A whimper of relief broke from Wiley and he wobbled where he stood. Baer grabbed the man by the waist and pulled him into his arms. Queenie hissed again and scratched his arm, but he didn’t fucking care. He needed to hold Wiley.
“Are you okay?” Baer breathed.
“I didn’t know what to do. Queenie was hissing, and then this big snake slithered out from under the bed. I didn’t know what to kill it with. I threw some stuff, but that only pissed it off. I grabbed Queenie and climbed. I had to protect her and the book,” Wiley said in rush, his voice shaky and broken. “I tried to be brave like you, but it looked really pissed.”
Baer just held him close, willing his heart to slow down just a little. “It’s okay. You did fine.”
“Was that a dangerous one? That snake…”
“Yes,” Baer said. He turned his face and brushed a kiss against Wiley’s temple. He couldn’t help it. He needed to hold him, to touch him so he knew he was okay. “It was a timber rattlesnake. Incredibly venomous. Lethal for even humans.”
Another softer whimper left Wiley. “I’m so sorry, Baer. So sorry.”
Baer’s head jerked up to see tears filling Wiley’s eyes. “Why?”
“I wasn’t fast enough. It got me.”
For a moment, he stood frozen, his brain locked up on the thought that Wiley had been bitten by a deadly snake.
And then he was a flurry of motion. He set Wiley on the bed long enough to pluck the damn book and cat out of his arms. Then he was bundling the man up in his arms again and racing out of the room. Dane would fix him. Dane could save him. He had to.
“Dane!” Baer bellowed, his voice echoing through the house. “Dane!”
He found Clay and Dane halfway down the stairs to the first floor. They both looked up as Baer started after them.
“What—”
“Wiley was bit by a rattler. You gotta save him,” Baer quickly said.
Dane gave one sharp nod. “Kitchen.”
“Stairs!” Wiley suddenly shouted, his fingers digging like claws into his shoulders. Baer barely caught himself. He wanted to just race down them, but he didn’t want to upset Wiley more than he already was.
“Can you count with me? We’re gonna go fast,” Baer said, fighting hard to keep his voice calm and even.
Wiley nodded, still holding on tight, his face a sickly shade of white. Very carefully, Baer took each stair, their voices in time as they counted out each one. By the time he reached the bottom, Wiley had relaxed his death grip on his shoulders and his breathing was a little easier.
“I’m sorry,” Wiley whispered.
“Don’t apologize. Anything for you,” Baer panted as he raced toward the kitchen.
How could this have happened? He’d promised to keep Wiley safe. The whole reason for him to remain at the plantation was for him to be protected from any pestilent attacks, and here Baer sends him right into the middle of danger. How could he have failed Wiley so horribly?
Grey and Lucien were just entering the kitchen when they arrived. Lucien dropped into a chair, looking as if he were about to fall over. Grey raced over to the refrigerator and started pulling out some ice.
“Lucien was bit!” Grey shouted.
“Did you see what kind of snake it was?” Baer asked.
Lucien gave a limp wave of his hand. “Goddamn brown snake. Not venomous. Just annoying.”
“Wiley was bit by a rattler,” Baer announced.
“Venomous?” Grey asked.
“Very.”
“Dane was hit too,” Clay said, helping his mate into a chair at the table while Baer placed Wiley on the table itself as close to Dane as he could get. “Dane will heal himself and then take care of Wiley.”
Everyone started talking at once, some agreeing and others disagreeing with Clay. Baer wanted to grab his friend and shake him. Wiley needed attention immediately. The snake bite could fucking kill him.
“Enough!” Clay bellowed over the noise. “Dane can’t heal anyone if he’s too weak. He will heal himself and then Wiley and then Lucien. Grey, drop the ice. Ice is bad. Get the medical kit out of my bathroom. We need bandages. Baer, you need to go get Ruby.”
“What?” Baer gasped. He’d forgotten all about his sweet dog in all the chaos. “What happened to Ruby?” Even as he asked the question, he was reaching out with his powers, searching for his baby. He was immediately hit with feelings of panic, fear, and confusion.
“I had to lock her in the closet in the front bedroom I was working in,” Dane replied. His voice sounded distracted and slightly distant as he spoke and concentrated on healing the bite on his arm. “She was whining and howling. Acting very strange. When I saw the first snake, I was afraid she was being affected by whatever was affecting the snakes. I figured it was safest to lock her up.”