My hand reaches for a bar of soap and I start washing his chest and abs. He growls softly, almost a purr, which makes my eyes dart up to his, and he kisses my head. Once we shower, we walk downstairs, or more like Thaddeus walks because he gave up waiting for me and scooped me up. The problem isn’t the stairs; it is trying to see them as I clutch the railing. Going down is easy, getting up is another story; I am always breathless.
Ryland is sitting on the lounge, flicking through channels, stopping on the news as I walk over to him and climb on his lap. Orion brings out a cup of tea, handing it to me. I sniff it, and it smells like grass, making me crinkle my nose.
“Drink it. Amara said it would help, and it will; she is never wrong,” Orion says.
“But it smells nasty,” I tell him. He folds his arms and looks down at me as Ryland moves my hand, trying to get me to drink it.
“Did you taste it?” I ask Orion, who shakes his head.
I huff, annoyed. How can he expect me to drink something he hasn’t tried? I pass him the cup, and he rolls his eyes but takes a sip and starts gagging. His cheeks puff out, but he forces it down, trying to make out it doesn’t taste that bad. I raise an eyebrow at him.
“You’re drinking it,” he says, handing it back.
“No, I am not, not after seeing your reaction to it.”
Orion’s eyes turn red, and he leans over the couch, his face next to Ryland’s. “Drink it, Evelyn” I feel the fog slip over me, but I try to fight against it.
Ryland looks at him. “Don’t use that on her; it’s not fair to force her,” he says, his hand rubbing my back gently.
“It’s for her own good,” he says, turning back to me. Thaddeus watches both of them, and I feel Ryland’s chest rumble as I hear him growl. “Drink it, Evelyn, now,” Orion says, and I can’t help the urge to do as I am told.
Thaddeus sits on the couch beside me and glares up at Orion. “Stop it, now,” he snaps at Orion, and I feel the fog lift. My trembling hand, holding the cup, stops.
“Can you try to drink it? Even some of it?” Thaddeus asks, and I look at the cup with disgust; the smell alone is bad enough.
I bring the cup to my lips, take a deep breath, and hold it as I quickly swallow some. I balk the moment it hits my tongue, forcing it down my throat. Ryland tips the cup to my lips again while I shake my head.
Orion is still watching me, and it is clear that it will start a fight if I don’t drink it. I roll my eyes at him but drink it, chugging the last of it. It tastes like freshly cut grass and dirt. I shiver as I drain the cup and hand it to Orion, who looks in it as he walks off.
“God, he has been in a bad mood lately,” I mutter, looking at Orion leaving the room.
Ryland pulls my head against him, and I rest it on his shoulder. Thaddeus sighs, grabs my feet, places them on his lap, and moves closer to Ryland. I feel a cold rush roll over me, making me twitch. My eyes widen, and for the first time in ages, I feel like I have been hit with a caffeine buzz, completely alert and awake.
Most of all, I notice my body isn’t hurting; I feel rejuvenated, like I can run a marathon and also have an overwhelming sense to move. It is different.
“Well, that worked fast; look at her pupils,” he says, nudging Ryland.
Ryland grips my chin, looking down at me. “Indeed, it did,” he says, letting my chin go. I feel revved up and ready to go. Go where? I have no idea, but I suddenly want to move. What the hell did she give me?
My limbs are restless and twitching, and Thaddeus grabs my feet, holding them in place. “Maybe a little too much,” he mutters, looking at me just as Orion walks out.
He leans over to kiss my head. “See? You feel better,” he says. He is right, but I’m not sure if this is a better feeling anymore; I feel antsy.
“What is that stuff?” I ask, my words come out so quickly they sound like a squeak.
“Maybe a little less next time,” Orion says, looking at Thaddeus, who nods.
“One herb is like an analgesic, the other like speed. Werewolves sometimes use it to speed up their healing abilities when gravely injured,” Orion answers.
“Speed?” I squeak, looking down at my belly.
“It’s natural and won’t hurt our baby; Amara would never give you anything that would cause harm to her niece,” Thaddeus says, watching my hand as I rub my belly and feel her kick, but it isn’t painful like usual.
Usually, when she kicks, I feel like she is breaking something. Thaddeus watches my hand move, and I move it, lifting my shirt. Orion’s eyes watch my belly move as I feel her roll. His cold hand touches my tight skin as it stretches underneath his hand.
“Not hurting anymore?” Orion asks, and I shake my head.
I feel nothing; more like I am given a local anesthetic, yet I can feel my limbs. But at the same time they also feel numb; it is a weird feeling, foreign to me.
“Any baby names yet?” Ryland asks, and I shake my head, looking to them to see if they have any. They, too, shake their heads.
“Well, she will just be Baby until someone thinks of something,” I tell them, and they nod.
Orion’s eyes snap to the huge TV for a second. A picture of a gas station comes up. “Turn that up,” Orion says, and I look back at the TV.
Thaddeus sighs and gets up.