Page 73 of Lorran
“I’m fine. You’re bleeding.”
“A scratch.”
“Bullshit. It bit you. With its teeth. Big teeth.”
“I am aware.” He held out the injured arm. Blood—red, his—soaked the cloth, and she saw the raw inner workings of his forearm. He wiggled his fingers. “I am well. No major damage.”
His other arm, the non-bleeding one, hung at an odd angle. Dislocated.
Wyn laughed, because he was gushing blood, his shoulder dislocated, and probably had a weird parasite now. Only a Mahdfel would consider that no major damage.
“Grab this,” he said, holding out his dislocated arm. “Pull it straight.”
Wyn did, realizing what he was asking. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You will not.”
Wow, that was some quality bull right there. Still, she grabbed his wrist and pulled it straight.
The joint popped back into place with a crack. He hissed and rubbed his shoulder.
The crisis was over. Lorran had been used like a chew toy, but he’d survive. The fluttery, anxious feeling in her heart vanished, and all her cool evaporated.
“Are you serious!?” She smacked his good shoulder, which felt like battering her puny human hands against stone. “Thatwas the lowest power setting? It blew out the back of its head!”
He blinked, as if confused. “Yes. That setting will damage a being without armor but merely tickle a Suhlik’s scales.”
“And what does the highest setting do? Melt off faces?”
“Pierce armor.”
“That…makes sense,” she said, but she was wound up on adrenaline and her hands were still shaking. “What were you thinking?! You could have been killed!”
“You failed to obey my order to run,” he retorted.
“Do I look like I could outrun that thing?”
“I would have distracted it!”
“As a chew toy!”
They stared at each other, chests heaving, and nostrils flared. Green gore splattered across his face and dripped off his horns. Half in shadow from the trees, his turbulent blue eyes glinted. He was an untamed force, coiled tight and looking like he was ready for a fight or a hard fuck.
Wyn knew which one she preferred.
She grabbed him by the shirt collar and slammed her mouth to his. Hard and fierce, he kissed her deeply, until her knees trembled.
He broke away, pressing his forehead to hers. She didn’t care that he smeared green gore on her face. He was with her, alive and breathing.
“I nearly lost you,” he said. “When you fell. Do not do that again.”
“That’s why I’m wearing the armor, right?”
“No. You are not listening.” His hand tightened on the back of her neck and his forehead returned to hers. “You were prone, no helmet, staring up at the sky, and I could not see you breathing. I knew my actions endangered you and there was nothing I could do to prevent that fate. I was alone.”
Wyn took his free hand and pressed it against her chest, over her heart. He winced at the pain from his injured shoulder but said nothing. The vulnerable moment between them seemed endless, all-encompassing. They had both felt powerless, but they had rallied. She hoped they were stronger for it.
“You are not alone.Weare not alone,” she said. “We’re in this together. You and me, yeah?”
