Page 34 of Alice and Her Shifters (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 2)

He stared at Allison for a few brief moments. His lips pressed firmly together, and a crease appeared just above the bridge of his nose. With a huff, Milo nodded before turning around and guiding us through the woods in search of suitable shelter for the night.

A couple of hours later, I was losing hope.

“Any luck yet?” I asked.

“Do you need me to take her?” Milo asked over his shoulder.

“No,” I said. “But we are running out of time. I have to clean her arm. The wound is sour.”

Aidan and Milo both glanced at her.

“I think we are close to an old mill,” Milo said. “It’s not the best shelter, but it’s good enough to accomplish our goals.”

“It will do,” I said. “Take us there.”

“Mending supplies?” Aidan asked. His voice was hitched. He was worried about Allison. He knew poisons and remedies better than anyone else alive, once upon a time. I was sure that knowledge came back to him along with the clarity.

“If you would be so kind to gather what you need on the way, that would be a big help,” I said.

Aidan smiled and nodded before he broke rank and headed deeper into the woods.

I huffed. “How far out is it?”

“Not far. A mile or two,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want me to carry her?”

“Yes,” I said.

Irritation flooded my system, and I instantly took a deep, cleansing breath. Allison didn’t need me taking out my frustrations on Milo while carrying her. Especially not while she was clinging to life. Besides the fact I didn’t have a claim to her. She wasn’t my mate. Not yet.

About an hour later, we finally made it to the old, abandoned mill. It certainly wasn’t much to look at. At least Milo didn’t mislead on this one. And so long as we played things safe, I could tend to Allison’s injury and hopefully save her from any permanent damage to her arm.

“Go lay her down,” Milo said. “I’ll wait here for Aidan to return then find some food for when she wakes.”

I nodded and carried her into the mill and laid her on some loose hay on the far side. She was already feverish, and I had to work quickly to take care of the infection coursing through her body.

“I need hot water,” I called out to Milo.

He nodded and headed off to collect it. I ripped the bottom of my shirt to use as a makeshift rag and proceeded to wipe the sweat covering her forehead. Once I was done, I left her side long enough to collect some wood and create a small fire. Once I had it lit, Milo returned with an old metal bucket filled with fresh water.

“Set it on the fire,” I said.

“How is she fairing so far?” he asked as he set the bucket on the flames.

“Not well,” I said. “I hope Aidan returns soon.”

“Speaking of…” Milo said and nodded behind me.

I turned as Aidan emerged from the trees. He carried herbs, already crushed and ready to be used. I met him halfway. “Thank you, Aidan.”

He smiled and nodded.

Without missing a beat, I created a paste in my hand using some of the herbs and the water from the bucket sitting on top of the fire. “I need a piece of your shirt.”

Milo tore off a section and handed it to me.

“Thank you,” I said and dipped the rag into the water, carefully wringing it out before returning to Allison’s side. Thanks to my experience tending to the wounded soldiers during the wars, I was able to clean her wound, removing as much of the poison as possible, and applied the paste with little issue.

But she wasn’t improving.

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