Page 38 of A Hunter Cursed
Jeremiah’s eyes practically bugged out of his head. “Christ. How did I get here?”
“As far as I know, you walked.”
He let out a low whistle that was quickly cut off with an “Ow!” Glaring at Marguerite who was busy drawing blood from his arm, he snapped, “Did you have to jam it in there until you hit bone?”
“Big baby,” the healer chided, though there was a sly little smile twitching at the corners of her lips.
Turning his gaze back to Keegan he saw her wince as she shifted her weight to find a more comfortable position. “You’re hurt,” he said, unable to hold back a snarl. “What happened? Did I…?” he began and then, changing his mind, “Didithurt you?”
She had said no when he had asked previously, but she could have lied thinking to spare his feelings. His mate was big-hearted that way, she would want to spare him the distress.
Keegan shook her head. “I fell out of the shower earlier.” Her lips twisted into a grimace. “Actually, I kind of threw myself out of the shower.” Her eyes lifted to Destin Jourdain to include him as she said, “I had a vision. I was wide awake, taking a shower, and it just came to me.”
Turning her gaze back to Jeremiah, she added, “It was how I knew you were in trouble.”
“Bath’s gifts,” Cam spoke up. “They tend to grow in strength with age.”
“Bath gifts?” Jeremiah asked with confusion, picturing a basket of candles, bath bombs, and scented oils.
“A witch’s power is derived from an angelic source,” Cam explained. “Those gifts were passed down to the descendants of those first mortals touched by angels and imbued with power. In Keegan’s case, her gifts are primarily derived from Bath Kol, an angel of divine prophecy, and Zephaniel who is an archangel. It’s his gift of transformation she possesses.”
Wow. That was… not what he needed to concern himself with right now. Jerking his head around to Marguerite he said, “You need to check her. She’s hurt.”
“I’m fine,” Keegan protested. “A couple of ibuprofens, a long soak in the tub, and some sleep is all I need.”
Jeremiah let out a frustrated growl and the healer laughed as she stood to move around to Keegan’s side, stating, “You may as well let me check you out, honey. Trust me,” she added with a conspiratorial wink. “You will never find a bigger pain in the ass than a wolf who is denied the chance to take care of his mate.”
Jeremiah and Archer both scowled, but neither one could deny that Marguerite had spoken the truth.
Chapter Twenty-Two
As soon as Marguerite had finished checking both of them over, the healer assisted Keegan to her feet, while Archer helped Jeremiah with a hand up. Before the alpha could pull away, however, Jeremiah gripped the man’s arm. “I need to shift,” he said, his face grim. “My wolf was gone, Archer,” he added, his voice cracking with emotion. “He was gone, but I can feel him now.”
Archer’s look was solemn as he nodded and immediately began peeling off his shirt. “We’ll run together.”
“We’re pack,” Marguerite chimed in, toeing off her shoes.
Turning to Keegan, Jeremiah took her hands in his and brought them to his mouth to kiss them before resting his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry. I need to do this, but it won’t take long.”
“No apologies,” she softly murmured. Cupping his face in her hands, she assured him, “However long you need. I’ll be here when you get back.”
His lips touched hers in a sweet kiss before he whispered against her mouth, “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now go. Let your wolf run.”
Stepping back, he kept hold of her hand a moment longer before turning away to strip off his clothes. Minutes later, three wolves disappeared into the trees alongside the road with yips of excitement.
“You don’t need to stay,” Keegan said as Cam and Destin joined her, one on either side of her.
“But we will,” Destin told her, his arm coming around her before he dropped a kiss on top of her head. “You look happy right now, content in a way I haven’t seen in a long time, and I’m glad.”
The words made her smile. She still needed to tell Destin about Evangeline and all she’d learned now that her memories had been returned, but not tonight. Tonight, she wanted to bask in her love for Jeremiah, in her relief that he was safe, while she gloried in the sound of the wolf song she could hear in the distance.Herwolf’s song.
∞∞∞
Jeremiah wanted her close to the healer, so they returned to pack lands rather than her place. Keegan was fine with that, after the scare she’d endured, she had no desire to be separated from him anytime soon. As for the injuries he was so concerned about, now that all the excitement was over with, the aches and pains she’d been ignoring thus far were screaming for attention.
The healer had cleaned the minor scrapes she’d obtained in her tussle with the demon but otherwise, she’d agreed with Keegan’s assessment that an anti-inflammatory, pain reliever paired with a long soak in the tub would most likely do the trick for her other injuries. The woman had also advised that she’d need to take it easy for a couple of days. Keegan was fine with that as well, especially if she got to be lazy with Jeremiah.
