But he'd underestimated his woman's pain threshold. While he stared at her tempting neck, fighting with himself, she opened her eyes.
Jude saw her lashes flicker with just enough time to grab her wrists and pin her. "No," he said, harsher than he meant to.
Lily froze. She moved her head to look at her trapped hands. Pain clouded her irises as she rolled her eyes up to meet his. A slow, dazed blink, and then everything seemed to come back to her in a rush. She jerked tight, groaned, and dropped her head back to the mattress.
He dropped down to a crouch, putting them at eye level. Her wary look gutted him. Wiping his free hand down his face, Jude blew out a harsh breath. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"You … in that alley." She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them, the blue was a little more clear. "What did you do? Why am I back in the Jungle?"
"I pulled out as much venom as I could. You're in the Jungle because this is where you belong."
"I thought you were going to kill me. It's what you should have done."
Jude loosened his grip on her wrists and took one of her hands. "You're one of those people, aren't you?" At her puzzled look, he gave her a half-smile he didn't really feel. "You know. Lose a button, throw the whole shirt in the trash."
"I'm more of an upcycler," she said, and at his puzzled look, clarified, "Take the damaged thing and turn it into something better." Whatever she read in his face made her lips quirk. "Did you upcycle me while I was out? Is that why I'm still alive?"
"I was thinking about it," he admitted, "but no."
"Wanted to make sure I was fully informed and consenting?"
"No. You just opened your eyes before I could get my mouth on you." He gave her a steady look, even words, because he'd never been more serious about anything.
Lily swallowed. "What would happen if you change me now?"
"You remember that moon tonight? So big it's practically sitting on top of us? That's a Mating Moon. If I change you now, you'll shift, you'll heal all that damage I did to you, and you'll become my mate."
"I liked 'queen' better."
"Shifter magic didn't give you that title, sweetheart." And it was more than a title, which she'd proven unquestionably when she tried to sacrifice herself to protect people who weren't even officially hers yet.
People who were pushing their fucking luck by invading the den of a lion guarding his injured mate. He let go of Lily's hand, flipped a corner of the blanket across her lower body, and stood, a snarl on his lips, just before the shadow fell across the doorway.
"It's me," Cavin said, just out of sight. "Cerridwyn picked up the brother. No sign that he's been bitten, but her people are dealing with the house and she's holding him in quarantine until we can confirm he's clean. He wants to hear from Lily for himself."
"He can wait-"
"I get the impression Bronwyn's going to set him on fire if he doesn't calm the fuck down." Cavin's tone was amused.
"Get me a phone," Lily said before Jude could say no again. "I'm worried about him, too."
"Already on it." Cavin held out a cell phone.
Caging the instincts to protect his wounded mate by closing her off from the world, Jude passed the phone to her. Before accepting the call, Lily gave him a tired but amused smirk and waved him away.
Jude joined Cavin in the hall. With one ear on Lily's voice, listening for signs that she needed him, he leveled a serious look at the other male. "What do want to do?"
"Hold our ground," Cavin said without hesitation. "And put out the word to other urban groups that they need to prepare for the same. The dragons will help here, but the avian flocks have the best chance of containing the spread. I called Ravenna back to meet tonight."
"I need some time tonight," Jude said. "Before the moon's gone."
"Take it. We'll be waiting."
Cavin didn't linger, and Jude had been away from Lily long enough. He returned to her side in time to hear a sisterly snarl leave his mate's mouth.
"I swear to crap, Rhys, if you provoke that woman into melting your stubborn ass, I will reconstitute your ashes and kill you all over again." She dropped the phone on the bed and stabbed the screen to end the call.
"Siblings." Jude gave her a commiserating smile.
She answered with a huffed laugh. "Yeah. Where is yours?"
"Here somewhere, doing shit I don't want to know about, I have zero doubt of that." Unable to keep going without touching her, he planted his forearms on the bed took her hand in his.