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“What? No, of course not,” Sam cried, standing up straight, eyes widening at the accusation.
Marshall grinned. “Go, Sam. You need your rest. You know what these two will be like once they’re awake. I need you firing on all cylinders when they do.”
Sam quickly checked the vitals on both of his patients before reluctantly heading to the door. “I’ll just be next door,” he said.
Marshall just stared until he sighed and shuffled out into the corridor.
“I’ll get us some food, eh?” Saint said. “And I’ll send Murphy back to the city.”
“Thanks, Saint. And tell Murph thanks, too,” Marshall said before returning his attention to Aaron.
“I’ll go and update everyone,” Vaughn told him, resting a hand on his shoulder. “He’ll be fine now you’re here.”
“Thanks, Vaughn. I just wish….”
“No. Even if you’d been here, I doubt it would have played out any differently.” He sighed. “Harlan is not the person we all thought he was.”
“Where is he now?”
“The Assembly enforcers have taken him away, and he is in a holding cell in Stone City. He’ll now be dealt with by the Assembly. Threatening and then shooting his Alpha takes his crimes to a whole new level. He won’t get off lightly.”
It was of little solace to Marshall when Aaron was lying unresponsive in front of him, but he had to trust what Vaughn said.
Aaron came round slowly, enveloped in the warm, spicy toffee scent of his mate. He went to roll into Marshall’s arms when pain shot through his shoulder. He whimpered, and a soothing hand stroked down his back.
“Shh. You’re okay. I’m here,” Marshall’s voice soothed him. “Can you hear me, Aaron? You need to shift back, babe. We need you in human form.”
Human form?Oh. He was in his wolf form. He pushed his wolf back and groaned in pain as his shift took over.
“There you are,” Marshall said, relief clear in his tone.
“Hey,” he croaked back. Marshall reached over for a cup and pressed the straw to his mouth. Aaron took a few grateful sips. “Thanks.”
After putting the cup back on the locker, Marshall placed his hand on his cheek. Worry etched in his handsome features. Aaron covered his hand with his own.
“You know, you only had to ask me to come back sooner. You didn’t have to go to all the trouble of getting shot just to make me come home,” Marshall teased gently, a faint sheen in his eyes.
“Wasn’t on the agenda, I promise.” He closed his eyes for a second before asking, “Rafe?”
“Is being just as stubborn as you in shifting back, but he’s okay,” Blake said from the other bed. Aaron turned his head and took in the slumbering form of Rafe’s panther, draped across his twin’s chest. Blake looked as stressed and worried as Marshall did, but he managed a brief smile.
“What time is it?” he asked.
“It’s the early hours of Wednesday morning,” Marshall told him. “You’ve been out for about twelve hours.”
“Twelve hours? How badly was I shot?”
Marshall traced a finger over his shoulder, just above where the bullet had hit him. “It was a through and through. Sam thinks the bullet may have clipped the bone on the way out, but nothing major.”
“Why was I out so long? I should have healed in half the time?” He glanced over at Rafe. “And why hasn’t Rafe shifted back?”
“Hey. Relax,” Marshall squeezed his hand, trying to calm him. “The bullets had a deep sleep spell wrapped around them. From what Alice, Darcy, and Sam have been able to work out, it stops you from shifting and healing. If medical assistance hadn’t been right there, then you would have bled out before your natural instinct to shift kicked in.”
Aaron stared blankly at Marshall. “Where would Harlan have gotten those bullets?”
“The Assembly is investigating. They’ve said they’ll keep us informed of all findings.”
“Good,” Aaron replied wearily as a wave of tiredness washed over him. “When can I get out of here?”
