Page 72 of All's Fair in Lion and War
“I assumed. You’ve been through more injuries than a human could likely endure and still be conscious.” He reached for her and then paused. “Okay, if I lift you?”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
Liam slipped an arm around her back and then carefully under her legs, lifting her off the machine like she weighed no more than a small child. He’d carried her down the entire mountain without breathing hard.
Tor was helping Saul get off the sled ahead of them. A rattling growl from Saul warmed her heart.
“Fuck off, I’m not coming onto your woman.” The sound stopped and Liam gave a satisfied huff. “They’re all very territorial. Makes a lot more sense now that I know about the animal shit.”
Lorelei stifled a laugh and buried her face in Liam’s shirt.
They got inside and Liam walked her straight to a bathroom, ignoring Saul and Tor’s objections. “I would recommend a bath to soak the muscles, but you need a shower first to wash the grime off. Can you stand?”
Tor was almost immediately in the doorway behind Liam. “You are not helping her shower, Liam. Saul can’t—”
Liam set Lorelei down on the toilet and turned to face the redheaded male, who was a bit taller than the human male. And Liam was big for a human. Tor wasn’t small though, but they were probably close to the same weight.
“Are you going to help her shower?” Liam folded his arms across his chest and glared.
“Well, no. That wouldn’t be okay with him either.”
“So what do you propose? Allowing the two injured people to help each other so they can collapse and bash their heads against the tub and die?”
“I—well—But—he”
Lorelei watched Tor battle to come up with the right response and fail multiple times.
“Tell Saul I will be respectful, but he needs to get off his high horse and let me help Lorelei.” Liam turned and met her gaze. “As long as yer good with me helping you?”
It would be slightly uncomfortable to have a strange man help her get cleaned up, but Liam was just trying to help her. And it was better than sitting here filthy, waiting for a woman to show up. And most of the women mated to these Reyleans were so tiny and human. They would struggle to help her.
She nodded. “Tell Saul, I’ll be fine. I need Liam to help me.”
Tor pursed his lips, doubt ringing through his expression like a warning bell going off. “He will eat him.”
“He will not. If he so much as touches a hair on Liam’s head, he’ll never touch one on mine again. You tell him that. Now.” She shoved all the authority and confidence she could muster into that order.
Tor nodded, but didn’t utter a single word. He closed the bathroom door, leaving her with Liam’s giant hulking self standing there.
Some type of warming coil buzzed on the ceiling. Lights above the mirror cast a soft yellow glow in the small room. The white tile on the floor was mostly covered by a shaggy dark green rug.
“How do you want to do this?” Liam’s face pinked a little, giving away that he was also nervous.
“Help me get out of these clothes first. Which I’m going to acknowledge is going to be uncomfortable for both of us. But I can barely move. I’m going to need you to do most of it.”
“Got it.” He knelt in front of her and reached for the bottom of her shirt. The fabric made a crackling sound. There was so much dried and frozen blood and dirt. Some of it stuck and pulled at her skin. “Your cuts are fresh, but they already look like they’re healing a little.”
“It’s faster than humans, but slower than normal for me because of how bad my injuries are and how malnourished I am.” She stopped talking and took a purposeful slow deep breath. She could feel the coughing fit coming and was trying to ward it off. “Tell me about yourself. Distract me, please.”
“I need you to tell me if something is too much.” The kindness in his voice made her heart squeeze. He raised one of her arms and fed it through the sleeve slowly. She unsuccessfully held back a whimper of distress.
He paused, giving her a moment to breathe.
“Everything hurts, but I can take it. I just need to get clean. Please continue.”
He nodded and flattened his lips into a determined line. She could see the soldier he used to be take over. The flush in his cheeks disappeared. He settled into the job he needed to do.
“I was married once. She was an amazing woman.” He pulled one arm out of her shirt. Then the other.
