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Reaching up, I rest my hand, the one that I can still feel, on his. The soft yellow glow turns black as I share my powers with him, boosting his healing and allowing him to fix the damage caused by Ryker, a chimera.

I wasn’t sure it would work, and it tookdaysof begging them to test it before I’d finally had enough and forced his hand, taking a hit I should have been able to avoid during training.

It was nothing compared to this, hardly more than a scratch, but every one of them had just about lost their shit over it. To the point I had to remind Garrett I needed healing because he was so busy trying to attack Ryker. Even worse, I’m pretty sure Ryker would have taken the beating if Blair hadn’t held him back.

Boys…

In the end I was right, thankfully. Like I said, it was only a scratch then, but now… I’m pretty sure I can see my shoulder bone.

It only lasts a few minutes before Garrett has me all healed up, but even still I stumble when I push to stand, the world spinning as my vision blacks out for a moment.

I lost more blood than I thought.

“Shit,” someone says, and I feel a hand close around the back of my shirt, pulling me to stand again.

Storm.

Even as I blink my eyes back into focus, I know it’s him. I can feel him, feel our bond as it pulses like a live thing from him to me. Which also means I can feel his concern.

“She lost a lot of blood,” Ryker says from a little ways away, and I know he’s keeping his distance because of Garrett.

They don’t get along great…well, actually, that’s putting it mildly.

They don’t get alongat all.

Garrett tolerates Ryker and by tolerates I mean, he pretends as if he doesn’t exist, and when he can’t do that, he spends the whole time with his face pinched like he just bit into a lemon.

It’s great, not.

But he’s trying, which is what he said he would do, so I try not to complain. Not too long ago, he would have killed him had he had the chance, so this is good for now.

“She should be fine if she eats something. It will help her regain what she lost,” Sol says, and I know he’s right, but I still groan in annoyance at his suggestion.

I don’t want to waste time going to eat; we only have so many hours of night, and by the time we go to the castle and back, it would be pointless.

As if he can read my mind, Ryker offers a solution.

“We can go to the cabin. I have soup on the fire already.”

Garrett opens his mouth to no doubt decline, but Pike beats him to it.

“What kind of soup?” He asks, and I don’t think he cares on my behalf.

“A meat and vegetable soup.” Ryker tries to explain, and I get the feeling whatever he made isn’t from a recipe book but something he created himself.

Which is fine by me because Ryker’s cooking is fantastic. Just last week, he brought me a bowl of the stew he’d had that first night I stayed with him. It had been delicious, and I’d been craving it, but even explaining it to the chef at the castle, they couldn’t replicate it.

It probably didn’t help that I couldn’t name even one of the ingredients.

I’d made all the guys try it because it was too good not to share, and I needed them to understand why I’d talked about it damn near nonstop.

Pike agreed and has been hounding Ryker to bring him more food nightly.

Storm’s hand is still holding my shirt, even though I’m fine now, and I swat him away.

He drops his hold on me with a chuckle, but doesn’t move away.

Always hovering.