Page 113 of Unbroken Magic

His chest shook, and he grimaced. “Don’t make me laugh.”

Water dropped onto his face, and he reached up, wiping my tears away. I hadn’t even realized I was crying. “Sorry,” I choked out.

“Don’t be sorry. Just hold my hand when they pull this thing out?”

I nodded, unable to speak around the lump in my throat. I had a sneaking suspicion the dominant wolf didn’t need his hand held. He was trying to makemefeel better.

Nathaniel crouched on Xander’s other side. His eyes were all wolf.

“You ready?”

Xander’s gaze automatically flicked away, but he nodded. Nathaniel glanced at our hands. “He squeezes too hard, and he’ll turn your bones to dust.”

Little spots danced in front of my eyes, and both men cursed.

Nathaniel was at my side an instant later. “I’m sorry, darling. I shouldn’t have said it like that. Come sit near his head so he can scent you. He needs to be surrounded by pack.”

I nodded, hideously embarrassed. Nathaniel could likely feel that embarrassment, but thankfully, he didn’t comment on it.

“How about a kiss for luck?” Xander gave me a wink, startling a laugh out of me.

“I don’t think so,” Nathaniel said.

Ignoring that, I leaned down and pressed a kiss to Xander’s cheek. Nathaniel gave a mock growl.

Several wolves had gathered, and I realized they were about to hold Xander down. Neana waited, ready for when the steel was removed.

“Don’t need a healer,” Xander told her. “Help the others.”

“I’ll just stop the worst of the bleeding,” she told him. “You can heal the rest.”

I couldn’t bring myself to watch them pull the steel from Xander’s thigh, so I pressed my face to his neck, hoping my scent would help. He let out a low growl, turning his head, and for a moment, I was worried he was about to rip out my throat.

But he buried his face in my hair instead.

Finally, I felt the others let him go. I raised my head.

“Thank you,” Xander whispered.

“Anytime.”

Nathaniel lifted me to my feet. His eyes were tender as he wiped at my tears. For the next half hour, we went from wolf to wolf, ensuring they were healed enough that their bodies could take over. Miraculously, no one had died.

Still, I wanted to impale Gabriel with something sharp and pointy in the worst way.

Ryker appeared, his face covered with grime and dust. “You think that’s the worst of it?”

Nathaniel’s expression was terrible as he stared at the rubble in front of us. One room had been unaffected by the explosion. A dare if ever there was one.

“We need to check it out,” Nathaniel said.

“I’m coming with you.”

He opened his mouth to argue, and I slammed my palm over it. He raised one eyebrow. Behind us, one of the wolves laughed.

“I’ll ward all of us. Now that we know what to expect, I can keep us safe.”

A sick feeling took up residence in my gut. I should’ve warded all of us when we arrived.

---