“Wait!? Trick, Lou is unconscious and—”

“Her pulse is steady. She’s breathing fine.” Trick pulled out his phone. “I’m not saying we won’t go, just let me talk to Mama Ami first.”

Van’s face pinched with worry. “Okay.”

Trick hit a few buttons and held his phone to his ear. “Dr. Larsen, this is Trick. Sorry to wake you, but we have a situation here.” I tried to listen as he gave her the details, but it was like my brain was skipping. I kept missing bits. Usually, I wasn’t like this when I changed. I kept my full mental faculties. This wasn’t normal. I wasn’t normal, but at least I could understand what they were saying now.

Trick put his phone down on the floor. “She’s on her way.” He looked at me. “Hey, Declan, buddy, you think you could change back?” When I whined in response, he sighed. “That’s what I thought.” They both decided it was best if I stayed in the tub, but Trick brought me a bowl of water and a chunk of raw lamb that I’d left in the fridge. I attacked both gratefully.

A short time later, Mama Ami came into the bathroom, a pink and purple tacklebox in her hand, and shooed Trick and Van into the hallway to give her room. I was tempted to scoot away from her—she was an animal mage. But I also didn’t want to leave Lou….

Mama Ami didn’t give me much time to panic. She started talking to me and my wolf at the same time, her magic making her message clear to both of us. I’m not going to hurt you or Lou. I won’t touch you with my hands or my magic without your permission, but I do need to assess my daughter. Understand?

I relaxed, setting my chin on the lip of the tub so I could watch.

Good. Then she ignored me, turning her attention to Lou. Mama Ami made a quick assessment before digging into the plastic tacklebox she’d brought with her. She took something out, glancing at me. “Sorry about this.” Then she crushed a packet of smelling salts under Lou’s nose. The sharp smell of ammonia hit me and I pawed at my snout, realizing as I did that my scampering around the tub had left it—and me—smeared with blood.

Lou jolted awake, her lungs heaving.

Mama Ami called Van back in. “Hold her up. I need her sitting.” As soon as Lou was vertical, Mama Ami cracked open a brown bottle of something that smelled sweet and lemony. She held it up to Lou’s lips. “Drink.” When Lou just blinked at her, Mama Ami waved at Trick. “Tip her head back and hold her mouth open.”

Trick complied, keeping Lou steady while Mama Ami poured the concoction down Lou’s throat. Mama Ami would pause occasionally, letting Lou swallow. When the brown bottle was half-empty, color started returning to Lou’s cheeks. Her eyes seemed more aware, and she actively helped drink the rest of the bottle.