“What’s wrong with him?” I whispered.
He looked at me. “How’d you know he was hurt?”
I lifted my sleeve and showed him, which made his eyes widen.
“Holy shit,” he breathed. “I read that in the book when Keifer gave it to me once you both were done reading it…but I didn’t think that was true.”
“Tell me,” I ordered.
He sighed and grabbed the back of my arm, pushing me in the direction of a long hallway as he started to talk. “A claw ripped through his arm. He’ll be okay, but he’s hurt enough that he has no feeling in his hand. That’s why I came and got Skylar.” Then he muttered, “Not that the fucker would stop fighting long enough for us to look at it. Dumbass.”
“Ohh,” I breathed as I saw Keifer standing up outside, yelling at a couple of young men. “Holy shit.”
His arm was wrapped up in what looked like the t-shirt he was wearing when we rushed out of the room that morning. Silver duct tape was wrapped around that holding it in place, and he was standing there shirtless, with a real life sword in his hand.
He had on a pair of black jeans that I felt was probably a really good thing seeing as he had what looked suspiciously like wet stains on his pants, and I could do without the confirmation that it was indeed blood.
“Keifer, let me see your arm!” Skylar growled as Keifer turned once again and started to talk to the two men instead of listening to his sister.
“I want you two on the perimeter, along with Morales and Hughes. Make sure Jones is aware of what’s going on, and y’all please ask your dragons to be on the lookout for another breach. What we think is that they were just a scouting party, not a live party. So keep your eyes peeled, and run your patrols in eight-hour shifts so you don’t get tired and sloppy. I’ll inform the other men what’s going on, and if I have need, I’ll have Declan contact you, got it?” Keifer asked.
The two men nodded and hurried away towards two dragons that were lying on the lawn.
They were beautiful, of course, but they weren’t Declan and Story.
“Keifer, this is bad. If you can’t feel your hand, then that signals nerve damage to me. You need to come into the infirmary and let me take a look at it, at least. Okay?” Skylar tried again.
When he whistled and Declan, who’d been lying in the grass next to the other two dragons, roared, I knew it was time to intervene.
He wouldn’t be going anywhere until he was checked over.
“Keifer?” I called softly.
Keifer stiffened slightly and turned to look at me.
His front was covered in blood, but I assumed that was from his arm again, and not any other injuries.
His expression was thunderous as he saw me standing outside.
“What are you doing out here?” He asked angrily.
I blinked, surprised that he’d used that tone of voice with me when he’d done nothing but speak softly to me in the day and a half that I’d known him.
Back straightening, I said, “Obviously, trying to make it so that my mate,” I spat the word, “doesn’t lose his arm because he’s being stupid.”
He frowned. “Go back to the room.”
I laughed. “How about you make me?”
He took a step forward, and I took a step back.
This continued until I was back in the house and backing up the hallway as he stalked forward.
“This would be more convenient if I knew which room was the infirmary,” I muttered to myself.
Declan, the ever helpful dragon, shot the information to my mind as if it was a picture, and I suddenly knew I needed to take the last hall on the right, which led straight to the infirmary.
“You’re going the wrong way,” he growled when he saw me take the turn.
I snorted. “You’re not my mother. I don’t have to listen to you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re my mate, which means what I think should play a significant part in what you decide to do. Which, if you knew what was good for you, would be to go back to the safe room and stay there until I come get you.”
Once I was in the doorway, I turned and started walking forward, only to come up short two feet in with a large arm around my waist.
“Don’t turn your back on me,” he growled against my neck.
I shivered, leaning my head into his shoulder as his beard rasped against the back of my neck.
“I just wanted you to be checked out,” I whispered hesitantly.
Everything along my back felt hard.
His abs. His chest. His arms. His cock.
Everything.
He sighed and breathed against my neck, the hot, minty breath washing over me, making my nipples pebble.
“Okay,” he finally agreed, letting me go reluctantly before he went to the exam table his sister was standing next to and hopped on. “Nikolai, you know what to do.”