Page 27 of Freed Wolfsbane

“Oh, Saint. None of this is your fault.” He shakes his head at me but doesn’t say anything more.I bit my lip as I try to think of a way to make him feel better. I hesitantly hold out my arms. “I could use a hug, if you wouldn’t mind.”

That’s all it takes, apparently, because Saint is marching over to me without a second’s hesitation. When he reaches me, he sits on the bed and pulls me into his side, wrapping both arms around me. “I missed you, little shadow, more than I can probably ever express to you. I swear I’ll do better next time, just don’t leave me again.”

My heart cracks at the pain in his voice. Before I can figure out what to say, Xander’s back in front of me. “Your vitals look good. Your blood pressure and heart rate are elevated, which is to be expected when you’re in pain. Can I take a look at your stomach to see how you’re healing?”

Tipping my chin, I say, “Sure. You need me to do anything?”

“If you can lay back, that would probably help. If it hurts too much, I can examine you as you are.” Pulling out of Saint’s arms, I grit my teeth and lower myself to my back. I bite my cheek to keep from whimpering at how much the movement burns. Xander huffs at me. “That wasn’t a challenge, sweetheart.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m fine.” I’ve been an invalid for all of an hour or so, and I’m already sick of it. I want to get up and do something to distract myself, rather than having to sit with my thoughts.

I’m proven wrong when Xander shoves my borrowed shirt up. The red, raised, jagged tear that stretches from hip to hip on my lower abdomen is weeping blood, and I can see a few stitches that are torn. I’m honestly surprised I needed stitches at all after getting mage healing. I guess the damage was worse than I thought.

“Fuck,” Xander hisses when he gets a good look at me. “Jesus, Briar. Have you heard of taking it easy?”

I clench my jaw at his sharp tone. “I have been taking it easy. I’ve been waited on from the moment I woke up. Besides, I’m sure Dr. Stone and you have way more seriously injured patients to take care of than me. You don’t need to waste your time on me.”

I was useful to Ryker, until I wasn’t. Most of the other shifters were expendable from the start. If Ryker was willing to beat the key to his plan half to death on the daily, I don’t even want to think about how bad off the rest of the shifters are.

“No, we don’t,” Xander growls as he places his hands on either side of my head. He leans down until he’s in my face and I’m surrounded in his ocean pine scent. “You were the most critically injured patient we had. You were so badly hurt that the mage magic just stopped working at some point. All they could do was patch up the internal damage, but even that isn’t fully healed. We had to remove the bullets, stitch your muscle and skin together, give you a fucking blood transfusion, and hope to God that it was enough. Don’t you dare tell me that you’re fine.”

Gaping at him, I open and close my mouth as I try to think of something to say. “I didn’t know,” I whisper. The last I knew, Rhys Gallagher was healing me with magic. Then I woke up in the infirmary. I had no idea that the magic didn’t fix everything.

Xander closes his eyes and rests his forehead on mine, still being careful to keep his weight off me. “I know, sweetheart. I know. It just—fuck, we came so close to losing you. I need you to heal up, and the only way you’re going to be able to is by resting. I don’t want you to have permanent damage because you’re so damn stubborn and refuse to take it easy.”

I snort. “I’m not that stubborn.”

He gives me a half smile as he pushes off me. “You really are. I’m gonna have to stitch this up, now. Are you okay with that? We really don’t have much of a choice, but I’ll try to figure out something if it’s too much.”

I’m shaking my head before he finishes. “I’m fine with it. Sorry I tore them.”

“It seems to be a habit with you.” Xander flashes me a boyish grin before he turns around, so I know he’s not mad at me.

I relax back into the bed and try to resist the urge to touch the giant cut on my stomach. It itches like crazy, but I’m sure I’d just do more damage if I try to scratch it.

I’m not waiting for long before Xander comes back with disinfectant, a needle, suture thread, and numbing cream. At least I know it won’t hurt too much, not that I’m too worried about the physical pain.

Dr. Stone comes up to the edge of the bed and gives me a friendly smile. “It seems that Xander has everything under control, so I’m going to head out now, Briar. Feel free to have Malachi text me or come down to the clinic if you need anything.”

“I can do that. Thank you.”

With a last nod, the doctor shuffles out of the room, leaving me alone with my mates for the first time in weeks.

Once the doctor shuts the door, Xander hands his supplies to Bastian. Gently scooching me further onto the bed, he climbs up and straddles my lower pelvis.

There has to be something wrong with me because I’m bloody and injured, yet I’m still turned on by Xander being on top of me. My gaze snags on his defined forearms. I try to ignore how his muscular thighs strain against his black suit pants and how I want to run my hands through his already mussed blond hair.

Something ice cold swiping across my stomach jars me from my perusal of Xander. I hiss at the sting that feels like a bunch of tiny needles are jabbing into my abdomen. Putting one hand on my chest to keep me steady, Xander keeps cleaning my wound while wincing in sympathy. “I’m sorry about this, but I have to clean the area. With the numbing cream, it should be the worst part.”

“It’s fine and by far not the most painful thing that’s happened in the last two days.” By the growls filling the air at my statement, that wasn’t the right thing to say.

“For our sanity, please stop reminding us about how badly you were injured, pretty girl.” Bastian grabs one of my hands in his, intertwining our fingers as I get lost in his teal gaze. “My wolf is already demanding we track down every single Knight who got away and rip them to shreds as it is.”

My blood freezes in my veins. “Some of them got away?”

Fuck.

Here’s hoping they at least captured Ryker and his scientists.

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