“Good, keep doing that,” Ilijas encouraged him.“Pull as much as you can stomach.It’s helping, her nose stopped bleeding.”
“What?”Hellion gasped.Jarred ignored it and lay down, pressing his whole body against hers.All he wanted was for her to stop hurting.Everywhere their skin touched, his stung.He wanted to roar, shift, pace, roar, pace—
“Enough!”Ilijas’s shout penetrated his thoughts.Hands jerked him back, and Jarred shifted without thought.
Chapter 45 – Hellion
IlijaspulledJarredawayfrom Wayla, and he shifted into a roaring jaguar in a second.Power wafted and crackled out of him as he paced and chuffed, eyes glued on Wayla.On Wayla, who wasn’t bleeding from her nose or mouth anymore.
Before Ilijas could try again, Sim reached over and then promptly found himself flying to the nearest wall.“Not enough,” he coughed.
Marc moved before Hellion could and touched her cheek.Nothing happened.He didn’t get thrown away, but there was no change in Wayla either.He frowned and apparently tried harder.Nothing.
“Wh—”
The jaguar roared and tried to push closer.When Ilijas barred the way, it growled.Ilijas just spoke soothingly.
“What did you do, Jarred?How did you pull it out?”
The beast shook its head a couple of times, and then in a flash, Jarred stood in its place again.He couched and fell to his knees.“I wanted it to stop hurting her,” he rasped.“That’s what I was focusing on.I wanted her to stop hurting.I didn’t do anyt—”
Marc landed on his ass next to Wayla; he was holding her hand.Tiny sparks of electricity ran up his arm, and he cursed softly, but didn’t let go.Wayla’s eyelids fluttered, but she didn’t wake up, and her breathing rasped.
Hellion moved over and pulled her head into his lap.He put both of his hands around her neck.At first, he felt nothing.He tried to focus, but there was too much chaos in his head.
“Let go,” Ilijas ordered Marc, and when he didn’t, he pushed him free of Wayla.He staggered and Justin had to grab him.Marc groaned and swayed like a drunk.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he muttered.
“Lay down before you hurt yourself,” Ilijas snapped, and then his focus moved to Hellion.“Anything?”
“I… no.”
“Precious, please,” Jarred pleaded as he knelt next to her.He would have touched her again if Sim hadn’t been there to stop him.
“You’ve had enough,” he murmured softly.“Anymore and we might end up treating you instead of her.”That was the right thing to say.Jarred wouldn’t risk her, so he held just out of reach.
Hellion cursed.“Why can’t I—”
“You are scared to let her in,” Irishen said softly.So softly that Hellion doubted anyone but Jarred, who was basically kneeling between them, heard.Irishen slowly lifted his gaze up to him and smiled self-deprecatingly.“I should know.”
What?Right, the kiss he had pulled away from.Hellion tried to clear his head, but it was no use.All he could focus on was the unanswered questions he had about her.
Slowly, giving Hellion all the time to stop him, Irishen leaned closer and then kissed Wayla.On the lips.Frost spread over her face, coated her lashes, and ran down her body.Wayla gasped for air, but when Hellion moved to push him away, Irishen inhaled.
With that, all the frost receded back into him, and Wayla took her first deep breath.Irishen half-slumped over her.Jarred caught him before he could crush Wayla.
“She was right,” he mumbled.
“What?”Ilijas asked.
Irishen sat back, no longer touching Wayla in any way.“She was right,” he repeated, now sounding a bit steadier but strained.“If she had let go, we wouldn’t have a campus anymore.”
“What do you mean?”Marc croaked.
“I mean, that if she’s a stormspirit,I’ll eat my crown and denounce my inheritance.I took in as much as I could without preparation, and she’sstillleaking over.”
“Well, then it’s on you, hell-boy,” Sim said.He tried to make it a joke, but couldn’t quite pull it off.“If she bashed Sinister, me, and Ilijas over, I don’t see a point in getting Xuan over here.”
