Page 41 of Been There Dragon That
“Rylee?” Wrath was touching her. Then picking her up again. But she couldn’t process anything past the numbness of her fear.
Her heart was pounding.
Wrath was talking.
“She’s having a panic attack,” a female voice shouted.
Then everything became a noisy blur. All the voices blended together. And she couldn’t see anything in her mind except that fucking crystal bird in a cage and the wordstill deathscribbled in Jeff’s handwriting.
It was so hard to breathe.
* * *
“They always slappeople in the movies.”
“What?” He clutched his mate tight to his chest and snarled at the idiot young male who’d thought striking his mate was the right choice when she was panicking. The young wolf shifter winced and backed away.
“Wrath, take her outside. She needs air.” Connie yanked his arm, guiding him outside into the parking lot of the Jenkins’ store.
He bared his fangs and snarled down at the nurse, but she stood her ground, crossed her arms over her chest and glared. Not fazed at all by his display.
Wrath wouldn’t really have hurt her. And she knew it.
“Wrath,” Aarav ground out his name from his other side. “Growl at my mate again, and I can’t guarantee you won't bleed for it.”
“Can we please focus on the woman in his arms? Both of you. For the love of Fate.” She whirled and ran a few feet to a snowy patch and grabbed some of the white fluff into her hands. Then ran back toward him. “This isn’t what I’d normally recommend, but she’s hyperventilating and not letting herself breathe. We need to shock her system a bit.”
Wrath’s stomach turned in his belly.Not breathing.Dalmeck.
She paused in front of him. Aarav was right next to her, ready to tear him apart if he so much as huffed the wrong way.
“I’m sorry.”
The tension melted from Connie’s face, and she gave him a small nod. She divided the snow in her hands and cupped it against Rylee’s cheeks.
His mate gasped and flailed a little, but her breathing resumed and her heartbeat immediately improved.
“Hey, hey, hey, sweetie. I’m sorry. It’s okay. I promise.” Connie cooed in a soft voice. “Can you tell me what triggered you? Or has it been building this whole time?”
“I—”
“Shuarra.” Wrath squeezed her a little tighter. “Please.”
“He’s here.” Her words came out like a tiny whisper of a breeze, but Wrath could feel her pain and fear like an avalanche pounding away at her courage. His dragon chuffed and pushed at his skin. He burned with ferocity that made both Aarav and Connie back away.
Kann and several others had gathered at a distance, but nobody else approached.
Rylee whimpered in his arms.
He instantly cooled. “I’m sorry.” He nuzzled his face against her neck and kissed her warm dampened skin. “I’m so sorry. I will protect you. He will never touch you again. Do you hear me?”
She nodded against his face.
He pulled away from her and looked around. No one was on the street. No one was walking. He couldn’t scent any strangers.
Aarav pointed at the main road. “There was a black SUV a few minutes ago. Had to be what spooked her.”
Wrath’s scales rippled across his skin, and Connie’s eyes got big.
