Chapter 10

This ring belongs to Big Bad Wolfe.

"Ohmigod, Ohmijesus, Ohmimary!" Ismena bent down and picked up the ring again, and the pearl that fell out of it. She put the pearl in her pocket and stared at the ring in total horror.

What to do, what to do, what to do??

"Is anything the matter?" The pawnbroker asked again in concern.

She ignored him, talking to herself. "Oh, Ismena, it's just like you to steal from someone that saved your life! Heavens, and this looks very expensive. What of its very valuable to him? What if he starts looking for you?" 

Vividly, she can still remember Big Bad Wolfe from the night before. That man that looks like he eats bones for breakfast and drinks blood when he's thirsty, will definitely dismember her; chew on her flesh and use her hair for a hand fan.

The images she created in her head made her shiver. She shook her head vigorously to banish them. "No, no, no, let's rationalize this."

"First of all, I didn't know that it was his ring; I thought it belonged to my attackers. Secondly, I didn't really steal it from his pocket; I picked it up from the floor because it was calling me. What's a girl gonna do when something is really calling out for her help? Thirdly, it's not as if I'm pawning the ring to be wicked to him or for my own pleasure. I'm pawning it because a girl's got to do what she can to live...even if she's bound to die—"

"Are we still doing business or not?" The pawnbroker's loud voice interrupted her again.

"—so that brings me to the ultimate question; Will I really pawn this ring or not?" Her head was whirling, the pawnbroker is completely forgotten as she thought of ways to solve this trivial problem.

Pawn or not to pawn? 

The answer came almost immediately. This ring needs to go for her to have more money for her drugs. 

"Looking at it from the bright side, he's a very rich man." She can still remember the expensive gold chain on his neck, covered by the expensive suit he was putting on, "There's no way he'll notice something as small as one small ring when he must have a huge cabinet filled with others."

With that thought came relief. She turned, faced the irritated-looking pawnbroker again, and flashed him a bright smile, "I'm really sorry for this. Everything is alright now."

"Are we still doing business or not?" He asked snidely.

"Oh yes, we are." 

"Let me see the item." He outstretched his wrinkled arm.

She placed the diamond ring into his palm.

*************

Wolfariane Daminor Throne was pacing the floors of his meeting Hall. He is in a rage.

Alphose sat like an invisible figure in the room, waiting for the Alpha King to talk. He knows that a volcano is building inside their King but he has no idea what could be the cause of all this. 

He watched the way Wolfariane clenched and unclenched his hands, gritted and ungritted his teeth, and flexed and unflexed his claws. Eyes changing from blue, to amber-gold, to green. The silence was deafening 

Finally, he turned and faced Alphose. "My ring has been stolen."

"The one that was given to you by your mother?"

"Is there any other special ring I have that I'm unaware of, Alphose?" Cold angry eyes met the cougar Alpha.

"No, of course not. Forgive my insolence." Man, is he on edge. "Do you have any idea how it happened?"

Wolfariane bared his teeth angrily, "It was in the nightclub. I have an idea who it might be."

"You do?" Relief filled Alphose. If he does have an idea, that means the ring will be rediscovered.

"I saved a woman from two attackers the night before. I did not associate with any other non-changeling, so, it has to be one of those two attackers."

"Should I send out the wolf warriors or the lion warriors? We will go back to New York City and—"

"Do not worry about it. I will hunt them myself." He stated baldly.

That's bad. Very bad. 

"What about the basic rules?" Alphose felt he needed to ask. The basic rules that hold every changeling that steps out of Naturiah;
1. No sniffing humans. 
2. No fucking females unless they gave their consent.
3. No attacking or hurting non-changelings unless attacked first.
4. Only shift forms when it's ABSOLUTELY necessary, and do it away from human eyes...unless she's Mate.
5. Curb your basic instincts no matter how driving they become, for better coexistence with humans.
6. No matter what you are doing, no matter how busy you are, come home before every full moon. 
With a few other rules...

"The basic rules do not apply here. They stole what belongs to me. These men dare to take something that belongs to me. I will hunt them and I will reap them apart after I have my ring back." He laid out in a calm, deadly voice.

"Should I book a flight for you?"

"No. I have a meeting with the Betas tonight, those who desire to be lieutenants, and the night of the morrow." Wolfariane stopped and faced him, "In two days, I go hunting."

Alphose wanted to ask him for the details of the events of the night before; Why did he cut short their business appointments? How bad what happened was for him to tether on the very edge of losing all control so badly that he had to take his animal forms alternatingly and run all the way from New York City to back to Naturiah? A forty hours journey by flight?

But, one look at him made Alphose swallow his concerns down. If the black mood is a person, that will be the Alpha King right now. 

But, who will dare to take his special ring?




*********




Two days later, Ismena lay on the hospital bed while the doctor examines her.

"Your heart rate is surprisingly normal, even without the catheter to keep your arteries open, the blood flow to your heart is better." The doctor was looking surprised, "I will say it's more improvement than I expected."

"Really!? I'm making recovery?" Ismena leaned up hopefully, "Am I getting better, doctor? Does it mean I'm no longer gonna die?"

"I wouldn't go that far, Miss. Cranes. Yes, your heart miraculously improved, but you are still in a lot of danger, and you still have a bad heart. Just keep taking the medications I recommended for you, including the ones you weren't able to afford the last time. Come back in a week or two, let's check for more progress, okay?"

"Okay, doctor." Her hope dashed to pieces, she laid back down sullenly.

"Remember to stay away from hyperactivities that will cause a spike in your heart rate, and don't forget the foods you aren't supposed to take too."

"Of course, doctor." If this man thinks she'll put her life on hold while waiting for her death, then he has another thinking coming along. 

So, what if there are slight improvements? It's in the doctor's job description to keep giving patients hope, even if the hope is hopeless. 

She still has a bad heart.
She's still gonna die.
Thanks but no thanks, she's still gonna live her little remaining life to the fullest.

Hours later, Ismena sat in her own hotel and stared at all the new things she bought with sheer happiness on her face. And a new resolution in her mind.

She'd paid her medical bills—even paid an advance for a few visits to the doctor's, in the future—bought all her drugs too, even the ones she didn't have money to buy before; Beta blockers, aspirin, calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-modifying medications, nitroglycerin, her ACEs and ARBs. Everything. 

She whirled around in excitement. Aah, life can't be any sweeter.

She'd also bought more tickets to the movie theater. She still has more than enough dollars to last her for the next two months before her time runs out.

But now, she has a new resolution. Avoid Big Bad Wolfe at all costs. 

If she sees him by the road, she'll take off in a dead run. If she sees him in one direction, she'll go through another direction.

The good news is, it's a big world. There's no way she's running into him again anyway.

"Soooooooo, time to cross off another thing from her list." She whirled around excitedly again, "What will that be, what will that be... Aah! Have a one-night stand with a total stranger!"

Tonight. Definitely tonight. She will be going to another nightclub and bagging a hot dude.