Chapter 56 Chapter 56
Tiana
His silence was answer enough. As usual, he had no intention to tell me.
“You should have said something,” I whispered. “You would have gotten better treatment by now.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You’re—” I cut myself off before my voice could rise. The last thing we needed was to wake the other wolves. “Please. Just let me help.”
“I know I can’t heal it.” Frustration bled into my tone despite my best efforts. “But I can at least keep you warm. Keep you from going into shock while your body fights off the poison.”
Another tremor ran through him.
“Please,” I said again, softer this time. “Just for tonight. Let me do this.”
For a long moment, he didn’t move.
Then, slowly, Zane’s grip on my wrist loosened.
His arm came around me hesitantly, like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed.
I settled against him more fully, one leg carefully draped over his uninjured side, my body pressed along the length of his. Sharing warmth. Offering comfort he wouldn’t ask for but clearly needed.
His trembling eased slightly as the heat of his fever soaked into me, but I didn’t pull away.
His fingers flexed against my back then stilled.
We lay there in the darkness, wrapped around each other out of necessity rather than desire, and slowly, so slowly actually, I felt him begin to relax.
The tremors didn’t stop completely but they lessened. His breathing deepened and the tension in his muscles eased fractionally.
And eventually, despite everything, we both drifted back into sleep.
I assumed so, because despite waking to an empty bedroll, the space beside me where Zane had been was still warm.
I sat up slowly, my body protesting the uncomfortable sleep on the ground.
Where was he?
I pulled on my boots and stepped outside into the cool morning air.
The camp looked different in daylight. More organized. Less threatening.
And there, on the same log he’d occupied last night, sat Zane.
Still in those shorts. Still with that damned medical kit open beside him. Still trying to tend the wound himself despite clearly struggling with it.
Something inside me snapped.
I crossed the clearing in long strides, my jaw set.
“You’re going to make it worse,” I said.
He looked up, surprise flickering across his face before it hardened into that familiar mask. “I told you—”
“I don’t care what you told me.” I stopped directly in front of him, my hands on my hips. “You’ve been trying to handle this yourself for how long now? And it’s only getting worse.”
“It’s my business.”
“The wound needs to be cleaned properly.” I gestured at his thigh. “And whatever poison is in there needs to come out before it spreads further.”
“I’m handling it.”
“You’re not.” I crouched down, meeting his eyes directly. “And if you keep refusing help, you’re going to end up with an infection that even an Alpha can’t shake off.”
His jaw clenched. “What exactly do you propose?”
“Let me treat it.”
“No.”
“Yes.” I reached for the medical kit before he could stop me. “I know what needs to be done. The wound needs to be drained. The infected should be blood drawn out before it can poison your system further.”
His eyes narrowed. “Have you been to war? How do you know that?”
I shook my head, holding myself from slamming my hands to my face.
“Because I used to help treat injured wolves in the servants’ quarters.” I forced a smile.
I pulled out clean bandages and antiseptic. “Minor stuff, usually. But I learned enough.”
He stared at me for a long moment.
Then, to my surprise, he shifted slightly. I took it as the opening it was.
“This is going to hurt,” I warned.
“I’m aware.”
I moved closer, positioning myself to get better access to the wound on his inner thigh. The angle was awkward so I had to lean over him, my weight unbalanced as I tried to see what I was doing in the early morning light.
“Hold still,” I murmured.
I pressed gently around the edges of the wound, feeling for the worst of the infection. Zane hissed through his teeth but didn’t pull away.
The poison had spread more than I had thought. Dark veins radiated outward from the gash, and the tissue around it was angry and inflamed.
“This is bad,” I said quietly. “Really bad.”
“I know.”
I leaned in further, trying to get the right angle to begin drawing out the infected blood.
My foot slipped on the dewy grass.
I pitched forward with a startled gasp, my hands flying out to catch myself…
And landed directly on top of him.
My palms hit his chest. My knees straddled his hips. And suddenly I was sitting on him, face burning, completely mortified.
“I’m sorry—I didn’t mean—”
Zane’s hands came up instinctively, catching my waist.
I froze. And the look on his face seemed like he followed on cue.
Me straddling his lap, while my hands pressed against his bare chest. Him gripping my waist, his fingers burning through the thin fabric of my shirt.
And between us, undeniable, impossible to ignore, I felt him.
Hard. Already.
My face flamed hotter.
“I should—” I started to move, to climb off him.
“Stay.” His voice came out strained. “It seems you have a better angle to the wound from here.”