“I see, I’m sorry about that,” he said and his gravelly voice sent little shocks of awareness right through to her core, “well, besides the shoes, does anything else hurt?”
“My arm is still throbbing.”
“It does? I cleaned the wound before I bandaged it. I also applied some healing salve, but you should know, it could still be infected.”
“Ugh, I was afraid of that,” she frowned down at the bandage.
Crap like that always happened to her. She had the worst immune system. Anytime she caught the slightest little cold it was a month in bed or else she never got better. She couldn’t even imagine what this would do to her. She looked up and found herself captivated by his intense stare.
The man had the craziest blue eyes she ever saw, not crazy like mental, just really, really blue. Like little pools of the purest water and boy did she really want to dive right in. She blinked and tried to shake herself from the spell he seemed to weave so effortlessly around her.
“Thank you so much for all your help, but I have to go, I need to stop at urgent care.”
“Urgent care?”
“Yeah, you know, one of those budget clinics that’ve been popping up all over the state.”
“Look, if you aren’t feeling well, I’d rather you stayed-”
“No, really, I couldn’t,” she blushed, “it’s just a scratch.
A knock at the door brought both their heads up and Fergie was grateful for the respite. Any more meaningful staring and she’d be volunteering to strip her clothes off for the man.
“Come in,” bit off Hudson, but she could tell he was not happy about it. Even odder was the way he covered her back up with the blanket.
Fergie looked up and her mouth dropped open. Was everyone here gorgeous? Hudson snarled and looked from her to the visitor and back again with one eyebrow raised.
“Hello, my name is Byram. I’m a friend of Storm’s here,” he said to her as he entered the light.
He was tall and lithe with light brown hair combed away from his almost too handsome face. The man was positively pretty she thought a little enviously. He seemed to know that and he smiled a bit sheepishly.
“Byram,” Hudson nodded at him expectantly.
“I’ve come to inspect the wound. If I may?”
Chapter 5
His female was wounded and in a strange place, but she wasn’t afraid. That was a good sign, he noted with some pride.
Her brown sugar and almond scent filled his room and he knew it would leave its mark on his sheets. Might as well get used to this semi state of arousal he grimaced as he tried to sit next to her and found his pants a bit snug.
It was hard enough wanting to lay claim to her with increasing urgency every second they spent together, but now that the Vampire was in his room, he damn near lost control.
Byram was a good man. He was a Guardian before Storm and they’d worked beside one another for nearly a century. But he couldn’t help it. He did not want the suave aristocratic bloodsucker near his mate.
Shit. Guilt filled him at the unkind thought. When he took his pledge, Byram vowed he would never drink from an unwilling donor. He got his blood from a bank, actually. Storm knew this, but his Wolf wasn’t as politically correct as the man.
“Easy, brother,” Byram said in a low voice as he carefully opened his medical bag.
“Will it leave a scar?” Fergie asked interrupting their little convo.
“No,” Storm answered her before Byram could.
It was more promise than threat, but Byram still snorted at the implication. Good. Fucker should be aware if he hurt her, Storm would be hurting him.
“My dear, I will be gentle I promise. Let me see your arm, please and thank you,” he said.
Storm always wondered at the traces of his British heritage that sometimes lingered in his accent and cadence of speech. He knew it had been hundreds of years since the Vampire had set foot in the place of his birth, but still, he often wondered at it.
“Ouch,” Fergie gasped then giggled.
“I haven’t removed the bandage yet,” Byram said and smirked.
“I know I was just getting ready. Hudson? Will you hold my hand?” she bit her lip and he moved closer to her.
It was good that she wanted him for comfort. A sign that maybe she was feeling some of the formidable attraction that he was. Mating fever affected humans, he knew, but he’d never seen it or experienced it before.
“Here now, he won’t hurt you,” Storm took her small hand in his and held it as she’d asked.
Such a platonic touch, and yet he felt it all the way down to his marrow. The healthy bronze glow he’d noted in the dark parking lot was a bit paler now after the incident and her consequential wound. Byram unwrapped the bandage carefully, he had to give him credit.
The scent of antiseptic, blood, and Gila Shifter venom reached his nostrils making his Wolf pace in agitation. Something was wrong. The wound was not healing.
“Is it bad? Do I need stitches?”
“No stitches, but I am afraid it’s infected,” Byram’s steel gaze met Storm’s, and he knew immediately there was something wrong.
“You know, maybe you can help me? You see, Hudson here hasn’t answered my questions yet, but maybe you can,” she narrowed her eyes at the deep gauges on her arm.
“If I can,” Byram nodded, ignoring Storm’s warning look.
“What were those guys who attacked me? Some kind of role-playing groupies or something. Were they in costume? I mean I know some people have strange fetishes. I once saw a picture of some guy who had these little plates implanted underneath his skin so he could resemble a freaking dragon, you believe that?” she was rambling nervously, but Storm couldn’t help but think she was adorable.
“Uh, actually, maybe Storm can better answer your questions when he gets back, I need him to help me get some things from my room to treat this,” Byram nodded at him.
“Sure,” Storm answered.
He needed to do something to keep his mind off the fact that she was lying in his bed. His eyes glanced down as he pictured the way his hands had roamed over her lush curves just minutes ago.
“Storm?”
“Yes, I will be right there,” he said to Byram as the Vampire stood to leave, “You will wait? I can have food brought?” he asked her.
“No, I’m fine,” she said a little too brightly.
Storm narrowed his eyes, but he had little choice. She might not know she was his mate, but he did and he had a duty to her. One he relished.
He followed the trail the Vampire left down the hall to his room and Storm entered without knocking.
“Well?”
“Oh, you’re welcome, Storm, it is my privilege to help your mate,” he snorted as he rummaged through vials in the medicine locker in his room.
“I apologize, Byram, of course I am grateful, but what is wrong?”
“What’s wrong is her blood is infected. Something is not right with the Gila Shifter’s venom. I don’t know how, but it seems to have increased in potency tenfold.”
“That’s impossible. The mucus those Shifters make should have only a mild effect on even normals,” Storm growled.
“Yes, well, this poison is much stronger than anything we have ever seen. I’ve never come across the likes of it. She will need help fighting otherwise she could lose her arm, and worse than that.”