by Liv Brywood
She bit the edge of her lip. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to leave?”
Disappointment flashed through him. He’d been hoping she’d want to stay. Having a pretty wolf take care of him wouldn’t be such a bad thing. But, he’d never force her to stick around if she really wanted to leave.
“Go ahead. I’ll be fine.”
She crossed to the curtain and pushed it back. “I’ll find Lucian and tell him what he needs to do to make sure you heal properly… Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For letting me go.”
“You’re welcome.”
He turned his head to look up at the ceiling. He couldn’t bear to watch her leave. The rustle of the sheet signaled her retreat. At least she could go home. She clearly felt safer in her own den. He didn’t blame her for being scared. After what she’d endured with Zane, he was surprised she came out of her den at all. She was brave. Probably braver than she thought. He hoped someday she’d realize it.
In the center of the room, a pile of burning embers glowed. The temperature dropped as the embers dissolved to ash. He shivered and put the back of his hand to his forehead. Even though he was freezing, his head was hot to the touch. He reached for the cup of white willow bark tea, but his trembling fingers knocked it over. The liquid spilled onto the bed and seeped under his leg. Fortunately the lukewarm water didn’t burn him. But now he had no way of getting more.
He gritted his teeth as he sat up. Still cradled in the sling, his useless arm throbbed. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed help. Hopefully Lucian would arrive soon.
The curtain whipped back to reveal Mazus. “Hey, buddy. How’s the leg? You feelin’ any better?”
Nosh grumbled. “I feel like I ran into a mountain.”
“That you did. What can I get for you?”
“I knocked my cup over. Can you make me some more tea? I think I have a fever.”
Mazus smiled broadly. “No problem.”
As he set about fixing the tea, Nosh relaxed. Maybe sending Gwen away wasn’t such a bad thing. She wouldn’t see him this weak and pathetic. He had plenty of people who could nurse him back to health. Once he’d regained his full strength, he’d be able to visit her. Maybe she’d be more comfortable getting to know him if he went to her den. Of course he’d have to get Ryker’s permission to enter Silver Creek Pack territory, but that shouldn’t be a problem.
Mazus tossed another log onto the fire. Sparks burst into the air. An errant ember landed on Nosh’s chest. He batted it away.
“Sorry. I didn’t think it would do that,” Mazus said.
“It’s okay.”
“The tea will just take a few minutes. Where’s Gwen?”
“I sent her back to her den. Diana’s in labor and they needed to go attend to her.”
“Just like a woman to abandon you in your time of need.”
Nosh frowned. “She didn’t abandon me. I let her leave.”
“Well, regardless, you have a whole den of wolves who are ready to wait on you hand and foot.”
“And you’re first in line?”
“Yep. After all, what are friends for?” Mazus poured steaming water from a pot into a cup. “Let it cool off a bit and give the tea time to steep.”
Nosh took the cup from him and sniffed. A pungent odor rolled up with the steam. He wrinkled his nose. Gwen must have put at least a little honey in the other cup or something because it defiantly didn’t smell this bad.
Mazus stood at the foot of the dais. “So Gwen’s not coming back?”
“Nope.”
“Too bad, she’s one hot piece of—”
“Whoa! Watch your mouth. She’s a lady, not a piece of anything.”
Mazus chuckled. “You’re right. I just thought you’d appreciate a fine female the way I do.”
“Of course I do.” The hackles on the back of his neck rose up.
“I’m just joking around. Take it easy.”
Nosh frowned as he lifted the cup to his lips. If he didn’t take a sip, he’d probably get into a verbal confrontation with Mazus. Most of the time, they got along. But every once in a while, Mazus would say or do something that would grate on his nerves.
Silence stretched to the point of being uncomfortable. Nosh wanted to say something to break the tension in the room, but he was too busy trying to suck down the horrible tasting tea. It was awful.
As he downed the last drop, the curtain rustled. He almost choked as Gwen stepped into the room.
“You’re back.”
“I couldn’t leave you like this. And you’re right. I’m perfectly safe here. It’s only for a few days anyway. Akila said it would be good practice.”
Mazus and Nosh spoke at the same time. “Glad to have you back.”
She laughed softly. “Thanks.”
Nosh smiled. She was so beautiful when she laughed. He had a feeling she didn’t laugh as much as she should. Maybe that could be his mission while she was here. He’d do whatever he could to put a smile on her face.
She crossed the room. After placing her palm on his forehead, her smile dropped. “You’re burning up.”
“Mazus just made me some tea. The fever should break soon.”
“I should get going,” Mazus said.
He brushed past Gwen on his way to the door. When she visibly cringed, Nosh’s heart clenched. She obviously couldn’t stand to be touched. Although he had no idea what she’d really endured during the time Zane had held her captive, he knew it had made her fear men. He didn’t blame her for wanting to avoid them. He could only imagine the terror she’d endured at the hands of that monster.
He’d have to be careful not to accidentally touch her. Now that she’d agreed to stay, he didn’t want to do anything that would scare her away.
Chapter 4
Gwen paced the room before returning to put the back of her hand to Nosh’s forehead. Something was wrong. His fever should have broken by now. She checked the bandages for any signs of infection. His flesh appeared to be healing as quickly as expected, but she applied more salve just in case.
Nosh groaned and rolled his head to one side. He’d been crying out incoherent words. She couldn’t understand anything he was saying, but fear thickened in her chest. Taking a breath became a laborious task. Akila was wrong. Gwen didn’t know what she was doing and her lack of experience would get him killed.
The water in the pot over the fire rumbled as it came to a strong boil. Steam rose up in wisps to heat the room. She quickly pulled the pot away from the flames and set it on the floor. As she dipped a piece of cloth into the sterile water, she prayed she’d be able to get his fever down.
Lucian stepped into the room. “How’s he doing?”
“Not good.”
“I thought he was getting better.”
“Sometimes fevers can get worse before they get better. I’m doing everything I can to keep him comfortable. All we can do right now is wait.”
Fadian paced the room. “If there’s anything else you need, anything we can get you, tell me right away. We’re here to help you and I have total faith in your healing abilities. Akila said you’re the best pupil she’s ever had.”
Gwen blinked in surprise. “She did?”
“Yes. I was a bit nervous when she said she was leaving. But once she told me about your skills, I knew Nosh would be all right.”
Gwen turned away from him. She was such a fraud. Akila had exaggerated her skills to the pack. Now they’d find out that she barely knew what she was doing.
“I need to clean his wounds,” she said.
“I’ll be just down the hall. If you need anything, holler and I’ll come running.”
She glanced over her shoulder at Fadian’s retreating form. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
The pressure of the pack’s expectations paralyzed her. What if she couldn’t control his fever? What if he died because of her?
A tremor of fear shot down her arm. She droppe
d the wet cloth onto the floor. After quickly retrieving a fresh one, she dunked it in the water. Sitting around feeling sorry for herself wasn’t going to help Nosh. She had to do everything in her power to save him. If he died, the pack would never forgive her. Maybe she wouldn’t even be welcome to return to her own pack.
The room swayed for a second. When she’d regained her composure, she leaned over to clean his wounds. He growled and moaned every time she touched him, but she had no choice.
She worked quickly to cover his wounds with new bandages. As she set the last bandage in place, his stomach growled. He had to be starving. A wolf’s metabolism increased when injured because they healed so fast.
The soup from earlier sat in a bowl near the fire. As she bent to retrieve it, Mazus stepped into the room.
“How’s he doing?”
“He’s still feverish. I just reapplied salve to the wounds but he needs a lot of rest.”
She carried the soup to the dais and sat on the edge. As she spooned the broth to his lips, Mazus’s footsteps drew closer. She’d felt better when he was on the other side of the room. But she was too concerned about Nosh to protest.
“How are the supplies?”
His voice came from directly behind her. She jumped. Soup spilled down the side of Nosh’s mouth.
“I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”
“No. I just didn’t hear you coming.”
“I get that sometimes. We had stealth training in the military. So I tend to walk lightly.”
She wiped up the spilled soup. “How long did you live with humans?”
“Two years. I heard that Stryde had left to join the Army and I decided to go too.”
“I thought you had to stay in for a minimum of four years.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Nope. After two years I was honorably discharged.”
“Why’d you leave so early?”
“Humans disgust me. I was so much stronger than them. I was stuck fighting with a bunch of ants. I could have squashed all of them and they didn’t like me because of it. So I left.”
Gwen set the soup down and reached for the tea. Mazus grabbed the cup and handed it to her. “Here.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m here to help. Let me know what you need and I’ll get it.”
“I appreciate it.”
“How’s the supply of white willow bark?”
“Low. I was going to send Lucian out to get more.”
Mazus laughed sharply. “Good luck with that.”
“What?”
“He doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.”
“But he—”
“Why don’t you go out and I’ll watch Nosh.”
She bit the edge of her lip. “I don’t want to leave him for very long, not with the way his fever’s going.”
“He’ll be fine. I’ll take good care of him.”
There was no way in hell she’d go out into the forest alone. She struggled for a reason to stay. “I’ll call Lucian. He’ll help.”
“Wait.” Mazus stepped forward and placed a hand on her forearm.
She pulled away.
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t you trust me to stay with him?”
“No. I mean, yes. I trust you. It’s not about that.”
“What is it about?”
She dropped her gaze to the floor. “I…”
“Yes?”
“I just don’t like going into the forest alone.”
He smiled. “You’ll be fine. It’s only going to take a few minutes. There’s a stand of white willow trees just north of the den by the stream. One of the healers planted it there years ago.”
“How far north?”
“Go outside, turn north and walk for about five minutes. You’ll find the trees a few yards up stream. You can’t miss it.”
Out of reasonable excuses, she took a breath. “Okay. I’ll be gone and back as quickly as possible. I’ll let Lucian know you’re watching Nosh.”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that. You’re only going to be gone a few minutes. You’ll be back before anyone realizes you left. Nosh needs the medicine. You should get going.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay staying with him while I’m gone?”
“Absolutely.”
She stood and walked toward the door. “If anything changes, like if his breathing gets labored or he starts sweating more, tell Lucian to send someone to get me.”
“You’ll only be gone a few minutes.”
“I know. I just—”
“Go!”
She jumped and scurried toward the door. “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
As she ran through the den, the other wolves turned to stare. They probably thought she’d lost her mind, but she wanted to get back as quickly as possible. She didn’t like leaving Nosh alone, but Mazus would take care of him. He’d tell Lucian if anything happened and they’d come looking for her.
By the time she reached the stream, she could hardly draw a breath. Her heart pounded and her legs throbbed. She couldn’t believe how out of shape she’d become. Before the attack, she could have run for miles in her human form without breaking a sweat. But she’d let herself go.
As she leaned over to brace her hands against her knees, a ripple of unease fluttered down her back. She stood and whipped her head from side to side as she looked for anything unusual. The distinct feeling of being watched rolled over her. She backed toward the nearest tree until her skin brushed against its bark. The pounding in her heart increased in temp until she couldn’t hear anything but the rush of blood through her ears.
She stood perfectly still. The forest seemed unnaturally silent, as if it was waiting for something to happen. She didn’t move a single muscle for several minutes. When a crow cawed and landed on a rock in the stream, she finally took a deep breath. She was jumping at nothing. God, she hated the constant fear. The exercises Akila had taught her would help.
As she closed her eyes to begin a series of calming breaths, a branch snapped just a few feet away. Her eyes flew open. She whirled to find Mazus emerging from an area of dense brush.
“Crap, you scared the hell out of me.”
“Did I?”
“Yes. What are you doing here? Is Nosh okay? Did you leave him alone? You were supposed to stay with him.”
He held up a hand to stop her. “He’s fine. Lucian is watching him. I just thought you might need some help finding the stream.”
She took a step back. “I’ve only been gone a few minutes.”
He shrugged. “But I know where the tree is. I figured it made more sense for me to come out and help you find it.”
“Why did you sneak up on me?”
His eyes went dark for a second before he laughed. “Sneak up on you? A deaf bear could have heard me coming from a mile away.”
She lowered her gaze in shame. “Sorry. I guess I’m just a little jumpy.”
“It’s understandable. A lot of bad things can happen in the woods.”
She shuddered as images of the attack flashed through her mind. She fought to push them away. Akila told her over and over that when the images came, she needed to stay present and not give in to the urge to disassociate. The familiar sensation of floating bore down on her. The landscape melted into a fuzzy scene for a few seconds before she fought back. She couldn’t lose it now, not when she’d worked so hard to overcome the flashbacks.
“Are you okay?” Mazus stepped forward and clasped her wrist.
She yanked it away then backed up a few paces. “I’m fine. Where’s the tree?”
Her stomach flip flopped a few times but she managed to get it under control. Breathe. Just breathe.
As she trailed Mazus upstream, she wished she was alone. Mazus was a little too quick to touch her. Even though he hadn’t done anything inappropriate, nervous energy coiled in her gut whenever he was near.
When she spotted the tree, she increased her pace. The sooner she collected the bark,
the sooner she could get back to the den and out of the forest. She used her stubby nails to tear pieces of bark from the tree. If she shifted, this would go much faster. She stepped back and prepared to transform but stopped when Mazus came up behind her.
“I have a knife,” he whispered.
She spun and stumbled backward. As she landed hard on her tailbone, she yelped. Mazus advanced. She scrambled back a few feet.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Don’t… don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
She screamed and screamed and didn’t stop until he slapped her across the face.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Get away from me.”
He stepped back. “I’d heard you’d gone crazy but I didn’t know it was this bad.”
She shook hard enough to make her teeth rattle.
He grabbed the sharp edge of the knife and turned the handle toward her. “I was just trying to give this to you so that you wouldn’t rip all of your nails off.”
After snatching the knife away, she grabbed the base and pointed it toward him. “Get away.”
“You’re crazy. I was just trying to help you.”
She blinked rapidly. Was she crazy? Was he really just trying to help and she’d completely overreacted?
He reached a hand down. “Here, let me at least help you up.”
She eyed his outstretched hand. If he’d wanted to hurt her, he would have stabbed her with the knife, right? He’d had plenty of opportunity, right? They were completely alone in this part of the woods. If he’d wanted to attack her, he could have. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was losing it.
As she took his hand, she hung her head. She’d never feel safe in the woods again. He’d only come out to help her and she’d completely overreacted.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what—”
“Don’t apologize. Next time I’ll be sure to bang a drum on my way up here and stay in front of you at all times.” A smile replaced the scowl on his face.
Humiliation slackened her shoulders. “I still have trouble being out in the woods.”
“Because of the attack?”
“Yes.”
“Well it’s good to be alert. Being aware of your surroundings can save your life. Were you paying attention when you were attacked?”
