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Shifters were supposed to marry their soul mates, but due to the odds of not finding their true mate, they often took an earth mate to marry and start a family. She and her former fiancé Bram would have been earth mates.
    “And you know this, how?”
    “Dora, you of all should know, once a shifter, especially a werewolf finds his or her mate, they can’t wait to…well, you know…”
    Dora’s eyes teased. “Have sex?”
    “That followed by the mating bite. At his age, there’s no way he would have held back.”
    Dora fingered her silvery bite scar along her neck. “I can’t argue with that. Just promise to stay clear of all Benandanti, even if they belong in a candy jar.”
    “Don’t worry.”
    “Good thing the lab is in San Antonio, Texas far from their Great Lakes territory.”
    Rave raised her brow and twirled her necklace: a raven sitting on the tree of life. “Oh, you haven’t heard.”
    “Dirk’s been out on a hunt so I’ve pretty much stuck to my new patients and spell craft research.”
    “Apparently, Hilda our raven scout returned last night and told me the Benandanti lost a battle with the Kindred and left the Great Lakes area. They and about one hundred humans killed the local Vircolac and Native shifters and then settled in the Montana territory. She’ll discuss it at tonight’s Consortium meeting.”
    Dora gasped and the plant in the corner wilted. No doubt from the doc’s fear that the enemy was a tad closer to California. “That sucks.”
    “Pater Valeray was killed but the new pater is even more fanatical, if you can imagine that.” Rave stiffened. “And despite his so called deep faith, he’s broken the most important werewolf pack rule.”
    “Besides using silver against their kind?”
    “Worse, he’s armed humans with rifles loaded with silver bullets. Now our wolfish buddies have to worry not only about the Kindred but also religious zealots armed and aiming to kill pagan werewolves.”
    “Can’t they just focus on killing zombies?”
    “That’s what I’m saying.”
    “Well, the good news is silver may no longer be lethal.”
    “Huh?”
    “Ethan and I worked on a formula that will combat the lethal effects of silver. My witchmacallit skills sped up the process and we plan to distribute the potion to every werewolf and shifter who goes on missions with them. The silver bullet still injures and hurts like hell but if the potion is applied within minutes, it will stop the lethal poison. And provide permanent protection from silver bullets.”
    “Permanent?”
    “I believe so.”
    “That would be awesome.” Ethan, a human veterinarian had saved Dirk’s sister from silver poisoning and committed his research to finding some sort of pill or vaccine to protect werewolves.
    Dora lowered her voice, “The only thing is I had to sneak in part of the potion.”
    Rave gave her an incredulous look. “Why?”
    Dora blew out a breath and pulled out a small vial of a slimy-looking blue fluid. “Most of the dose involves wolfsbane.”
    She gaped. “Really?” Wolfsbane was the werewolf knockout drug and forbidden in any pack, no matter their affiliation. It was created by witches to combat the Benandanti. Later the werewolf hunters or Kindred used it to tranquilize and capture werewolves. The sadistic Kindred then collared the unconscious werewolf with the infamous gleipnir collar for further torture, prior to death.
    “Wolfsbane is the only thing known to knock out a werewolf during the painful cure from silver poisoning.”
    Rave edged closer. “Who else knows?”
    “Only the alphas, but because of the threat from the Kindred and the Benandanti, they voted to allow it on the premises.”
    “How will you know unless someone volunteers to be your guinea pig?”
    “My witch sense knows it works, but yeah, we won’t know until we have our first silver gunshot victim. Silver bullets, are needed to activate the immune system and provide a permanent vaccine. Otherwise, the