Nature is not a place to visit 49

Chapter 49
*“It seems that now is the time to take risks and strike.”*
*Roger Parkinson*
My heart sank to my stomach as I watched Hudson thrash on the bed, his right shoulder snapping as he started to
transform.
It only lasted a second before the blue light encircled all four of his limbs, strapping him down.
But it didn’t stop the screaming.
His cries filled the air, but fortunately, Ambrose worked quickly. He moved to the edge of the bed in a flash, pressing his
hand against Hudson’s forehead. It glowed blue, and then, the screaming stopped. Hudson stilled, his eyes rolled to the
back of his head, and he slumped onto the bed, unconscious.
The blue magical cuffs disappeared, and I approached the other side of the bed cautiously. “I thought you reversed the
curse,” I said, my heart still thumping wildly. I wasn’t the only one freaked out – both Rae and Akeem seemed just as
shocked as I was.
“As did I,” Ambrose murmured, and he pushed his hand into Hudson’s forehead again. Blue light illuminated his sleeping
face.
Even knocked unconscious, Hudson didn’t look peaceful. His eyebrows were scrunched together, worry lines etched into
his face.
I wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, but when he pulled his hand away, he let out a frustrated growl.
Whatever he’d found, I had a feeling it wasn’t good news.
“This curse,” he started, “It’s more intensive than I originally thought.”
“How more intensive?” I asked. I glanced at Hudson – I couldn’t lose him. Not my brother. Not the last of my family I had
left.
“The curse requires a physical antidote,” Ambrose explained. “The only way to keep his body from trying to transition is
by rendering him unconscious, but even that’s a temporary solution. The Medela flower is the only thing that’ll
completely reverse this kind of curse.”
“The Medela flower?” Akeem repeated, rubbing his chin in thought. “That sounds familiar. It’s extremely rare, is it not?”
Ambrose nodded. “Yes, I used to grow a few of them when I lived here a thousand years ago, but they’re long gone
now,” he explained, “They only grow on mountaintops, and only under specific conditions.”
*It only grows on mountains.*
Rae and I glanced at each other, and I could see the same thought circling in our brains. What were the chances that Rae
tracked that scent to a small mountaintown, which happened to be the exact environment where this flower grew?
Adrenaline coursed through my veins.
“Rae might have a lead on that,” I cut in eagerly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “She tracked that
unfamiliar scent to a town in the mountains…which, from what you’re telling me, sounds like the kind of environment where you might find this flower.”
“It’s very unlikely,” Ambrose told me with furrowed eyebrows, “Besides letting it grow here, I’ve only ever found it in the
Julian Alps of Slovenia. As I said, it’s very rare – growing conditions must be very precise.”
“But it’s not impossible,” I pressed. “It’s worth checking out. This place is a hell of a lot closer than Slovenia.”
“And also a lot more dangerous,” he replied, and then his eyes narrowed. “I understand you want to do everything you
can to help your brother, but the chances of that lead being a trap are a lot higher than it be a miraculous coincidence.”
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“But –”
“There is no argument. It may take some time, but I will find a supply of the Medela flower.”
“Is this time that we even have?” I shot back, “You said yourself this curse would kill him without treatment, and leaving
him unconscious would only work so long. We should be exhausting every resource we have.” My voice cracked a little as
I said, “He’s my brother, Ambrose.”
“And you are my mate,” Ambrose said firmly. “And I will not let you willingly put yourself in danger over something that
equates to no more than a whim.”
Tension hung in the air as Ambrose and I stared each other down – a silent test of who’d give in first.
It was Akeem who broke the silence. “Perhaps I can be of some help,” he said, “The name does sound familiar, so there may be some record of it in my family journals.”
Ambrose nodded, but he didn’t take my eyes off me.
Finally, he sighed and his gaze softened as he took my hands in his. “I’m going to do everything I can to save your
brother, little wolf,” he murmured, “But the one thing I’m not willing to do is put your life at risk.”
“Fine, then we can send someone else,” I said, and it felt like there was a lump in my throat that I couldn’t quite swallow.
“I’m sure I could find someone willing to volunteer, despite the risks.”
“That may be the case,” he sighed, his voice soft, “But even with someone else, the witches that did this to your brother
could still ascertain enough information about you, about our home, to go after you next. I’d still be putting your life at
risk.” The way he spoke reminded me of a parent talking to a small child, like I was kid asking to play in the street.
I exhaled a breath from my nose before nodding. “Okay,” I replied, “I get it. Too dangerous. We’ll just wait to find a
supply of this flower…even if it takes awhile.” I glanced at Hudson’s sleeping form. He still looked like he was in pain.
Ambrose narrowed his eyes at me for a moment, but eventually, he seemed to accept that answer. He kissed my
forehead. “I know it’s not the answer you want, little wolf,” he said, “But I promise I’ll do everything in my power to save
your brother.” He glanced at Akeem. “I’d like to see these family journals you have. We can start there.”
Akeem nodded.
With another kiss to my forehead, he left the room with Akeem, leaving only Rae, me, and the sound of Hudson’s shallow
breaths in the room.
She joined me at his bedside. “Kinda surprised you gave in so easily,” she commented, her eyes fixed on Hudson. “You were all ra-ra revenge less than an hour ago.”
I didn’t take my eyes off my brother as I softly said, “Who said I gave in?”
She whipped her head around to face me, her eyes narrowed. “You did. Straight to your mate’s face.”
“I know,” I sighed, “But I don’t think I can let this go. Hudson’s life is at stake, and maybe this is a whim, but that’s a risk
I’m willing to take.”
Logically, I knew Ambrose’s concerns about the scent leading to a trap was real. He wanted to protect me.
And I wanted to protect Hudson.
If that meant going behind Ambrose’s back for a potential life-saving cure, I’d do it. I wasn’t useless. I wasn’t some kid
hiding in the closet while her parents got slaughtered outside anymore.
I was grown-up now, more than capable of protecting my family.
“Yeah, you really sound like me right before I went after the Blood Moons.”
“Go ahead then. Talk me out of it. Tell me it’s a stupid plan that’s more likely to get us killed than it is to help Hudson.”
Rae was silent for a moment and then she said, “You’re the kind of friend who talks everyone out of their stupid plans.
I’m the kind of friend willing to go along with them.”
“So, you’re in?”
She sighed, dragging a hand across her face. I could see the exhaustion of the past couple of days had worn on her.
“Fuck,” she muttered, “You’re going to get me killed. Your mate is going to kill me…but I’m in.