Free Winter's Scars: The Forsaken (Winter's Saga 5) by Karen Luellen

also abused him.  This just confirms it.”   Evan waved a frustrated hand at the coydog.
    “Are you pressing charges?” The vet asked, gently palpitating Maze’s abdomen, but stopping when the coydog let out a painful yelp then growled low and steady. 
    “We are going to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone or anything again.  Yes, sir.”  Evan stared at the coydog with revenge in his sharp, honey eyes.
    “Well, professionally I must advise you to get the authorities involved in what is obviously an animal abuse case.  But off the record—” the vet narrowed his eyes at the young people standing in his office.  “Well, you have my blessing.  This is one very sick animal.”
    “Are you referring to Maze, sir?  Or the man who did this to him?”  Evan watched the vet’s eyes for the truth behind his words.
    “Both,” he answered gruffly. 
    “Yes, sir.” Evan nodded.
    “Let’s get to work, Hilda,” he said to his technician.  “I’ll need you to wait out in the lobby , or leave us a good phone number and we’ll call you once we find out what we’re dealing with.”
    “I don’t want to leave him,” Meg said immediately.
    “Just my opinion here, miss, but you look like you need to rest and eat.  I don’t know what happened to you but my medical advice would be to go home.”  He reached out and put a grandfatherly hand on Meg’s slender shoulder.  To his credit, he didn’t flinch at the rock-hard muscles she had developed over her lifetime of training. 
    “You’ll be no good to your coydog if you’re too sick to take care of him once he is well enough to come home.”  The vet’s tone was sincere, but his optimism about Maze getting better wasn’t.   Meg struggled to decide.
    “Let’s go check on Mom at the hospital, grab a bite to eat and come right back,” Cole suggested diplomatically.
    Meg looked at Cole’s earnest , green eyes and decided he was right.  She nodded once then stood and walked to Maze’s face. Carefully she leaned her forehead against his and thought positive, prayerful thoughts over him.  She felt warmth deep inside her belly that burst up and climbed inside her chest, pinking her cheeks.  It spilled past the physical skin-to-fur contact she was making with the broken coydog.  Under her, Maze sighed and seemed to sink deeper into the bed’s vinyl cushion, as though relaxing all his muscles.
    I’ll be back for you, she thought directly into Maze’s body.  Your only job is to get better.  You’re mine and I need you.   She stepped back, breaking the connection, and watched Maze’s yellow eyes watching her.  They looked alert, as though he completely understood her wishes.
    “Okay, I’m ready to go.”  Meg pushed her shoulders back and walked confidently out of the examination room.  The others watched her, not sure what to make of her unpredictable behavior.  Evan whispered his goodbyes to the coydog, patting him carefully before following his sister out of the room.  Cole was right on his heels, and caught Evan by the shoulder.
    “Is it me or is Meg acting really—”
    “Weird?  No, it’s not just you.”  Evan peered around the corner and saw his sister standing with her arms crossed, staring out the lobby windows.
    “What do we do?  I feel like I’m walking on eggshells around her.  What if I say the wrong thing and she completely loses her mind?”
    “See, that’s just it, Cole.  I think she’s already lost it.  She’s barely hanging on.”  Evan shook his head worriedly.
    “Well, it’s a good thing we’re not about to take her to a highly emotional and potentially volatile situation.”  Cole’s words were tight with sarcasm.
    “Let’s just hope the visit with Mom doesn’t twist her windup mechanism too much.  Meg doesn’t remember us or herself or anything.  Heck, we had to make sure she knew her own name.  Give her time, Cole.  She just needs time.”
    “We don’t have time, Ev.  Remember Captain