Niko crawled above Wyatt’s head and held it in his hands. A dubious look crossed his expression. “So much damage. I can heal him, but it doesn’t mean he’ll awaken.”
Viktor jogged over while trying to put on his sweater. “What happened?”
Shepherd sat back. “Humpy Dumpty took a spill off the damn roof. That’s what happened.”
Niko sighed. “It’s your call, Viktor. If he doesn’t wake up on his own, I can’t promise he’ll wake up at all. And if I heal him and he’s comatose…”
Yeah, we’d all been down that road already with Niko.
Viktor wiped his hand down his mouth, a nebula of emotions clouding his expression. “Is there nothing you can give to wake him? Like in movies.”
Shepherd glanced up. “You mean smelling salts? I don’t like carrying ammonia around with me. Chitahs can smell it.” He looked down at Wyatt and frowned. “Should I punch him? That might wake him up.”
“You’ll do more damage,” Niko warned him.
“Spooky, wake your ass up!” Shepherd slapped his cheek a few times. “You in there?”
Suddenly Wyatt’sHave a Nice AfterlifeT-shirt wasn’t so funny.
Shepherd kept holding the handkerchief against Wyatt’s head to stanch the bleeding. “You gotta wake up, man. Don’t do this to me.”
I could see Viktor pressing on a tough decision. I couldn’t get the sound out of my head of Wyatt hitting the asphalt. Staring at his lifeless body, I charged my light and cupped his crotch.
Wyatt gasped, and his eyes went wide.
Next best thing to CPR paddles.
Niko wasted no time before cradling Wyatt’s head. Concentrated light culminated at his fingertips. When it flashed, I shut my eyes from the blinding flare and heard the crack of a whip. Watching Niko heal never got old. After repairing Wyatt’s head, Niko went for his chest. This time, Wyatt cursed under his breath.
We all breathed a collective sigh.
Wyatt cupped his crotch. “Why do my balls hurt?” When he scooted to a sitting position, the bloody rag fell onto his lap.
Shepherd squeezed Wyatt’s shoulder. “What’s your name?”
“Wyatt Blessing.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“A dickhead.” He looked down at the bloody handkerchief in his lap. “Did you save me with your snot rag?”
Shepherd stood. “Yeah, he’ll be fine.”
Viktor eased up next to Shepherd. “My wolf searched the building. Christian is removing the last of the bodies. Burn it down.”
I jumped to my feet. “What are you going to light?”
Viktor took the girl’s hand. “That is Shepherd’s job.”
“I brought gasoline canisters in the second van, but it looks like they’ve got a gas line.” Shepherd took a box of matches out of his pocket and rattled them, a sinister smile on his face. “Let’s get this party started.”
Chapter 19
As soon as we got home, I showered and changed into my sweatpants. Though I’d promised myself I wouldn’t drink on this assignment, the dark blood drove me to it. Prior to leaving the burning warehouse, I’d vomited as much of it out as I could, but it had already seeped its way inside me, slithering through my veins like a venomous snake.
“Slide over.” Christian set an empty glass on the booth table and stole the spot next to me.
While he poured himself a drink, I stared through the open archway into the gathering room. Despite the late hour, some of the children were awake and talking. Blue was brushing one girl’s hair, and Gem was reading an old Russian fable to the little ones. None complained that she didn’t translate it to English. She was an animated storyteller, capturing their imaginations. Given the circumstances, Viktor thought it best to keep the men out of the room so the kids felt safe. He chose an isolated hall with only one way in and out, and Kira and Switch were busy setting up their rooms.
