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"Doona fightto draw it away, but he stayed her aran to hts for the night"

Exactly how hideous was he?

He started feeling her head through the silk bag Checking for injuries? Finding none on her head, he gently swept his hands over her ankles, her calves, even up her thighs She tensed but was too weak to resist hiot to her left shoulder Dislocated He wrapped his hand around her upper arrip to what felt like his thuers and the tiniest ritted her teeth as her shoulder popped back into place

When the sharp pain receded to a dull ache, she exhaled in relief, her eyelids growing heavy "Th-thank you" Was that her slurred voice? How much blood had she lost? Why couldn't she think?

"Brave," he rasped

When he lifted the skirt of her gown, sodden with her blood, she couldn't fight hi her injury anyway It was deep, excruciating

He shuddered against her At the sight of it? She could only iht he was drawing off his shirt A rip sounded After a second she realized he was securing his balled-up shirt against her wound with a sleeve tied tightly around her waist Smart

But was it too little, too late? Without a hospital and a transfusion"You think I'm about to eat it? Be honest"

He froze "What?"

Theher "Pretty sureI'? Nay Nay" Without warning, he cupped the back of her head with one massive hand and her bottoth to resist, but then thisin the world "I've got you," he grated "You will no' die"

She ainst his

"That's it, my lass" He pulled her closer

"You're s-so warm" Despite all her turmoil and all her fear, she knew she was about to black out in this stranger's e'll be all right," she was too exhausted to doubt hi at her "You'll keepshe heard before she passed out: "No one will ever hurt you again"

Chapter Ten

Will had tried-he'd truly tried-to hate her just for who she was

None doing When his brother's SUV skidded to a stop just feet froirl as if she were thein the universe

She'd been so brave, barely whi when he'd forced her arm back into its socket She'd thanked hi words he'd ever heard: I think I' out

"How bad is she?" Munro asked as he drove the toward the city

"Bluidy bad!" Will had stopped the blood flow, but she was pale and cold He reached for the heater control, blasting waret past a dozen centaurs and ten Cerunnos to seize her They were no' exactly gentle with her!"

She'd been passed aby ball Each tied hands, he'd experienced fear as never before

He inhaled, still struggling to rein in his beast He'd always heard that nothing made it rise up like a mate in peril

If she woke and saw him like this, the et her to a healer Their i huht

He'd leave the bag on for now

"And where the hell were you?" Will snapped at his brother Right before Will had taken off after his ot separated

"Fighting my way out of a war to rescue you!" It was only then that Will noticed Munro was covered in blood and gore as well "It's pande When the Vertas realized you were stealing the girl, they rose up and battled the Pravus back Kind of like a real alliance-who knee had it in us? By the by, rele with Malko even harder "We need to get to a witch healer Drive to Andoain" Will couldn't believe that he was de his brother take them to Louisiana's infamous coven, the bloody HOW

"We just cost theht"

They both shuddered

"Besides, others will be waiting for us there Brother, you ken this girl's theto just forget about her"

Because she was Webb's daughter The beast inside hiive a fuck about that Will's newly recovered Instinct didn't

Munro asked, "What about a o there Besides, I doona trust mortal quacks Sawbones, all of the way in the last century, Will"

"She ht be past their reach As much as I hate to say this, she needs mystical means We head to Loa's" Loa was a voodoo priestess with a curiosity shop in the Quarter "She sells witch potions She hed "Music to my ears" Loa was a comely one, with abundant curves and coffee-and-creaare of heart about your ined her to be like hi a soccer player"

"Football, huh? Is that how your feical scars on one wrist, an ankle, and her right knee

"Doona be looking at her legs!" Will yanked her frock down, accidentally ripping the lower half clean away, leaving her in only the top of her gown, the e, and her sleek black underwear He took deep breaths to tamp down his beast Inhale Exhale Precarious ot control, heading back to nor off You oing to behold h the bag's tie

With a shaking hand, he began to draw theher face

While Will worked to catch his breath, Munro glanced over "Ach, and there she is You lucky sod"

Her damp hair was sun-streaked, cropped close to her head Her lips were plump She sported freckles across her nose and cheeks Her cheekbones were proht be, but with her pointed chin, bee-stung mouth, and short locks, she looked like a wee pixie

He felt one corner of his lips curl -Yours- Had his arhtly around her?

Munro said, "Her ti is irip loosened, his excite "Just look at her She's tootoo" Too everything he could ever drea with her She must be shallow, vapid, dim Webb , Will Whatever dahted if you're patient with her"

"Why would fate give me a human to protect? Especially this hue toward her father?

"Because, brother, you can handle it"

Will's Instinct was pushing, his beast stirring for her; resisting her pull was harder than the tortures he'd recently endured He gazed down at her, rubbing his thumb over her bottoe went straight across before curving up at the corners, a soft bracket Gods, she was a pretty thing

-Yours-

Mayhap she was his reward? To help et over torture, help me understand my past "Looks like I'll have to handle it"