Taran’s voice trailed off as she caught a gander at the bent needle. I bumped Emme blindly with my elbow. “I’m going to need a sixteen-gauge or bigger.”
Emme tottered backward before I heard her little feet racing down the hall.
Liam held out his arm to me. “Try mine. I’m not of pure blood, but I can still help Leya.”
I switched syringes and started working on Liam. His vein was hard to find, but I managed with the same-size needle I’d tried on Aric. My hands also didn’t shake with Liam, and I couldn’t help but notice the lack of heat between us. I tried to reason that weres—pureblood weres—ran naturally hotter. And all that rising heat Aric and I shared was nothing more than a physiological response between two extremely warm-bodied creatures with superhigh metabolisms who had gotten too close to each other.
Yeah. Right.
I passed the filled syringe to Taran as Shayna handed me another. Taran flushed the catheter in Leya’s vein, fast. We paused, each of us likely expecting her to go into cardiac arrest. When she didn’t, Taran stretched out her hand. “I think she’s okay; give me another.”
I made ten more passes with Liam, then stopped. “It’s okay,” he said. “You can take more.”
I was about to, but then Emme returned with something that resembled a meat thermometer. My eyes widened as I looked back at Aric.
His expression of calm drank me in. “Celia, I’m next. Liam’s blood will help stabilize her. Mine will stimulate her body to begin to repair itself.” I didn’t move. “Leya needs me, Celia. And I need you to do this for me.”
I nodded and absentmindedly took the clip out of my hair, looking to release some of the throbbing in my head. My waves fell against my shoulders, granting me some tension relief, yet not enough. I bent in front of Aric, tied the tourniquet again, and took the interrogation device Emme handed me. Aric flinched when I stabbed him through the arm. Every part of me wanted to scream for him—to take some of his pain. “God, I’m so sorry.”
Aric’s opposite hand massaged my left shoulder before smoothing over the nape of my neck. “Don’t be. I’m fine. Keep going.”
My breath came out in a shudder. Keep going. Keep going. Keep…
I didn’t know about Aric, but I would have given up a secret formula. Nausea dribbled my stomach like a basketball as I continued my torture session. My God, it killed me to hurt him. Finally, I found the vein and began to hand off Aric’s blood like it scorched me.
He smiled as his thumb stroked my earlobe. “Good job, sweetness.”
I almost dropped the syringe. Despite the direness of Leya’s situation, Aric’s touch, his soothing tone, and his term of endearment melted my soul. Except I couldn’t allow him to. I needed to distance myself, and I needed to do it soon. My contact with him only made me hunger for more.
“Leya’s coming around.” Gem smiled softly. “It’s working. Your blood is motivating her body to regenerate, Aric.”
“We’ll use the others’ blood now.” I unsnapped the tourniquet and yanked out the needle, slapping a large piece of gauze on Aric’s arm like it had been naughty. “Here. Hold pressure.”
I avoided Aric’s gaze, but I could smell his shock at my rebuff. Emme moved toward him. “Um…here, Aric. Let me bandage that for you—”
“He’s fine, Emme. Don’t touch him.” I leaned back against the wall and crossed my arms. Good thing I didn’t appear schizo or anything.
“Ah…Okay, Celia. I promise not to touch him.” Emme gathered the tourniquet and needles and smiled at Koda. “I’ll draw your blood. Don’t worry; I’ll be really gentle.”
Shayna swooped in like a falcon and yanked the supplies from Emme’s hands. “I got it, Emme.” Her ponytail flicked behind her as she marched to the big man-eating brute who couldn’t hide his smile.
I rubbed my face, grateful I didn’t stand as the sole Wird sister acting possessive…and crazy.
“Don’t even think about it,” Taran snapped when poor Emme approached Gemini.
Emme’s bottom lip went down to her toes. “I’m only trying to help Leya.”
Taran pointed a pissed-off finger toward the demolished door. “There is a shitload of staff who would be tickled pink to receive your lovely healing touch. Go to it, girl. Work that magic till it hurts.”
Emme wrinkled her brow. “Fine,” she said with all the menace of a Chihuahua.
Taran righted herself. “Celia, take over. Shayna and I will pass you Koda’s and Gemini’s blood.” She clamped the catheter and I switched places with her. Aric took over holding Leya down while my sisters gave their wolves a good leeching.