CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & SEVENTY SIX
Talia’s POV
“What do you mean?” I asked as I sat up even more.
I couldn’t help but feel hopeful. Leslie had resigned herself to giving up, but she was now saying she found a solution. That means she is very confident it would work. I knew I shouldn’t get my hopes up too much, but I couldn’t help myself.
“No discussion until you finish all of your food,” Solon interjected before Leslie could respond.
I stared at the empty bowl on the tray and the half-eaten roll. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, eat the rest of that roll and then we will continue,” Solon replied.
I frowned and quickly shoved the roll into my mouth. I nearly choked as I tried to eat it as fast as possible. Nolan coughed, trying to hide a laugh. He handed me a glass of water which I quickly drank. I placed the glass down on the tray and said, “Okay, done, Leslie what do you mean you have a solution?”
“Don’t get excited yet,” Leslie warned. “I want to be clear about what this is. I cannot cure your father. I can only buy time.”
I frowned. “But you just said you had a solution.”
“And I do. What I propose is to put your father into a dormant state,” Leslie said.
“Dormant state? What do you mean?” I asked. “Like keeping him in a coma?”
“Not quite. Think more…”
“Before we get to dormancy, are there herbs that could prolong his life more directly? Give him more time without putting him under?” Nolan asked, cutting Leslie off.
Leslie shook her head. “His body has built a resistance to those treatments. They are no longer effective at any dose I can safely administer.”
“How does putting him in a dormant state help him? The poison would still be spreading,” I said.
“I am not talking about slowing the poison or buying time in the ordinary sense. I am talking about putting him in full suspension,” Leslie explained.
“Full suspension?” Solon repeated. “You are talking about putting him into a sleep he cannot wake from on his own.”
“Correct. His heart rate drops to the minimum needed to sustain life and his wolf goes quiet. He will not be conscious, he will not age, and he will not deteriorate further. He will remain exactly as he is right now until we have what we need to cure him. And when we do cure him, we will be treating the poison at this stage, not at whatever stage it would have reached if we had left him conscious,” Leslie explained.
This felt risky. I had never heard of something like this before. I had so many questions. What would happen if he was harmed while in this state? Was she sure he would stay in this dormant state?
Feeling my trepidation through the mate bond, Nolan asked, “So, what happens when we get the antidote?”
“We administer the awakening potion,” Leslie replied. “He comes out of dormancy and we treat him immediately.”
No one spoke as we were all thinking this over. This was a better alternative than just watching him die while trying to get to Jason. However, I could not help but think about what would happen if we did not get the antidote.
‘We can’t worry about that now,’ my wolf said, interrupting my train of thought. ‘Even if he stays dormant for years, it is better than losing him in a month.’
“How do we do this?” I asked, breaking the silence.
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“Shouldn’t we talk this out a little more?” Solon asked.
“What is there to talk about? It’s this or try to get to Jason within a month. Jason already has the backing of the Rogue King. We are literally running out of time and options. If you have a better idea, Solon, I am open to it. If not, let’s go with this,” I argued.
Solon’s brow furrowed as he was deep in thought. He rubbed his temples and said, “Fine. Leslie, how does this work?”
“Lonefur pack has what we need,” Leslie replied.
Solon’s eyes went to the Lonefur ember pendant around her neck. “Right! You said the ember has the ability to heal. Why didn’t we think of that before?”
“No, the ember would not produce the right effect for your father and using it incorrectly could cause harm,” Leslie said. “What we need also comes from Lonefur, but it is a plant.”
“What kind of plant? I am sure we can get it here,” I said.
“You won’t be able to get this plant just anywhere,” Leslie continued. “The Frostmoon vine only grows in Lonefur’s territory. It specifically needs the cold of that region to work.”
“How do you know it works? What if it is like the remedy we just tried?” Della questioned and I nodded. She made a good point. We could run into the same issue or worse kill my father if mistakes were made.
“This is different. This has been done multiple times by Lonefur’s first Alpha during a war with rogues that threatened to wipe out Lonefur’s bloodline entirely. The first Alpha of Lonefur had young heirs who were not old enough to fight. He could not protect them and wage war at the same time, so he used the vine to put them into dormancy and kept them suspended until the war was over. When he woke them, they were exactly as they had been before going to sleep.”
“That’s great but if the plant only grows in Lonefur territory and dies if moved outside of the territory due to the temperature change, how are we expected to get it here?” Nolan pressed.
“A potion can be made from it and transported in sealed containers,” Leslie answered. “Two potions. One for dormancy. One for awakening. They will remain viable for several weeks if stored correctly at a low temperature.”
I was already reaching for the mind link before she finished speaking. “I need to contact Alpha Landon right now,” I said.
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