Chatper 379


    Chapter 0379


    “She killed her f ucking self,” Julian snapped. “She didn’t give you a chance to save her life. Instead


    she stabbed you. Repeatedly.”


    Nichs dragged his fingers through my hair, soothingly scratching at my scalp with his stubby


    fingernails.


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    leaned into him, burying my face in his chest. I was a sobbing, blo ody mess. I couldn’t think straight.


    My sister was dead. My wolf was back. Everything was too hot; too much. I felt like I was falling apart.


    Nichs was my anchor. He didn’t once let me go.


    In my ear, his voice was a quiet rumble, “We have to check your wounds…”


    I shook my head, vehemently against moving even an inch away from him. He was warmth and safety.


    His presence smoothed some of the rankled fears within


    me.


    “Please, Piper…” Nichs whispered. “For me.”


    For… Nichs? Yes. I could do that. I could do anything for him.


    He helped turn me in his arms so that my back was to his chest. His arms wrapped around my waist


    and kept me snug in hisp, cradled in his chest.


    “Good girl,” he said, and I preened at the praise. Or maybe my wolf did? It was difficult to tell where one


    of us ended and the other began. Had it always been that way? Had I been alone in this body so long


    that I’d forgotten?


    Julian began to lift my dress. To do so, he had to peel it away from the skin of my legs. Both were damp


    with blood.


    “Holy f uck,” Julian cursed under his breath. He’d said it quietly, but I’d heard it like he had said it clearly


    in my ear. Was this werewolf hearing?


    I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid to see how bad the wound was.


    “It’s already healing,” Nichs said. I felt his voice rumble through his chest.


    “I’m going to clean and wrap it anyway,” Julian said. “Brian!” I opened my eyes in time to see Julian’s


    Beta hurry forward carrying a first aid kit. Julian epted it, then said, “Keep everyone away from this


    area. And send some guards downstairs…”


    +15 BONUS


    Abruptly, Veronica shifted directly into my view. “Look at me,” she said, voice t and serious.


    I obeyed, meeting her eyes at once. She stared into mine for such a long moment, Julian had already


    started to treat my leg by the time she was done.


    “Good,” she said.


    “What…?” I had trouble with my words.


    Fortunately, Veronica seemed to understand anyway. “I needed to inspect how well you have received


    the wolf. The first few minutes are always critical.”


    I waited a beat, then two. When she didn’t continue, I prompted; “And?” “Oh,” she said. “Yes. So far, I


    am very pleased with the results.”


    I let out a heavy exhale.


    Julian finished wrapping my leg in a clean white bandage. He then handed the first aid kit to Nichs.


    Nichs epted it.


    I didn’t understand.


    “For your hands,” Nichs whispered.


    I lifted my hands to look at them, and only now saw the true damage Jane had done. She’d sliced


    several crisscrossing lines across the back of my palms.


    Tears welled in my eyes again. If only I’d been able to hold on.


    Nichs gently reached out and collected one of my hands in his much bigger one. He opened an


    antiseptic wipe and began to clean the cuts. I felt a bit of a sting, but it was nothingpared to


    everything else I’d faced tonight.


    If the wound on my leg was already healing, then these would too. Soon, there would be no evidence


    on my body that tonight had happened at all.


    Well, at least not on the outside.


    The sight of Jane falling… Her callous smile…


    That would remain seared onto my heart for the rest of my life.


    When Nichs finished cleaning one hand, he moved onto the other. Julian took the first hand in his


    and started picking the lock of the half of the handcuff that remained on my wrist. He had it loosened in


    six seconds t. I knew because he counted.