The room was tense, and I knew Damien was absorbing the negative emotions I was feeling along with the pain.
Lachlan stood up and walked over to me before kneeling on the bed and pressing a kiss to my head. “I’ll go after him and see if I can talk some sense into him.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, and he shot me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes before he left the room.
“What happened wasn’t anyone’s fault,” Kian said, and I nodded.
“It was the human’s fault.” The fear that spiked through me fed into Damien, and he shifted on the bed to sit next to me and wrapped his arms around me.
“I’ll keep you calm, little bird, you’re okay.”
“What happened to the human?”
Rowan sighed, walking over and sitting on the other side of me, and let his fingertips trail down my arm. “I gave what was left of the body to a friend, Norman. He’s an icedrake that lives in Fate Hollow, and he came in as soon as I called him. Norman’s a scientist, so I figured he’d be able to figure it out.”
“Has he had time to do anything?” I asked.
“He knows that the man was human with something else mixed with his DNA, but whatever it is, isn't of supernatural origins.”
“What else is there?”
“I don’t know.” Rowan shook his head as his tablet rang out on the bedside table. He bent over and grabbed it. “It’s Norman. I need to take this.”
“Go ahead,” I told him and he bent forward and kissed my lips as longing shot through the bond.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I know.”
He hesitated before walking out of the room, and Kian stood up abruptly before grabbing my bag and handing it to me. “Can you pull out one of your healing salves?”
“Sure.” I reached in and grabbed the small jar and handed it to him.
He unscrewed the lid and glanced up at me. “I just had a vision on how to heal your wound. I’ll need all of us to rub some on it. Is that okay?”
I nodded, and his cheeks turned pink as he dipped a finger in and slathered some around the opening. A small amount of his magic infused it and I could feel the tugging as it sped up the healing process.
Kian passed the jar to Alister, who did the same, and once everyone had put the salve on my wound with their magic essence, the pain had disappeared completely, and Damien stopped feeding off me.
The door cracked open and Rowan’s gaze went to my belly, where the wound had finished healing completely. “I thought I felt relief through our bond. I hate to do this, but I have to run to the library to talk to Norman. He said he has something urgent to show me. Alister and Rhett, you were asked to tag along.”
I frowned, and Rowan walked in and sat down next to me. “I’m sorry, Wren, but I have to get to the source of this so we can put an end to it.” He ran his fingers down the front of my stomach, where the wound had healed, and he smiled. “How’d you manage this?”
“Mmm, Kian,” I mumbled as his fingers continued moving down my stomach and up to my chest.
“I had a vision on how to heal it. It’s her salve and our magical essence,” he explained, and Rowan let out a rumble as he leaned down to press his lips against where the wound had been.
“I should’ve been there sooner. I love you, Wren.” Rowan’s breath fanned over my chest.
It was the first time he’d said that, and my throat tightened. “It wasn’t your fault.” Hot tears dripped down on my lap, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into me. “I love you too.”
“Well fuck, Rowan’s stealing our thunder again,” Damien whined, and Alister chuckled.
Rhett was standing beside the door with his eyes downcast, and Kian’s face was completely red as he sat awkwardly at the foot of the bed.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Rowan sat up and kissed my lips again.
“Be safe. All of you,” I told them.
