Page 23 of Welcome to Bone Town

She looks down and squeaks when she sees the problem. A red blush flames across her chest and cheeks asshe quickly yanks the towel up to cover herself. Or at least as covered up as she can be. Why the hell are the towels around here so tiny?

“Well?” I ask Bear as I unbutton my shirt and throw it at Cora. For once, she doesn’t argue with me and immediately puts it on.

“It’s dead,” Bear says, looking over the omega, who’s still trembling.

“You killed it?” The pretty professor looks horrified when she should look relieved.

“It was already dead when I got there.”

“What? How?” I ask, studying Bear’s turned down brows.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” he says to Cora, gaze falling to her feet.

One heel is covered in blood and teeth marks. A growl bursts from my chest at the sight of the sweet little omega’s marred skin. I want to rip out the throat of the beast who dared hurt her, but her whimpering response to my roar stops me in my tracks. Scooping her up, I haul her against my chest as I stand.

“I’m fine. It’s really just a scratch,” she says, but she curls closer to me in a way that makes me want to purr. I cough to hide the rumble.

“Really, I can walk. Let me?—”

“You’re not walking.” My muscles clench, drawing her closer. The skin of her bare thighs is hot against my forearm, and every time she moves to try to get down, my shirt slides higher. “And stop wiggling!”

She finally stills, her cheeks a bright pink and her eyes watery. Fuck, did I make her cry?

Bear comes up beside us as we head to the main tent. He carefully takes her foot and looks it over. “You’re right. It doesn’t seem deep. Which is odd ‘cause they can rip through a small deer if they want.”

I shoot a glare at him. Why the hell did he say that? As if poor Cora isn’t frightened enough already.

He reaches for her, signaling for me to give her to him. I know he just wants to patch up her wound, but the thought of a wild animal like that anywhere near Cora has me feeling possessive as fuck. “Is it really dead?”

“As a doornail.”

“How? Who did it, if it wasn’t you?”

Bear gives me a concerned look, like he’s debating whether he should tell me in front of Cora and is looking for guidance. Without knowing what he’s about to say, I can’t really offer any.

He takes a deep breath. “Someone shot it point-blank through the head.”

“Wouldn’t we have heard that?” Cora asks.

That’s not the question on my mind, and I know it’s not the one that has Bear hesitating either. I’m sure there are lots of ways to quiet a gun. My blood runs cold, and I pull Cora closer before reluctantly setting her in Bear’s arms.

“Who did it?” I ask, voice low. A chill skates up my neck because somehow I already know what he’s going to say.

“I don’t know, but it wasn’t one of my men.”

21

Holding Cora close to my chest, I carry her back to my tent where my med bag is. She complains that she can walk just fine, but I’m not having it. It’s more than the jackal. Someone broke into our camp. They didn’t just break in, they did it with a weapon. And they’re probably still here. My men are scouring the perimeter along with Roman and half the crew, but there’s no way I’m letting go of the little omega right now.

Besides, she feels nice in my arms. Her hair is still wet from the shower, and she’s only wearing the professor’s button-up. It’s swimming on her and comes down to her mid thigh, but the slit near the bottom teases me with what’s hiding a little higher. God damn, she has nice legs.

Forcing myself to behave, I set her down on the front edge of the new cot I set up earlier, her feet dangling off the side so I can clean andbandage her wounds.

A genuine smile lights up her face as she looks around. “Bear, did you set this up for me?”

Gripping the back of my neck with one hand, I reply. “Uh, yeah. I did. I hope that’s ok?”

“It looks so comfy! Where did all these blankets and pillows come from? The cot in my tent only had one sad pillow and some scratchy sheets.”

---