“Well as much fun as it is to watch the three of you giggle at each other, we should go. I don’t like how some of these shifters are looking at her,” Sabin declares.
I look up, taking in the faces all around us. I meet a lot of intense stares, but none of them feel threatening. Valen grabs my bloody hand, and I wince at the pain that shoots through my shoulder. I sway ever so slightly before my feet start cooperating and I’m led out into the parking lot. I stop at the back of the white Range Rover I stole earlier, and I direct Sabin to the wheel well I hid the keys in.
Ryker pulls up the back door. “Vinna, sit before you pass out from blood loss.”
I do as I’m told. Ryker starts gently wiping away blood, in search of its source, and his hands warm up when he begins to heal me. My pants have long tears in them, I’m guessing from claws, and one strap of my sports bra is hanging by a thread. My shirt is a lost cause and judging by the amount of--wipe away the blood and then heal the source--that’s going on right now, my body doesn’t look much better than my clothing.
Oh well, it was worth it.
The guys all watch with the same intensity they had the first time Ryker healed me, and it sends shivers up my spine. Ryker tears away the mangled strap of my sports bra, to give himself better access to the bite on my shoulder. The motion sends a zing straight to my clit, and I have to force myself to stop thinking about how hot it is to have Ryker tearing off my clothes.
“Fuck, I know I did this to you, and I’m so sorry. I just saw that big ass wolf charging you, and I freaked out.”
For a minute I thought Ryker was apologizing for getting me wet, and it takes me a second to process what he said. He starts to heal the bite and relief from the pain floods me.
“Yeah, distractions during a fight are never a good thing. Try to remember that for next time,” I tease.
“There, won’t be--”
“Don’t even finish that sentence, Bastien. I promise you’re not going to like what happens if you do.”
“Bruiser--”
“No, I’m serious. You get no say in what I do. You haven’t earned that privilege, and let’s get one thing straight right now. There will always be a next time because it’s part of who I am. I was made for this, and if you can’t handle that, then fuck off.”
Bastien and I glare at each other both of us breathing heavy with anger. Ryker cups my cheeks and forces my eyes from Bastien’s stormy gaze, to his warm expression.
“We get it. It took us by surprise to see you out there and none of us like seeing you hurt. Which is why some of us are saying some dumb shit right now, but I promise you we get it. You get hurt all you want, and I swear I’ll always be here to heal it.”
His thumbs stroke both of my cheeks. His earnest gaze reaches into me and forces me to see him, and what he could mean to me if I let it happen. I lean into his palm ever so slightly and close my eyes. I don’t let myself stay there for long, and I definitely don’t allow myself to hope that I will ever be able to keep this. But I take a couple of seconds and let myself to get lost in this fleeting moment.
“Alright, let’s rinse off as much blood as we can, and get a move on.”
Valen hands me his wet t-shirt, and I use it to wipe myself down as much as possible, while I count his abs and try not to stare at his hard nipples. When I’m done Sabin and Valen load up in an old Bronco, and the rest of us pile into Ryker’s SUV. Ryker starts the car and “All My Life” by the Foo Fighters blasts through the speakers, scaring the shit out of everyone.
He scrambles to get the volume down and turns to me in the back seat. I scrunch my nose sheepishly.
“Sorry, I was kind of jamming when I pulled in here. You have really good music,” I offer, as consolation for the ruptured eardrums I just gave everyone.
He shakes his head, and a smile grows across his full lips. “I love music.”
“He’s an incredible guitar player,” Bastien informs me. “And Knox can sing the panties off anyone.”
Ryker and Knox chuckle.
“We’ll have to go camping, or do a bonfire night, then you guys can show Vinna what you can do,” Bastien decides.
“I’ll be sure to bring extra panties,” I tease.
Bastien turns around in the passenger seat and gives me a big smile. “Does that mean you are you going to stop avoiding us now?”
The easy happiness I was feeling blinks out, and I sigh.“No.”
Bastien’s smile dims, and I hate that he looks sad. I feel like I just kicked a puppy, but I can’t get sucked back into this...thing that happens when I’m around them.
“I’m just here to learn about magic. I shouldn’t be focusing on anything beyond that. The paladin aren’t teaching me shit, and reading only goes so far. When I’m with you guys, it’s easy to forget that my life right now is a drama-filled suckfest.
“I don’t want to add fighting with Sabin, and you guys fighting each other, to my suckfest. I’d love to say we can just keep it friendly, but if I’m being honest with myself, that’s not going to work for me either. So, avoiding you is the best plan I can come up with right now.”
