BloodSworn by Stacey Brutger

spot and ricocheted through
your body.”
    Merrick had to admit he was impressed with what she’d uncovered
after such a short time. A little leap of hope that she might be able to fix
him jumped in his chest. “You’re right. The bullet entered and shattered on
impact. Silver splinters became imbedded beneath my skin.”
    “And the silver prevented healing, creating more than the
normal amount of scar tissue.” She stood and started pacing. “That’s barbaric. Silver
bullets shouldn’t be legal.”
    “Because of the soft property of silver, they aren’t
normally used for bullets. Hunters created them for us specifically. They’re
expensive and hard to come by.”
    “Without the use of an MRI, I can only guess what’s beneath
the surface by feel alone.” She fiddled with her notes in a way that made him
want to smile as if she were nervous at being alone with him.
    “You’re sure all the silver is out?”
    “All the pieces large enough to see.” Unable to keep away,
hating the distance between them, Merrick very carefully walked toward her and
sat on the stool.
    “My best guess is your muscles formed around the scar tissue,
restricting your movements. That you have so much flexibility is astonishing.
Each step has to be agony.”
    He clenched his jaw, but he saw she knew the truth by the
way her eyes darkened.
    “Surgery would allow the doctor to check for remaining silver,
including those microscopic pieces you can’t see. It would be the fastest way
to heal.”
    “No surgery.” Surgery meant weakness. He might as well kill
himself first and save the pack the challenge. “All the measureable silver has
been removed. The few slivers that remained have since worked their way out as
my body rejected them.”
    Trina nodded. “I thought that’s what you would say. The
other option is to relax the tissue to reduce the damage. The affected areas need
to be stretched and palpated. The longer they’re allowed to form and harden,
the more difficult it will be for your body to re-absorb. I’ve worked with a
few shifters before. A lot of scars heal on their own, but even with your DNA,
I doubt those knots will go away without help.
    “I’ll set up a schedule. You don’t need strength or
endurance exercises, but we do have to get your muscles working again.”
    His lips curled at the mention of her with another shifter.
He didn’t like that others had found her first, others she’d touched, but he
bit back the demand to know whom. Now was not the time, but he vowed to find
out eventually and make sure they understood she was off the market. “Not all
scars. When silver is used, some scars can be permanent.”
    “That’s why I’d like to get blood samples next if you’re up
to it. My theory is you might be suffering from a form of metal poisoning. It
may be blocking your body from healing properly. You don’t have the normal
human symptoms. My guess is the animal part counteracts them, but I wonder at
what cost. You could be exhibiting atypical symptoms we know nothing about. I
didn’t feel any metal burs under the skin, but if the bullet shards had
remained in your body for a length of time, you could still suffer lasting
effects.”
    Everything sounded so plausible, he almost believed that she
might be able to help him, that the silver could be blocking his change, not
CreedMark. His animal rose to the surface as if as curious about this human as
him.
    A knock sounded on the door. Before he could answer, Victor
entered. His second-in-command cast Trina a cursory glance before his focus
settled on Merrick.
    “There’s trouble.”

 
     
     
     
     
      Chapter Eleven
     
    “ W hat
qualifies you to view the body?”
    Resentment poured from Victor. Ignoring him as much as
possible, Trina gazed down at the dead woman.
    Or what was left of her.
    Decay hadn’t set in yet, but the scent of death was easily
recognizable. Blood had long since turned sour, the odor lingering in her nose.
Training