Finishing the tea, she watched as Rachel took a chair next to the bed.
Jen noted that the woman looked to be in her late thirty's or early forties. She was voluptuous but by no means overweight. She had dark chocolate hair that fell in natural waves around her elegant face. Her eyes were blue, but not just blue, more like azure and nearly glowed. She had full rose colored lips and Jen could see she had a small gap in between her front teeth that, instead of detracting to her beauty, added character. There was a peace about her that reminded Jen of Sally. Rachel's eye's met Jen's drawing Jen back from her scrutiny.
"What do you know of gypsy healers?" Rachel asked simply.
"Not much," Jen admitted, "I just found out one of my best friends is one."
Rachel's eyebrows rose on her forehead and her azures began to definitely glow, "A gypsy healer? Here in Romania?"
Jen nodded, but caught herself when she felt the sharp tingles and answered instead, "Yes."
"Is she wolf as well?"
"No, she's home grown, all American human," Jen said dryly.
Rachel thought about the revelation for a few quiet moments. About what it meant that a gypsy healer had returned to the Romanian wolves after three centuries of absence. She didn't count herself since she and her mate had effectively slipped from view.
"You said you are a healer?" Jen asked.
"Yes, I am. But I am not only a healer."
"Your eyes glow," Jen's words were soft as she pieced the puzzle together, "Mother of pearl; you're a dormant aren't you?"
Rachel's mouth took on a slight curve as she smiled at Jen's odd words. "Yes, I am a dormant. I'm the last one born in 5 centuries, both gypsy healer and dormant Canis lupis."
"Why are you living here all alone without a pack?"
"Try to relax. This could take a while," Rachel sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. She looked off at nothing unparticular gathering her thoughts and trying to decide where she should begin her story.
"Gavril, my mate was a mighty Alpha three centuries ago to the Western Romanian Pack,"
"Western Romanian?" Jen interrupted.
Rachel cocked her head, a very wolf like gesture.
Jen raised her hands in surrender, "Sorry, got it. No interrupting, hold all applause until the end of the show."
Rachel shook her head, "You are very strange."
"You have no idea," Jen muttered under her breath but kept her attention on Rachel, waiting for her to go on.
"For centuries the Romanian packs were divided. Eastern and Western. Both were ruled by powerful Alpha's who were surprisingly agreeable most of the time. They had a shaky alliance that turned into a friendship over the years. My great-grandmother was the gypsy healer to the Western pack. Eastern pack did not have a healer and because of the friendship between the Alphas, the Eastern Alpha would allow my great-grandmother to go and attend their wolves when needed. She wound up having an affair with a werewolf, although now I believe she was actually his mate. Through that pairing a daughter was conceived and so on and so forth until I was born. At first, I thought that I was just a fourth generation healer and dormant. Gavril was the pack historian. He had no reason to know otherwise, so that is how he recorded me. But after the werewolf wars, and my mother's death, it became apparent that I was the only healer left. That was when I was finally told who I really was. She had finally decided that it was time to remind the wolves of their history."
"She who?" Jen asked.
"We will get to her soon enough."
Rachel paused momentarily and Jen took advantage of the silence, "Okay back up a sec Charlie Brown, what do you mean they think your great-grandmother had a mate? Wasn't she human?"
Rachel nodded, "She was human," before Jen could interrupt Rachel held up a finger stopping her, "But more importantly, she was a gypsy healer." She didn't elaborate but just let that sink in.
Jen's mouth fell open. Even though it hurt horrifically, she propped herself up on her side gingerly, "Bloody hell, you can't be saying what I think you are saying. But you are, aren't you? Gypsy healers can mate with Canis lupis."
"Not 'can'," Rachel clarified, "will."
"Will?" Jen's eyebrows rose at the declaration.
"Gypsy healers are always the mate to a Canis lupis."