Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 61: Grace: Transference (I)

My body feels like it’s been used as a car crash dummy. Voices filter through the cotton stuffed between my ears, muffled and distant at first, then gradually sharpening into familiar tones. Angry tones.

"Absolutely not. Stay ten feet away at all times." Lyre.

An unmistakably familiar growl. "You aren’t in charge here."

"No, but they are, and you’re sucking her dry every time you make contact. Keep your damn mutt off her, too."

A snarl. Definitely Fenris.

"Stop looking at me like that. You’re a mutt without manners."

Consciousness hovers just out of reach, and honestly, slipping back into oblivion seems like the smart option. Nothing good waits in a room where Lyre and the Lycan King are squaring off. Death wish, party of one.

"Her energy is finally stabilizing, and you two want to go right in and take what she’s gathered—"

"If touching hurts, why are you letting them touch her?"

"They’re not feeding off her like she’s an all-you-can-eat buffet."

Oh. This sounds... not great.

A cool touch slides along my inner arm, followed by a sharp sting. Something tugs at my skin, and the sensation drags me closer to full awareness. Not Lyre’s touch—someone else’s. Cold and strange-feeling.

"BP is 90/60. Heart rate stable at 64." An unfamiliar voice, clipped and professional. "Okay, the IV’s in."

"All right. Let’s push some fluids." Another stranger.

Kind of sounds like I’m in a hospital.

"Let’s get ready to move her."

"You’re not taking her," Caine snaps.

Okay, maybe not a hospital. Oh. They probably called an ambulance. Now it makes sense.

"They can if they need to," Lyre argues.

Fenris whines.

My eyes flutter.

"She moved," Caine says immediately, tension vibrating through his voice. "Grace?"

Play dead, I tell myself. Just five more minutes of unconsciousness before facing whatever catastrophe awaits.

beyond my eyelids burns red through the thin membrane, and someone’s fumbling with my arm again, and everything feels

with a groan. The ceiling light stabs straight into

croak, voice like

awake." Caine again, closer now. I might not be able to

very looming

is starting to sound weird after using it twice in a row. Even worse with

off the lights," Lyre offers, sounding further away

sense an inner movement as soon as the contact is made. It’s strange, like... Like someone’s turned on a faucet, and something inside of me is gushing out, directly to the point of

Something beeps. A lot.

touching her, you

just trying

you need to step

A growl.

comes true, and unconsciousness takes me

* * *

consciousness creeps back into my head, it’s

my eyes, breathing out a soft sigh when lights don’t stab into my eyeballs this time. There’s a faint amber glow

for sure, I’m at a

rustling sound catches my attention. I turn my head, the left side of my neck protesting, stiff from however long I’ve been laying here on a crinkly

wild. Her cat-slit eyes look exhausted, with dark circles underneath. She tilts her

voice sounds like I’ve been gargling gravel. How long was I

sunshine." Lyre’s voice carries its usual musical lilt. "How

glass shards. I cough and try again, grimacing through the pain. "Like someone ran me through a washing machine and hung

least you’re clean, then." She

nod and try to push myself up. My arms

a hand behind my shoulders, supporting me with surprising strength. Her touch is cool against my skin, which feels fever-hot and

hadn’t realized how parched I was until the first

Lyre cuts me off with a

kicked out. Can’t be within one hundred feet of the building, so he’s across the street, probably

I blink.

shrugs. "He deserved

I believe her, but...

clinical white walls or plastic chairs. Instead, the space is warm, with natural wood accents and what looks like hand-woven fabric covering the walls. A string

"Where am I?"

hospital. You’re in the special ward upstairs." Lyre’s lips

blink again.

"Yeah, but he isn’t."

my head. I’m a little dizzy even from that movement. "What does Caine have to do with what ward

Lyre scratches at her cheek. "You know what? I’m going to let him

evasive answer. "You can’t just drop that and walk away. What does Caine have to do

shrugs, the movement almost too casual. "Let’s just say your