Chapter 9

Nicole I almost ran back to my room and his command still reverberated in my ears. I shook my head to calm myself down. Then I took off my tight dress and changed into comfortable casual clothes. After quickly freshening up, I headed downstairs to the kitchen, hurriedly prepared some chicken soup, and made my way to the hospital to visit my mother. Thanks to the advanced regenerative serum the medical team had administered—a specialized werewolf cellular compound designed to accelerate tissue repair—combined with my mother's unyielding will to live, she'd regained consciousness in under twenty-four hours. My mother, Xavia Linden, was the quintessential Faellac Town woman—soft-spoken and gentle, though she could become fierce when angered. When she saw me entering her hospital room, she set aside the book she'd been reading. "Nicole, why are you visiting so late? Busy day?" Her eyes, so like mine, studied me with maternal concern. I placed the thermos on her bedside table and began ladl