Charlie was hovering over her so that all I could see were her black boots and leggings. A bluish glow emanated from in front of him, enough that it tinted the dark asphalt.
“Is she—”
“Don’t touch me!” he bellowed. “Don’t touch her.”
I walked around to the other side, and that’s when I got the full view of April gasping for air. Charlie held both of her hands, palms joined, and ripples of energy were transferring between them.
“Are you healing her?”
“I can’t heal a human,” he whispered. “She was barely alive. But maybe it’s just enough…”
Then it struck me what Charlie was doing. I’d heard stories about Mage gifts, and some of them were Creators. They had the ability to turn a human into a Mage, but their Councils and Mageri government were strict from what I’d heard. They had a process of selection and didn’t allow Creators to select their own progeny without formal approval. I suppose it made sense, or a Creator might build himself an army and choose unstable humans who would become the Mageri’s problem.
I couldn’t process this. Did April even want to be a Mage?
Reno’s motorcycle throttled in the distance with an urgency like I’d never heard. When he pulled up, he didn’t bother to use the kickstand. The bike dropped in the middle of the street when he dismounted, and I was so used to hearing the heavy sound of his boots that all I could do was stare at his bare feet.
“Stay back, Shifter!” Charlie yelled. “I’m saving her life!”
The second Reno caught sight of the graphic scene, he covered his face and bent forward. I’d never seen such pain—such devastation. He stood upright, his face as red as his feet, and braved another look.
“I’m right here, princess. You’re not alone,” he said, his voice broken.
My knees gave out, and I collapsed, watching in disbelief.
Two raspy breaths sounded, and April coughed, her glazed eyes taking in her surroundings. Charlie let go of her hands and sat back.
“She’s a fighter,” he said admirably. “And now she’s a Mage.”
Atticus moved past us and entered the shop, closing the door behind him. A wolf savagely barked, and I did my best to tune it out.
“Did she want this?” I asked Charlie.
Reno knelt down and cradled her head in his lap. “I’ve got you,” he said, smoothing her hair away from her face and softly brushing her cheek with his knuckles. “You’re safe.” He examined the hole in her sweater, checking her over in disbelief.
Charlie sat back, dark circles forming beneath his eyes. “It hardly matters what she wants anymore. I owed April an immeasurable debt. A life for a life is only fair, except I have given life to replace one.”
“How did you know we were here?”
He unzipped his Windbreaker. “I promised Austin I’d keep an eye on April—to protect her. He agreed as long as she didn’t become aware, so I’ve had to keep my distance.”
“You’ve been following my woman?” Reno growled.
Charlie didn’t shrink in fear from the way Reno was eyeballing him. “I don’t go near your property when she’s home. That’s the one place I know she’s safe. But I know her work schedule, and I put a tracking device on her car in case she left unexpectedly to go shopping. Anyhow, Austin called a little while ago and said she’d left the house. I traced her here and made it as fast as I could. When I parked up the street, I saw the wolves.”
Austin’s Dodge Challenger throttled in our direction. I squinted from the bright headlamps, and clouds of burning rubber surrounded the tires when he screeched to a halt. Austin emerged from the car and stood motionless behind the door, his eyes glittering with emotion.
I rose to my feet and felt a magnetic pull to him.
Without a word, he strode toward me and lifted me into his embrace. His lips briefly pressed against my head before he held me at arm’s length, scanning my body for injuries. He immediately noticed my bloody arm.
“I’m okay,” I said. “How did you know?”
He cradled my head against his chest, his heart a banging drum.
“I sensed it,” he said, out of breath. “We just knew something was off.”
Shifter men often spoke about the magic between life mates—how the men could sometimes sense the woman was in danger. Not just any woman, but supposedly the woman they were destined for. I’d always laughed at the idea, but I couldn’t think of an explanation as to why Reno would have run out of the house barefoot in this weather.
I wiped my wet cheeks against Austin’s shirt and watched Reno help April sit up. She was in a stupor, as if she were drunk or half-asleep.
“Normally it doesn’t knock them out like this,” Charlie began. “But the knife hit an artery, and she lost a lot of blood, enough that she was barely awake to receive the first spark. I can’t give her my healing magic because I’m tapped, but she’ll be fine. Her body will do the rest. She needs sleep.”