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He looked at her with disbelief and gestured to himself.
“You don’t find my appearance unsettling.”
Her smile blossomed into a wide grin. “Not at all. I doubt I would have been able to participate at all in our late-night activities if I’d ever truly been that uncomfortable with you,” she said.
Rager froze. They had never spoken of the things that happened between them when his triad woke to the smell of her arousal. The sweet musk had been irresistible to him, and clearly to the other members of his triad to the point of engorging them into a state of rut, and yet not one of them dared to mention it. His tail shifted over his lap as he suddenly felt wary. What purpose did she have for bringing it up? Did she wish for them to stop?
Although he knew it shouldn’t be something that he wanted—after all, she wasn’t of his species—he didn’t want to lose that one small pleasure. Those stolen touches in the latest hours of night were the only bit of happiness in his life. He honestly feared going back to living without that comfort.
But Arie said nothing further on the matter. Her attention had returned to her ministrations. Humming softly to herself, she tipped a bit of the medicinal tea into Warol’s mouth as she stroked his throat so he would reflexively swallow the concoction.
Two days passed with little change in Warol’s condition. Although his fever broke on the second day, he’d been largely unresponsive. Every day Rager hunted fresh game so that Kyx could make a new batch of broth for their brother, and every day she painstakingly dripped it down his throat. At night, they huddled close to the male to provide warmth and comfort as he healed. Not once did they awaken to the sexual heat they’d experienced in the days before. They all felt lost as Warol continued to sleep.
For the most part, they took turns caring for Warol. To Arie’s surprise, Rager took over as many duties as possible so that she could rest while Kyx seemed obsessed with the security of their location while they were so vulnerable. At times, when she felt restless, she would roll over in her furs to covertly watch Rager with Warol from where she lay. And every time it hurt her to see the toll it was taking on the alpha. Rager had taken to sitting by his brother with his eyes mostly closed and his regal ears drooped to the side. Even his tail lay motionless beside him as he rumbled softly to the male in their language and at times crooning quietly to him. Knowing that he’d be embarrassed to be caught grieving, she always discreetly turned her back to them again before he caught her watching.
She brushed down the soft fur of Warol’s forehead and sighed. She hated seeing such a vibrant powerful male almost wasting away before her eyes. She no longer had to help him swallow, which was a positive sign, but she wished he would open his yellow eyes and glare at her again.
“Come on,” she whispered as she gave him more tea to help manage his pain. When she’d changed his bandages, she’d marveled at how fast he was healing. The wounds were already sealed up, but still looked raw. “You know you want to yell at me for not holding tighter to you when we fell. For not staying where you could find me. For being another stupid human.”
“You… are… not…” a rough voice whispered laboriously.
She looked down at his face as all four of his yellow eyes opened. He managed a small, lopsided smile for her benefit before groaning. She cried, tears running down her face, and laughed at the same time as she pulled him against her chest. Although he grunted with pain, one of his arms wrapped around her middle and clung to her as he burrowed his face into the crook of her neck.
“You’re okay,” she choked out in relief. “You’re awake!”
She shifted away from him, and his arm reluctantly slipped off her as she stood and hurried toward the entrance where she knew the males were attempting to sun themselves and take a few minutes to rest. They’d agreed just the previous day that they needed to take advantage of the days with good weather to maintain their own health.
“Rager! Kyx! Warol is awake!” she shouted.
As she expected, both males immediately leaped up at the news, abandoning the grass-covered rocks that they’d been stretched out upon to rush to his side. She didn’t catch the softly spoken words they uttered as they crouched over him, but the affection in their embraces spoke volumes to her. They had almost lost him—because of her. It wasn’t fair to keep them to their oath, especially not now when she knew that a huntsman was tracking her. Arie cleared her throat. It was as good a time as any to tell them.
“Warol is going to need a few more days to recuperate, but you need to make for a safer place away from this part of the forest for him to finish healing.” She took a deep breath. “I think it would be best if we separate.”
The brows on all three males dropped into a near identical scowl as she continued, “It is not because I want to, or anything. It’s …” she dropped off helplessly, uncertain of how to tell them.
“It’s… what…?” Warol rasped.
She looked at each of them solemnly and steeled her nerves. “The ehurmu—the feral men who had me—said they saw a huntsman in this area. I think the village sent him after me. I know what they do to your kind and I can’t let any of you risk yourselves by being found with me.” She twisted a length of red hair in her fingers. “Now that Warol is awake, I really should leave tonight so that there is less of a chance of him discovering you here.”
Silence followed her announcement. They did not look relieved at her decision. In fact, it seemed like the complete opposite. Their ears flattened with anger, and their eyes narrowed.
“Over my… dead… and rotting… corpse…” Warol ground out between belabored breaths. She scrambled to his side as he attempted to push himself off the furs.
“What are you doing? Don’t do that. You are still injured,” she said as she pushed against his shoulders. Neither Rager nor Kyx moved to help her. They glared sullenly at her from either side of the male. She yelped as all four of Warol’s arms snapped around her and pinned her against him.
“You… will stay…” he demanded, his yellow eyes sparkling like baleful fires. He glanced up angrily at Rager, looking for the lead’s support. Rager’s icy eyes narrowed on her and he nodded.
“Warol is right. You will not leave us and place greater risk on yourself. By this time, the huntsman will have noticed we are traveling together and might try to harm you to get our attention. We won’t risk you either.”
“But…” Arie protested.
Rager turned away from her, effectively dismissing her as he drew himself around the injured male.
“Discussion time on that is over,” Kyx replied as he settled once more against Warol. “You are stuck with us, human.”
She wanted to be angry, but instead she found herself smiling. At length, she settled at his side and curled into the males. One of Warol’s arms immediately sought her out, and she stroked his fur until he drifted back to sleep.
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