Brett made a low sound, the growl vibrated through her and she jerked her face from the injury to meet his glare. Snapping at him, she wished she could tell him to wait. Luc needed help.
“Dude, I’m not doing a damn thing. I swear.” Luc’s low-voiced profession of innocence fell on deaf ears. Brett’s scent grew more acrid, the acidic nature burning her nostrils.
Dropping her tail, she considered how best to approach the issue when she had no way to say anything. Fucking Darwin. Evolution should have taken into account wolves and humans becoming wolves. Speech was a vital part of life.
Touch. Hadn’t Brett mentioned something about touch in the kitchen? Backing away from Luc, she circled the table and rubbed against Brett’s legs. His growling ceased and the burning scent went away. So she paced back and rubbed against his legs again.
His hand came down against the back of her neck. Damn. He really was touchy feely. Why hadn’t she noticed this before? Pushing up on her hind legs, she rested her paws against his lap. Brett stroked his hand along her neck and she let him. Wagging her tail once, she glanced at Luc then back to Brett. Was he okay with her going to Luc now?
His hand tightened against her scruff. In case he planned on lifting her so humiliatingly again, she bared her teeth. Leaning forward, Brett put his nose right to hers. His wolf shone in his eyes and her heart sped up. She knew him and more, he knew her.
The wagging of her tail accompanied by his shifting position threatened her balance once more, but he steadied her when she would have fallen. Dropping back to four feet, she leaned into his legs and stretched her nose toward Luc’s leg. The femur wasn’t fusing correctly and if she could just…contact.
Picturing the break as best she could remember it, she spread her weight out and leaned into both men. Luc hissed out a breath. “Fuck me. What the hell are you…”
Brett’s hand came to rest along her back and the ragged push grew easier. “Don’t move.” She had no idea who he was talking to, but she could only concentrate on the bone, picturing it together, tightening and aligning as it should. An audible snap rippled through her and she relaxed into Brett, collapsing. The tension was gone, the scent of pain though fresh and sharp also faded swiftly.
Sliding out of the chair, Brett’s arms cuddled her and then she was in his lap and her head pillowed on his shoulder. It was as good a spot as any to sleep. The whirling her mind quieted. Thank God the buzzing was gone.
“All those nice things I said about you.” Luc’s ragged voice prodded her lulling mind. “I take them back…bi—”
“Be very careful about your word choice.” Ominous warning rang in every syllable rumbling from the chest beneath her.
“Fine—the little she-witch fixed my leg. Fuck. Me.” He groaned, but even with the theatrics she could hear the relief under the pain.
“I got that.” Then a long pause stretched out, the silence pregnant with so many possibilities. She wanted to see what they were doing but she was so very tired.
“Brett, she’s a healer.”
“Her wolf is like mine. She’s like me.” Brett stroked her back and all the growling darkness vanished from his tone to be replaced by wonder. The soft massage eased her into a half-state of bliss. “That’s what Trent said. I didn’t get it, until just now.”
“Okay.” Then Luc added, “That’s two you owe me.”
She didn’t catch Brett’s response. Nose full of his scent, she stopped trying to listen and slipped into dreams of running side by side with a wolf she couldn’t see. A wolf who would always be there, a wolf who could find her anywhere. Her wolf.
Her…something.
Luc crashed in the guest room while Brett carried a drowsy and pliant wolf up to his bedroom. He still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the last twenty-four hours. When Colby had finally relented and gone to Luc first, Brett’s wolf had escalated to a near killing rage. Only Luc’s absolute stillness and refusal to reach for her kept him from acting on the urge. Reminding himself one was his best friend and the other a traumatized wolf had helped, but only a little. Then she’d rubbed against him and his wolf settled so swiftly, it answered a question lingering in his mind.
Mate. Of course she was his mate. His fascination with her and urge to keep her existed from the beginning. One knee onto the bed, he settled her carefully. Since her brutal shift, the wolf had resisted him and offered him challenge at every turn. She didn’t want to be touched, she didn’t want to be spoken to, and she wanted to run, but he didn’t dare let her disappear not until Colby resurfaced.