She appreciated that Tom had offered, not commanded her. Especially since she’d do what she thought necessary. Not trusting CJ, she remained where she was while she tried to remember where she’d seen him before.
After a few minutes, Tom returned with a splint and something to wrap CJ’s leg in, saline solution, and towels. He slipped a piece of plastic under CJ’s leg, then poured the solution over the wound. “Trap was new, not rusty,” Tom said, “but you’ll still need a tetanus shot when we get you into town.”
Gritting his teeth, CJ looked pale, but he didn’t say anything.
When Tom straightened the leg a little, CJ swore.
Tom dried the wound, bandaged it, and wrapped the leg in gauze before he splinted it. He cleaned up the saline solution, then elevated CJ’s leg with pillows and gave him a pillow for his head. “Why don’t you lie down?”
CJ nodded.
Tom helped ease him onto his back, then covered him with the blanket. “Will you be all right?”
“Thirsty, nauseated,” CJ finally said, wincing.
He was shaking, too. Tom covered him with two more blankets and got him a glass of water, setting it next to him.
“We’ll talk in a little bit. Just rest.” Tom rose, then said, “Come on,” to Elizabeth as he headed for the bedroom.
She growled at CJ, telling him she wouldn’t hesitate to bite him if he moved an inch.
CJ grumbled, “Tell your wolf-coyote I’m not going any-damn-where.”
“Come on, Elizabeth,” Tom coaxed by the bedroom door.
She growled again at CJ, not about to let him get in the last word, then loped into the bedroom. She saw that Tom had placed the rifle on the dresser. He didn’t shut the door to the bedroom, and she suspected he still didn’t trust the man and was listening to ensure he didn’t move from his spot by the fire. Tom had set her clothes on the bed. Then he headed into the bathroom and washed up.
She shifted and slipped on the sweatshirt while he put the extra medical supplies away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take so long, Elizabeth. Nice fire, by the way. You’re pretty handy to have around, you know?” He looked around and shook his head. “I knew I shouldn’t have turned my back on you and missed seeing you shift.”
She smiled, loving him. “Yeah, well, you might get other ideas.” The sweatshirt was long but barely covered her buttocks.
“I always get those other ideas when I see you—naked woman, wolf, coyote, or otherwise.” He came to her before she could pull on the sweatpants and wrapped his arms around her.
“Oh, you’re so cold,” she said, trembling in his arms, the chill of the air outside clinging to every inch of him. Her skin was still warm from having been in her wolf coat. She took in deep breaths, smelling the crisp, clean air on him.
She noted she did not smell CJ on him. Hunter’s spray, camouflaging his scent.
“That’s why I came over here to hug you—to get warmed up.”
She curled into him, wanting to rub his arms to warm his icy body, but he chilled her and she folded into him instead. “He’s your cousin?”
“Yeah,” Tom growled. “I figured we’d stay here until someone worried about me being caught in the snowstorm and came looking for me. But now we’ve got to get CJ to the doc. His bones will knit together too quickly but not correctly, and Doc would have to break them again to set them right.”
“Your cousin. I can’t smell him. He’s one of the ones that’s been prowling the territory, then?”
“Looks like it.”
“Great. Do you have something we can haul him in?”
“Yeah. Got a toboggan for emergencies.”
“So when do we leave?”
“Tomorrow, first light. If no one comes for me before then, we’ll head out on our own.” He rubbed her arms, looking into her eyes. “I’m sorry about everything that’s happened. That you’re in the middle of all this.”
She sighed, cuddling with Tom. “We don’t know anything for sure.” She reached up to help him out of his parka.
“You know, if you change roles and start stripping me out of my clothes…” Tom said.
“Just your parka.”
“Aha, then next you’ll want to remove my sweater and jeans, and who knows where it will end.”
She smiled as she peeled off his jacket and tossed it on a chair.
“So now that we have that out of the way and you know what you could be in for…” Elizabeth trailed off. She pulled off his ski hat and dropped it on the wooden floor, then cupped his face and looked up for a kiss.
His lips were just as cold as his coat had been, his nose, too. She quickly warmed his face, her hands cupping his chilled cheeks, her kisses turning his mouth hot and insistent. He slipped his hands into her hair and held her close.