The Healer

Chapter 6

After lunch Darius let everyone know his plan. 

"The Cannomad Rogues will be docking at Port Harcourt and probably staying in that area while they wait to strike. This is only a reconnaissance mission. We need to know their numbers, how well trained they are and how on earth someone got them under control. I suspect Garret, the leader of the Delaney pack is the one behind this. His goal for some time has been to become some sort of supreme Alpha and rule all of the packs in North America." 

Marcus rolled his eyes. "The man is clearly insane. Is it true that he killed his own mother when she tried to help his younger brother escape?" 

Darius nodded. 

"Yes. And then he killed the brother. He doesn't care who you are. If you get in his way he'll eliminate you. I suspect he had one, or several were-witches working for him. We need to know who and where they are. If we can neutralize them the Cannomad will become useless to him. Alright, Marcus and Lila will be in charge while Orin, Emma and I are gone. Orin, go make preparations. We leave for the port tomorrow. And keep it quiet. This goes no further than this circle for now." 

With that, Orin and Lila went off to take care of travel plans and Emma ordered Marcus, who was beginning to look a bit pale, back to his sick bed. 

Emma and Darius were left alone. Emma watched as Darius sighed and rubbed his forehead. 

"What are you thinking?" she asked softly. 

He looked at her and gave her a grim smile. 

"I'm thinking I should have asked you for a month instead of a week. This is not how I expected the week to begin," he said ruefully. 

"Like I said, I want to know how things really are. How you really are. And if I can be of any help to you I'm glad." 

Darius stared at her for several seconds, then pulled her close. He noticed that she was stiff at first but gradually began to relax in his embrace. He knew that she was taking all of this incredibly well, but he could see in her eyes that she was still nervous about their mating. He wished there was something he could do for her. She's already confessed that she found flowers and chocolate embarrassing. He needed to find out what she liked. He tried to be subtle about it. 

"Tell me something about yourself," he murmured as he buried his head in her hair and inhaled the sweet smell. "What do you do when you're not dodging attacks with your eyes closed, healing ungrateful Beta's and chasing down Cannomads?" 

Emma laughed as he hoped she would. 

"Well, let's see. I love making music. I'm a bit hopeless but my grandfather got me a guitar for my tenth birthday. I've been butchering it ever since. I wish I had more time to play. And I love to read and cook. If I wasn't born to be a Healer I would have gone to culinary school," she admitted. 

Darius pulled back and grinned at her. 

"No wonder you looked so happy that I know how to cook," he said. 

"Yes. How exactly did you pick that skill up?" she asked curiously. "Lunch was really amazing. Grilled portabellas? You outdid yourself." 

"My Mom taught me. She was amazing. Head chef of the pack," he said with pride. "My Dad was one of the pack enforcers and everyone thought he would mate with a warrior. Then one day when he was visiting another pack to train the new soldiers, he ummm..." Darius turned red. 

"Yes," Emma prodded. 

"Well I guess you could say like father like son because he was in the middle of training when he took off at a mad dash after catching a scent. He ran like a lunatic into the kitchens. My mother was a line cook at the time. Dad pushed past the crazy head chef and as soon as he saw her he ran to her, picked her up and wouldn't let anyone near her until she acknowledged that she was his mate, which she was happy to do."