“Is that why Kiara left? You told her about Tonya?”
The fog was still there, flowing in and out of Warren’s mind. He had to think hard with each question Fergus asked. He shook his head. “No. She was here, she was with me, the night after Julio’s death. I was going to ask Kiara to become my alpha-mate. That’s when she told me Tonya had visited her, in the form of an apparition—”
“Wait, what? How could she do that if she’s not dead?”
“I don’t know. She’s come to me as well, usually not with good news, either. She’s living a half-life. The asylum doctors say it happens, not with every case, but with some.”
Fergus moved to a stool adjacent to Warren and sat down as well. “I can’t believe this, but it sure as hell explains what’s going on with you. Your pack is worried. They say you run for hours during the day on your private track. They’ve heard you howling.”
Right. His apartment was soundproof, but not his track.
“You’ve got to pull yourself together. Your pack needs you. So, what can I do to help?”
“I don’t know. I miss her. I didn’t think I’d ever feel this way, but I don’t want to live without her, even though she’s a witch.”
“You love her.”
Warren turned toward Fergus. “I do, and dammit, I don’t want to go back to the way things were before she came into my life. I didn’t know how alone I was.”
“So, don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t go back. Go find Kiara and bring her home. She belongs here. Our wolves love her for her sacrifices, she knows about your wife and understands, she’s the woman for you. Hell, I don’t think I ever saw you smile, at least not like that, until you were with Kiara. Mary said the same thing.”
Some of the fog began drifting out of his head. Small rivulets of hope started moving in. “There’s a problem. Tonya told her if I stayed with her, I would die. That’s why she left.”
Fergus once more released a string of choice words. “Go see Tonya. Maybe she has something more to add, some way out of this mess.”
Warren knew it didn’t work that way, that it was hard to get Tonya t
o focus on anything. But he’d been planning on seeing her tonight as it was. “I’ll do that.”
“Now.”
Warren’s lips quirked. “Fine. Now. I was going over there anyway.”
Fergus left shortly after and Warren headed to his rooms to get changed. Once the decision was made, more of the fog peeled away.
Fergus had said he should bring Kiara home. Given his state of mind, he’d begun to think he didn’t have much of a choice. Life without her seemed to be an abyss out of which he’d have to crawl every night of his alter life unless he changed things.
She’d fulfilled him, pure and simple. He didn’t want a life in Savage without her.
If it was true his life was in danger if she was near, then they’d deal with it, create a security system to keep them both safe, whatever needed to be done.
First, though, he needed to see his wife.
~ ~ ~
Kiara moved around the refuge as though she had lead weights attached to the bottom of her feet. She didn’t know a body could feel this way, like she was sinking into the earth with each step she took.
Three days had passed since she’d told Warren she was leaving. But she hadn’t. Instead, she’d remained cloistered inside the refuge. She simply hadn’t been able to make herself leave Savage altogether.
She’d already acknowledged she was grief stricken, so she accepted she’d be feeling this way for a long time.
She showered and dressed for the night. Her chef was bringing her a tray with coffee and a lemon-blueberry muffin.
She might drink the coffee.