stop being jealous,” I teased and De cut her eyes at me. “Solon loves her. You should be happy for him.”


    “For the record, I am not jealous,” De said. “Just grossed out seeing him like that. Who wants to see their brother practically all over their mate?” She made a face, and Solon rolled his eyes at her before smirking.


    “What did you think of the tunnels?” I asked Solon, changing the topic.


    “The tunnels are well designed,” Solon answered. “I will replicate them in Silverfang, and I will tell Father what you have done here. Not just the tunnels, but the wall, the gathering today, and the way you handled everything that followed. He should know the kind of Luna you have be.”


    “I could not have done any of it without Nn,” I said.


    “You need to learn to take apliment,” Nn stated. “You came up with all of this on your own.”


    It felt good having a mate that supported me and not take credit for things that I had done. I hadn’t realized how much Jason had taken advantage of me. There were so many things that I had overlooked.


    ‘It is a good thing that the Moon Goddess blessed us with a second chance,’ my wolf said and I agreed.


    The meal wound down slowly. We were nearly at the end of it when Leslie set down her cup and said, “Right. I will leave my herbs with you before we go. They will help with mild cases of the infection if you encounter them.”


    Nn leaned back in his chair and drank some of his bourbon. “Only for mild cases? What about full-blown infections?”


    “They are not strong enough for a direct infection from a rogue-infected wound. What happened to Talia and what happened to Landon today, the herbs alone cannot handle that level of exposure. They would slow the progression in a minor case, but they would not be sufficient for anything more serious,” Leslie exined.


    I looked at my hands and thought about what that meant in practical terms. We were being reactive, not proactive. Every countermeasure we had was just that, a countermeasure. It wasn’t a solution to the problem.


    “It’s better than nothing, right?” De asked, breaking the silence.


    Before I could respond, Leslie scoffed, “Do you really think I am just going to stop with just the herbs?”


    “What do you mean?” I asked with anticipation.


    “I will develop an antidote,” Leslie said firmly. “It will be a proper one, something that works regardless of the level of exposure. I will start when we return to Silverfang.”


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