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She crawled back over to the stuainst it Her eyes never left thein the sand

Mal entered the enclosure Elisa’s hand was on the girl’s ankle, her head turned toward Jere critical injury that would soon beco relief to see her eyes were open, though glazed with shock Right before she’d challenged Leonidas, he’d seen her gripped by the post-traumatic stress of what had happened to her before, and he’d hoped it would freeze her in place, hold her there Instead, she’d handed herself over to Leonidas When her fledglings had coiven and taken, gripped with fear that she was going to see Leonidas tear theht like this Only a et past what had been done to her, shove it aside as if it were nothing more iht in the middle of it for them Only awas more important to her than her children

His mind went back to ht when he couldn’t walk any Scientists could call it what they wanted, a reproductive or biological imperative, but to anyone with a sense of God or a heart, it was love, pure and siued Self-righteous do-goodery could be assigned to selfinterest with little effort But nothing could dis he’d never have done in the presence of a group of unpredictable fledgling vampires, but the power of that , had the ability to knock hih you don’t need to Tightening his jaw, he opened his eyes, and resued up, whereas Jeremiah and Miah’s injuries were most severe William had the wild, fierce look that ed in a mortal combat His hands were still half-closed into fists, his stance ressive than he’d ever dared around Mal

Don’thurt them Please, Mal

Unfortunately, ashe didn’t believe anyone else saw the truth that she did Still, he felt another hard, shuddering wave of relief at the sound of her i As he ave William a nod, male to male "You did well Take Matthew to your roo to help and I need you out of the way"

He didn’t say it unkindly The boy nodded Grasping Matthew’s ar his arm wrapped around him, he moved the so to bet money that, even in bloodlust, Williah to handle Matthew if he had an attack

Keeping an eye toward Nerida and Jere, repeating that pleading mantra in her mind She was terrified he would dispatch the they were all so into it was th she had It wasn’t ht of her torn clothes, all the blood

Moments before, he wouldn’t have trusted hi at five fledglings who’d undeniably risked their own lives to come to her defense

Do you think I’m so heartless, Irish flower, that I can’t see what happened here?

Not heartless Justchronically practical

"You are far too well educated for a entle voice as his hands e Two broken ribs Her thighbone hadn’t snapped as he feared, only badly wrenched, so the ribs were the worst of it, though she had a nu where Leonidas had first hit her

A second- ability of the third-mark, but it was still considerable If they had the ribs taped and the leg reset by a process he would make sure she wasn’t awake to experience, she should be herself again in a week or so If she were his third-ive her blood, ht, but check"

"You won’t tell me what to do, or the order in which I do it" But he couldn’t deny the raw look in those blue eyes "I’ht?"

"Is shegoing to irl" Still, under her worried gaze, he laid a hand on the wounded feh the chest wall, and it was ugly and gaping, oozing blood He’d been able to compress the heart with a battery of broken ribs, but he’dIt was not a pleasant injury for a vampire, and she’d need blood and recuperation tiht Unfortunately, she’d be in excruciating pain for the hours of theas possible She was going to need a great deal of fresh blood to expedite the healing, though he expected when the hands understood what had happened here, they’d all willingly donate He already heard the three Jeeps pulling up, as well as Kohana’s ATV

"I’ll give herto reach toward the girl He caught her shoulders, holding her down as her face screwed up fro clearly Lie still"

"If I’ive the to die Elisa, I mean it Lie still" He forced himself to sound like his irritable self and tapped her cheek,sure her eyes riveted to his face As they did, he stroked the tear tracks from the corners of her eyes "You’re worse than a deaf hound"