Page 10 of The Healer

Her bear whimpered.Whimperedin his sleep.

She stood from her own chair and moved to her brother’s side. “How is he doing?”

“Quiet until about five minutes ago.”

“What time is it?”

“The middle of the night.”

Briggs whimpered again but didn’t move a muscle. “I can take the shift now. You lie down and get some rest.”

Pyre pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. “Stay out of his space. This is a trial.”

“I know?—”

Briggs screamed, the sound so terrified that she clung to Pyre, eyes wide as their friend continued to bellow, still not moving from the sleep. Nyx released her brother and rushed toward their friend. Pyre grabbed her by the forearm and reeled her back.

“What part of stay out of his space did you miss?”

“He’s trapped,” she said brokenly. “Look how he’s not moving with the night terror. I told him he’d be safe.”

Nyx shook off Pyre and approached her bear cautiously, heart breaking with each cry of pain. Tears rushed down his onyx cheeks and his mouth gaped open in horror.

“Briggs?” she murmured, reaching out to cup his cheek. “Wake up.”

He didn’t.

Oh god, what if she’d given him too much?

He screamed again, body twitching in his sleep and she couldn’t handle it for one more second. Without another thought, she climbed into his lap, his ropes pressing against her stomach and breasts, and she leaned close to cup his face.

“Nyx! Get back.”

“Briggs can’t hurt me. He’s in too deep and is tied up.” She choked on her own cry. “I have to help him.”

She began humming her mother’s lullaby and caressed his face, wiping each tear away as it fell. He continued to scream so Nyx wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed his face into her hair. She started singing in his ear and combing her fingers through long dark braids.

His terror, panic, and screams seemed to go on for hours.

Each pained sound he made was like a dagger to the chest.

The sun slowly rose, casting soft light into Pyre’s room in the Dark Keep. Nyx closed her eyes for a moment, still humming the lullaby. Her throat felt raw from singing for so many hours. Her chest vibrated, rousing her, as did the brush of a nose along the column of her throat.

She blinked hard. She wasn’t vibrating. Briggs was growling softly.

Her whole body clenched and released, warmth flowing through her limbs. Drowsily, she leaned back, meeting liquid dark brown eyes.

“Briggs?” she rasped.

“Mate,” he murmured.

Her heart clenched. “What?”

He smiled at her and leaned forward. Her eyes fluttered shut as he kissed her collarbone. His teeth scraped her skin and her eyes snapped open. “What?—”

Pain.

He’d bit her.

---