Page 20 of Primal Call

Jasper gripped Kyral's arm and tugged him toward a nearby overhang offering sparse shade. Kyral found himself too breathless to protest, simply following the human's gentle insistence.

As another spasm gripped him, he sank heavily to the ground with his back against the rocky wall. Jasper knelt beside him.

"Well, doctor…" Kyral managed between clenched teeth, "show me you were worth the price."

Jasper smiled wryly. "If you saw my student loans, you'd know you got a bargain." His touch was infinitely gentle as he began to take Kyral's observations.

Despite the agony still coursing through him, Kyral felt an unexpected flicker of relief at the human's matter-of-fact tone. Jasper really did know what he was doing… and for some reason, having the human tend to him didn't inspire the vulnerability Kyral would have expected.

Kyral sucked in a sharp breath as Jasper's hands roamed over his body, the human's touch surprisingly confident despite his earlier nerves. Those deft fingers probed along taut muscle, mapping the tense lines of agony etched into Kyral's flesh.

"You're incredibly tense here, on your side…" Jasper murmured, brow furrowed in concentration. "The pain seems to be radiating outward from your core."

A harsh laugh scraped from Kyral's throat. "You don't say."

Jasper shot him a reproachful look, but there was no heat behind it. "I can tell you Borraq are used to pushing through injuries, but that's not going to help here. The more you stress your muscles, the worse the pain will get. This needs a more delicate approach."

Delicate wasn't a word often applied to Kyral. He eyed the human warily as Jasper continued his examination, unable to shake a flicker of unease at being so thoroughly assessed.

Vulnerable.

"Your anatomy is similar to a human's in some ways," Jasper mused, more to himself than Kyral. "But your nervous system seems more… centralized? Concentrated? Damn, I wish there were comparative anatomy classes at the academy…"

Jasper frowned, worrying his lower lip as he studied Kyral's tense form. After a moment's contemplation, he seemed to reach a decision. "I might be able to help ease the pain," he ventured, meeting Kyral's eyes. "With a nerve massage."

Kyral blinked, momentarily thrown. The very notion set his instincts on edge, every fiber of his being recoiling at the idea of being touched in such an intimate manner — by a human, no less.

He opened his mouth to issue a gruff refusal, but Jasper seemed to anticipate his reaction.

"I know it might seem unorthodox," the human said, lips quirking. "But I am a trained medic. It looks like your nerves are firing here when they shouldn't be, and that tension just makes them fire more. It's a negative feedback loop. This technique might provide relief."

Kyral's brow furrowed skeptically. "You expect me to just… let you put your hands all over me?"

The words emerged harsher than intended, colored by the lingering spasms still gripping his body. He couldn't quite mask a slight wince as another flare of agony lanced through his core.

To his surprise, Jasper didn't flinch from his sharp tone. Those blue eyes simply regarded him with a steady, clinical gaze. "Well, I could always leave you to suffer, if you prefer," he replied, arching one slim brow. "But then we'd never make it to that treasure."

The words struck a nerve, and not just because of the challenge. There was something about Jasper's dry tone, the hint of playfulness underlying it, that made Kyral's hackles rise in a way that was distinctly… unfamiliar.

He studied the human through narrowed eyes, taking in those delicate features and the surprising strength lurking behind them. Despite himself, Kyral found his gaze lingering on the lines of Jasper's hands, unable to deny a reluctant curl of curiosity.

Perhaps a temporary reprieve from the pain would be worth letting himself be touched. At least until they located the stash of Taothium, when Kyral could finally put this whole bizarre situation behind him.

Gritting his teeth, he forced a curt nod. "Fine. Do… whatever you need to do."

The words emerged grudging, but Jasper didn't seem bothered. He shifted closer, close enough for Kyral to feel the warmth of his body.

"Just try to relax," Jasper murmured, already reaching out with those deft fingers to shift Kyral's clothing out of the way. "I'll be gentle, I promise."

Despite his words, Kyral couldn't quite suppress the way he stiffened as Jasper's hands made contact.

Kyral held himself rigid as Jasper's fingers pressed firmly into the taut muscles of his side. A low stress built in his chest: one part pain, and another part of discomfort that had nothing to do with his misfiring nerves.

Gritting his teeth, Kyral willed himself to remain still as Jasper's clever hands roamed over his body. The human's touch was surprisingly confident, applying calculated pressure along nerves in a way that slowly began to ease the agonizing throb. Despite himself, Kyral felt the tight knot of tension within him gradually loosening under Jasper's ministrations.

All the while, Jasper was close. That intoxicating scent clouded Kyral's senses, making his mouth water. His blood thrummed hot, thick, every breath growing harder as he struggled not to simply turn and bury his face against the tempting curve of Jasper's neck.

Jasper's scent enveloped him, warm and heady, triggering a visceral response Kyral could scarcely control. His body tensed further, every instinct screaming at him to pull the human close, to breathe him in, to claim him as his own. The mating urge blazed through him like a forest fire, primal and all-consuming.

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