Page 26 of Elemental Healer

I hadn’t brought any clothes in the bathroom with me, so I was forced to enter the room in my towel. Jeff sat on the bed and didn’t look at me as I came out. Instead, he grabbed a pile of clothes off our dresser and headed into the bathroom to clean up himself.

He was throwing attitude around, and I needed to put him in line. The blood from Nathaniel was already reenergizing him. The warrior-healer needed to know what was expected of him.

The water was running when I walked into the bathroom and removed Jeff’s towel from the hook by the shower. He must not have shaved because his shower did not last as long as I’d expected it to. His hand reached out and grabbed for the missing towel, and when he couldn’t find it, he pulled the curtain aside a little. Thankfully, I couldn’t see him from where I stood, leaning against the counter.

“Looking for this?” I held up the towel, my own still wrapped around me, and he peeked his head out from behind the curtain.

“Get out.”

“I said that earlier.”

He leveled an anger-filled look at me. “And I left. I also gave you a towel. I didn’t take it away.”

“This is more fun.”

“Tessa, get out.”

I smirked. I really couldn’t help it. He was making this so darn fun. “If I leave, I’m taking every scrap of material and anything else that can be used to cover you, sweetheart. So, I think you’re going to want me to stay.”

He groaned, pulled back, and I could hear the thud of his head hitting the shower wall. “What do you want?”

“You pulled an attitude with me earlier. It wasn’t appreciated.”

He was breathing heavily, probably to calm down, and it was half a minute before he spoke. “My apologies.”

“Don’t pull that kind of stunt again. Especially in front of Nathaniel. I respect him, and he is like family to me.”

“I understand. Can I have my towel now?”

“Catch.” I threw it without any more warning, but the man caught it easily. Ten seconds later, the shower curtain was pulled aside to reveal more muscle than I’d seen on one person in my life. Who knew the Elemental Lord of Healing and Love looked like that? I certainly hadn’t expected it.

“So, what else do we need to discuss?” He crossed his massive arms over a solid chest and leaned against the shower wall. “Is it that important we both have to stand here in towels? I already promised not to tell Nate or my brothers about your vendetta, and I’ve agreed to take whatever crap you throw at me. What else is there?”

“Do you have to say anything to anyone when you hear a lie? Report to anyone?”

He shook his head.

“You only hear verbal lies and are unable to tell verbal lies?”

He nodded.

“Then you need to talk to me. Head nods and shakes no longer cut it.”

“Understood.”

“What else can you do?”

He chewed on his bottom lip before responding, like he was trying to think of the right words. “Hopefully you never have to see it, but there’s a reason my brothers fear me when I am angered. My Love element is deadly.”

The snorted laugh couldn’t be contained. Really? Love, deadly?

“I’m being serious, Tessa. When you think of your mom and your love for her, and then you think of the people who took her from you, what does it make you want to do?”

I looked him right in the eyes. “Destroy them.”

He nodded again. “And if someone threatened Nate, they were going to kill him, what would you do?”

“Take them out first.” I took a step closer to him, and he held up his hands.

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