test." Havers took a piece of paper out of the inside of his sport coat. "It took me a little longer, because there was an anomaly I didn't expect."
John glanced at Tohr. Then Wellsie. Jesus... What if he was wholly human? What would they do to him?
Would he have to leave-
"John, you are a full-bred warrior. There is only the barest trace of nonspecies blood in you at all."
Tohr laughed in a loud burst and clapped his hands together. "Hot damn! That's great!"
John started to grin and kept going until his lips totally disappeared into a smile.
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"But there's something else." Havers pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. "You are of the line of Darius of Marklon. So close you could be his son. So close... you must be his son."
A stony silence overtook the room.
John looked back and forth between Tohr and Wellsie. The two were frozen solid. Was this good news? Bad news? Who was Darius? Going by their expressions, maybe the guy was a criminal or something...
Tohr burst up from the sofa and took John into his arms, squeezing so hard the two became one. Gasping for air, feet dangling, John looked over at Wellsie. She had both hands over her mouth, and tears were rolling down her face.
Abruptly Tohr let go and stepped back. He coughed a little, eyes shimmering. "Well... what do you know."
The man cleared his throat a number of times. Rubbed his face. Looked a little woozy.
Who is Darius? John signed as he sat down again.
Tohr smiled slowly. "He was my best friend, my brother in the fighting, my... I can't wait to tell you all about him. And this means you have a sister."
Who?
"Beth, our queen. Wrath's shellan-"
"Yes, about her," Havers said, looking at John. "I don't understand the reaction you had to her. Your CAT
scans are all fine, so too your EKG, your CBC. I believe you when you say she was what caused the seizures, though I have no idea why that would be. I'd like you to stay away from her for a while so we can see if it happens in another environment, okay?"
John nodded, though he wanted to see the woman again, especially if he was related to her. A sister. How cool...
"Now, about the other issue," Havers said pointedly.
Wellsie leaned forward and put her hand on John's knee. "Havers has something he wants to talk to you about."
John frowned. What? he signed slowly.
The doctor smiled, trying to be all reassuring. "I'd like you to see that therapist."
John went cold. In a panic, he searched Wellsie's face, then Tohr's, wondering how much the doctor might have told them about what had happened to him a year ago.
Why would I go? he signed. I'm fine.
Wellsie's reply was level. "It's just to help you make the transition to your new world."
"And your first appointment is tomorrow evening," Havers said, tipping his head down. He stared into John's Page 139
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face over the top of the horn-rims, and the message in his eyes was: Either you go or I'll tell them the real reason why you have to.
John was outmaneuvered, and that pissed him off. But he figured it was better to submit to compassionate blackmail than to have Tohr and Wellsie know anything about what had been done to him.
Okay. I'll do it.
"I'll take you," Tohr said quickly. Then he frowned. "I mean... we can find someone to take you-Butch will take you."
John's face burned. Yeah, he didn't want Tohr anywhere near the therapist gig. No way.
The front doorbell rang.
Wellsie grinned. "Oh, good. That's Sarelle. She's come over to work on the solstice festival. John, maybe you'd like to help us?"
Sarelle was here again? She hadn't mentioned that when they'd IM'd last night.
"John? Do you want to work with Sarelle?"
He nodded and tried to keep it cool, although his body had lit up like a neon sign. He was positively tingling.
Yeah. I can do that.
He put his hands in his lap and looked down at them, trying to keep his smile to himself.
Chapter Twenty-three
Bella was damn well coming home. Tonight.
Rehvenge was not the kind of male who handled frustration well under the best of circumstances. So he was beyond through waiting to have his sister back where she needed to be. Goddamn it, he was not just her brother, he was her ghardian, and that meant he had rights.
As he yanked on his full-length sable coat, the fur swirled around