Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“We’ve got it.” Indigo sounded relieved. “He’ll need rest and fluids, but we’re out of the woods.”
I released a sigh and finally opened my eyes. Nina was right across from me, staring at me with an alpha’s customary blank face.
A shiver of unease washed through me. “Sorry,” I said. “I should’ve ended that fight sooner. But look, he’ll be okay. A little harm, no real foul. Mostly. Hopefully he blacked out and won’t remember some parts of it.”
“You could’ve ended that fight sooner?” Her voice was even, giving nothing away.
“Well…you know…I didn’t really need to ride him like a pony. I could’ve just stayed in the air until he said uncle.”
“Yes, about that. Why did you ride him like a pony?”
My face heated. Try as I might, I didn’t have an answer for that one. I’d kinda lost my head in that fight. “It just seemed right in the moment?”
And that wasn’t even close to what I should’ve gone with.
“You locked us out.” Austin was kneeling at Aljoe’s head. Judging by the look in his eyes, I’d just burned up any currency I had with his earlier faux pas. “You created a magical bubble around the battle.”
I frowned. “I did? When? Sue was here. Tristan wasn’t far.”
“About the time you called olé and before you rode him like a pony.” He paused, his gaze sparkling with fear turned into anger. “I tried to break into it when you landed on his back. I knew he’d roll you. He would’ve gone for a kill shot, Jess.”
“Yeah, I know. Well, I didn’t know about the roll move. That was a good one. Kill shots are his jam, though. He’ll want to change that up, because once you know his target, it’s not hard to guess which way he’ll go. After the very fluid maneuvering, I mean.”
The lion shivered under us and tried to rise.
“No.” I pushed down a little harder. “Stay in this form. We can move you to the sidelines. I can sit with you to free up Indigo, since I have to stay here anyway. I had a lie-in this morning, and you will have a lie-down this afternoon. I call that even. For earlier, you know. About not calling me…”
Please don’t be mad.
I would’ve liked to say I was just doing my job, but gesturing like a matador and riding on his back was probably a little excessive. Hindsight. It was hard to be mad at others for their faulty decision-making in the heat of the moment when I did things like that.
Nina looked at Austin, communicating something I couldn’t decipher. Back to me, still a blank face, before down at Aljoe. She put her hand on his neck, comforting him, then got up and moved through the crowd.
I let out a breath. “Is she pissed?” Then I pointed down at Aljoe and raised my eyebrows, asking the same question.
Austin shook his head at me, stood, and walked away. The bonds were a swirl of emotion and no help.
“Crap,” I murmured as Indigo sat back. “Did they seem pissed?”
“Austin was really scared when he was trying to get through the magic to get in to you.” She grimaced at me. “And that usually makes him really angry.”
Yes, it did.
“Dude, but why?” I glanced around at the circle closing us in. All types of creatures were present, looking on quietly. “Can someone help move him to the sidelines, please? He’s out of danger, but we don’t want his wounds tearing open again.”
“Here.” Tristan pushed through the crowd in his purple muumuu. Sue moved in to help, currently nude. He’d obviously shifted at some point. I hadn’t paid attention to any of that.
Aljoe grunted as he tried to sit up.
“No.” I pointed at his face, making him freeze. “What did I say? Stay still. We’re healing you. Moving will hurt, and for what? It’ll just make our job harder. Let them carry you.”
With a huff, he lay back down. Tristan, Sue, and a couple of basajaunak helped. I stood with them, making sure they were gentle.
Niamh hadn’t moved the chairs back even though she’d clearly known Aljoe was being brought over here. She’d pushed the cones forward.
Aurora sat in my chair. She had dirt on her face and blood down her arm and peeping out of the neck of her muumuu. She held up her red cup. “Ulric is grabbing another chair for you.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll sit on the ground. Healing works better when I touch.”
“Then Ulric is grabbing a chair for himself.”
I waited for Aljoe to be laid on the dried grasses before lowering down next to him. “I could use another glass of low-calorie mimosa, though. Aurora, are you drinking mine?”
“I already drank yours. It was getting warm. I’ll get you another.”
“Since when do you drink on the job?” I put my hand on Aljoe’s leg. They’d positioned him with his stomach toward me and I didn’t want to lean to touch his shoulder.