Free Healing the Clan: Alaskan Tigers: Book Ten by Marissa Dobson Page B

would be if they simply gave up. Their will was more powerful than anything, and if they willed their bodies not to fight to live and heal, in essence they’d wither and die. It was a sad prospect, but some couldn’t face life again after what they saw or lost. It was rare, but whenever it happened, it was a deep loss to the community.
    They climbed the steps, and she tried to ready herself. In the back of her mind, she wondered what would happen to the other two that remained in the hospital. Would they find the will to survive, or was it only a matter of time before they gave up, too?
    “What are you doing back already? I thought you were going to check on Heidi.” David sat at the dining table, papers spread out before him, just as she had left him.
    She swore he only stopped working when he was too exhausted to go on. Over the last few days, he had been putting in long hours, trying to balance everything that needed to be done for the clan, training, and her. It was beginning to take its toll. The only thing keeping him going was sheer willpower and caffeine. If only he’d let her help more. Or if not her, then Ryder. Putting this clan back together wasn’t a one-man job; it would take all of them.
    She sat down across from him. “We’ve got to talk.”
    “Can it wait twenty minutes? I’ve got to look over these plans before the meeting with the construction team.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
    “No.” Ryder gripped the back of the chair next to her. “This is important and can’t wait.”
    “Fine.” David leaned back and met his Lieutenant’s glaze. “What’s wrong now?” Impatience and stress made his voice tighter than normal.
    She shared a quick look with Ryder before shaking her head. “I’ll tell him.”
    “Tell me what?” David demanded.
    “About the unapproved visitors.” Ryder tipped his head, giving her the floor.
    “Nice.” She shook her head at his lack of grace. “David, it’s Mira. She’s on her way—”
    “What?” He pushed back with such force the table jarred and his coffee sloshed over the rim of his mug. “I told her to stay put. I’d call her when it was safe.”
    “She didn’t listen. She and Styx will be landing in less than twenty minutes.”
    “Landing? How the hell was she expecting to get from the airport without letting me know?” He turned toward the large window behind the table and mumbled, “What the hell was she thinking?”
    “That’s another thing. They’re not flying into the airport. They’ve got a helicopter and will be landing on the compound. Everything was arranged with Carran, so I’m not sure of the other details, but there has to be a good reason they’ve done this.”
    “How did you find out?”
    “I told her after Carran let it slip,” Ryder added. “I thought having your mate here…the two of you could make plans on how to deal with this. I’ll handle whatever you need done.”
    “Plans. That might be an understatement. How the hell am I supposed to get them out of here before someone sees them? Seeing Styx isn’t going to help keep the peace we’ve finally been able to get.”
    “Maybe Mira can convince them,” Ryder offered.
    “Oh, because no one blames her for what happened, for the lives lost.” David shook his head. “She’s in just as much danger. Why would she risk herself like this?”
    “Home means a lot to people.” She tried to reason with her mate. “We’re willing to risk a lot to be able to go there again and to see people we care about. She wants to see you and Tim. You can’t blame her for that. She won’t believe you’re truly alive until she can see you again.”
    “She’s seen me.” He spun around to look at her, his eyes wide. Anger had his tiger close to the surface, turning his eyes a warm honey color. “We’ve video conference, and as for our father, he isn’t even here so she’s going to be out of luck.”
    “It’s not the same thing,” she