Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“Guess I’m good for something.”
Her smile softened, something unspoken passing between them. He wanted to hold her tighter, to tell her that last night had meant more than he could explain. Instead, he captured her gaze. “The night isn’t over.”
Her soft laugh right before he took her mouth broke something inside him, even as he let the flames retake them both.
He’d do what he had to do to gain her agreement. She might not be ready, but there was no turning back for either of them.
Chapter 25
Her body deliciously sore, Emily sat in the basement of Luna’s cabin, her gaze flicking over the shelves of vials and potions lining the walls. Some glowed faintly, others sat dark and still. The air smelled of herbs and something metallic. “What is all this stuff?”
“Remedies.” Luna walked swiftly from shelf to shelf. Her fingers moved with practiced ease, collecting items and setting them aside on a metal tray. The hum of a machine kicked on, vibrating low beneath the wooden floorboards. The sound blended with the soft click of keys as she adjusted the laptop.
Dr. Gwen’s face popped up on the computer screen, her sharp eyes scanning the camera. “Hey, Emily. How are you feeling?”
“Much better,” Emily replied.
“I bet,” Luna muttered, her back to the screen.
Dr. Gwen leaned closer to the screen. She wore light pink scrubs today, making her appear young and fresh. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” Emily said quickly.
Luna stepped closer to the laptop, hands on her hips. “I’ve got all the blood stored and started running basic genetic tests, but my equipment’s limited. I’m using an old centrifuge and an IEC HN-SII, to separate plasma and red cells, but it’s slow and only holds a few samples at a time. I’ve got a manual ABO blood-typing kit with glass slides, anti-A, anti-B, and anti-D serums, but it’s outdated. And my microscope is an old Olympus BH-2. It works, but the resolution isn’t great.”
“I have top-of-the-line equipment,” Gwen interrupted smoothly.
Luna jerked. “You do?”
“Jackson invested in modern equipment. I’ve got a Beckman Coulter Allegra X-30R centrifuge. This little baby can process more samples faster and at higher speeds. And I managed to get an Ortho Vision Analyzer for blood typing.”
“Wow,” Luna breathed. “That lovely thing is automated, precise, and faster than manual methods. What else do you have?”
Dr. Gwen preened a little. “My microscope’s a Nikon Eclipse E400 with phase contrast, which makes spotting abnormalities easier.”
Luna exhaled, rubbing her forehead. “I’m jealous and might hate you a little. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent staring through that old scope or waiting on the centrifuge.”
“Well, pack those samples up,” Gwen said. “Send them my way. We’ll get faster results, and I’ll run advanced genetic sequencing while I’m at it.”
Luna glanced at Emily, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “We are totally going to discover what’s wrong with you.”
Dr. Gwen chuckled. “Jackson’s been investing in upgrades. Convincing wolves to donate DNA is still tough, but I’m getting enough to work with. There are too many illnesses running through the packs that we need to eliminate.”
“Ditto,” Luna said. “I’ve been meaning to loop in Dr. Sharon. She’s the doctor for the Silver Pack, and we correspond often. She’s very sharp. You’ll like her.”
“Good,” Gwen said. “More coordination between packs would help. Medicine shouldn’t be bound by territorial lines.”
Luna adjusted the screen, her gaze flicking to Emily. “Totally agree.”
“Yes.” Emily traced her finger along the table’s edge. “We’re all adding farming to our mining operations. Feels like something that could bring us closer together. We’ll trade crops and resources, which will only strengthen the coalition.”
“Agreed,” Luna said. “Erik talked to his brother about farming the other day, so now even Seth and his Silver pack are thinking about growing crops.”
“How’s Mia?” Emily asked. The other female was pregnant, and from what Emily had heard, she and Seth had likely conceived before they’d mated. The situation wasn’t unheard of, but the risks increased when a human became pregnant by a wolf outside of a mating bond. Legends warned of babies being born feral, their instincts too wild to control.
“She’s wonderful,” Luna replied, sliding a tray of vials into the fridge with a soft click. “Not worried about the baby at all. I mean, the kid is Seth’s, so wild is a given.”
“True.” Emily was so happy for her friends. Hopefully the packs would spend more time together now that everyone seemed to be getting along. “But Mia’s pretty grounded, so who knows? Either way, I can’t wait to meet the little one.”
Luna read over her tablet. “Me neither. I’m going to have a niece or nephew, which is pretty cool. And if I’m pregnant, I mean, if your nose is correct, then our kids can grow up together. Isn’t that fantastic?”
“I believe so.” Surprising happiness flowed through Emily. Her nose was never wrong…Luna was definitely with child. “Hey, I have a sister now, so someday I’ll have a niece or nephew, too.”