Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,26
She who gave me this gift.”
Leslie’s eyes widened. “Are you a priestess?”
Helen shook her head. “No. I’m just a healer, but I serve the Mother of All.” Helen didn’t go into her own beliefs that when she healed using the Light only she could see—as she’d just done with Sal—that she was passing on the blessing of the Goddess.
“I’ve dealt with healers before,” Leslie said, letting go of Helen’s hands and stepping back respectfully, “but I’ve never seen anything like what you just did for my father. I felt the heat of your power. I scented the destruction of…something. Something bad.”
Helen nodded. “That was the stuff I zapped. I don’t have your senses, but sometimes, I can smell it when I zap a really strong contagion. It smells like a lightning strike. Ozone.”
Leslie was nodding, as well. “That’s exactly it.”
“That’s why I call what I do zapping. It’s like the sound of electricity or lightning.” She grinned, and Leslie followed suit.
“You are something unique in my experience, Helen, and I’m really grateful for what you’ve done.” Leslie would have gone on, but Helen held up a gentle hand.
“I’m grateful for your help, as well, though as I’ve said, there’s no price to be paid for my healing. It is given freely. So, let’s just call it even, okay? Now,” Helen looked around the hangar, “is there anything I can do to convince your dad that we didn’t just come out here to talk about him behind his back?”
Leslie laughed out loud at that question. It took a moment before she could reply. “Follow me.”
Leslie led Helen into another room that had been partitioned off the hangar. This one looked like a break room, complete with a couple of tables, chairs, a couch along one wall and a kitchen area that boasted two refrigerators and a chest freezer.
“We offer catering on charters,” Leslie explained as she led the way to the kitchen part of the big room. “Now that I know you’re going to Big Wolf, I’d like you to take some things with you in the cargo area for the Alpha there. He’s partial to Atlantic seafood.” Leslie grinned. “And you’ll need some supplies. I doubt either of you have eaten yet. Am I right?” In answer, Helen’s stomach growled, and Leslie laughed again. “If you’re that hungry, I can only imagine how your wolf is feeling. Hollow would be my guess.”
“He’s not my wolf,” Helen protested. Not yet, at least.
“Please,” Leslie scoffed cheerfully.
“Wait, if you’re not a wolf…” Helen thought aloud. Leslie’s tone and phrasing made Helen think wolves were something alien to the other woman. Leslie didn’t quite say the word wolf distastefully, but there was a definite accent on it that had to mean something.
Leslie looked over sharply as she was hauling things out of the fridge. “You’re kind of new to shifters, aren’t you?”
“Does it show?” Helen felt a bit self-conscious. “I’ve known about magic all my life, but the whole shifter thing is a very recent discovery.”
“Well, in general, asking what species someone is can be considered rude,” Leslie informed her.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize.” Helen tried to backpedal, but Leslie waved away her words.
“I can see that. I’m just letting you know for future reference. Somebody’s got to explain the peculiarities of shifter culture to you if Mr. Wolf hasn’t already.”
“I only just met Jim a few days ago,” Helen tried to explain. “Since then, it’s been kind of a whirlwind situation, and we haven’t had a lot of time to just talk.”
Leslie was nodding, even as she loaded up some large freezer bags with boxes of lobster and crab, among other things. The cupboards in the kitchen area were well stocked with carryalls for both hot and cold things. Leslie nodded toward one of the insulated bags she’d removed from a cupboard.
“Go ahead and raid that fridge over there. That’s where we keep the fresh stuff. Pack up anything you want and then triple the quantity for Jim.” Leslie chuckled while she continued to fill up the freezer bags.
Helen set to work, feeling a bit odd about raiding someone else’s refrigerator, but she was also really hungry, which helped allay her misgivings. She opened the door of the refrigerator and nearly groaned. It was chock full of things that made her mouth water.
“Take that whole platter of bagels, if you want,” Leslie offered from where she was working. “We have a charter to New York and back all this week, and