"How many times do I have to tell you not to be reckless? Jamie asked as she ripped open Rory's shirt and located the wound on her wives black skin. "The instant you caught wind of extra scents, you should have asked for help." She plunged her gloved hand into the wound, digging around for the bullet.

Rory let out a low guttural growl laced with pain. "How many times will you make me apologize? I'm sorry." She gripped the stick between her hands and broke it as Jamie continued fishing for the bullet. "Gods dammit!"

Blowing her long, black hair out of her face, Jamie managed to wrap her fingers around the bullet and pulled it from the wound. "Your apologies are I accepted until your actions match them." Jamie dropped the bullet in the sink and draped her taller wives arm across her shoulders. "Let's get you in the shower, need to clean you up."

Rory stumbled forward. Blood splattered on the floor beneath her. "I will look for help next time."

"Don't you dare—" Jamie stopped mid sentence when Rory looked down at her with those damn puppy dog eyes. Letting out a sigh, Jamie released the anger she wanted to hold to. "You could have died."

"But I didn't. I'm trained, I know what I'm doing." Rory stepped into the shower. Blood had cascaded down her chest, dripping from the tips of her nipples onto the white tile beneath.

The sight made Jamie's stomach churn. This could have been worse, it could've hit her heart, or lungs. Cursed images of her wife drowning alone in the forest made her breath catch. "You're no good to me dead, Rory." Grabbing the shower head, Jamie rinsed the blood and grime from Rory's body. "I could animate your corpse, but, you'd be nothing more than a ghoul. I don't want to be married to a sext ghoul."

"Yet, you do admit. . . " Rory wrapped an arm around Jamie's shoulders, causing water to soak her red dress. "I'd be a sexy ghoul."

"Only if you die young. I don't need a wrinkly ass ghoul." Jamie booped her wives nose. "Don't make plans, I'd rather have a living spouse than someone giving me a gape-mouthed death stare and occasional gurgle."

Rory gurgled and leaned down to bite her Jamie's neck. "Rawr, I'm a sexy ghoul."

"Now really isn't the time," Jamie said, despite the pick up of her pulse that very much agreed now was a good time.

"I'm just showing my appreciation to my hero." Rory nibbled on her ear, sending thrilling rivulets down Jamie's body.

"You have an open wound and are getting blood all over my gown. That's not sexy."

"It's just a little blood, what can it hurt?"

Putting a hand to Rory's chest, Jamie pushed her away. "Calm down you horn dog. I need to stitch you up before you bleed out."

Rory stuck out her lip in a pout. "Okay mommy."

Jamie gagged. "You know I don't like it when you call me that. I prefer the term ma'am." She playfully swatted her wife. "Show me some respect you furry beast."

Gurgling like a ghoul, Rory stuck out her tongue and stepped out of the shower.

Playfully hitting her arm, Jamie scoffed. "Stop that. I don't want a sexy ghoul."

Jamie sprayed down the floor of the shower and turned off the water. The sterilized needle and thread were already set out on the countertop. With how often Rory came home hurt, Jamie thought it wise to invest in a set of sterile, individual needles and medical supplies. It wasn't like they could walk into a human hospital. If they did it risked publicly revealing what they were. Why?

Rory's ears and tail popped out in answer to the reason. Partial transformations were common when tired and injured. Jamie thought it was cute, but a human would flip their lid. This wasn't like Las Vegas where weirdness was accepted. Small towns had severe downsides, and oddness was not viewed as normal.

Grabbing the needle and thread, Jamie set to work quickly. There was no point in numbing it, even if it was uncomfortable. This wound was too small for it to be necessary.

Rory's tail twitched with each pierce of the needle into her flesh. "Almost done?"

"Need a distraction?" Jamie asked. She planted a kiss on her wives lips and plunged her tongue into her mouth just long enough to make her want for more, but not so long as to mess up her stitching job.

The thump of Rory's tail against the countertop made Jamie giggle as she tied off the thread and placed a bandage over it. "Someone's excited."

"How can I not be when the hottest fae is standing in my bathroom?" She asked, swinging her feet as Jamie picked everything up and put it away in the large medicine cabinet behind her. "It's hot when you play nurse."

"With how often you come home hurt, you should start paying me for my services," Jamie stated, taking off her gloves and throwing them in the trash.

Rory wrapped her arms around her waist from behind. "I have no money, however will I pay for your services?" She nibbled on Jamie's neck, and traced her hands over her breasts.

The loud ring of a cellphone blared from the bedroom.

Jamie turned around and wrapped her arms around Rory's neck. "Rain check?"

"You know, you don't have to answer your cellphones." Rory stepped closer, pressing her body against Jamie's. "There's this wonderful thing called voicemail."

"It's my auntie's ringtone, I have to get it." Jamie gave Rory a quick peck. "If it's nothing, I expect you to wait for me in bed. You're not allowed to sleep till you've paid your fee's. Tax is extra."

Wiggling out of Rory's hold, Jamie ran to the bedroom, picking up her phone on the last ring. "Hello?"

"Oh Jamie, thank the ancestors you're okay," her Auntie Velmia said, her voice strained. "We need you here as soon as possible with healing potions. Something awful has happened."

Jamie swallowed, a sinking feeling settling in her gut. "I'll make some potions and be right there."

Rory flopped onto the bed and glanced over at Jamie in question.

"Thank you." Auntie Velmia sniffed. "Thank you."

Hanging up, Jamie placed the phone on the side table by the bed and sat down. "They want me to head over to the mansion with healing potions. I have a bad feeling about this. What if the murderer struck again? What if—"

Rory grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "If everyone was dead there would be no use for healing potions. This just means that some of them got hurt and they need help from the most talented fae there is." Rory kissed her hand. "Don't borrow trouble, love. Everything might be okay. Your family needs you, go."

"Will you be okay on your own?" Jamie asked, gesturing to the bandage. "Not going to do any stupid acrobatics while I'm going and pop it open?"

Rory snorted. "I think I'm going to sleep and stay in bed like a good puppy."

Ruffling her wives short curls, Jamie ran her hands over her black wolf ears. "Don't answer the door while I'm gone, okay? Keep it locked, keep the lights off. I don't want anyone knowing you're here alone."

"Yes mommy."

Jamie whacked her with a pillow. "Stop calling me that."

"Then stop parenting me," Rory retorted and stuck out her tongue.

Opening her mouth to reply, Jamie closed it knowing that the next thing she was going to say wouldn't have been nice. There was no reason to squabble about something when she knew her wife was right. Having been put in many leadership positions, Jamie knew she had a tendency to be bossy.

"Sorry, I just don't want someone attacking you while you're down," Jamie stated as she walked across the white-carpeted room toward the basement door.

"You're okay, babe. I'm just teasing you," Rory stated as she pulled the crimson blanket over her body. "Love you, stay safe and call me if you need me. I'll keep my ringer turned on."

Jamie paused at the hatch that led to the basement and blew a kiss to her wife. "Love you too. Get some good rest."

Opening the hatch, Jamie descended the stairs to her potion laboratory. She closed the hatch behind her, waiting for it to make a series of clicks to indicate it was fully locked before she moved on. Potion creation had a tendency to go wrong when even the slightest measurements were off. That was why for Rory and the houses safety the cauldron and potions were in a vault.

The cauldron boiled with the basics in the center of the room. Steam rose from the black and hot pink pot. Jamie blew black fire out of her hand to heat it further. She then flicked her fingers to light the surrounding candles with her flames.

A pinch of salt, a dash of rosemary, and eye of salamander. Blue light glowed from the cauldron indicating that it had worked. All Jamie had to do to activate it was brush it with a dash of magic. She blew particles of black and gold from her fingertips. The blue turned a deep purple, filling the air with the scent of grapes.

Quickly lining up several bottles, she filled them with a funnel and ladle. Whatever happened, time was of the essence. Going to slow with a healing potion would guarantee death.

Placing the fresh potions in a satchel, Jamie blew out the cauldron's fire and left out the side door of her vault into the woods. "Come Halshee," she called and whistled shrilly into the night.

Bone connected from a pile beside her, forming into a large horse that towered over her. "At your beckoning, Yemica."

Jamie cringed at her fae name.  The memories connected to it were many she'd rather forget. The familiar wouldn't know any better, she wouldn't scold him for it. She saddled the horse and mounted. "Take me to Hellswood."

"Of course, my lady," Bones said and took off into the night. He threw up snow behind them as his magic bound bones rattled with each step upon the earth.

A mansion became visible in the distance. Vine climbed over the dark brick, making it more plant than house. Dark windows were alight tonight, a true oddly for the Hellswood manor. The door stood open before them as they passed by stone statues of the ancestors that glared down upon them in judgement.

Dismounting, Jamie touched Bones' snout and released him from her service. He turned around and galloped back to his place by the vault to rest in pieces. Jamie stepped inside the living room.

Cots decorated all free space with wounded spread across them. Blood was splattered on the floor and walls. Sparkles separated the side of the room closest to the fireplace from the side by the stairs where four body bags sat side by side.

Claw marks marred the walls that dripped blood and brain matter Jamie swallowed. This was done by a werewolf. It wasn't a random hit. Did Rory know about it? Had another shadow been sent to attack the fae? Or were they among the rogues?

"Oh thank the ancestors. Jamie, over here!" Auntie Velmia called as she trotted around in her long, black dress. Her dark hair stuck out in several places from her updo, further showcasing how frazzled she was.

The two of them quickly distributed the potions to the wounded before guiding the healed fae far from the scene of the crime and to the inspector who waited with questions at the door.

"Who died?" Jamie asked, her voice cracking on the last word. Part of her didn't want to know while the rest of her needed confirmation.

"The twins." Auntie Velmia's eyes filled with tears. She sniffed and dabbed at them with a tissue. "Chelsea's boys couldn't outrun the wolf. It wasn't a prompted attack. I was upstairs at the time. I heard screaming, thought it was the kid fighting, so I sent Chelsea down to deal with her children. . . That was when the gun went off."

"Did she kill the wolf who did it?" Jamie asked, glancing at the body bags in the corner.

"No, they keeled over foaming form the mouth, she took the gun to her own head after seeing the corpses of her children. I was in the hall coming down the stairs when it happened." Auntie Velmia let out a long breath. "Evil has entered this house, the spirits are crying."

When Jamie focused on it, she could see the children and Chelsea's spirits stuck in a death loop. The only way to free them was to bring things to justice. Ordinarily, finding the killer would do that but—even though the wolf was slain, their spirits remained.

Averting her eyes, Jamie lifted the tarp to look at the predator. The black fur and distinct jawline made her recoil. Magic symbols decorated the wolves shoulders in blood. Not only had they been cursed, but this wolf, the killer of her family, was Rory's brother.