Page 185 of Rough and Rugged

“NO!”

Adrain

I watch in horror as her body falls through the branches and plummets to the ground below. I shift and roll right under her, catching her weight. I hug her to my body and sigh in relief.

Her screams die down, and her body stops shaking.

“Um, Chef?” I sniff her hair and enjoy the feel of her in my arms.

“Adrain? Wanna let her breathe?” Braxton chuckles as I growl at him, but I do as he says.

She scrambles away and curls herself into a ball.

“Hey, easy. We aren’t going to hurt you,” Drake says, reaching out to her.

“Much.” Braxton winks at her.

We all watch as her eyes roll back into her head, and she passes out cold.

“You fucking idiot,” Drake growls at our baby brother as I shift back and gather Tasha in my arms.

“She’s terrified, cold, and probably hungry.” I shoulder-check Braxton as I walk past them both, making my way to Drake’s cabin.

It takes me about ten minutes to hike up the trail and get her into Drake’s huge bed. The others join us a few minutes later as I’m cleaning the dirt off her face with a washcloth.

I noticed a few scraps and cuts that I started to clean as well, but find myself struggling to continue. She’s got a pretty large cut leading down her left breast, and to clean it, I’ll have to take off her shirt.

Or rip it off, which is what I really want to do.

“Um, can you sit her up so I can get her shirt off? I need to clean this cut.” I run my finger lightly along the edge of her breast.

“Here, just cut it off. Don’t wake her.” Drake hands me a pair of scissors, and I slowly cut the fabric away, revealing the soft, pale skin of her stomach.

“Fuck,” Braxton whimpers as her breast falls out of the right fabric.

“No bra.” I lick my lips, staring at her.

“Clean it before she comes to. This will be hard enough without her thinking we’re a bunch of shapeshifting rapists.” I swallow hard and nod at Braxton.

I clean the wound and cover her with a blanket.

“Soon, little bird.” I kiss her temple and make myself leave the room.

I need to feed her.

Chapter Seven

Tasha

Irollover,digmy feet into the soft mattress, and sigh. I’m warm and comfortable, and for the first time in a long time, I feel well-rested. An arm pulls me closer to a hard body, and my eyes fly open.

WHAT THE FUCK!

I started to panic and push away from the hot body that was clearly sharing a bed with me. Where the fuck am I? I shove my way out of the cloud I was resting on and stumble to my feet, but not before I hear a loud thud.

“OUCH.” I glance at my feet and find Braxton rubbing his head.

One glance at the bed I just abandoned shows me Drake and Adrain are both sitting up looking at me. They all have this look of worry, maybe even fear, in their eyes.

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