Stolen Fate

Two: The Catch And Release

The relief of her words smoothed a relaxing cold balm over Arietta's chest. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much."

The woman nodded, then pulled out a long stethoscope from her case. Having shifter's hearing meant the woman only needed to get close enough to assess her heart rate. But this woman didn't want to get too close to her. Not only was she the enemy, but she'd brought danger to their doorstep.

The cool metal of the stethoscope felt like a burn on her already heated skin. She tried to take a few breaths and cursed inwardly when her breathing stuttered.

The woman frowned. "You're going to need a heavy dose of oxygen. I don't have much else with me, but if any additional signs of bronchospasm after oxygen, I'll give you an albuterol treatment to loosen your airways." At the last word, the woman glanced at Gavriel, who nodded.

Gavriel picked up his phone. Someone on the other line spoke, then he muttered something back, too low for her hearing. After a moment, he snapped the device closed and tucked it away.

Arietta knew she should argue as the woman began pulling out more supplies. She wouldn't stay. Couldn't stay. Nor should she take treatment from them. But another part of her wanted her to take what she could get.

The second part, the selfish part, won out. She would take anything the shifters would give her if it provided her more time.

Barely a few moments later, a young boy trotted out from the brush, a small machine tucked under his arm. He placed it carefully next to the woman across from her, shot Arietta a look, and loped away.

A clear circular dome piece appeared from the woman's bag, attached to a hose from the machine the boy had left. One that fed her oxygen. "Put this securely over your nose and mouth and try to take deep, even breaths.

Arietta did just that.

"What was your plan?" Gavriel finally spoke up. "Surely you knew what would happen when you crossed the territory border."

Arietta took another deep breath. The air both stung and soothed her aching lungs. "I didn't," she said through the mask.

Gavriel had no problem hearing her. "We have killed for less."

Arietta nodded. She was well aware. "Naya is more important."

"'Naya'," the woman repeated the name. "Where did she come from?"

"Talia," Gavriel said her name with a bit of steel. A soft chiding.

Talia rolled her eyes, but continued to root through her case until she came up with a few sealed cotton balls and some gauze. Arietta bit her lip against the sting as Talia dotted a soaked cotton ball against a cut on her cheek.

"Is there another territory out there looking for this cubling?" Gavriel asked. His voice was like smooth river rock.

Arietta looked down at Naya, biting back the heavy feeling in her chest. After a moment, she simply shook her head.

"What about parents?" Talia asked. She'd moved from the cleaning solution to placing a small sheet of skin gauze over Arietta's cheek. The self-sealing gauze fitted itself easily against her skin. "Shifters would never leave their cub alone."

Again, Arietta shook her head. "Gone."

It was only because she was looking at his face that she noticed Gavriel's jaw turn to steel. He folded his muscular arms over his chest. "Let's wrap this up, Talia."

"That's it?" Talia asked as she started folding everything back up and placing it into the case. "You don't want more details?"

"What I want and what we will get are two entirely different things," Gavriel said.