Chapter 42

I wokewith the sun and watched Sage sleep.

Hopefully, she would sleep for many more hours.

I slid from the bed, made sure that she had not kicked off the covers, then dressed. There was much to do. I texted Sig, and he knocked on my door within a minute.

"How is she?" His hair was still wet from his shower.

"She ate late last night." I closed the door behind him. "She didn't fall right to sleep, so we talked. She knows very little about us. I tried to explain a few things."

"The healer is available this afternoon."

"Good, I want her to see Sage. Hopefully, she will know what to do." I walked to my kitchen. I needed coffee.

"So that you know, their healer is a male with a female apprentice."

I nodded while my wolf growled. He did not like the idea of a male being near Sage when she was so vulnerable.

There was another knock on my door.

Sig rolled his eyes. "I told her to give us some time. Apparently, that means two minutes." He stalked to the door and admitted Talia. "She is fine."

She walked past Sig directly to me. "You slept?"

"Sage woke a little after midnight and ate. We talked and then slept."

"You look…centered." She grinned as if she had figured out a riddle. "You made up," she sang the words.

"I now have a better understanding of why she ran and stayed away."

"Anton?" Sig asked.

"Yes. He frightened her with threats against both of us. Plus, her neighbor in Chicago took notice of the mercenaries. They questioned her neighbors."

Sig's gaze flashed with anger. "That was sloppy."

"She knows little about us. Miriam did not educate her."

"She must have been terrified. She was cut off from us, her only friends." Talia's expression hardened. "Feeling helpless and afraid is debilitating. I'm impressed that she stayed undetectable for so long."

They followed me to the kitchen, where I started the coffeemaker while Sig opened the refrigerator and started breakfast.

"She is smart and brave." I was proud of my mate. "The human doctors can't explain why my bite will not heal. She stayed on the road even though she was very ill and in pain."

"You can't let her die," Talia told me.

"I won't," I promised. However, I hated that I had to place her care in the hands of another.

When the coffee was done brewing, I poured three cups.

I left them to their tasks while I checked on Sage.

She was sitting up and pushing her hair from her eyes. "Hey," she said shyly.

"Good morning." I walked to the bed. "Were we too loud?"

"Nope." Her inner light seemed dimmer than last night. Fatigue showed in the dark crescents beneath her eyes.

"Sig is making breakfast. Would you like to join us?"

She nodded and then climbed out of bed, being careful of her shoulder and side.

I wanted to stay close because she wasn't moving well and was not fully awake. I spent the time making the bed.

After the toilet flushed and the water turned on and off, she opened the door. "My things are in the other room."

"You are covered." I held out my hand. "Come." I liked seeing her in my shirt, and her body carried my scent.

She grasped my hand tightly.

I walked slower than usual so she could keep up.

When Talia sensed our approach, she asked, "Coffee?"

"No. It doesn't taste right. I think running a fever for so long has messed up my stomach." She frowned. "I miss it. Now, it is either juice or water."

Talia got up and went to check in the refrigerator. "No juice, but there is a mixture of cut fruit."

"That sounds good," Sage said, her voice still husky.

"I'll bring it. You sit down." After Talia dumped the fruit into a bowl that was too big, she took a bottle of water from the refrigerator's door and brought them to Sage.

I picked up my mug and joined her at the table.

"I can't eat all of that." She used her fork to point at the bowl. "I know you're going to bitch if I don't eat everything that is put in front of me."

"You need to eat to stay strong," I told her patiently.

"He won't let up, I fear." Talia had refilled her mug and joined us at the table. "We were so worried after the attack, and then, we couldn't locate you for so long. I knew you were unwell when I saw you in the bus station."

Sage continued to nibble. "I'm sorry you were worried. I didn't know what else to do." Sage paused and looked at each of us before continuing, "I didn't fully trust Miriam, but she was my only option. I'm thankful she chose to help and arranged for my departure." Then she looked at me with wide eyes. "Will she get into trouble for helping me? I mean, you won't punish her, will you?"

I shook my head. "She did as I requested. She helped you. I have no problem with her." Now came the more difficult part because I couldn't make any promises. "Miriam is one of the few who can hold their own against Anton. She is a gifted healer, and he needs her. However, she is the only one who could have helped you leave. Anton may decide to punish her for disrupting his plan." I pointed toward her bowl, encouraging her to eat more. It did no good to worry about Miriam's future. Anton was unpredictable. I could only hope Miriam was shrewd enough to know when to save herself and leave the Reddlands.

Sage ate another spoonful and told Talia, "Breed filled me in on some of the Lycan stuff last night."

I wanted to laugh at her word choice.

"I didn't understand everything that was going on. I was sure that you all were part of a cult. Not the brainwashed robot types," she rushed to clarify, "more like you felt responsible for those who were or too weak to see that it was failing." She opened her bottle of water and took a drink. "We all know there's a long history of mass suicide when evidence stacks up that a group's way of life is failing. I thought you were sticking around to try to stop the madness when it happened."

Talia's eyebrows rose, and then she glanced at me to see if I had a response.

Sage continued, "I asked a couple of times and got shut down, but that was my working theory."

"It was a good one," Sig complimented her as he added food to the plates on the counter beside the stove.

"On the flight back to Chicago, I decided that Anton wouldn't give up on keeping us apart. I planned to travel until I found a place to hide out." She shrugged.

"It was not a bad plan," I said. She'd survived.

"I was starting to think that I'd been gone long enough and could start looking for a place to land, but then I met the other wol…Lycan," she quickly corrected.

"What other Lycan?" I asked sharply as Sig placed the plate beside Sage.

"I met her in a bus station. She told me that people were looking for me." She paused until we all had food and were seated. "She'd left her family and, I guess, her Pack. I told her to claim the reward." She shrugged. "About a week later, I saw the sign with your number on it."

Suddenly, I understood how frightened she must have been traveling alone, not knowing those around her and then learning that she was being hunted.

"You thought it was Anton offering that reward when it was really Bredon." Talia shook her head in understanding.

"At first, when I heard about the reward…I freaked out. That was a much bigger operation than what I had expected from Anton, for me, a human. Then, when I saw the sign with my name and the phone number, I knew it was you." She glanced at me shyly.

"I am grateful you decided to call," I told her begrudgingly. I had to reconcile what she knew and what I had not told her. She'd worked successfully with what she did know.

"Anton hinted that if I stayed with Bredon, it would hurt his position. I knew that being weakened meant you could be attacked." She looked around the table. "Even though he only mentioned Breed, I knew he meant all of you, and I didn't want to put you in danger."

I reached out and took her hand. I was thrilled that she cared about my two oldest friends. My real family. "Anton and I have a long history. He thinks I want his position." I released her hand so she could continue eating. "I don't."

"I figured that if you did, then you three would have figured out a way to make it happen years ago." She smiled at us, losing some tension in her posture.

"Anton issues many threats," Sig said with a grimace. "He also acts on some. He is dangerous. You were right to get away."

"I couldn't leave our wing," Talia explained. "I'm not sure that even if I'd found a way to get to you, I could have helped you escape."

"Anton's guards would have followed your every move," Sig told Talia. "When caught, Sage would've been executed, and you…" His gaze lingered on the female. "You would have been at his mercy." His face went hard.

Talia's complexion paled. "I told you, never again. I wouldn't survive," she said, her voice shaking with emotion.

"I will not let that happen, Nattie." Sig reached for her hand but stopped abruptly, his palm floating above hers. He slowly pulled his hand back and gripped his mug tightly.

Sage was watching with wide eyes.

Once Sig had recovered his composure, he continued, "Anton will not accept that Bredon will not challenge him for his throne. However, once our people learn that Bredon has found his mate…it might cause a few to encourage Bredon to change his mind. Our Second finding the other half of his soul could be interpreted as the Lady favoring him. Anton has not managed to impress our Goddess. To packmates, this would mean Bredon is more powerful."

I said nothing while Sage considered what had been shared.

She was quiet for a moment. "Now, I understand why Anton views me as the lynchpin. If I'm gone, no mate. No mate, no boost in power. His throne will be safe." She took a bite of the hot breakfast. "I believe he will continue to see you as a threat. So, we will never be truly safe."

My wolf wanted to howl. Our mate knew only a little about us, and yet, her conclusions were correct.

"That is why we are careful," Sig told her.

"But won't he be upset when he finds out you are here with me?" My mate's eyes widened with concern.

I did my best to sound unconcerned. "That worry is for another day."

She opened her mouth to argue.

I spoke quickly to cut her off. "The local Pack has healers, and they are coming this afternoon to examine you."

She let out a sigh. "Fine."

"Finish your breakfast," I said, softening my order with a grin.