ella

lled with a dangerous skepticism. "A

ptions," I stated, the truth of it stark and brutal. "Whoever did thi

rip of fabric from the hem of my ruined gown and placed it on

ly at war with the undeniable reality of his condition. The silver poison was like

to find none. Only a calm professionalism and something

f frustration, he gave a cu

ast those rocks," I said, poi

p, stubbornly dragging himself the short distance,

to lie down on a bed of moss. When I knelt beside him, my f

ghtning, shot t

to mine, making the fine hairs on my arms stand on end. A blush crept up my neck, and I quic

for him, it was more than just the pull of a Mate. He could feel the pure, healing

blackened and necrotic. But it was the faint, dark lines spreading out from

t silver poison... This i

e. The look in Jackson's eyes, a flash of

se, not just a poison. It didn't just kill; it fed on a wolf's essence,

. This change

at my waist. It held the tools of my trade. My fingers c

and willowbark around the wound's edges. It wouldn'

hear the questions racing through his mind: How could this young girl, this Carlisle pup, recognize

e first energy meridian near his collarbone. The technique was ancient, something my g

d the n

ashed over his features. A cool, cleansing energy flowed

t. His gaze on me was no longer just wary; it was intensel

to his heart. To do so, I had to lean in close, my face just inches from hi

wn, seemed to soothe the savage beast within him. I heard a low,

t back on my heels, my forehead damp with s

e a little breathless. "This curse... it's woven i

newfound ease. He looked down at his chest, at the silv

his hip and held it out to me. H

wasn't a question. It

hesitation and drank deeply.

g gaze. "Now," I said, my voice clear a

he understood this wasn't a simple act of kindness. Th