Page 2 of The Safest Place She Knows

She slumped.“Oh, good.”

He steppedinside and nodded, setting her on the counter near the sink and thefirst aid pack that she had insisted on being in every common roomin a household with two energetic boys.

He ran warmwater and got a tea towel, carefully cleaning the wound.

Oren asked,“Why don’t you just...”

“She’sresistant.”

She swayed ashe cleaned the wound in her purple hair.

He tried tokeep her awake. “You are colouring your hair now?”

She wokeslightly. “Yes. No one minds. You have more teeth now?”

“Yeah. This ismy evening look.” He smiled. “I thought you had to present adignified appearance as a therapist?”

“Oh, didn’t getthe job. I wasn’t willing to fulfill all the requirements. I workin research now.” She held still as he finished cleaning the wound.It was shallow but had bled like hell.

Oren steppedforward. He was back in his human appearance. “Step aside, Brexel.I am better with sutures.”

Brexelmuttered, “Wash your hands.”

Orenchuckled.

Iris snorted.“I am gonna infect anyway, so don’t hurt yourself. Oh, hey,Jupiter, where’s the missus?”

Brexel lookeddown and saw the large head of the mastiff pushing against herknee. “Jupe. Back off.”

Jupiter whinedin concern.

Juno wasstanding behind her mate and huffing, shifting from foot tofoot.

Iris reachedout with a scuffed and filthy hand, and Jupiter’s head was under itin seconds. “Who’s my big baby?”

He huffed andmade the peculiar croon that he had always saved for Iris.

Brexel shookhis head. “You always had a way with them.”

Oren wasscrubbing his hands. “It looks like she still does. Brex, youdidn’t tell me you were hanging around betas.”

“Iris was theboys’ nanny for two years after their parents’ accident. She leftwhen she graduated and pursued her career.” Brexel filled in theblanks.

“When wasthis?”

Iris muttered,“Four years ago. The boys were nine and in school by then.”

Brexel noddedand watched Oren scrub his hands. “She waited until they weresettled in their new school to leave.”

“I didn’tleave. It was the end of the contract.” She frowned and winced.

“The boysmissed you.”

“I miss them,but life moves on, right?” She slowly looked up and met his gazewhile Oren gloved up and began to tie neat knots in her flesh.

Life moves on.He had told her that when the contract span was over. She had beenspending all her time with them and ignoring friends and family.She had stopped her life for them and been happy to do it.

He watched thesutures go in. Oren was good at it, but then, he was a vet.

---