Baer’s eyes snapped to Wiley. He didn’t want to leave the wounded man’s side, but he needed to check on his dog. Had the pestilent been able to get in her head? He didn’t know what he’d do if that witch hurt his baby girl.
Wiley reached up and brushed Baer’s chin with the tips of his fingers. “Go. Make sure she’s okay. I’m in safe hands.”
Baer hesitated a second, hating himself for a moment, but then he was racing through the house and up the stairs, following the sounds of her pitiful whines. How had he missed them before? Because he couldn’t hear shit over the pounding of his heart and the fear pumping through his veins over Wiley.
The bedroom across from Baer’s was largely a disaster area. Dane was usually very organized when he was working on an area, but now ladders, buckets, tables and even toolboxes were knocked over. Tools were spilled about and three snake bodies were hacked to pieces amid the chaos.
“Ruby! I’m here, baby!”
The dog let out a whining howl, but it seemed more urgent and desperate than hurt. He wasn’t getting any feelings of pain. Just flashes of fear. Lots of fear and confusion.
Ripping open the closet door, Baer was tackled by the eighty-pound dog. He dropped to his ass and Ruby climbed all over him, licking his face and whining loudly. He kept repeating soothing words to her as he tried to cuddle her, but it wasn’t easy since she wouldn’t sit still. There were no clear images coming from her, just flashes of intense confusion and fear. Fear for him. Fear for Dane. Fear for Wiley.
And then confusion over a strange voice and being locked in the closet.
He continued talking to his dog for another couple of minutes, torn between trying to calm his poor girl and wanting to get back to Wiley’s side. He promised Ruby a nice big steak for being such a brave girl, sending her the mental image of a juicy steak straight from the grill. The whining promptly stopped, and the drool instantly started. She sat on the floor directly in front of him, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth, with one question on her mind: Now?
With a chuckle, he shoved to his feet. He ran his hands carefully over her body, double-checking for any snake bites, but she didn’t give any indication that she was hurt anywhere.
“All right, let’s go find Wiley.”
The dog was off like a shot, tearing down the stairs and across the hardwood floor with a scrabble of claws and paws. Baer walked briskly after her, returning to the kitchen to find Wiley exactly where he left him, with Ruby’s head thrust under his hand and his calf cradled in Dane’s hands.
“Is she okay?” Wiley asked the second he appeared in the doorway.
“Yeah, she seems okay. She wasn’t bitten. She seems mostly scared and confused,” Baer replied. He walked over to the table and placed his hand on Wiley’s shoulder. What he really wanted was to pull the man into his arms and never let him go again, but that wasn’t going to happen. At least not until Dane was done working.
“She seems okay now.” Wiley scratched behind her ears and under her chin. His dog turned into a total whore before his eyes, lapping up the attention like she was the most neglected creature on the planet.
“I might have also promised her a steak for dinner,” Baer grumbled.
“Hey! Can I get in on that steak promise if you’re taking orders for dinner?” Lucien piped up.
Smirking, Baer started to turn toward the fridge, but he saw Grey already moving, pulling meat out of the freezer and dropping it on the counter to thaw. Baer wasn’t feeling too hungry yet, but then his nerves were still rattled from Wiley’s injury and the attack.
A gentle hand took his and Baer looked down to find Wiley had threaded his fingers through Baer’s. “I’m okay. I promise. Dane said that he’s got it under control. And if not, he’s bought me more than enough time to get to the hospital for the antivenom.”
Baer lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to Wiley’s knuckles. “I’m sorry. This never should have happened. I promised to keep you safe.”
“This isn’t your fault, Baer. It’s okay.”
“Speaking of,” Grey drawled as he closed the fridge with a loud thud. “How the fuck did this happen in the first place?”
Baer met Clay’s gaze over Dane’s bent head. The Earth Weaver was standing just behind Dane’s shoulder, both of his hands on his soul mate as he offered both his own powers and loving support while he worked.
“The pestilent witch from the cemetery,” Clay said.
Baer nodded. “She was the one controlling the snakes. Same as the rats in Savannah.”
“I thought the aunts said that the pestilents couldn’t come onto the plantation grounds because of the protection spell,” Wiley said. The man leaned into Baer as if he were trying to snuggle into his arms. Baer drew him as close as he could without disturbing Dane’s work.