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Both he and the beast agreed on that point.
The Atargarian male would not touch Zee.
Sensing the volatile state of his emotions, Zee made a low whimper.
It took far more effort than he liked but he seized his emotions under control before stroking his fingers down the arm she had locked protectively to her side. “I need to see the wound, Zee.”
Pain-filled eyes swung to meet his as the door to the apartment crashed open. Violence rolled through the air and he felt the beasts within stir in response, but sensing Zee’s distress, the wilder parts of Niko went still, choosing to just watch for now.
Violence flooded the air, thick and potent, as Meridia and Donner stormed in. The big male’s body went taut.
“Don’t even think about it,” Niko said, voice hard. “I need to get this wound cleaned and I don’t have time to fuck around with you.”
A noise escaped Donner, the sound unlike anything Niko had ever heard.
A growl emanated from Niko as he stared into the Atargarian’s eyes. “Get in my way and you’ll die. Am I understood?”
Donner snapped his mouth shut on his response when Meridia lifted her hand. “Donner, wait for me in the bar.”
After two impossibly long seconds, the male turned and strode out.
“How was she injured?” Meridia asked, striding to the bed, the surreal blue of her eyes taking in Zee’s huddled form, the blood, the first aid kit. “I smell old blood.”
“Thorns on a bramble bush,” he said, guilt threatening to tear his guts wide open. “She was running wolf and came across another Therian—he was from Greylock. I didn’t know him, but I got the feeling she recognized his scent. She took off running back in this direction.”
Running away from me.
He didn’t add the last part, but judging by the weight of Meridia’s gaze, the Regnar knew.
“Zee.” Meridia crawled onto the bed and stroked her hand over Zee’s brow. Unlike the few times he’d tried to touch and offer comfort, Zee didn’t flinch away from her friend’s touch. “Move your arm, honey. We have to clean the wound.”
Zee’s gaze jumped to his, lips white. Just as quickly as she’d looked at him, she broke the contact to focus on Meridia. Voice raspy, she said, “I think it started healing.”
“I’m afraid so.” Meridia continued petting Zee’s face and hair. “The scent layers are a mix of old and new blood, so you must have torn it open again.”
“I couldn’t... ”
Niko didn’t dare breathe as her words came to a stuttering halt. She was talking now. He needed her to keep talking.
But she didn’t.
“There are thorns inside. Some are deep.” Zee took a deep breath, but gasped, that simple action clearly causing more pain. “I... stayed wolf too long. When I shifted, I think they worked even deeper.”
“We’ll get them out.” Meridia’s fingers combed through Zee’s hair, the soft, gold-dusted hue of her skin a sharp contrast to the pallor of the other woman. “Are you ready?”
Niko braced himself, ready to argue if Zee tried to push him away, call for somebody else. But she pressed her face to Meridia’s leg where the other woman sat by her and lifted a hand. “I’m probably going to scream. I’m a fucking baby when it comes to pain, Meri.”
“You scream all you want.” Meridia folded her fingers around Zee’s, then looked at Niko and gave a short nod. “Pain sucks like a bitch and don’t let anybody tell you different.”
He touched Zee’s elbow.
She flinched and he knew it wasn’t from pain, but because he had been the one to touch her.
I’ll fix this, baby.
He wasn’t talking about the injury, but the chasm he’d torn between them.
He didn’t know how, but he would damn well fix it.
“Keep your arm there,” he told her, guiding it higher so he had a clear view of her injury.
Then, without giving her time to tense up, he made the first cut.
