He props himself up on an elbow and leans closer. Azrim pulls the furs back and reveals the puppy’s back. Then he leans down and gives him a long, slow nuzzle and a kiss, rubbing his back.
There’s deep affection in his eyes as he looks down at the squirming pup. “How did you find Rhysan?”
Rhysan? His son?I’ve been snuggled up with Rhysan?“I got lost hunting for Radar, and he sort of stumbled down the riverbank into my path.”
Alarm fills Azrim’s voice. “He was alone in the woods?”
“No one answered when I called. I didn’t see anyone. I looked.”
Azrim shifts over Rhysan and sniffs my face. For a moment, his eyes take on a predatory shape, and a soft rumble starts in his chest. He turns away, blinks slowly and pushes his Shifter back inside. He has cuts on his face that are covered in dried blood. Azrim cared for me but didn’t take the time to do so for himself.
The sight of them makes me sit up. “What happened to you?”
He bares his teeth and looks away like he doesn’t want to talk about it.
I spot a medical kit and open it.
“I’m fine.”
“Bullshit. You don’t care for yourself, and you’ll get an infection.”
“I…like…pain.”
Slumping, I consider tossing the items back into the kit. But Zorin wanted us to be a family,allof us. Azrim means everything to Zorin. And if I want my mate to be happy, I need to protect what he loves.
I ease out of the furs, crawl around Rhysan, and kneel beside Azrim, who’s still lying, curled up on Rhysan’s other side. “Tough shit.”
Azrim twists and gets onto his hands and knees, like I’m going to attack him.
“If you’re going into battle, I want you in top shape. I did not leave my world behind, my life, everything familiar to come out here and lose you just because you weren’t operating at your full potential. I know you’re Spec Ops Slayers for your MTF. You are everything to Zorin. So I must care for you.”
“This is normal.”
I sigh, soak a gauze pad with saline solution, and lean forward to clean a dirty cut in his forehead, just beneath his dark bangs.
He grabs my wrist.
I cock my head. “Azrim.”
He clenches his jaw and looks away. “Just let me sit up.”
I lean back as he gets himself upright. When he’s resting against the wall, I clean his cuts. We’re low on solution, so I can’t flush them like I’d prefer. Making physical contact with him heats the surface of my skin and feels far too intimate when I know he doesn’t want me to replace Jezza.
Azrim watches my every move like he doesn’t deserve the attention.
As I finish cleaning the dirt from his wounds, I search the kit for the good stuff. “Rorsar used special healing paste on Zorin. Do you have any?”
He finds the container and hands it to me without looking away. I spread it into his gashes with a finger, making sure I get every single one.
When I’m done with his face, I set the paste aside and wipe my hands on my pants. “Let’s see your back. I know you’re bleeding. It’s all over the furs.”
“Tessi…”
I motion for him to move, so I can check.
He curls a lip but does as I request. As he gets onto his knees and curls forward, I push up his tattered shirt, exposing the bulging contours of his back. He’s not quite as tall as Zorin, but his torso is far broader and stronger.
I reveal the claw marks that have been bleeding all day and swear. “Damn it, Azrim.”
