“Nice!”
He chuckled. “We aren’t savages.”
She spun around and was about to shoot out a retort, but the cute upturn of his lips convinced her he was kidding. Her eyes glazed when he ran his gaze from her eyes, down her nose, and zeroed in on her lips. Her lower body clenched and unwanted desire flooded her. She would have looked away if she’d been in control of her body.
He stepped closer, and her breath hitched. What was wrong with her? She was here because of her healing powers only. It shouldn’t matter that both Jude and Kranor were highly virile men, with perfect bodies for loving. That wasn’t to say they looked alike. Though they were both tall, Jude appeared to have narrower hips, but just as long legs as Kranor. Jude’s hair was shorter and lighter, which served to accent his strong chin and chiseled cheekbones.
Jude lightly clasped her shoulders. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that you’ve put aside the prejudice and are willing to help.”
What he said, and what his body language was implying, only slightly coincided.
A low growl from across the hall broke the sexual haze faster than a lion could sink his teeth into a wolf’s neck. She quickly banished that horrible thought and dashed behind Jude to the bedroom.
Kranor was sitting up. His breathing came out too fast, and fresh blood oozed out of his leg. Moving him was a chance they had to take, though.
Jude seemed to know what to do. He motioned with his eyes for her to stand on one side and him on the other. As if they could mentally communicate, they worked in perfect unison. They wrapped their arms around their patient, who immediately growled his objection. Too bad. They had to get him to the tub.
No words were spoken, but somehow all three knew what to do. She swore she heard Jude say
on the count of three
in her head, but she immediately dismissed it as something she assumed he’d say.
They managed to get Kranor to his feet. Most of the work was under Kranor’s control, but when his leg wobbled, Jude made sure he didn’t fall. They got him across the hall into the bathroom. Steam wafted off the water, and she hoped the heat wouldn’t be too much for him. Having such warmth directly on his open sores would sting badly.
After placing their injured soldier on the side of the tub, Jude worked his magic to keep Kranor from collapsing. This gave her enough time to add her herbs to the water. The original purpose was to get Kranor out of his clothes, most of which had stuck to his skin. The healing herbs would be a bonus.
“You gotta get in, buddy.”
Kranor glanced her way, but she couldn’t tell if he was pissed she was there or happy to see her, which was proof his pain was on the forefront of his mind. He lifted his leg halfway but immediately he lowered it to the ground. He didn’t have the strength.
Damn
.
“I need to check something I might have left in the bedroom.” She scurried out.
She’d already brought her backpack into the bathroom, but she wanted to give Jude and Kranor some privacy. It would be hard for Kranor to have her see him struggle. The few times she’d seen him, he carried himself with pride, or else it was the large chip on his shoulder that made him so guarded.
A loud splash and a few curses traveled out of the bathroom. She figured going in would be safe. As she stood at the door, she watched Jude peel Kranor’s clothes from his body. From the way Kranor was swatting Jude’s hands away, he wanted nothing to do with the help.
“Fine. Do it yourself.” Jude looked up and winked, probably happy the patient had enough energy to take care of disrobing himself.
She eased in, though she was uncertain what she could do now. When Kranor looked over at her and tossed out a fake growl, she laughed. “Hello to you, old friend.”
“You can go home now.”
The Kranor she knew was back. His feistiness was a good sign. “Perhaps we can let him soak while you and I change the sheets on the bed.” She would have done it herself, but she didn’t know where they kept the linens.
Jude looked down at Kranor. “Don’t drown yourself.”
Kranor held up the universal Anterran sign for what the Americans would translate as
fuck you
. Jude grinned and ushered her out. He closed the bathroom door probably to allow them to talk in private.
She really wanted to know Kranor’s attitude about her being here. “So?”
Jude pulled her close for a quick hug then let her go. “He might be a wolf, but I swear he has some bear, or perhaps lion, somewhere in his lineage. He’s unhappy I went to get help, but I think secretly he’s glad you’re here.”
She doubted that but appreciated him saying it.
Once Jude got out a fresh set of sheets, they changed the bed. He gathered the soiled ones. “I’ll go soak these.”
While Jude was gone, she studied the room. Light poured in the side windows, and she checked out the view. On the way to the house, she’d kept her gaze lowered to make sure she didn’t trip and twist an ankle. A large mountain range sat off in the distance. The view was quite spectacular. The area wasn’t as densely wooded as in lion country, but it was just as pretty.
Jude returned. “Shall we see if he’s managed to rip open any new wounds?”
“You don’t think he’ll mind if I see him naked?”
“Mind, sugar? No. Just watch out that he doesn’t try to drag you in with him.”
Her mouth opened. “He wouldn’t dare!” Swimming in blood held no romantic appeal.
“He’s a wild one. I’m just warning you.” From the way he was fighting a grin, she wasn’t in any real danger. Yet.
When they walked in, Kranor’s wet clothes were heaped in a pile on the floor. His head was back and his eyes closed, but from the way his lips were pressed together, he was probably reliving the fight, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. She would have asked for details, but perhaps it would be better if after they got him back in bed she asked Jude. Kranor needed his sleep.
She slipped a hip on the wet edge of the tub. “Where does it hurt the most?” She wanted to be careful to avoid touching him there.
“My cock.”
She jerked at his crudeness. He’d wanted her to react. Though his eyes were still closed, she bet he could sense the turmoil racing through her body. “Be nice. I came all the way through the wilderness to help you.”
“And help you did.” His tone came out smooth and seductive, but there was a warning laced underneath. “You can leave now.”
“Kranor Ryn. I am not leaving until you are healthy enough to chase me out of your house.”
His lips briefly turned up, but he kept his eyes closed. She glanced up at Jude, who stood there with his arms crossed and a bemused look on his face. What was wrong with these men?
Staying too long in the soaking tub might not help him this time. “I think we need to get him into bed.”
“You joining me?” This came from the still-groggy man.
“Oh, yes. Let’s all have wild sex. That’s sure to get you healthy.”
Lions never were this bold. Perhaps it was Kranor’s way of dealing with the pain. Without any help, he pushed himself up to his knees.
May the heavens open up and drown me.
His cock was standing straight up, bigger and thicker than any lion’s cock she’d ever seen. Her breath must have caught because Jude burst out laughing.
“He’s only messing with your mind.”
She couldn’t help but swing her gaze to Jude’s thighs. From the slight bulge, all this talk about sex had turned him on, too. “Well, I’m about to mess with him.” She leaned over and got inches from Kranor’s full lips. “Be good or you will find yourself in a lot more pain.” If she’d had the courage, she would have grabbed his cock and yanked it hard.
Jude leaned over. “Let’s get you up, buddy.”
Since she was on the opposite side of the tub, she wrapped an arm around his waist, careful not to brush against any wounds. Her breast rubbed against his wet arm, coating her chest with water, but the casualty couldn’t be helped. Between the three of them, he was able to get out of the tub.
She tried not to look at his magnificent body with his sleek muscles bulging, but his damned cock bounced up and down when he lifted each leg over the rim of the tub.
“I think we need to get him dry first, Jude, or he’ll just make another mess on the bed.”
Since Kranor’s legs were shaking, they both sat him on the edge of the tub. Behind her sat a fluffy towel. She went to grab it but stopped. It was as if she knew that wasn’t the one to use.
“We have softer ones.” Behind him sat a cabinet. When he opened the door, a large pile of folded cloths appeared. He handed her some but kept none for himself.
“Do you have a body dryer?” Most lion homes had them.
“No, we don’t.”
“Then hand drying it is.”
It was interesting that he thought Kranor wouldn’t have a problem with her drying him but he would if Jude tried. She pushed aside the thought that her touch had sexual overtones.
“I’ll start with the only part of your body that seems to be free of injury.” That would be his right arm. She wasn’t going to address his uninjured cock.
When Kranor didn’t complain, she lifted his arm then rubbed him dry.
“Hey, take it easy there.”
She checked the skin again. “I see no open sores there.”
“Just want to make sure you’re more gentle with the rest of me.” When he glanced down at his still-erect cock, she was tempted to toss him the towel and walk out. Since that was probably what he wanted her to do, she lifted her chin and delicately dried his face, making sure to avoid the cut that marred his perfect cheek.
“Do wolves heal as well as lions?” Not they’d have any evidence one way or the other, but she liked playing the race card. It would keep Kranor’s blood pressure from dropping.
You are such a liar. You like bantering with him.
In all honesty, this was perhaps the first time in maybe her entire life she might have the upper hand in this relationship, and she planned to use that to her advantage every chance she got.
Kranor’s weakness really pissed him off. It was bad enough to have gotten in the damned fight in the first place, but to have Henla see him this way cut out part of his soul. What had Jude been thinking, asking her here?
From Taryn and Kellum, he knew her healing touch was legendary, but she’d spent her life caring for the gardens and giving back to the community. There was good reason why she didn’t venture into their land. While they’d had a connection growing up, he’d assumed she’d end up with the same hatred for wolves as his clan had for lions.
She’d dried his arms and back and was getting dangerously close to his cock. There was no way in this universe he’d let her touch him when he was in this sad shape. He could only hope she thought his erection was a result of intense pain and not because her mere smell made his body ache for her.
“Let me finish up. Why don’t you and Jude talk medicine?” He tried to add as much gruffness as he could, and even though everyone claimed he’d perfected the art of pushing people away, with Henla he found it difficult to have a bad attitude.
She stepped back with the towel out of reach and stared at his cock. “Is there a reason why you’re so stiff?”
A not-completely-joyous moan escaped, and the pain that raced through his body caused him to double over. She raced over to him.
“Are you okay?”
He waved her off, unable to catch his breath.
Don’t let her see me like this.
“I’ll see that’s he dry. Why don’t you make some tea for us? Everything is on the counter.”
He didn’t look up to see her expression, but he bet it wasn’t one of giving in easily. In fact, he thought he sensed a
skelak
from her mind to his. Now he was delusional. Her footsteps slapped against the tile floor and he let his back curve.
Way to go, buddy. Piss her off.
He looked up at Jude.
Help me to the room. I’ll air-dry
. There was nothing worse than needing aid. Walking took so much damned effort. This was the last
time he went to that freaking bar. At least the bed was only across the hall. The fresh sheets took him by surprise. While Jude was the one who cooked, neither particularly cared about cleaning. Having Henla here, even for the next day or two, would be a nice change.
She’d placed another folded sheet in the middle, probably to help keep the existing sheets clean. That was smart.
With care, he stretched out on the bed. Even walking that small distance had winded him.
“You need to eat. You up for something?” Jude stood at the end of the bed like a damned sentry.
“Sure.”
He leaned back against the fresh pillows and closed his eyes, forcing himself to recreate the bar fight instead of Henla’s luscious breasts that were so clearly outlined under her wet shirt. As if she’d needed to ask him why his cock was so hard. Had he not laughed he’d have had a good retort. He had planned on telling her that he was storing the remainder of his blood there so there would be a reserve if any leaked out while he slept.