Entangled

Chapter 7

Author's note: I think the worst of the mess is over, so hopefully the story's still making some sense. And if you're mad at Seth, hopefully chapter 8 will redeem him a bit.

The temptation to listen at the door is strong, but Sasha makes herself sit on the bed and start scrolling through her contacts, selecting anyone who either is a witch or knows a trustworthy one. Then she writes a generic text—Hey, sorry to bother you so late, but I need to find a witch who can work with werewolves and detect pregnancy. No, not for me. Full moon near; please reply ASAP. Thx, along with details about where they'll be this week—and sends it to all of them. The clarification—No, not for me—stings more than she expects, but she doesn't have time to dwell on it, because her phone is already starting to ding. In case Becky is sleeping, she mutes her phone before she begins reading the replies.

Predictably, some are the equivalent of an out-of-office message, and a couple don't know anyone near any of the locations where they'll be wrestling, but at least a few offer up names and contacts. For a moment, Sasha wishes she could verify them online, looking for reviews the same way she would when trying to find a plumber, but these referrals are all from people she trusts, so they'll have to do. Then a particularly promising one arrives from Greta, the witch who makes most of her crystal pendants. My friend Mina lives on an acreage not far from where you are right now. Pregnancy's not her specialty, but she'd be able to do the basic tests. After a string of digits Sasha eventually realizes is a phone number, the message continues. You can't text her, though. She's only got a landline. She's a farmer. Just as Sasha finishes reading that text, another from Greta comes in. Just called her. She said you could go ahead and call her now. She was up late with an injured calf.

"Leg or cow?" Sasha mutters. After sending off a quick reply of thanks, she calls the number and starts to pace around the bed. She can't hear anything from the other room, but she also didn't hear any doors, so she assumes Seth found Becky and they're both fine.

"Hello, Sasha?" The woman on the other end has a faint drawl, buoyed by a hearty laugh. "Sorry. Shouldn't assume. Greta just got off the phone with me and told me you might be calling. I'm Mina."

"Yeah, sorry for calling so late. We're on the road and we're wrestlers," Sasha explains, not knowing how much Greta shared, "so if my friend is pregnant, she needs to know as soon as possible. The full moon is in a few days, and taking any hits in the ring could be...." Her free hand twines in the hem of her shirt, pulling it taut. Since they have no idea how long Becky's been pregnant—IF she is, Sasha reminds herself, though it's starting to feel more like a fact than a possibility—the baby could already have been harmed by something that happened when Becky was in the ring or working out.

"Bad." To her credit, Mina doesn't scoff at my friend. "I'd say I could look at her tonight," she adds, "but the roads to my place are shitty at the best of times, let alone in the dark—even with werewolf vision. Morning should be all right, though. It'll depend on how the cows are doing."

"Greta mentioned something about a calf," Sasha notes, looking around for a pen and paper. The suite does have a writing desk, but it's out in the sitting room and she doesn't want to disturb Becky. "I don't have anything to write with, so can you call me in the morning when you're ready and I'll get directions to the farm from you then?"

"Sure," Mina agrees. "Greta knows the address too, so you can get it from her if you want to plot out a route with GPS or whatever. I probably won't be calling until after nine, though. Lots of critters to feed. Is that okay?"

Sasha tries not to laugh. With all the worries nibbling at the edges of her mind, she'll be lucky if she gets any sleep. "That will be fine. It's our day off, so we'll probably try to sleep in a bit." Except Becky, she adds to herself. Becky will probably be up early to do her pregnancy tests, and Sasha is almost tempted to set an alarm so she can be awake in time, but she decides against it. I'll hear her in the bathroom, she reasons. I'll wake up fast enough.