Page 49 of Toward Immortal Ruin

Chapter Seventeen

No one laughed athis joke. “Tough crowd.”

Pain radiated from multiple places on his body, and it made his mind fuzzy. Fortunately, his competent healer ensured the agony he’d awoken to was slowly abating, and easy enough to hide behind a smile. For the moment, he was content to simply rest here on the floor and let her do what she did best.

“Maybe once you stop bleeding all over the place, we’ll be more in the mood to smile,” Key replied.

Eden was frowning at him. “Jeremiah said you saved him. Is that true?”

“I become a touch territorial when my clansmen are threatened. All part of the Best Sovereign Ever package.” None of his clan members held in their groans. Traitors.

“You’re all making me look bad in front of my lady. My apologies if I worried you, Eden.”

“Worried me?” she scoffed. “You came back bloody, broken, and unconscious. That’s a bit more than worrisome.”

“I’ve gotta hand it to you, though, Nero,” Jeremiah interjected. “Seeing you take down so many wolves without breaking a sweatwas pretty amazing. And I’m fairly certain you could’ve taken down those two who went for me had you not teleported directly in front of me.”

“Once again, your room reading abilities astound me, Jeremiah. Thanks for that.”

Nero tried to get up and console his mate, but he earned himself a pinch on his good shoulder from Luna. The healer rolled her eyes.

“Enough of that, sovereign. There’ll be no getting up and banishing Jeremiah until you’ve stopped bleeding. Fates, those wolves tore you to shreds.” She paused. “Can you move your fingers yet?”

Nero fought through the pain, gingerly making a fist, then spirit fingers in spite of Luna’s scoff of protest.

“Affirmative.”

“Lovely.” With one last pulse of heat to his wounds, the healer’s potent ability seared through the arm to finish knitting together damaged nerves. “Now, I’ve already told Eden you have to take it easy, so no excuses. Doctor’s orders: listen to her.”

“Always happy to take that prescription.”

Luna ambled to her feet, tilting to one side as she stood. On instinct, Nero shot up steady her, ignoring the wave of dizziness that drowned his vision.

“Physician, heal thyself. Looks like we both need to take it easy. Key, Zia, Jeremiah, please make sure Luna gets home and rests. She overexerted herself.”

As soon as they left, one glance at Eden told him everything he needed to know. His gifts were already screaming at him that her worry and concern had escalated every second he’d been gone.

“I’m so sorry, Eden.”

Without reservation, she walked into his waiting arms. “When I saw you on the floor, I’ve never been that scared.”

Beneath his skin, his panther began vibrating with the need to comfort his mate, the beast purring and pacing. Eden noticed the change, looking up in confusion.

“My panther hates that you’re sad. We’ll start a vicious circle if we don’t manage to change that.”

In response, she gently rubbed his breastbone, the action soft and incredibly tender. “There there, Coffee Shop. No need to chase your own tail.”

“I’ve lost the Cutie now, have I?”

“Bitter?”

“A bit.”

“Good. I’m a bit bitter about you almost losing your arm. Now come on, I’m making you pancakes.”

Nero followed as she led him into the kitchen, sensing she needed to distance herself from the bloodstains on the floor. It would probably take a bit of convincing before his determined human admitted he was better.

“Pancakes, huh? It’s not the morning.”

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