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Rico took a step toward him. “What’s wrong with Ox?” he asked, voice high-pitched. “Is he okay? Why is he—”
“Silver,” I grunted, shoving him out of the way. “The bullet was made of silver. Jessie. In the house. A knife. We have to get the bullet out. I don’t have the strength to do it myself.”
She didn’t hesitate, hitting the stairs at a full run, the door to the Bennett house banging open as she disappeared inside.
Elizabeth shifted back to human, grabbing on to Chris and Tanner, pulling them away from Joe, who stood above his mate, growling angrily. “It’s okay,” she said, face ashen. “He’ll be okay. We need to get you seen to. Rico, Robbie, I need your help.”
Rico nodded, even as Tanner and Chris protested loudly.
Carter stood in front of Kelly, pacing back and forth, nostrils flaring. Robbie looked conflicted, glancing back and forth between Ox and Elizabeth. It took Elizabeth saying his name sharply before he herded the humans toward the house, snapping at their heels.
“Joe,” I said, hands up in a placating gesture. “I need to help Ox, okay? You know me. You know I won’t do anything to hurt him further.”
For a moment I thought Joe was going to lunge for me, but Mark was at my side, lips pulled back over his teeth, growling lowly in his throat. The wolves were singing in my head, and all their songs were blue and filled with hurt and confusion and alpha alpha alpha. The other voices I’d heard back in the street had quieted. I didn’t know what that meant. I couldn’t feel the wards anymore, at least not as they’d been before.
That had to wait.
I needed to help Ox.
My hands shook, the blood on them still wet.
I could see the moment the metallic scent of it hit Joe’s nose, because he whined in my direction, torn between his mate and his hurt witch. “I’m okay,” I told him. “I’m okay. But I need to get to Ox.”
Jessie came flying back out of the house, a large kitchen knife in her hand. She jumped down the steps and landed gracefully at the bottom. Her cheeks were reddened, her breaths coming hard and quick.
Joe jerked his head toward her, crouching low over Ox as if he thought she was a threat.
She reached out with her free hand and smacked him upside the head. “Knock it off,” she snapped. “Let us do what we need to. If you’re not going to help, then get the fuck out of the way.”
“Maybe not piss off the angry Alpha,” I muttered.
She rolled her eyes. “We don’t have time for mystical moon magic bullshit. Either he moves, or I make him move.”
Joe huffed out a breath, steam curling around his face.
And he stepped aside.
I went to my knees beside Ox. He was trembling, but his eyes were open and aware. I could see where his hair was matted with blood, but it would be easier if—“Ox, I need you to shift back, okay? I need to see the wound better. I don’t have time to shave down the hair.”
“Won’t the shift cause the silver to enter his bloodstream quicker?” Kelly asked, sounding gut-punched. “It’ll make it—”
“It’s not near his heart,” I said. “If I move fast, it won’t matter.”
Joe leaned down, nuzzling against Ox’s head. It was please and help and OxLoveMate. Ox shuddered on the ground in the snow, and the long whine turned into a dull groan as he shifted back to human. He gasped as the hair melted away, leaving nothing but white skin and a bloody, ragged hole in his shoulder, roughly the size of a quarter, that looked as if it was smoking.
His back arched off the ground. “Fuck,” he said through gritted teeth. “Jesus Christ, that hurts, Gordo, it’s—”
“You have to hold him down,” I said. “Kelly. Carter. I need you to—”
Kelly was there, pushing down on Ox’s shoulders.
Carter took a step toward us, still a wolf. His eyes blazed orange. He screwed them shut, and I could feel him trying to force his shift, but something was wrong. He opened his eyes again, and for a moment I swore I saw—
Mark appeared, human and kneeling at Ox’s feet. He put his hands on Ox’s shins, forcing them down into the snow. He looked up at me and nodded.
“It’s going to be quick,” I warned Ox. “Stay as still as you can. The more you move, the longer it’ll take.”
He nodded, eyes red, nostrils flaring.
