Page 25 of Rejected Mate's Baby for the Alpha King

“I don’t care,” Hofter said gruffly. “Don’t break anything. In fact, don’t touch anything at all. My potions and salves are a delicate process.”

Most wolf healers I knew had a delicate and gentle touch, but not Hofter. His grunt was the only welcome we had as he turned his back and stomped back in.

Charles winked. “He’s soft on the inside, don’t worry. Do you think you can find your way back when you’re done, or would you prefer that I wait?”

“We do not need an escort,” Rhyson said stiffly, but Charles was looking at me. I shook my head and followed Hofter inside.

Strange that he would leave us unaccompanied. Either he didn’t have any secrets or their secrets were well-guarded to the point that he’d allow strangers to roam around. I could see Rhyson was thinking the same thing.

Hofter was waiting for us. “What’s the problem?”

Wonderful bedside manner. I cleared my throat. “My knee hurts a little when I walk long distances.”

“Define a little.”

“Um. It swells up.”

“So it hurts a lot,” he said. He reached for me, and Rhyson unexpectedly snarled. Pausing, he looked up. “Problem, wolf?”

“No, he’s fine. Please, continue.” I glared at Rhyson. I might have to do what he said, but he couldn’t get pissed just because a freaking doctor wanted to touch my injury.

His hands were warm and gentle as they probed my knee. “Strange. You wolves tend to heal when you shift, but this is a dislocation that never healed properly. When did this happen?”

“Two years ago.”

“It was dislocated when you were human. Why didn’t you shift and heal?”

“Is that relevant to you helping me?”

His gaze lifted to Rhyson, and his whole expression changed. “Wait outside,” he growled.

“No.”

“This is why I do not let patients come accompanied. You’ve broken her kneecap and then not let her heal, and now you stand over her like her protector so you can bully her into keeping quiet. I am not here to fix her if you are just going to break her again. I will not allow her to leave with you, wolf. I don’t care how powerful you are.”

“How fucking dare you,” Rhyson roared.

I cleared my throat and tapped Hofter on the shoulder. “It wasn’t him,” I assured him. “And I’m not lying to protect him. This happened before I even met him.”

Hofter studied me and then relaxed. “The broken come here to claim sanctuary. I am sorry to assume.”

“Someone did this to you?” Rhyson demanded.

I ignored him. “Charles says you might have a salve?”

“I do, but it is temporary. The best solution is to simply let me re-dislocate it and set it. You will shift and heal.”

My head swam as I remembered the pain of the first time. “I don’t know if I can handle that,” I whispered.

“And she’s pregnant,” Rhyson interjected.

“It will not hurt the babe, but it will be painful. I understand if you are not ready. I will give you enough salve to last a month. Return when you are ready, and I will fix this for you, as painlessly as I can.”

“Thank you.”

“The one who hurt you. Do you travel with them? Say the word, and they will not leave our community.”

I saw the truth in his eyes, and I suspected this was not the first time they’d made this promise or made good on it. It seemed so peaceful here, but there was an ease to the violent promise in his voice.

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