“The wards are set; we’re as safe as we can be, considering. How’s our patient?” Hannah’s brisk steps broke whatever heat had passed between the two men, but Reed didn’t care too much. He was too busy looking at the rosy-cheeked beauty walking towards them.
Still barefoot, she’d wrapped herself in one of the furs on the mantel and looked like a sexy cavewoman with her curly hair going every which way.
Reed rubbed the back of his neck, trying to release some of the sexual tension piling onto the tension from their imprisonment. His cock rubbed against the zipper of his jeans, threatening to leave a permanent scar. Tingles shot up his arms as her bitter apple and honey scent floated on the air to him, mixing with Josh’s ponderosa pine and he held back a groan. These two would be the death of him.
“I cleaned his wound, but I didn’t try and bandage it. I thought you’d look at it first.”
She blushed. “Okay.”
Reed moved back but didn’t get out of her way completely. He wanted to see her work, to smell her honey and crisp apple scent. She put her small hands around the wound, her teeth biting her bottom lip and tears forming in her eyes. They both gasped as Reed felt the energy in the room shift. The sexual tension calmed as the energy swayed and ebbed before funneling through Hannah and into Josh. He watched as parts of Josh’s arm knitted back together, ligaments winding against the muscle and tissue and his skin fusing together.
Really cool, but still kind of gross. He could totally do a project with some acrylics on canvas.
“Oh, darn it,” Hannah cursed under her breath.
Reed gave a look to Josh.
Yeah, she was really cute when she tried to curse.
“What is it?” Josh sounded worried.
Not surprising because Reed was worried too.
“It won’t close all the way. I was worried to even attempt this in the first place since I’ve never healed a demon bite before, but it looked so bad I couldn’t
not
do it. You know?” She bit into her lip. She was gonna draw blood soon if she didn’t quit doing that.
“It’s okay, Hannah. You tried. Thank you.” Josh placed his hand on hers and gave it a squeeze.
Reed had the sudden urge to join them but held back.
The wound indeed looked better but was not healed per se. It still looked red and angry around the bite mark, and he was sure that, unless Hannah could use some herbs, it would be infected soon. Plus, they still had to contend with the whole bitten-by-a-demon thing and its repercussions.
All three looked at each other. The underlying current of unease at the unknown infection and the connections between them lay heavy.
“Reed, let me heal those bites from the wolves; that way you are at full strength.”
Though he really wanted her hands on him, he shook his head. “I don’t want you to use up all your energy; I’ll heal.”
“No, really, it’s okay. As long as I can go outside at some point and recharge and get some food and sleep, I’ll be fine. Please, let me help you.”
He gave Josh a look, who smiled back at him. “Okay.”
She placed her cool hands on his overheated chest, and he felt the warmth and tingles that came from her healing. He could only imagine those precious hands on other parts of his anatomy. Coincidently, said part started to rise in attention at her touch.
This is looking to be a hard night. Hard being the operative word.
When she finished, Reed cleared his throat again.
I really need to stop doing that.
“Let’s get Josh to one of the beds and light a fire in there and out here. The couch can’t be comfortable.”
“It’s okay.” Josh gave a pained laugh.
“That settles it then. We’ll light the fires, try to get something to eat and maybe some sleep. I can hear anything coming at us for a mile or so since we’re so isolated. What about your wards?”
“I set them about that far, as well, so I’ll know. We’ll be prepared, but I don’t want to stay here too long.”
“I agree,” Josh mumbled,fading into sleep. “Just don’t leave me alone too long and don’t go too far. I like you guys close.” Josh fell asleep as soon as they laid him in the large queen-sized bed in the room with the other fireplace.
Wow, the guy must really be out of it if he was spouting his thoughts like that. Reed kind of liked it.
Reed smiled down at the human. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Josh smiled in his sleep, and Reed let him be, walking out of the room towards his other mate. He took her hand, leading her to the couch. She sat with a vacant expression on her face.
“Hannah, what can I do for you? I’m going look around the cabin and get you some shoes, but what else?”
She smiled at him and shook her head. “I don’t know; everything’s different. What they did back there...” Her voice broke, cutting off her sentence.
Reed placed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. He didn’t want to think about what had gone on in that stone basement. The blood, the pain, the loss. It was too much.
“Shh, it’ll be okay. You’re tough. I’ve seen you. We’ll figure it out. Together.” At least he hoped.
“I’m just so tired, but I don’t want to sleep.” Her eyes held horrors he knew would take time to get over, if she ever did.
“Okay, just lie down on the couch and rest. You don’t need to sleep. I’m going to go in Josh’s room, get the fire set, and do the same in here. We need to find a way to contact someone. If we can’t then we’ll get out of here soon and get help. I’ll look for some clothes for us, then some food. How does that sound?” Telling her his plans made him feel better, like he might actually accomplish something. If she knew he wanted to care for her and Josh, maybe she’d relax enough to sleep.
“Let me help.” She made motions of getting up, but Reed stopped her.
“No, not now. Let me get everything but the food. I think you may need to help me with that part.” He blushed a bit. “I’m not a great cook, so that might be your job. But you rest.”
“I’m better with potions than food, but I can do my best.”
“That’s all I ask.” He gave her a smile, fought the urge to kiss her goodnight, and went to do his chores. At least doing something productive would help his rising fears—and rising erection.
“Once Josh sleeps a bit,” Hannah said when Reed came back from Josh’s room, “he’ll hopefully be able to move. I don’t like staying here. Away from everyone.” That haunted look came back in her eyes.
Reed would have done anything to sweep that look away.
He looked around the cabin, noting the lack of phones or radios. Well crap. It looked as though they’d have to wait out their growing strength before they made it home. Wherever home was for his two mates. Reed couldn’t be so lucky to think their home would be his.
“There are no phones, are there?” Hannah whispered.
Reed shook his head. “No, but when we get rested, we can go to my Pack, the Redwoods. They’ll take care of us. Protect us.” He held his breath, waiting for her response.
Hannah nodded. “Okay.” A sad look came into her eyes. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Reed felt for her. How horrible would it be to be Packless? Have no connections? No family?
“I’ll take care of you,” he promised.
She batted his arm. “I said I can take care of myself.”
Reed smiled. “Then you can take care of me, too.”
She smiled back. “Sounds like a plan.”
They paused as the heat grew between them. Reed shifted, his arousal increasing as he inhaled her luscious scent.
Hannah’s breaths came in shallow pants. Her cheeks reddened as she lowered her eyes, her eyelashes dusting the tops of those rosy cheeks.
“I think I’ll try and get some sleep in the room across from Josh’s, the heat reaches there.”
She stood up quickly, and practically ran to the room like a frightened rabbit.
Too bad Reed was a wolf and liked to chase.
“Sounds good to me. Let’s go.”
Reed ignored his wolf. He looked down the hall where his two potential mates lay across the expanse of the hallway from each other. No, this wouldn’t be complicated at all.
Right.
Chapter 8
Josh cracked open his eyes, straining at the glow of the roaring fire by his bedside. He quickly shut them again against the raging headache currently doing an Irish jig on his temples. Crap, where was he? Images of wolves and sharp teeth, curly brown hair, then green eyes flooded his mind. Oh yeah, Reed and Hannah.
He’d saved them. Well, he got them out; they seemed fit enough to save themselves. Another image, this time of the man—no demon—with deep black eyes and sharp teeth impaling his flesh. He flinched at the memory, causing pain to lash up his arm.
Fuck.
When he opened his eyes again, he surveyed his surroundings. The large wooden sleigh bed he slept in took up most of the room. Dark, musty drapes covered the windows so he couldn’t tell if it was day or night. But cold seemed to slip through the slits, letting him know the storm was either just starting fully or in the middle of its downpour.
On the side wall, a large brick fireplace stood out, heating the room. Josh guessed that either Reed or Hannah had lit it for him, not wanting him to be cold. For some reason that warmed him from the inside out.
Josh tried to swallow, but it caught on his tongue. It felt as though he’d eaten dried rags and then chased them down with cotton. He needed water or something to sooth his aching throat, but couldn’t call out for help or find the energy to get out of bed and get to Hannah and Reed. How was he supposed to leave the cabin and go for help if he couldn’t even get out of bed?
He shook his head, trying to clear it of sleep as flashes of his dreams came back. Memories of demons with forked tongues, fire burning flesh, and screams made him want to shudder in fear. But he didn’t. He couldn’t be weak. Not when others needed him.
But those weren’t the only dreams bugging his subconscious. No, they mingled with images of a gray-eyed beauty and her green-eyed companion. Reed and Hannah had loved and kissed and sexed him throughout his fantasy. Panting, moaning, and thrusting interplayed with chanting and proclamations of forever and love.
Josh didn’t know which of the two dreams frightened him more. Painful death by fire and demons or the love of two supernaturals.
Not to mention the fact he’d never known he was attracted to men. But, damn, Reed was sexy as hell. And by the gasps and heated looks on the other man’s face, Reed thought the same of Josh. What was he going to do with that?
And hell, Reed and Hannah were mates. They might not have fully connected, or whatever the hell werewolves did in a mating, but they were for each other. Josh was the odd man out. Again.
Some part of him, though, couldn’t forget the energy that shot through them when they all touched at the same time. There was a link there, better left ignored in his opinion. He’d wanted to make sure they were alive, not impede on their ogling love and some shit.
Josh let out a sigh.
Keep telling yourself that, man.
Straining almost every muscle he had, Josh slid himself out of bed, his feet flinching at the feel of the cool wood beneath him. Sometime during his sleep, someone had taken off his shirt, boots, and socks.