It had been a very long time since he’d catered to the needs of a tired woman, but he remembered how his mate had enjoyed it when he pampered her. For the first time, he was able to think of his mate with a sort of sad fondness, and not the deep, debilitating sorrow that had been his near-constant companion these last years. The thought gave him pause.
His inner wolf paused, as well. Something had changed. Something subtle had shifted inside him where the sorrow lived. It had a protective shell over it now, calming it. Soothing it. Was that the effect of the priestess? Joe wasn’t sure.
He’d been around other priestesses since his loss, but none had brought this soul-soothing calmness to his spirit. Not like this. There was something special about Enid. Something Joe didn’t understand. Not at all.
He was waiting in the kitchen when she came out of her area at the back of the house. Joe figured her bedroom and the master bathroom was back there. He’d been able to hear her moving around as she’d showered and then gotten dressed in fresh clothing. Loungewear, he realized, when she reappeared. Nothing sexy, though it had a definite effect on Joe when he saw her in the soft, stretchy cotton that hugged her generous curves.
“I made tea,” he croaked out through a suddenly dry throat. He cleared it and tried again. “At least, I made the hot water and thought maybe you’d choose which tea you wanted.”
Her face bloomed in a smile. “Oh, that was so nice of you. Thanks,” she told him, moving forward into the room.
She went right to the shelf where she kept all her teas and chose a little box. The teapot was ready and waiting, so all she had to do was put the tea in there and pour the hot water from the kettle on the stove. Within moments, a lovely aroma filled the small kitchen. It smelled of ginger and spice.
Without asking, Enid poured a cup for Joe. He found it waiting for him as he turned back to the small table with a plate of sandwiches he’d made. Something about the small act of Enid’s pouring tea for him touched him deeply. It had been a long time, indeed, since anyone had looked out for his comfort.
She was small and basically defenseless, as most humans were when compared to shifters, but there was something so strong about her. Her hazel eyes held mysteries, and her long hair looked soft, even in the no-nonsense ponytail she wore it in when she flew. She was competent and lovely in a slightly magical sort of way. Nigel had said her family might have some fey blood, and Joe believed it. Enid had the delicate features and a sort of ethereal air about her that hinted at exotic magic.
“Are those sandwiches?” Enid asked, her weary eyes lighting up as she spied the plate. Her words spurred Joe into motion, and he went over to the table, putting the plate down between them.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be hungry, but I figured I’d prepare these, just in case,” he told her, feeling suddenly shy about what he’d done.
He’d basically made himself at home in her house. She’d told him to do so, of course, but it still felt a little weird. Enid seemed not to notice. She snagged half a sandwich off the plate and bit a healthy piece off one corner.
“Oh, that’s good.” She chewed, her eyes closed for a moment as she enjoyed the simple food he’d prepared. “Thank you for doing this,” she told him, her eyes open once more as she looked at him.
Joe sat down and took a sandwich half for himself. He’d made three good-sized sandwiches, figuring he could eat anything she didn’t. He bit into the roast beef on rye and was pleased with his own work. She’d had good ingredients in her fridge, which was important. He’d just had to slap things together with a little mustard or mayo and call his work done. Uncomfortable with her gratitude, Joe turned the conversation to other matters.
“Is there nothing you can do for the Alpha’s mate?” he asked, realizing only as he said it that Enid could misconstrue his words as an accusation. Luckily, she didn’t seem to take it that way. She shook her head as she swallowed more of the sandwich.
“By the time they met, she was already fully entrenched in the human medical system. To work magic on her now, would raise all sorts of questions, and honestly, her condition is a little too severe for me to deal with easily. I talked this all through with Henri and Lucinda, once we knew they were mates, and we all decided this way was best.” Enid sipped a bit of her tea before continuing. “The human doctors will fix her up with a new kidney, which will be much easier for me to deal with magically. I’ve been in consultation with the High Priestess about this for a while, and we’ve devised a strategy that will allow Lucinda to do what she has to do with the human doctors then, gradually, wean herself away from their care. We were going to find a doctor in a shifter Pack or Clan that could take over her case and then do the magic that will make her sound again.”
“There’s an M.D. in my Pack,” Joe offered. “I bet she’d be willing to help you all out.”
“That’s good,” Enid said, her tired eyes brightening. “Henri and his fellows built this place on spec. He didn’t expect to settle down here, but then he found Lucinda, and everything changed. Still, he was open to moving, if he had to, to get Lucinda closer to whoever we found to oversee her case.”
“Well, if this house is anything to judge by, I can always use a good carpentry team in my territory,” Joe said. “Or as allies, if that’s how Henri wants to go. I haven’t really told anyone yet, but I’m looking to expand alliances and grow the Pack into something larger, if the right opportunity presents itself. I’d have to get to know Henri and his people a little better, of course, but if a priestess vouches for them, that’s already a step in the right direction.”
“I do vouch for them,” she said immediately. “They’re on the right side of things. They’re young, but they have heart.”
Joe nodded. “That’s good to hear.”
Enid grabbed another half sandwich off the plate while Joe did the same. He hadn’t expected this to turn into a possible expansion for his Pack, but they said sometimes, the Lady worked in mysterious ways. He wasn’t one to naysay an opportunity when it landed in his lap.
“Once they are fully mated,” Enid went on, contemplatively, going back to their earlier discussion of the Alpha and his mate, “his magic will rub off on her, and it’ll make my job a lot easier. They found each other at a bad time health-wise for her, but Henri is a good guy. He hasn’t pushed, though I know his inner wolf must be going nuts over what’s happening to his mate.”
“I can help him, if he’ll let me,” Joe said quietly. “I lost my mate years ago. I know what he’s going through, but there’s one big difference in his case.”
The air was still in the quiet kitchen. Joe rarely spoke of his dead mate. It hurt too much. Yet, somehow, it felt right to talk about her with Enid. Perhaps because she was a priestess.
“What’s the difference?” Enid prompted him gently when he didn’t say more.
Joe met her gaze. “In this case, there’s hope.”
Chapter Four
Enid could sense the pain Joe was trying to conceal. It was a pain that had lived with him for a very long time. The very fact that he had lived through the loss of his mate was a testament to his strength. Enid had seen other shifters, mindless with pain, follow their mates into the next life. Sadly, that happened more often than not, especially with certain species. Wolves were among the most loyal to their mates, though all shifters had well-earned reputations for being faithful.