She threw open the front door and called out, “Sierra. Do you have a first-aid kit?”
“What happened?” Sierra stood quickly, her chair tumbling backward. She kneeled behind her desk and pulled a box out of the lower drawer.
“He got hit by a truck.”
Sierra righted the chair, and Katie guided me to sit down. She lifted my chin, staring into my eyes. “Did you hit your head?”
I shook my head, wincing when my neck protested. My whole body was screaming. “No, it just caught my side. I went down pretty hard, but I’ll be fine. Shifters heal fast.”
“That may be so, but I’m also sure shifters can get infections.” Katie opened the first aid kit. “Your arms are scraped and bleeding.”
“I’ll go get Mason. He handles most of the injuries around here.” Sierra squeezed my shoulder and rushed out of the gallery.
Katie crossed over to the tiny bathroom and returned with a wet cloth. Her hands were shaking as she cleaned my wounds, and her breath came out ragged.
“I really will be fine.” I hissed as she applied an antiseptic, but my skin heated when she blew gently to soothe the sting. “How are you? I shoved you pretty hard.”
“Thank goodness you did.” She blinked back tears. “I thought I was going to die. My life and future flashed before my eyes and everything.”
My chest tightened. “I’ll always protect you.” I reached out, smoothing her tangled hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ears. “That’s what mates do.”
Now that I could breathe normally, I studied her for any damage. “Did you fall?”
“I stumbled and landed on my knees and palms.” She held her palms up, showing the scraped skin. “It could have been way worse.”
I took the antiseptic from her and sprayed it on her palms, blowing gently across the skin like she did with me. Our gazes locked as I looked up from her hands, and heat bloomed between us. The moment was heavy with emotion. The near loss of her slammed into me, and if I weren’t already sitting, my knees may have buckled.
I pressed a lingering kiss against her forehead, savoring the feel of her smooth, satiny skin beneath my lips. I pulled back, resting my forehead against hers and closing my eyes. Letting the closeness of her wash over me and settle the fear that still lingered.
“I should bandage your wounds.” Her voice was a whisper, and little puffs of air reached my lips. She bit her lower lip as her gaze dipped to my mouth.
“In a minute.” I inhaled her scent. Even mixed with the antiseptic, it was still the best thing I’d ever smelled. I brushed my lips over her cheeks and the tip of her nose before settling them on her lips.
The kiss was light, and I kept it that way, even as my wolf clamored for me to deepen it. To take whatever she was willing to give. But the moment was charged, and I didn’t want her regretting something done in the heat of emotion.
When I pulled away, her lids were heavy over her eyes, and her tongue darted out to swipe across her lips. She blinked slowly, and her hand flexed around my forearm.
The hiss of pain that escaped her broke the mood. I held her hand in mine and ensured the scrapes weren’t bleeding again. I wrapped her hands in gauze, finishing just as the door opened and Mason entered.
He crossed the gallery, his gait uneven. When he was tired, his limp was worse, and he’d been pulling a lot of late nights. A frown was etched on his face. “I checked the camera footage. Whoever it was knew where the cameras were pointing. I couldn’t get a look at their face, even when I zoomed in.”
“They were wearing a hat and sunglasses, so I can’t identify them either.” Katie stood up, wincing. Her muscles were probably sore from the fall.
I moved behind her and massaged her shoulders and back. “You should have a hot bath to relax your muscles. And I’ll give you a liniment that’s really good.”
She hummed, swaying slowly. I could tell when she remembered Mason was there, as she cleared her throat and stepped away from me, cheeks flushed. “That would be nice.” She looked at Mason. “I cleaned his wounds but haven’t bandaged them yet.”
“I’ll finish up with Luke.” He angled his head to see my injuries. “He’s already healing. Give him a day, and you’ll never know he hit the ground.”
“Good.” Katie stepped toward the door before spinning to face me. “Thank you, Luke. You saved my life.”
She rose onto her toes and pressed a kiss against my cheek. Then she darted away, leaving me with a goofy grin on my face and an amused Mason watching.
“I take it she’s your mate.” He said it as a statement, not a question, so I didn’t bother responding. “Another one falls.”
“Your turn next, brother.”
Mason frowned, eyes darkening. “Not me.”
