Wild Hunt - Kali Argent Page 0,58
other werewolves? None?”
Mackenna shook her head. “I mean, I met a few in college, but it wasn’t like we got together on the full moon to compare notes. Why wouldn’t my mom tell me?”
“You were only thirteen when she died,” Cade reasoned. “Maybe she was waiting until you were older, but she never got the chance.”
“Primus weren’t just hunted by humans,” Abby told her. “Gemini hunted them, too. For a long time, it was thought that if you killed a Primus under a Wolf Moon, you could absorb their power. Nonsense, of course, but people believe all sorts of things.”
“I think your mom was just trying to protect you.” Hugging her close, Cade pressed a kiss to her temple.
Her mother had taught her what countless other Gemini parents had passed on to their children. Don’t reveal her true nature. Blend in, learn to appear human, and stay hidden. Meeting up with other wolves to run under the full moon was too dangerous. It would draw too much attention and risk discovery.
The only reason Jess had known was because she’d followed her into the woods one night on the full moon. Mackenna had been terrified, but Jess had thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. Jess had promised to keep her secret, and as far as Mackenna knew, she’d never broken that vow.
Still, if her mother had been so desperate to keep her safe, she should have told her who she was. What she was.
“She should have told me.”
“I’m not arguing that, baby.”
“No one else can know,” Roux said. She sounded both sad and resolute about the fact. “Not about what she is. Not that she’s immune to the virus.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Deidra agreed. “Not just for Mack, but for all of us.”
“We all have to agree to keep this between us.” Stepping forward, Deke turned to face the rest of the group and folded his arms across his broad chest. “Does anyone have a problem with that?”
“Thank you,” Mackenna said when everyone shook their heads. “I know it’s not fair to ask you to keep this secret.”
“It’s not fair to you, either,” Luca said, surprising everyone. “There are, however, other people who know.” He came forward as well and wrapped his arm around Abby. “That’s why the Hunters kept you for so long, isn’t it?”
Mackenna honestly couldn’t say if her unique status as a Primus had anything to do with it. The answer was probably yes, but at the time, she’d had no context, and the Hunters had never specifically said. They had seemed much more interested in her immunity than the fact that she shifted into a giant wolf.
“Me and a few others. Like I said before, there are at least three other Gemini who have been there as long as I was. Maybe they’re immune, too?” And speaking of immunity. “I understand why no one else can know about me, but I still want to help.” It was the entire reason she’d revealed herself to them in the first place. “I don’t know if a cure is even possible, but—”
“Would you be willing to provide a blood sample?” Dr. Lancaster asked.
“That’s all?” Mackenna checked. “Just a blood sample?”
The doctor grinned. “That’s all. Just a small vial so I can run some tests. Now, I don’t want you to get your hopes up.” She spoke to the whole group then. “This is not my area of expertise. I might be able to tell you if a cure is possible, but I wouldn’t know how to go about creating one.”
It was a start. A small one, but a start, nonetheless. “I’ll do it.”
“What about humans?” Roux asked. “I mean, if we’re alive, we’re obviously immune. Why hasn’t anyone tested us?”
“They have.” Linking her fingers together in front of her, Dr. Lancaster pursed her lips for a long moment before she continued. “While Gemini may appear human, their DNA is vastly different. In simple terms, you can’t pass immunity between the two.”
“Well, that sucks.”
Leave it to Roux to put it so succinctly.
“So, what now?” Mackenna asked her mate when the rest of the group began to break apart and head back into the hospital.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I just found out I’m from some ancient line of god-like werewolves.”
“I don’t think anyone used the term ‘god-like,’ but I get what you’re saying.” He held her blanket while she changed back into her clothes, then draped it around her shoulders again. “It’s a lot to process.”
“What do I do