“Shhhhhhh,Reillov, you’re okay.”
He glared at the unfamiliar giantess holding him down. He would not be tricked again. Neve swiped his claws at the unfamiliarvalles.
She lurched backward, eyes wide. “I need help,” she cried, cupping her arm, which dripped with silver blood.
Olwen grabbed his wrist and grinned at Neve. “Quite the reflexes, but how about we save the violence for someone who deserves it?”
Neve growled at the apparition, weakly swiping at Olwen with his right hand. A familiar white hand seized his forearm. He whipped his attention toward Flyka as she crawled onto the bed. He bared his fangs and snapped at her. “My mate,” he croaked. “Let go.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Not if you’re going to hurt someone or yourself. Calm down.”
His hearts raced as the two apparitions tried to pin him down. He wouldn’t be easy prey this time.
“Never.”
“The hard way it is,” Olwen growled. He crawled onto the mattress and used his massive muscle mass to pin Neve down. There was no overtaking the berserker.
Neve fought with everything he had, but his strength drained, leaving him gasping and exhausted. He turned his head to the side to avoid all of Olwen’s braids in his face.
“You mustn’t tax him. He needs to recover,” a stiff male voice said.
“Do you want to do this?” Olwen snarled.
Pinned and at the mercy of the apparitions, Neve closed his eyes and waited for the pain of death to take him.Seittae,be quick.
“Hey,” Flyka murmured softly in his ear. “Your hearts are racing. You are safe,lae reillov.”
Nowhere was safe.
“Take a deep breath,” Olwen said.
So they could poison him? He held his breath as long as he could, but eventually, Neve’s body gave out. He gulped in air, familiar scents piercing through the panic.
Lia’s faded ginger scent.
Wind & thyme . . . Flyka.
Leather & smoke . . . Olwen.
Incense. Sweat. Herbs.
No pain came.
Neve pried his eyes open.
His friends stared down at him with worry.
“Is this real?” he rasped, licking his cracked lips. He trembled as he awaited their answer.
“Yes.”
He didn’t trust them, but his whole body hurt, and the aching pain felt real.
So did the exhaustion.
“Sleep,” Flyka said softly. “We’ll be here when you wake.”
He didn’t want to sleep, but his body wouldn’t obey.
