Page 13

CHAPTER 13

brIAR

W hen his wild emerald gaze lands on me, Bastian breathes out a sigh of relief. “Pretty girl! There you are. Holy fucking shit.” He bends over to place his hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath. “We thought something had happened to you.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry. I forgot to text you guys.” Malachi sheepishly rubs a hand over the back of his neck as Bastian glares at him.

As Xander and Saint pile into the room, Bastian straightens up and practically runs to me. I have time to smile at my other two mates before Bastian snatches me from Malachi and hoists me into his hold, wrapping one arm around my back and the other under my ass.

I wind my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, not caring about how my abdomen feels like it’s being stabbed by a white-hot fireplace poker. All I care about is feeling Bastian against me and inhaling his spicy citrus scent. It’s only been two weeks since I saw him, but I’m not really sure I believed I would see any of them again.

“Careful,” Malachi hisses. “She’s still injured.”

“Shit, I’m sorry, pretty girl. Did I hurt you?” Bastian’s voice is anxious as he pulls back to stare at me.

“No,” I lie, not wanting to make him feel bad.

One side of his mouth quirks up. “You’re not a very good liar.” With one last gentle squeeze, Bastian reluctantly carries me back to the bed. “Move,” he tells Malachi, who rolls his eyes but complies. Bastian sets me down next to Malachi and crawls in on my other side. When he’s situated, he slings an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him.

I snort. “Only around the four of you it seems.”

He chuckles and glances at Dr. Stone. “So, what did the doctor have to say?”

“We haven’t exactly gotten that far.” I wince as I remember that Dr. Stone has been here the whole time, silently chilling out as Malachi and I have a heartfelt discussion.

That’s not awkward or anything.

Glancing between me and the doctor who is patiently waiting for me to let him do his freaking job, Bastian’s face lights with understanding. “Would you be more comfortable if Xander checked you over? He helps out in the clinic all the time, so Dr. Stone can just tell him what to do.”

I’m not sure how Bastian knew what was going on by just looking at me, but I’m grateful for his suggestion. The fear and apprehension that had been locking up my muscles and squeezing my chest drains away. “As long as you’re okay with that, Xander?” I ask hesitantly, unsure whether he’s pissed at me.

A soft smile pulls at his mouth, no hint of lingering anger darkening his green eyes. “Of course, sweetheart. Anything to make you more comfortable.”

Xander unbuttons the cuffs of his white dress shirt and rolls up the sleeves as he walks to the bathroom. I hear water running before he walks out drying his hands on a paper towel. “Where do you want me to start?” he asks the doctor.

“I planned to start with her general vitals before inspecting her abdominal injury.” Dr. Stone hands Xander a stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff.

Bastian hops out of the bed and reaches over to gently tug me so my legs are dangling over the edge. I raise my eyebrows at him. “I am capable of moving myself.”

He flashes me a grin before his face turns serious. “I know, but I haven’t touched you in two weeks, so indulge me, pretty girl.”

I huff but don’t protest any further. It’s kind of hard to disagree when he’s being so sweet.

Xander approaches me, the stethoscope around his neck. “Is it okay if I put the stethoscope under your shirt? I’ll get more accurate readings that way.”

I nod, and he rewards me with another smile. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to seeing Xander like this, smiling at me instead of snapping.

He puts the earpieces in. One of his hands holds the bottom of my shirt down while the other slips under. His warm knuckles graze between my breasts before I feel cold metal pressed against my sternum. “Just breathe normally.” I do as he says. Xander nods to himself and moves the stethoscope to another part of my chest. “Now take deep breaths.”

After checking my breathing in a few other spots and taking my blood pressure, Xander quietly confers with Dr. Stone for a moment. While they’re talking, I notice Saint standing uncertainly in the doorway, not making any move to come closer.

“Saint?” I ask.

His head snaps up at my voice, his stormy gray eyes guarded. “Yeah?”

“Why haven’t you come over here?” I try to keep the anxiety from bleeding into my voice, but I’m not sure I succeed. I can’t help being worried that he’s still pissed about everything from the church.

“I didn’t know if you’d want to see me.” Saint speaks so quietly I can barely hear him.

My brows jump up in surprise. “What? Why wouldn’t I want to see you?” If anyone has anything to be mad about, it’s him and the Wyldharts, not me.

“Because I couldn’t narrow down the search area enough so we could find you faster. We clearly didn’t get to you in time, and I’m so fucking sorry.” He shoves a hand through his brown hair in agitation and refuses to meet my gaze.

“Oh, Saint. None of this is your fault.” He shakes his head at me but doesn’t say anything more. I bit my lip as I try to think of a way to make him feel better. I hesitantly hold out my arms. “I could use a hug, if you wouldn’t mind.”

That’s all it takes, apparently, because Saint is marching over to me without a second’s hesitation. When he reaches me, he sits on the bed and pulls me into his side, wrapping both arms around me. “I missed you, little shadow, more than I can probably ever express to you. I swear I’ll do better next time, just don’t leave me again.”

My heart cracks at the pain in his voice. Before I can figure out what to say, Xander’s back in front of me. “Your vitals look good. Your blood pressure and heart rate are elevated, which is to be expected when you’re in pain. Can I take a look at your stomach to see how you’re healing?”

Tipping my chin, I say, “Sure. You need me to do anything?”

“If you can lay back, that would probably help. If it hurts too much, I can examine you as you are.” Pulling out of Saint’s arms, I grit my teeth and lower myself to my back. I bite my cheek to keep from whimpering at how much the movement burns. Xander huffs at me. “That wasn’t a challenge, sweetheart.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m fine.” I’ve been an invalid for all of an hour or so, and I’m already sick of it. I want to get up and do something to distract myself, rather than having to sit with my thoughts.

I’m proven wrong when Xander shoves my borrowed shirt up. The red, raised, jagged tear that stretches from hip to hip on my lower abdomen is weeping blood, and I can see a few stitches that are torn. I’m honestly surprised I needed stitches at all after getting mage healing. I guess the damage was worse than I thought.

“Fuck,” Xander hisses when he gets a good look at me. “Jesus, Briar. Have you heard of taking it easy?”

I clench my jaw at his sharp tone. “I have been taking it easy. I’ve been waited on from the moment I woke up. Besides, I’m sure Dr. Stone and you have way more seriously injured patients to take care of than me. You don’t need to waste your time on me.”

I was useful to Ryker, until I wasn’t. Most of the other shifters were expendable from the start. If Ryker was willing to beat the key to his plan half to death on the daily, I don’t even want to think about how bad off the rest of the shifters are.

“No, we don’t,” Xander growls as he places his hands on either side of my head. He leans down until he’s in my face and I’m surrounded in his ocean pine scent. “You were the most critically injured patient we had. You were so badly hurt that the mage magic just stopped working at some point. All they could do was patch up the internal damage, but even that isn’t fully healed. We had to remove the bullets, stitch your muscle and skin together, give you a fucking blood transfusion, and hope to God that it was enough. Don’t you dare tell me that you’re fine.”

Gaping at him, I open and close my mouth as I try to think of something to say. “I didn’t know,” I whisper. The last I knew, Rhys Gallagher was healing me with magic. Then I woke up in the infirmary. I had no idea that the magic didn’t fix everything.

Xander closes his eyes and rests his forehead on mine, still being careful to keep his weight off me. “I know, sweetheart. I know. It just—fuck, we came so close to losing you. I need you to heal up, and the only way you’re going to be able to is by resting. I don’t want you to have permanent damage because you’re so damn stubborn and refuse to take it easy.”

I snort. “I’m not that stubborn.”

He gives me a half smile as he pushes off me. “You really are. I’m gonna have to stitch this up, now. Are you okay with that? We really don’t have much of a choice, but I’ll try to figure out something if it’s too much.”

I’m shaking my head before he finishes. “I’m fine with it. Sorry I tore them.”

“It seems to be a habit with you.” Xander flashes me a boyish grin before he turns around, so I know he’s not mad at me.

I relax back into the bed and try to resist the urge to touch the giant cut on my stomach. It itches like crazy, but I’m sure I’d just do more damage if I try to scratch it.

I’m not waiting for long before Xander comes back with disinfectant, a needle, suture thread, and numbing cream. At least I know it won’t hurt too much, not that I’m too worried about the physical pain.

Dr. Stone comes up to the edge of the bed and gives me a friendly smile. “It seems that Xander has everything under control, so I’m going to head out now, Briar. Feel free to have Malachi text me or come down to the clinic if you need anything.”

“I can do that. Thank you.”

With a last nod, the doctor shuffles out of the room, leaving me alone with my mates for the first time in weeks.

Once the doctor shuts the door, Xander hands his supplies to Bastian. Gently scooching me further onto the bed, he climbs up and straddles my lower pelvis.

There has to be something wrong with me because I’m bloody and injured, yet I’m still turned on by Xander being on top of me. My gaze snags on his defined forearms. I try to ignore how his muscular thighs strain against his black suit pants and how I want to run my hands through his already mussed blond hair.

Something ice cold swiping across my stomach jars me from my perusal of Xander. I hiss at the sting that feels like a bunch of tiny needles are jabbing into my abdomen. Putting one hand on my chest to keep me steady, Xander keeps cleaning my wound while wincing in sympathy. “I’m sorry about this, but I have to clean the area. With the numbing cream, it should be the worst part.”

“It’s fine and by far not the most painful thing that’s happened in the last two days.” By the growls filling the air at my statement, that wasn’t the right thing to say.

“For our sanity, please stop reminding us about how badly you were injured, pretty girl.” Bastian grabs one of my hands in his, intertwining our fingers as I get lost in his teal gaze. “My wolf is already demanding we track down every single Knight who got away and rip them to shreds as it is.”

My blood freezes in my veins. “Some of them got away?”

Fuck.

Here’s hoping they at least captured Ryker and his scientists.

“Yeah. I’m sorry, pretty girl.” Bastian hangs his head like he’s personally responsible. I give his hand a comforting squeeze, not wanting him to feel bad. “We had to choose between rescuing the shifters and stopping the Knights jumping ship like the cowards they are.”

“You made the right choice. Please just tell me that you caught the guy who was at the church with us. The one with the gnarly scar on his face.” I guess I thought, with them storming the facility, they had killed or captured all the Knights there. I didn’t even stop to think that Ryker and his lackeys could’ve gotten away.

Bastian shakes his head. “None of our teams saw him. Are you sure he was even there?”

I let out a slightly hysterical laugh. “Extremely sure. Ryker and I spent more time together than I ever wanted to.”

I don’t know if it would’ve been better or worse if Ryker had zero interest in me. From what I could tell, most of the other shifters were only taken to experiments once a week, and they usually didn’t leave with broken bones like I did. But I also knew as long as I didn’t fully shift, I wouldn’t suddenly disappear like some of the other shifters.

“Don’t worry, little shadow. We won’t let him get to you again.” Saint grabs my free hand and clutches it to him, like I’ll vanish into thin air if he isn’t touching me.

“That wasn’t my biggest worry, but thank you, Saint.” I try to force a smile for him, but I’m pretty sure it comes out as a grimace.

“What are you worried about, baby girl?” Malachi asks from behind me.

I tilt my head back to try to look at him but stop after Xander grumbles at me to be still. I close my eyes and reluctantly admit, “I gave him what he needed to expand the curse to all shifters.”

The room erupts with shouting, and I tense as I prepare to get yelled at for probably the biggest fuck up of my life.