Page 9 of Silver Claw

Both he and Belinda knew me, and they knew if I said I was done with the bed, I was done with the bed.

“Jared will have my head,” Ben muttered.

I only laughed. “I need food. A wolf likes to eat, you know.”

Belinda burst into tears and rushed from the room.

I stared after her, mystified. “What’s up with her?”

Ben wasn’t one to mince words. “We thought you were dead,” he said bluntly and somewhat angrily. “We never believed in a million years that you’d wake up and ask for dinner.”

I frowned. “Why on earth not? I’ve been in vicious battles before.”

He shook his head. “You’re something else, Kait Silver. Your mother just went outside a few minutes ago to get some air. They’ve been taking turns sitting with you.”

I lost my smile. “Taking turns? How long have I been out?”

“This is the fourth day. Not long considering what happened to you. When Jared carried you in, I told him you wouldn’t last the night. He told me if I let you die, he’d kill me.”

I patted his shoulder. “He didn’t mean it, Ben.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “We shall agree to disagree. But right now, I’m going to inform him that you’re awake.”

“He already knows,” I murmured. I put my hand against my chest. “He’s coming.”

I couldn’t wait for him to come to me, and I didn’t want to meet him looking stupid in an ugly gown with bare feet and uncombed hair. “Where are the clothes I was wearing when I came in?”

“You weren’t wearing clothes,” he said dryly. “Just a jacket someone had draped over you.”

“Yes,” I remembered. “I shifted. She didn’t take my wolf.”

And then everything came roaring back. The fear, the pain, the realization that a stranger had taken nearly everything inside me. I had no magic.

But I wouldn’t cry about it again. I ground my teeth and growled, then leaned over to put my hands on my knees as I fought for control of my emotions.

“Let yourself feel what you need to feel, honey,” Ben said.

Then I heard footsteps running down the hall and in seconds, my mother was there, flinging herself against me, wrapping me up in arms that only ever sheltered me.

“Oh, my baby,” she cried. “One day you’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“You’re a wolf,” Ben said mildly. “You can’t have a heart attack, Susan.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, pulling away from me and wiping her eyes. “I’m totally buggin’.” She looked up at me but her question was for Ben. “What’s the sitch?”

“I’m hungry,” I said, as Ben tried to sort through her words. “I’m hungry, my alpha is coming, and…” I closed my eyes in a long, slow blink, realizing I had to tell everyone that I’d lost nearly everything that I used to protect the city. I felt the shame of it. “She took my power, Mom. All I have left is my wolf and my blade.” Then I immediately panicked. “Where’s my—”

“Nightstand drawer,” my mother said. “Your blade is safe.” Then her lips trembled as she tried to remain calm. “Whoa. Time out. You’re saying some skank slid in and jacked your magic?”

My mother’s use of slang worsened when she was upset. Not that it wasn’t already bad enough.

“I’m fine,” I told her, but I could still feel the emptiness. It wasn’t as bad as it might have been, but it was there. And the wounds from Anika’s blade still throbbed beneath the bandages someone—probably Belinda—had placed over them. “Would you go to the Inn or to Jared’s house and get me some dinner? I’m so hungry.”

She needed to take a minute to get her mind on something else, and focusing on feeding me would do that. Also, I reallywasstarving.

“Of course,” she cried. “Sit down, Kaity. I’ll bring you so much food.”

I squeezed her arm as Ben waited patiently. Belinda slipped back into the room, shot me a sheepish look, and then began murmuring to the doctor.