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“Will it…can it grow back?”Hounds were immortal, and they could heal from almost any injury.

“The burning river can’t touch us, can’t penetrate our skin or hair, the same as hellfire, but an open wound’s different.As soon as the Vysan took my leg, the river sealed the wound and killed the ability for it to grow back.”

“What if we opened the wound?”

He shook his head.“It will grow as far as the stump I have now, no further.”

“I’m so sorry,” I rasped and took his hand in mine.

He grinned again, but it didn’t reach his eyes.“I’ll live.”

The thud of someone coming across the bridge echoed off the cliffs, and I spun around.Jagger strode toward us, naked and glorious, Rome following, holding the smaller hound in his arms, and by the looks of the pup’s back leg, it was probably broken.

I stood and rushed to Jagger, flinging my arms around him.“Are you okay?”

“I’m good.”A strange look shifted over his face.“But we might need your help…with her.”

“Her?”

My mate actually looked shaken, and I realized the same expression was mirrored on Rome’s face.

“The hound’s a female?”I said.

He dipped his chin.

“But I thought…you said there weren’t any female hounds.”

He turned back to the small hound in Rome’s arms.“There aren’t…weren’t.”

Rome carefully lowered her to the ground, and I sat beside her.“I’m Sutton.I’m a healer, and if you’ll allow me to, I can fix that broken leg.”

She bared her teeth, but there wasn’t much fight behind it.She’d worn herself out.

“We need to get this collar off her,” I said.“The goddess only knows how long she’s been trapped in her animal form.”

Rome moved closer, and the pup’s chest heaved with exertion as she snarled at him.He made a soft sound in the back of his throat.“Easy,” he rumbled.

She kept her teeth bared but stopped snarling.

“You need to damage the sigil to get it off.”

Rome took the massive knife that Brick handed him, and the smaller hound tried to jerk away.Rome grabbed the thick iron collar, stopping her, and steam rose from his hand, followed by the scent of burning flesh.He barely flinched, just made that low, soft sound again as he worked the blade over the parent sigil, breaking the lines and the demon magic.

Not releasing her, he handed the blade back to Brick, then tore the collar off.Sparks burst from it like they had when I’d removed Brick’s and Kurgan’s, and Rome tossed it over the cliff and into the burning river.

She shifted instantly.

Rome blinked down at her, his nostrils flaring.She was curled up, covering herself.Her hair was the same gold as her fur and streaked with a deeper brown.It covered her face.

Rome held out his hand to Brick.“My shirt.”Brick tossed it to him, and Rome laid it beside her.“You can put this on.”

Her hand shot out, and she grabbed it, holding it to her chest.

“Let’s give her some privacy,” I said.

They quickly did as I said, turning their backs.“Can I help you?”

“Yeah,” she said huskily.“Please.”