Page 72 of Wolves Always Bite

“Becausewithout you and your magic, we’d all be dead.”

“Mywhat?Didyou say magic?”

Eventhough he was sitting,Jeremywobbled like his head was spinning.Ipulled him into my lap and hugged him, pressing my face into his neck.Heleaned into me, seeming to need my touch as much asIneeded his.

“I’llexplain everything,”Imurmured against his neck, but firstIneeded to check something. “Teague?Ishe really okay now?”

“He’sa little worn out from all that magic, but he’s fine otherwise.”Teaguenodded. “Thewater seems to be working.”

“Whatis he talking about?”Jeremyasked.Helooked at the empty water bottles, as if just realizing he’d finished both. “DidIdrink your water?”

Ishook my head. “No.Theywere both for you, to replenish and balance your magic.”

“Whatabout you?Don’tyou need to fix your magic too?”

Ishook my head. “Ihad a steak.”

“Wait…”Hescowled. “Youate a steak, andIgot plain old water?”

“Everymagic is different.Teagueuses apples,”Iexplained.

“AndIget water?That’snot fair.”

Ashgrinned. “Ithink he’s feeling better.”

Jeremylooked atAsh, then at me. “Doyou really thinkIhave magic?”

Hisquestion was soft and tentative.

“Iknow you do.”Ihugged him tight.

“Absolutely,”Ashagreed.

"That’scrazy,”Jeremymurmured.

Ibraced myself for an onslaught of questions, but they didn’t come.Itlooked likeJeremyhad been stunned into silence.Ididn’t let him go.I’dbe right here for him when he was ready to talk about everything.

“AdrianandJeremy, you two sit tight and wait here,”Gagesaid.Powerrolled out from him, and everyone straightened. “Everyoneelse, let’s give them some room.Wehave work to do.Let’sget those people out of those cages so we can leave here sometime today.”

ChapterTwenty-Two

JEREMY

“Shouldwe stop for something to eat?”Ashasked as we enteredWillowLake, shouting over my cat’s complaints.Clawiehad been loudly sharing his lingering outrage and trying to break out of his carrier the whole ride home.It’dbeen a long, long drive.

Mystomach rumbled its approval ofAsh’sidea.Iwas surprised.Iwas sureIwouldn’t want to eat at all after whatI’dseen today.Istill felt guilty we’d left the warehouse when we did.There’dstill been so many people trapped inside cages, but there actually wasn’t much for the four of us to do.Iwas pretty sure every single supernatural with any kind of medical training in the city was at the warehouse taking care of the prisoners asGageandTeaguefreed them from their cages.Ashwas still disappointed his magic hadn’t worked on the locks, but in the end, no one else’s had either.

But, ifIwasn’t such an invalid,Adrianwould be helping all those poor people who were freed.Instead,I’dtaken him away from the people who needed him.Nomatter whatIsaid,Icouldn’t convince him to leave my side, not earlier when the local supe authorities had set up a triage center under large white canvas tents to help the dozens of people who’d been trapped in those cages, and not later whenGagehad toldAdrianto return toWillowLakewith me whenAshandDillonleft.Guilttightened around my chest.Therest ofAdrian’steam were going to be working for hours yet, maybe even days.

And, after everyone was free,Gageand the others would be tasked with searching every square inch of the warehouse and going through victim statements.Apparently, as a task force for theSupernaturalCouncil, they had seniority over the local police even though they were more like civilian consultants than anything else.Everythingwas so different for supernatural beings.Iwas still trying to wrap my head around it all.

So, yeah, there was a shit ton of work to do, andAdrianwas stuck babysitting me, the new… supernatural?Supernaturalwas a catch-all name, butIhad no idea what my particular brand of magic was called.IdoubtedIwas a mage likeAsh, but it was the only thing that seemed close.

Iam a supernatural something or other.

Mystomach fluttered at the thought, just as it had every time the same thought hit me.Me.PlainoldJeremyCrane.Asupernatural being of some kind.

Howwas that even possible?