Heart's Desire

Chapter 26 - Monty

Freya leaves her bike in Jake's backyard and drives everyone to Sasha's house in my car. I probably could have managed it, but with a busted hand and bitten shoulder, I'm glad to let her take the wheel.

I sit in the middle row of seats with Kit, still unconscious, in my arms, while my parents rest in the back. My dad is still a wolf, his head resting on my mom's lap, and she strokes the fur between his large, jackal-like ears. At the moment, they lie flat, and I realize we may not be out of the woods just yet.

"How bad is he hurt?" I ask, twisting to look back at them.

My mom shakes her head. "No worse than I am, physically. It's the strain on his heart. That bastard didn't have to touch him to put him through hell." She inhales sharply through her nose, her mouth a thin line of anger. "We didn't know what had happened to Sasha and Martin, and the kids, or to the rest of you. Jake gave us plenty of terrible possibilities to dwell upon."

"Everyone's fine," I assure her. "Just worried for you and Dad."

She nods. "I hope when he sees that, it'll do him good."

I think back over her words, and frown. "What's wrong with his heart? Is Dad sick?"

My mom sighs and adjusts the bear skin that still covers her. It doesn't smell very good, and it's probably not helping her leave the nightmare of Jake's dungeon behind.

"We kept it from you so you wouldn't worry, Monty, but the fact is your father's no spring pup. His heart's grown a bit weak, and he's supposed to avoid stress. It wasn't serious, and Dr. Meyer said there's no reason he shouldn't live a full, long life. But that was before..."

"Don't think about it now," I say, reaching back to take her hand. "Just rest. You can tell us everything when you're ready."

She smiles and squeezes my fingers. "You're the most like him, Monty. That's why he's always worried about you the most. A strong heart, a soft heart, and a good heart is a rare thing to find all in one man—or wolf. It's why I fell in love with him. But it makes him vulnerable, too, to just the kind of hurt that Jake threatened him with; not to himself, but to those he loves."

I turn my attention to him, stretching to rest my hand on his back.

"We love you, too, Dad," I say quietly, "so hang in there, okay?"

He whines softly and wags his bushy tail, and my mom smiles.

"That's my man," she says, and leans down to kiss his head.

~ ☾ ~

"They should be in a hospital," Sheriff Page complains. "You should all be in a hospital."

Dane had called her immediately upon our return, demanding she investigate Jake's house and release Sasha from custody at once. To our surprise, she had complied, and driven Sasha home to us herself.

On the other hand, now she refuses to leave, and insists we all receive proper medical care. Dane is having a difficult time explaining why we can't. The speed of our healing alone would draw attention, not to mention the results of any blood-work.

"We, uh, don't go to hospitals for, uh, religious reasons," he says.

"Religious reasons? What kinda bullshit..." She huffs, hands on her hips.

"Look, we got a family doctor." Dane says. "She's on her way here now. If she says they need to be in a hospital, we'll go. You have my word."

"What's your doctor's name?"

"Emmeline Meyer." He answers firmly and without hesitation, because it's true.

Dr. Meyer has been our doctor since I was a kid. She's a real doctor, too—board-certified and everything. She's also a medicine-woman, belonging to one of the local indigenous tribes, and she specializes in treating unusual patients. Through her, we get the best of both worlds—modern medicine, and traditional knowledge combined.