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There was a palpable feeling of relief that everybody was, more or less, unharmed. Osric finally drew his attention away from Ceci and laid a towel across Aaron’s lower area, saying, “Thank the gods you saved our belov—thank the gods you’re okay, old friend.”
Then they all turned to look at me. Standing naked as a jaybird. Vesta’s eyes bulged in their sockets, her irises glowing like hot coals, as her gaze came to a halt between my legs. “That’s quite a…” She trailed off, still staring.
Smirking, Xander strode up and shoved a bartender’s apron into my arms. “Good job, quarterback, now cover your quarter pounder.”
Aaron
Iwoke up shivering and aching all over.
Osric laid a towel across my lap and my body gave an involuntary jerk, causing splinters of wood that were embedded in my torso to jab into me and bite at my bare skin. My abs and privates were tender too, smarting from the shocks that the stream’s surface had spat up at my grizzly.
I’d seen everything that’d happened since he’d burst to the surface at the party. I’d been a passenger, watching helplessly as the chaos unfolded and our mate’s life hung in the balance. My bear had let me hear his thoughts too, something he’d never done before when shifted.
I felt a deep sense of shame that we—my grizzly and I—hadn’t caught Ceci’s assailant, and at the terror I’d caused to all the innocent partygoers. But my feelings were quite different toward that slimebag who’d tried to take our mate from me… I wished we’d beat that shitbag to a pulp.
My body spasmed again.
“Shh,” Ceci murmured.
My head lay in her lap and her smooth arms cradled me, giving comfort. I was so relieved she’d not been hurt, so happy at her scent being free of distress, her warm smile looking down on me as I lay on a cold bed of leaves, twigs and earth.
“I should be the one comforting you.” I tried to reach a hand for her, but my muscles gave out, exhausted.
She brushed my hair and kissed my forehead. Her lips felt softer than ever, her press so warm, caring. “Don’t be silly. You saved my life.” Her eyes widened and went distant for a moment, as if imagining where she might be right now, if we weren’t here together. “I don’t know exactly how I got here, but I remember being knocked out, stirring once on the journey as someone carried me. There was something deeply evil about it all. I could feel it in my bones. Something awful would’ve happened to me if your bear hadn’t arrived.” Her hand trembled on my shoulder.
“I fear that too.” I lifted my head from her lap, only for it to fall back down. “More reason I can’t lie here all day. I—”
“You’re not going anywhere. Rest,” she said, gently but firmly.
“I’ll do that,” I replied, even though I didn’t really have a choice—I couldn’t get up right now. But there was nowhere else I wanted to be, even with pain lacing through my body. I’d do anything she commanded, to stay with her.
I wanted to cry, I was so happy she was okay, holding me in her arms.
Familiar faces were grouped nearby, the darkness around their bodies pushed far back by Vesta’s upheld hand, which was wrapped in roaring flames and providing welcome washes of heat over my naked body. And Jax’s naked body too. He looked about as well-covered as I was, in his tiny black bartender’s apron.
I eyed him up and down, and his attire brought a welcome levity to the situation. “Glad to see you came dressed for the occasion, wolf.”
Standing with hands on hips, he smiled wryly. “Look who’s talking. But, ah, are you going to be okay, big bear?” His hands fell. “Seriously, you’re one huge, intimidating motherfucker in your other form. But now, you don’t look so hot.”
“Yeah, thanks.” I gave a weak chuckle. “Shifting takes a lot out of me. And between my bear’s size this time and everything he did…” Even as I spoke, Ceci’s smooth palm brushed my forehead, making me feel better. “But I’ll be okay. Probably soon, with Ceci here, I can already feel myself getting stronger with her presence. I just need a bit more rest.”
“Good, I’m glad,” Jax said. And as we looked at each other, an unspoken bond passed between us: we were together and here for each other in everything now, and our animals, like us, would do anything necessary to protect our mate. He turned his head toward the depths of the woods. “Right, everyone, I’m going to shift back and follow the scent, see if this scumbag’s still lurking about. He’s probably long gone, but maybe his trail will lead to a clue or two.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Wish I could help.”
Jax glanced down at the apron, which barely covered his guy bits, and was, of course, backless. “I’ll thank you all not to look at my ass as I leave.” He looked at Vesta with a raised eyebrow.
Vesta shrugged nonchalantly. “As if we’d want to.”
Everyone laughed, even her boyfriend, Finnian, and I sensed maybe Vesta had already gotten an eyeful this evening.
Jax turned, and within a few steps, had shifted back into wolf form. Finnian said he would go too, saying he could run quickly enough with the wind helping him to keep up, making sure their scent stayed as a trail for the others in case they found anything. Or anyone.
So off they went.
Xander stepped forward, stooped and nodded at my biceps and shoulders, which were crisscrossed in scarlet lines and riddled with large splinters that Ceci was now noticing and starting to pull out. “Quite a mess,” he said. “What did those poor trees ever do to you, professor?”
“I’m sorry, I—”
