Read Online Mate of Her Heart by R. E. Butler - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: R. E. Butler
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there was a medical kit in the cabin. It hadn’t occurred to him to bring one. Probably because the pessimistic part of his brain didn’t really think he’d survive against four wolves.
He picked up the weapons and put them back in the bag. One stun baton was dead and needed to be recharged, but the other was almost full. The mace cans were empty, but he still had two flares and the baseball bat. He didn’t expect any wolves to come back tonight, but if they did then he would be prepared for them. Knocking on the cabin door, he told Eveny that the males were gone and she could open the door. He could hear her crying but she didn’t answer him.
He knocked again. Called her name.
When she got quiet, he knew that something was wrong.
“Baby? I’m bleeding all over the front porch. Let me in so I can clean up.” He figured appealing to her desire to take care of him would work. And it did.
The door cracked open. She looked exhausted. She licked her lips. “Just to clean up?”
Frowning, he said, “What’s wrong, Ev?”
“You, uh, you can’t come in, Luke. Not to stay with me.” She opened the door and stepped away. “The bathroom is back there, but then you have to go.”
She was trembling from head to toe. Her eyes were bright gold, like coins, and her skin was flushed and dewy with sweat. He took a step towards her and her voice came out guttural and animalistic. “Don’t, Luke. Please.” She moved until a ratty couch was between them and clutched at the sheet that was draped around her.
He couldn’t very well deal with her while he was bleeding, so he decided to clean up first and then he’d get her to talk.
“You happen to have a medical kit?”
“Under the sink.”
“Don’t even think about leaving, Ev. I’ll be back to talk in a few minutes.”
When he flicked on the bathroom light, a bare, yellowed bulb illuminated the small room. He grimaced at his reflection in the mirror. Although she had let him in, he was surprised that she hadn’t tried to help him. It made him wonder what the heat-cycle was doing to her.
The medical kit under the sink was in a large fabric tote filled with much more than he expected. He knew that wolves didn’t really use doctors or hospitals, and they healed quickly, but that didn’t mean they didn’t get injured.
He turned on the shower and stripped, getting under the tepid water to rinse off the blood and clean his wounds. He had no idea if wolf claws were dirty or not, but he decided to err on the side of caution and used an anti-bacterial wash from the kit to clean the marks. Vince had raked his claws down both of Luke’s arms and gouged his sides as well, so Luke knew he would wind up with scars. But he’d wear the scars with pride because they meant that he was strong enough to protect Eveny.
When he was free of blood, he turned off the shower and got out, patting his skin dry and then securing the towel around his waist. He put Neosporin on the claw marks on his arms and laid thick gauze pads on them, securing them with tape. Then, to protect the bandages, he wrapped them in wide, self-sticking gauze. Both arms were now covered with flesh-colored bandages from bicep to wrist.
He tended the wounds on his sides in the same manner, but just taped them well instead of wrapping bandages all around his midsection. He finished by placing a small bandage over a cut on one eye and swallowing four aspirin. Tomorrow he’d be sore as hell, but tonight he was going to ignore the aches and pains and take care of his woman.
He’d never been so nervous in all his life as when he opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the cabin’s main room. Eveny stood where he’d left her, using the couch to put a physical barrier between them.
Her eyes landed on his arms immediately and he could see the shine of tears in their golden depths.
“I’m going to be okay, Ev,” he said in a
He picked up the weapons and put them back in the bag. One stun baton was dead and needed to be recharged, but the other was almost full. The mace cans were empty, but he still had two flares and the baseball bat. He didn’t expect any wolves to come back tonight, but if they did then he would be prepared for them. Knocking on the cabin door, he told Eveny that the males were gone and she could open the door. He could hear her crying but she didn’t answer him.
He knocked again. Called her name.
When she got quiet, he knew that something was wrong.
“Baby? I’m bleeding all over the front porch. Let me in so I can clean up.” He figured appealing to her desire to take care of him would work. And it did.
The door cracked open. She looked exhausted. She licked her lips. “Just to clean up?”
Frowning, he said, “What’s wrong, Ev?”
“You, uh, you can’t come in, Luke. Not to stay with me.” She opened the door and stepped away. “The bathroom is back there, but then you have to go.”
She was trembling from head to toe. Her eyes were bright gold, like coins, and her skin was flushed and dewy with sweat. He took a step towards her and her voice came out guttural and animalistic. “Don’t, Luke. Please.” She moved until a ratty couch was between them and clutched at the sheet that was draped around her.
He couldn’t very well deal with her while he was bleeding, so he decided to clean up first and then he’d get her to talk.
“You happen to have a medical kit?”
“Under the sink.”
“Don’t even think about leaving, Ev. I’ll be back to talk in a few minutes.”
When he flicked on the bathroom light, a bare, yellowed bulb illuminated the small room. He grimaced at his reflection in the mirror. Although she had let him in, he was surprised that she hadn’t tried to help him. It made him wonder what the heat-cycle was doing to her.
The medical kit under the sink was in a large fabric tote filled with much more than he expected. He knew that wolves didn’t really use doctors or hospitals, and they healed quickly, but that didn’t mean they didn’t get injured.
He turned on the shower and stripped, getting under the tepid water to rinse off the blood and clean his wounds. He had no idea if wolf claws were dirty or not, but he decided to err on the side of caution and used an anti-bacterial wash from the kit to clean the marks. Vince had raked his claws down both of Luke’s arms and gouged his sides as well, so Luke knew he would wind up with scars. But he’d wear the scars with pride because they meant that he was strong enough to protect Eveny.
When he was free of blood, he turned off the shower and got out, patting his skin dry and then securing the towel around his waist. He put Neosporin on the claw marks on his arms and laid thick gauze pads on them, securing them with tape. Then, to protect the bandages, he wrapped them in wide, self-sticking gauze. Both arms were now covered with flesh-colored bandages from bicep to wrist.
He tended the wounds on his sides in the same manner, but just taped them well instead of wrapping bandages all around his midsection. He finished by placing a small bandage over a cut on one eye and swallowing four aspirin. Tomorrow he’d be sore as hell, but tonight he was going to ignore the aches and pains and take care of his woman.
He’d never been so nervous in all his life as when he opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the cabin’s main room. Eveny stood where he’d left her, using the couch to put a physical barrier between them.
Her eyes landed on his arms immediately and he could see the shine of tears in their golden depths.
“I’m going to be okay, Ev,” he said in a