I feel silly for coming here. I think my common sense has vacated the premises. Because of course there’s not much a healer like Cat can do for my situation. A healer like Dani, maybe, who could potentially cast a spell on me to help me cope with all this. Maybe Dani should be my next stop. And Ronnie, if she’s feeling up to it. If Ronnie touches me while I hear the pup, what would she see?
I drive to Drowsy Hollow and there are no vehicles parked behind the dry cleaners where the Youngs have their covenstead and the apartment upstairs, so I wander the town a while, poking around some shops to kill time.
***
I take the long way to drive past Jase’s house on the way home, half an hour before the meeting is supposed to happen. There’s no sign of his pickup truck.
No sign of Jase at my house either. Dani and Vivi are already here, in the kitchen with Mom, having coffee and cookies.
“Hi,” Mom greets. “How are you doing?”
“No idea,” I say, putting my bag down.
Mom hugs me.
“Can I help with anything?” I ask. “For the meeting?”
“No, it’s all done. Had all sorts of leftover treats and beverages from yesterday so it was nothing to put on some coffee and tea.”
I look at the girls. “Erica not here yet?”
“On her way,” Vivi says. “Should be here any time.”
I nod and turn to Dani.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I ask.
She follows me outside to the driveway. Dad is in the garage now, fiddling with his broken TV.
“Hey Dad,” I greet.
“Sweetheart,” Dad greets, coming over and kissing my forehead before he goes back to what he’s doing.
I walk further down the driveway and Dani follows.
“Any idea how this is going to go?” I ask. “My anxiety is out of control.”
“If he shows up, we’ll hear his side, your side, and then we’ll call Lucinda to see what her position is from an SCC perspective on the form you sent in. Then we’ll meet and talk alone before we advise if our spell stopping Jase from touching you can be further extended.”
“Is Ronnie coming?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not today.”
“Oh. Right. Grey said she was having a rough time.”
“Why are you asking?”
“I’m having some wonky side-effects, I think. I was going to ask her to read me, see if she can help me figure it out.”
“What sort of wonky side effects? As a healer, I read individuals, in a different way.”
“Can you sense a case of the crazies?” I ask, only half-joking. I explain, “I’m hearing sounds. Like a wolf pup yipping, barking, yelping. Mostly it’s been happening whenever I let my brain think about moving on without Jase in my life. Or when I push feelings away about him.”
She winces.
“Any idea what it could mean?” I ask.
Dani looks sympathetic. “The tendrils of the mate bond dig pretty deep. You’re not mated yet, but there are unseen forces at work with alpha shifter matings, particularly in this pack with the council alphas.”