Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Lenora stands and unlocks the apartment door. James is pacing the hall and rushes inside as soon as

he is allowed entry.

“My Love!" he exclaims when he sees Delilah bundled up on the sofa. He kneels down and caresses

her face, giving her little kisses. “Oh, Puppy. Don't worry. I'm okay," she smiles as he comes to her side.

“James, you can take her wrapped in the blanket so she won't get cold. | will get it back some other

time," | offer.

"It's alright, Luna. My truck is out front,” he carefully unwraps his mate from her cocoon and hands the

blanket to me before picking her up bridal style. Lenora drapes his coat over her.

“Delilah, | will come see you tomorrow if you're feeling better,” | tell her.

“Thank you, Kas," she says sleepily, leaning into James’ chest. James gingerly walks out of the

apartment so he can take his mate home and care for her. | pang of guilt strikes my heart. | am not able

to heal Delilah because she is not a werewolf. She is a powerful witch, but what she did for me this

evening took so much out of her. | have to find a way to make it up to her.

"Did you hear that?" Lenora asked with a smirk as soon as they're gone.

"Hear what?" | ask, looking at her with confusion.

"Delilah calls James 'Puppy’,” Lenora giggles at the thought of big burly James being called a puppy.

| cover my mouth hiding my giggle. Once | collect myself | turn to Lenora, "Okay, no more stalling,

where's Bronx?"

“Hospital wing.”

“Hospital wing?! What happened?" Worry starts to build in my chest. >

She looks at me unsure what to say. She just sighs, “Saint won't shift back into human form. We're not

sure why.”

“Won't or can't?" I'm not sure how | know to ask the question.

“Come on, Kas, maybe you can help figure it out.”

We walk briskly down to the hospital wing. | realize, | wrapped my blanket around me without knowing |

was doing it. The doctor meets us in the hallway.

"Luna, I'm glad you're here. We've tried to speak with Alpha Bronx's wolf, but for some reason, he

doesn't seem to be able to communicate with us. Beta Milo had to bring him back from the woods on

an ATV. He couldn't walk here himself. Physically, he

seems weak, but we can't figure out why. Other than the muscle weakness, he seems to be healthy,

albeit a little irritable. But that isn't unusual for our Alpha," the doctor explains to us as we walk down

the hall. We stop in front of a patient room door.

“Please, take as much time as you need. Hopefully the mate bond will help provide some answers. If

not, | feel slightly uncomfortable to ask, but | understand you had training for your healer abilities while

you were away. | don't know if this case calls for those abilities or not.

“No need to feel awkward, Doctor. Thank you for letting me know the situation.”

“Be careful, Kas. We don't know what kind of state of mind Saint is in that he won't allow Bronx to come

forward...or if it is Bronx that is the one who is not in the right state of mind, "Lenora says with warning.

| nod at her and open the door. | quietly step inside gently closing the door behind me. The room is

dimly lit. Saint's hulking form is on alow kennel cot. He lifts his head as | come in and looks at me

sleepily with his single vibrant green eye. His tail thumps against the cot and he starts to whine with a

yawn when he sees me approach. Joy fills my heart at the sight of him. Mate's don't usually spend time

together in opposite forms, but seeing him in front of me reminds me that | love him just as much as

Bronx. ; “Hi Saint," | whisper soothingly, "The doctor said maybe you're not feeling well. Can | lay down

with you? Maybe | can help heal you?” He looks at me for a moment and | can't tell if he understands

me or not until he tries to stand up and come to me.

“Oh no, Sweetheart, let me come to you," | assure him and step over to where he is laying.

He sits, then lays back on the cot, allowing me to crawl onto it with him. | lean against his big barreled

chest and wrap my arms around his neck. He has the same coffee and dark chocolate scent as Bronx

but muskier.

"I've missed you, Saint. So has Bronx," | murmur as | stroke his soft fur.

He nuzzles my face and gives me a small lick on the cheek before wrapping his giant body around me,

effectively wrapping me into a white wolf cocoon. His face is leaning up against mine as | run my

fingers through his soft coat and nuzzle my face on the thick fur of his neck.

“Saint, is Bronx in there with you?" | ask gently, stroking his face, knowing | won't get an answer, "Can |

use some of my healing ability to try to bring him back? It makes me nervous that you are not strong

right now, because Bronx was fine before he left the packhouse. | promise it won't make you go away

again. Just enough for both of you to share a body like you used to. | promise. Hopefully the healing

energy will help make you stronger too. 2

He lifts his head up and looks into my eyes. He gives me a small huff and another lick on my cheek. |

take that as a sign of approval. “Thank you, Sweetheart," | nuzzle him again. | take a deep breath. |

have never tried to use my abilities on someone in wolf form. But | just promised him everything would

be fine, so | need to make sure | keep that promise. “Saint, | think Bronx is feeling guilty about

something that happened earlier today. | don't know if he told you about it or not, but he doesn't need to

feel guilty. | need him to know that. He did the right thing. | don't blame him. I'm not mad at him. So if

he's in there with you and if you two are on speaking terms, please let him know for me, okay?”

The giant wolf doesn't really respond, he just sighs deeply and lets his tongue loll out of the side of his

mouth. He uses his snoot to lift my hand to pet him more. 2

“My sweet wolf mate. You mean so much to me. | love you," | place my hands on either side of his soft

ears and kiss him on the end of his nose.

“Ready? I've never done this on someone in wolf form. I'm not sure how it will feel for you. If you are

uncomfortable, let me know.” He nods once and closes his eye. | focus on Saint and Bronx.

The deeper my energy goes in search of Bronx, the more relaxed Saint's body becomes. He leans his

heavy head on my shoulder with a deep sigh. It almost feels like he is relieved. The healing energy is

working on him.

"That's a relief for me too, Sweetheart," | sayinto his mind.

| keep searching until | come to a wall. | try to push my energy past it, but it won't budge. “Can you help

me, Saint? Bronx is behind that wall, | can feel it. | think whatever made you come forward, put him

behind the wall you were stuck behind.”

| feel Saint's energy. In comparison to my smooth, flowing calm energy, Saint's is raw and forceful,

barely contained from turning violent. It gives me a better understanding of this handsome wolf.

Wordlessly, he helps me push against the wall. With both of us pushing, it easily slides and starts to

crumble. As it does, a wave of negative emotions washes over us. | move in front of Saint and use my

positive energy against it. Dissipating it into thin air. °

| am starting to feel weak now, “Saint, | will have to come back later to find Bronx, but | think we made

good progress. You did such a good job," | say to him as | pull my spirit and energy back until | am

looking at his wolf form. He nuzzles me gratefully and lets me fall asleep in his warm comforting

embrace.