Page 4 of Shifting Fate
Arias
I knew I’d overreacted, but damn it, the idea of Dallon fighting the Dreadhunters made me feel downright queasy. He wasn’t exactly the warrior type, although there was no mistaking the fire in his heart. I’d definitely bruised his ego.
The last thing I wanted was to offend him, but apparently I was right to be worried. The minute I saw the bright red staining his pale gray fur, my heart plummeted into the murky depths of my gut. The gash ran from his shoulder, all the way down his side. It was a nice clean cut, but it was deep.
Dallon limped along beside me, and it made me ache. Even though I knew he was more than likely playing it up for sympathy points, because that’s just how he was, anxiety cinched around my heart. Until I could get my hands on the wound, to see how bad it truly was, I would worry.
When we reached the cabin that Tristram and I shared, I shifted back to man. I could feel Dallon’s gaze burning a hole straight through my ass. Typical. Rolling my eyes, I kept my back to him and went inside, leaving the door wide open.
“I’m going to go put something on,” I told him without ever looking back. “Hold tight and I’ll bring you some pants.” I retreated to my bedroom and hastily dressed in a pair of jeans and a hoodie, then snagged a pair of gray sweats out of the drawer.
I nearly choked on my next breath when I walked back down the hall to find Dallon sitting completely naked on the bathroom counter. He was twisted at the torso, trying to get a good look at his wound in the mirror. I forced my gaze away and tossed the sweatpants at him.
“Put these on.”
He pouted. “Fine. Spoilsport.”
I pinned him with a droll look. “There’s a time and a place for nudity, Dallon.”
“Like…in your bedroom?” His brows shot up, a smile slipping across his face.
I almost groaned. Nope. We weren’t going there. “You’re hopeless, you know that?”
“Thanks, bae,” he chirped back. “Nicest thing you’ve said to me all day.” He slipped off the counter and tugged the sweatpants up over his slim hips. He had to tighten the drawstrings a little, and they were several inches too long, but they fit. That’s the only thing that mattered. If I was going to be brandishing a needle, the last thing I wanted was to be distracted by his dick.
I cursed inwardly.Don’t go there. Don’t think about it.
To Dallon, I pointed to the place he’d occupied only seconds ago. “Hop up and make yourself comfortable.” I knelt down to grab the first aid kit from the cabinet beneath the bathroom sink, then snagged a couple of washcloths from the hall closet.
I soaked one of the washcloths with warm water and a little soap and began gently dabbing at the wound to clean the blood off. Dallon hissed and sucked in a quick breath.
“Sorry,” I murmured. “I’m trying to be careful.”
“What do you think? Is it bad?”
I leaned in to get a better look at the damage. I could tell by his short inhalations that Dallon was trying to scent me, and guilt pinged through my chest. I’d been purposefully hiding my scent from him since the day we met after I realized, with a jolt, that he was my fated one.
I knew it was cruel to use my magic against him without his permission, but I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to let him down. It was better this way. I wasn’t sure I could stand the idea of sweet, sassy Dallon staring at me like I was a monster.
“It needs a couple of stitches,” I said, and his breath hitched.
“Damn it. I fucking hate needles.”
“Sorry. I’ll be gentle. Here, turn to the side so I have better lighting.”
“You sure you wanna do this?” His voice was suddenly thin. “I mean, aren’t there trained medics in your pack, or, you know… Something?”
I offered a small smile and patted his knee. “Dallon, relax. I know what I’m doing.” I popped open the tabs on the medical kit and sterilized a surgical needle with the flame from a lighter. “Ready?”
“Nope.” He sighed. “Ugh—ow.”
“Hold still,” I told him when he began to squirm, making stitching him up more difficult than it needed to be. I pulled the thread taut, then grabbed his knee. He whined under his breath. “Hey. Breathe. I won’t hurt you, I promise. How about we play a game?”
“Unless it’s strip poker, I’m not interested,” he grumbled.
I snorted a laugh. “It’s not strip poker.”
“Boo.”
