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  A Wolf's Fight

  Wolves of the South Book 5

  Hannah Steenbock

  Buehsteppe Fantasy

  A Wolf's Fight - Wolves of the South Book 5

  Copyright © 2021 by F. Moebius

  All rights reserved.

  No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  Cover: germancreative

  Editor: Frauke Moebius

  This is a book of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published by

  Buehsteppe Verlag

  Frauke Moebius

  Westring 270

  24116 Kiel

  Germany

  Contents

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  8. Chapter 8

  9. Chapter 9

  10. Chapter 10

  11. Chapter 11

  12. Chapter 12

  13. Chapter 13

  14. Chapter 14

  15. Chapter 15

  16. Chapter 16

  17. Chapter 17

  18. Chapter 18

  19. Chapter 19

  20. Chapter 20

  21. Chapter 21

  22. Chapter 22

  23. Chapter 23

  24. Chapter 24

  25. Chapter 25

  26. Chapter 26

  27. Chapter 27

  28. Chapter 28

  29. Chapter 29

  30. Chapter 30

  31. Chapter 31

  32. Chapter 32

  33. Chapter 33

  34. Chapter 34

  35. Chapter 35

  36. Chapter 36

  37. Chapter 37

  38. Chapter 38

  39. Chapter 39

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  Chapter 1

  Olivier

  I had never felt worse in my entire life.

  True, this was the worst injury I had taken, by far, but something was wrong on a different level. My body hurt more than it should, not just in my chest. And my mind was getting more and more fuzzy.

  I managed to make someone call the phone number on that piece of paper, although I couldn’t quite remember how I had received it, only that it was most important.

  When voices erupted in my room, I pulled myself to the present, with an immense effort. A nurse and a doctor were arguing with two men and a woman I recognized on the spot.

  “Ashley.” Was that my voice?

  She immediately turned to me.

  “Olivier! Do you want to come with us?”

  Anything would be better than this place where I hurt and couldn’t sleep and couldn’t heal.

  “Yes.” Such effort to speak a single word! This wasn’t right.

  “You heard him.” A name swum to the surface of my mind. Nick. We had worked together a few times.

  “We will be able to care for him,” the other man said. “But he’s clearly not getting better here.”

  He was right, but I had no good way of telling him. At least he knew.

  “I’m his next of kin,” Ashley said, in a calm, strong voice that wasn’t like her at all. And the words made me tremble inside.

  “Fine!” The doctor’s voice was annoyed. “Sign this, and you’re responsible if he dies.”

  Was it that bad? I didn’t want to die, not this soon after I had told Ashley the truth. After she had become my daughter for real.

  “Thank you.” Ashley held her head high. “And now we need a wheelchair, so we can take him home.”

  Home? I didn’t really have a home, but I wondered if she did. Although something was wrong with her home, I thought. Something had happened, but I couldn’t quite remember.

  Someone was removing pointy things from my hand and it hurt. But it was just a bit more pain when all of me hurt, and so I didn’t mind much.

  The doctor left and the nurse patted my arm. “All the best,” she said quietly.

  Not much later, Nick and the other man lifted me into a wheelchair and rolled me through the hospital. I had to close my eyes, the movement was far too nauseating. I may have dozed because the next thing that happened was Nick and the other man lifting me into a van, and then Ashley sat next to me, and soon after that the van was moving.

  And finally, Nick and the other man carried me into a house and put me into a chair with a back high enough to lean my head against, and put my feet up on another chair.

  Blessed quiet descended and I closed my eyes with a sense of gratitude. I still couldn’t sleep, there were voices around me, but they were soft and gentle and somehow maybe even caring.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Another female voice, one that I couldn’t place at all.

  “Silver poisoning,” that other man said. Connor, I now remembered, Ashley’s friend.

  “Dammit.” The woman sighed. “Let’s see if I can get help.”

  “That stupid hospital wouldn’t listen,” Connor was saying, sounding rather angry. “I told them about the silver, I asked them to put it into his chart. They didn’t heed the warning.”

  A gentle hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes with an effort.

  “Are you in pain?” Not Ashley, that other woman.

  “Yes.” I hated being unable to really speak.

  “I thought so. Do you think you could swallow this? It’s a specific kind of pain killer that should help you.”

  I didn’t really know if I could, but anything would be better than the pain in my chest and the constant ache in my body.

  “Yes.”

  “All right.” She offered me a pill and I opened my mouth for it. And then she held a glass of water to my lips and did it so carefully it was easy to take a sip and swallow that pill with it. Was she a nurse?

  “Well done,” she said with a smile, and I suddenly remembered that she had been the one to do first aid on me. I was certain she was a nurse.

  I managed a fleeting smile for her.

  She turned away and picked up a phone, and I gladly closed my eyes again. If I could only sleep, maybe then I would heal.

  While they were talking, I was drifting, and even that felt better than being in that dreadful room with all the noise and the shouting in the corridor. And the fear. I could smell fear in the air all the time while I was in the hospital. It was such a relief to be away from that stink.

  “Ashley, I have good news. They are sending someone over with meds for Olivier, and they should arrive this afternoon. We can start treating him then, and he should be getting better immediately. I would change the bandages now, but we do need to keep those wounds sealed.”

  “Are you saying he’ll have to wait all day?” Ashley sounded as if she wanted to cry, and that felt normal. Which made me feel better.

  The pain was receding and my body was starting to relax. That alone felt like a miracle.

  “I hope he can sleep for most of the time,” the other woman was saying. “That pain pill should kick in very soon.”

  “I suppose that’s the best we can do for now.” Ashley sighed.

  It was good enough for me. I told myself that I was with people who cared and who knew what was wrong with me. And who were arranging for help. People I could trust.

  And so I allowed myself to sleep.

  Chapter 2

  Alice

  It took me a while to remember who Nessa was when they put the call through to me. But when she talked about silver poisoning, the pieces fell into place.

  “Silver poisoning?”

  “Yes,” she said, “just like with me, except with more complications.”

  I sighed. That didn’t sound good. “Tell me.”

  “The person in question was shot in the chest, and one lung is affected. They sealed the wounds with bandages containing silver.”

  I sighed again. “Why did they allow this to happen?”

  “I’m pretty sure he’s not aware he’s a wolf. And Connor tried to warn the hospital, but they didn’t listen.”

  “Typical.” I was more than annoyed.

  “Yes, that’s why we got him out, against the doctor’s wishes. He needs a detox and some expert care, since he hasn’t even started to really heal in three days.”

  Of course. Silver poisoning did that to wolves. Then I remembered what she said. “He’s not aware he’s a wolf?”

  “That’s what we think, yes. We have some indications, the biggest being his reaction to silver. I got some of our painkillers into him, and it seems to be working. So that’s another clue.”

  It sounded intriguing enough that I wanted to see that man in person. “You know what, Nessa? I’ll pack a kit and drive over to your camp. We don’t have a lot of patients right now, and I think they can spare me. What do you say?”

  “That would be awesome. We’re quite worried about him, since he’s barely coherent. And well, he’s important to one or two of us, so we’d be really grateful.”

  “You know we do everything for a wolf.” I smiled, because that was our mission here at the little hospital located at the Swan Valley Guided Tours main building. Few people knew th
at this was the headquarters of a large wolf pack living in the area, and not just a tourist business.

  It would be a long drive and I would certainly stay for a couple of days, so I packed clothes and some food in addition to all the medicine and bandages I might need. And I looked forward to introducing a wolf to his abilities and powers.

  I smiled, remembering Eric Moran, the young man who had turned his back on his Hunter family and become the mate of Liz McMullen just a few weeks ago. His change had turned out very well, and he had developed a good grip on his shifting abilities after a rocky start. Maybe I could help this mystery patient do the same.

  Beth came in person to see me off, and it was wonderful to see her doing so well after that grave injury. Another lung shot, and she had been lucky to make it. Fortunately, Carl had gotten her to us fast enough. She was the matriarch of our huge pack, and losing her was inconceivable.

  “If Nessa says he’s a good one, he is,” Beth said quietly. “So do your best to heal him, and if he needs more support from us, he’ll be welcome to it.”

  “That’s why I love working for you, Beth. You always see the big picture. I’ll do my best.”

  “I know you will.” She gave me a hug, and then I got into my car and pulled out.

  During the long drive to Wilmington, I reviewed silver poisoning once again. It was an insidious reaction of a wolf’s body to the metal, and it had taken much research to find something that would remove the symptoms quickly.

  Most cases were accidents these days, although Hunters naturally knew about the weakness and exploited it ruthlessly. But few wolves falling into their hands survived the experience, and silver poisoning was not the worst problem they had in those cases.

  I had watched trophy videos, mostly for educational purposes, and I still shuddered at the memories.

  So I vowed to myself that I would not let this man die. Nessa sounded as if she had the situation under control, but he wouldn’t be able to heal until I arrived. So I broke the speed limit most of the time, without drawing attention to me. I wanted to ease his suffering as soon as possible.

  When I reached Wilmington, I called Nessa, and she met me at a parking lot on her bike to guide me to their camp. It was a nice house on the outskirts, with a well-sized garden and a few old trees that gave it some shade. I parked my car next to her bike and grabbed my bags while she took off her helmet and shook out her hair.

  Smiling, she shook my hand. “Thanks for coming so quickly, Dr. Wenden.”

  “You’re welcome. And call me Alice, please.”

  “With pleasure.”

  “Now, where’s our patient?”

  “We put him up in our living room, since he should be as upright as possible, and we don’t have a hospital bed, unfortunately.”

  “Good enough. How has he been?”

  “I managed to get him to swallow a pain pill, and he has been dozing since.”

  “Perfect. You’ve done everything right.”

  She blushed a little at my praise. “Well, my Dad drilled us in first aid. So I knew what to do.”

  “Your Dad?”

  “Mal.” She looked sad for a moment, and then I remembered. The wolf who had sent his kids to us, to keep them safe. Nessa had been the last one to arrive, while he had been killed by those Hunters.

  “Of course. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right.”

  I could tell it wasn’t, but I didn’t want to dwell on her pain. So I patted her arm. “Take me to him.”

  “His name is Olivier. Olivier Baillard.”

  “Thank you.”

  I followed her into the house and met a handful of young wolves. They all said their names, but I couldn’t even store them in memory, since my mind was on my patient.

  He was indeed sitting in a large armchair, head leaned against the high back, feet up on another chair, not quite asleep but also not really awake. He was older than I had expected, with some gray showing in his dark hair at his temples and in the stubble of his beard. His face was pale and haggard, lined with pain, eyes sunken deep. It was not a surprise that he was in such bad shape after several days in a hospital that didn’t know how to cater to his needs.

  He desperately needed my help, and I was glad I had come.

  “Please, wake him up for me,” I asked the young woman standing close to his chair.

  Chapter 3

  Olivier

  “Olivier, wake up, please.” The gentle voice brought me out of a doze that was much better than anything I had been able to achieve in that hospital.

  Ashley was standing next to my chair, a woman at her side that I had never been before.

  “Let me introduce you to Dr. Wenden, she’s specialized on treating cases like yours.”

  I met the woman’s eyes and she smiled. “Unfortunately, we need to put another infusion into your body, which means poking you again. And I very much need to change the bandages on your chest, and I need your cooperation on that.”

  That was interesting. None of the nurses had ever said that in the hospital. I nodded, not feeling up to speaking yet.

  “It’s a good sign that you’re understanding what I’m saying.”

  That was good to know. I smiled at her, because the fuzziness had already eased a little, probably because of my dozing.

  Ashley helped me to sit up even straighter, and then the doctor gave me a quick exam, taking my pulse and feeling my forehead before she removed most of the bandage around my chest and put a stethoscope on my skin.

  “Take a deep breath, please.”

  Doing so hurt a lot. But something in her way of speaking to me made me trust her. Few people could achieve that.

  “Very good. Let it out and then take another one and hold it.”

  I did, and with a sudden, painful jerk, she tore off the sticky bandage over the wound in front of my chest.

  Ashley took a hissing breath, but before she could say anything, the doctor slapped another sticky bandage on that wound.

  “You can breathe out now.”

  I did and swallowed against the pain that still lingered.

  “What…?” I managed to say.

  “The bandages they put on you in the hospital were bad for you. They contain silver, which is generally a good idea to prevent infection, but for you, silver acts as a poison.”

  I blinked several times, and Connor stepped into my line of view.

  “I promise, I will explain it all to you, but right now, we need to get those bandages off and that poison out of your blood. You’ll see that healing will become much easier once we do that.”

  That sounded quite promising, and I didn’t worry about what else Connor wanted to explain.

  “I just have to peel off the one on your back, as well,” the doctor said. “Can you hold your breath again?”

  I steeled myself for renewed pain and held my breath. A moment later, a new sticky bandage was in place, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. Yes, it still hurt a lot, but now the worst was over.

  Soon after that, I had another needle stuck in the back of my hand, with something steadily dripping into my body.

  “There. We should start seeing improvement almost immediately.” The doctor smiled at me.

  My mind caught up with what they had been saying. Silver was a problem?

  “How… why… silver?” Why couldn’t I frame even a simple question?

  “Ah.” Connor took a deep breath. “That is indeed the key question. It’ll all make sense, I promise. But you need to be more yourself before we can talk.”

  “Would you like some food?” the doctor asked. Dr. Wenden, I reminded myself. I really had to get back into the habit of remembering names.

  I pondered her question and discovered to my massive surprise that I was ravenous. “Yes,” I said, trying to put energy into the answer.

  “Great.” She pulled something out of her pocket, peeled off the wrapping and held it out to me. “Protein bar. Not a great taste, but what you need most right now.”

  I took it with the hand that didn’t bear a needle and started nibbling on it. After a few swallows, I tore into the rest. And devoured the next two she offered to me.

  I could sense some strength returning already when I reached for the glass of water sitting on a small table next to my chair. Drinking the water was getting easier, as well, and I could sense it spreading through my body. That was rather interesting.