all looks that said they were disgusting and had no standards. Vamps were kind of touchy about food which was weird considered they sucked neck for a living. Literally.
Sage smirked and walked back over to his spot by the window, causally resuming watch over the exit route, taking his own pudding cup with him.
Chapter Four
“It seems Trevor is a fan of Narnia.”
Rylan’s comment caught him by surprise, he’d thought the wolf has drifted back off to sleep. At least that was what he’d hoped. Shifters healed faster when they slept.
Micah stretched as he stood up and strode back over to the bed. Tiny hospital chairs were not made for beta bodies to nap in. He passed Remy and Skylar, tapping his brother on the shoulder and repeating what Rylan had said.
“Huh?”
Rylan sighed, then winced as the move irritated the cracked, dry lips.
Micah immediately reached for the cup of ice chips that sat on the cabinet next to the hospital bed. He fed Rylan a small spoonful of ice, but didn’t want to give him too much in case it made him sick.
Stepping up to the other side of Rylan’s bed, Remy clutched Rylan’s hand as if Rylan would disappear at any moment. This was much more like the Rylan he knew. Angry and pissed off with a hint of irritation.
Rylan looked from him to Remy and back again. “The books?”
“I don’t understand,” Micah said, looking anywhere but at Rylan.
The words burned like acid in his throat. He hated having to admit he was unable to follow a simple reference. He’d been read the stories as a pup by his father, though he didn’t really remember them. His father had worked with him on improving his reading skills before he died, since he was the only one Micah had told about his reading difficulties besides Asher.
Rylan had walked in on him one day practicing on his own and offered to help. Unfortunately Micah had thrown the offer back at the pup, embarrassed at needing help from someone less than half his age. Realizing he was twenty-four years old and not able to read as well as a ten year old had been humiliating.
A whine brought him out of the past and back into the present. When he looked down again, Rylan’s eyes were closed again and there was a drop of blood on his bottom lip. Micah panicked, thinking that the wolf must have an injury the doctors had missed.
“Rylan? Rylan!” Micah gently shook Rylan’s shoulder.
Rylan opened his eyes and Micah almost wished he hadn’t as the normally bright green orbs were harsh and cold. Rylan’s tongue darted out and licked the blood away to reveal teeth marks. The wound was self-inflicted, as if Rylan was feeling something so intense he couldn’t process it. With a barely healed split lip, it wouldn’t have taken much to break the skin anyway.
“He said he couldn’t get the pelt of the wolf he wanted, but mine would do.” Rylan’s voice dropped an octave deeper and Micah sensed the dangerous stirring of the wolf beneath the surface, scenting the anger and fury. But underneath that were the sour notes of shame and humiliation.
Micah masked his horror as best he could. The others in the room weren’t as successful with covering their reaction as they realized what Rylan meant. Skylar looked dismayed, Asher appeared at a loss for words and Remy seemed on the verge of tears. None of this was going to make Rylan feel better.
Rylan looked around at the others, face growing more tense and the scent of pain and shame growing by the second. Any minute now Rylan was going to snap and retreat into the wolf and shift right here in the hospital.
“Rylan, calm down,” he said softly.
Once a shifter gave over to the wolf completely, they hardly ever came back to human. He couldn’t let that happen. This wasn’t like what had happened to him earlier—if Rylan retreated in his weakened state, it would be permanent. Rylan wouldn’t be able to turn back.
Rylan stared at Remy with trembling lips and a look akin to betrayal as
Sage smirked and walked back over to his spot by the window, causally resuming watch over the exit route, taking his own pudding cup with him.
Chapter Four
“It seems Trevor is a fan of Narnia.”
Rylan’s comment caught him by surprise, he’d thought the wolf has drifted back off to sleep. At least that was what he’d hoped. Shifters healed faster when they slept.
Micah stretched as he stood up and strode back over to the bed. Tiny hospital chairs were not made for beta bodies to nap in. He passed Remy and Skylar, tapping his brother on the shoulder and repeating what Rylan had said.
“Huh?”
Rylan sighed, then winced as the move irritated the cracked, dry lips.
Micah immediately reached for the cup of ice chips that sat on the cabinet next to the hospital bed. He fed Rylan a small spoonful of ice, but didn’t want to give him too much in case it made him sick.
Stepping up to the other side of Rylan’s bed, Remy clutched Rylan’s hand as if Rylan would disappear at any moment. This was much more like the Rylan he knew. Angry and pissed off with a hint of irritation.
Rylan looked from him to Remy and back again. “The books?”
“I don’t understand,” Micah said, looking anywhere but at Rylan.
The words burned like acid in his throat. He hated having to admit he was unable to follow a simple reference. He’d been read the stories as a pup by his father, though he didn’t really remember them. His father had worked with him on improving his reading skills before he died, since he was the only one Micah had told about his reading difficulties besides Asher.
Rylan had walked in on him one day practicing on his own and offered to help. Unfortunately Micah had thrown the offer back at the pup, embarrassed at needing help from someone less than half his age. Realizing he was twenty-four years old and not able to read as well as a ten year old had been humiliating.
A whine brought him out of the past and back into the present. When he looked down again, Rylan’s eyes were closed again and there was a drop of blood on his bottom lip. Micah panicked, thinking that the wolf must have an injury the doctors had missed.
“Rylan? Rylan!” Micah gently shook Rylan’s shoulder.
Rylan opened his eyes and Micah almost wished he hadn’t as the normally bright green orbs were harsh and cold. Rylan’s tongue darted out and licked the blood away to reveal teeth marks. The wound was self-inflicted, as if Rylan was feeling something so intense he couldn’t process it. With a barely healed split lip, it wouldn’t have taken much to break the skin anyway.
“He said he couldn’t get the pelt of the wolf he wanted, but mine would do.” Rylan’s voice dropped an octave deeper and Micah sensed the dangerous stirring of the wolf beneath the surface, scenting the anger and fury. But underneath that were the sour notes of shame and humiliation.
Micah masked his horror as best he could. The others in the room weren’t as successful with covering their reaction as they realized what Rylan meant. Skylar looked dismayed, Asher appeared at a loss for words and Remy seemed on the verge of tears. None of this was going to make Rylan feel better.
Rylan looked around at the others, face growing more tense and the scent of pain and shame growing by the second. Any minute now Rylan was going to snap and retreat into the wolf and shift right here in the hospital.
“Rylan, calm down,” he said softly.
Once a shifter gave over to the wolf completely, they hardly ever came back to human. He couldn’t let that happen. This wasn’t like what had happened to him earlier—if Rylan retreated in his weakened state, it would be permanent. Rylan wouldn’t be able to turn back.
Rylan stared at Remy with trembling lips and a look akin to betrayal as
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