Page 28 of The Hellhound's Mate
Oisian frowned hard as he leaned over and yanked Saph’s arm across my body. I felt drops of something land on my skin, heard it sizzle, and fucking goddess above, it hurt so badly that I screamed.
Instinct had me trying to make Saph move his arm away so the lava couldn’t keep melting my skin off, but he wouldn’t budge. And then Morning and maybe someone else grabbed my arms and held them down over my head, others holding onto my legs. I couldn’t understand why they were hurting me and kept apologizing for letting them down in the hope that they’d let me go.
And then the pain suddenly stopped.
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
I could healmy mate with my own blood. Watching Ambrose’s wound seal itself up was equal parts fascinating and horrifying. That it caused him so much pain wracked me with guilt, but I kept my bleeding arm over his stomach and let him scream. My relief was so great when he stopped, when the wound healed completely, that I couldn’t stop my tears from falling.
Scooping Ambrose into my arms, I held him close, not caring that I still bled and ached everywhere. I hadn’t been sure how much longer I might’ve been able to fight Oisian. As I’d watched Ambrose bleeding to death, I’d known I would ask Oisian to finish me. But now my little mate was healed, and I didn’t care about my pains.
“What the fuck just happened?” Ambrose asked as he clung to my neck.
“Hellhounds can heal their mates through blood,” Oisian answered. “How did you not know that, Brother?”
“Brothers?” Ambrose made to lean back, so I reluctantly let him.
“In kind,” I said as we both stood up. “He’s not of my litter.”
“Oh. But you have siblings? That’s cool.”
Perhaps he was a bit delirious from being so close to death. I went to put a hand on him, keep him close, only to have to stop and relocate my middle finger.
“Oh shit, Saph! You’re still hurt.” Ambrose’s hands fluttered like he wasn’t sure if he could or should touch me. “What can we do for you?”
“I’m already healing.” Slower than he had, but I didn’t mind that at all.
He finally touched me, his little hands petting my face. “Okay. That’s good. Okay.”
I hugged him because he sounded like he needed to be held. That he took deep breaths and sighed into my fur as he leaned heavily told me I’d been right.
The sudden sounds of feasting mouths had me looking over at where Gaufrid had stood. The ghouls, freed from Gaufrid’s spell, were devouring his deceased flesh like they might not have eaten in far too long. When Oisian killed him, his damned soul had returned to Hell, leaving only a mortal husk behind. Normally, we hellhounds consumed that flesh to burn it to ash, but Oisian hadn’t, and I couldn’t blame him. I had no doubt that the ghouls would obliterate all trace of Gaufrid by full moonrise.
Ambrose made a gagging noise and turned away from the feast. “Is, um, anyone else hurt? Does anyone need medical attention? Holy shit, Diego!”
One of the many humans who had come in leathers and helmets stood nearby with half of his helmet broken away. “Nah, I’m good,” he said, his voice jovial. “One of ’em threw me into a tree but I’m fine.”
“Huh-uh,” Ambrose said, pointing at him. “You’re going to a hospital. I’m not having you take that helmet off only to discover you’ve shattered your skull or something.”
“There’s a few more who could use an exam,” one of the witches said. “I’ll take anyone who wants to go in my van.”
“I don’t have insurance, though,” someone cradling their arm said.
Ambrose took his wallet from his back pocket and handed over a card to the witch. “I’m paying. Just remember seventeen-oh-one.”
When Ambrose made to walk away, I found myself lunging for him, dragging him back into my arms. He made anoomphsound as he thumped against my chest, but I couldn’t fight the need to keep him close. “I nearly lost you,” I whispered into his hair.
I felt him nod against me, and then he wrapped his arms around me and pressed closer. At least he didn’t mind me clinging to him for a bit longer.
But then I heard the gate creak open and everything in me fought against my instinct to spring into action. I didn’t want to leave Ambrose, regardless of which bold soul thought to free itself from Hell here and after what we’d just done. The arrogance. The audacity.
“Mother?”
I snapped my gaze to Oisian, startled to my core to hear him say that. We might not have been born of the same litter, but all hellhounds shared the same mother. I had not seen her in a millennium, not since I was sent to guard my first gate. But there she stood, still looking more human than hellhound and all demon. She smiled, and a shiver went through me as my tail began to wag without permission.
“What great things you’ve done,” she said with a voice like thunder. “Ah, my good boys, how proud I am of you both.”
