Page 33 of Connected

“All right, if that’s what you want. You heard the lady, put him over there where we can keep an eye on him ‘til she’s ready. Hey Alvarez…” Digby smiles, “it looks like you’re all outta luck. I told you she was pissed off, and I guess you’re about to find out exactly how much.”

Chapter 11

Kat opens the flask and tips the remaining water over the back of her neck to dampen the raging burn on her skin. It helps cool some of the heat-surge that is flushing through her body. Taking a deep breath, she sighs loudly, and closing her eyes she settles her thoughts.

Her wolf howls loudly and as Luna awakes, the rush of feelings coursing through her mind threatens to overwhelm her and Kat has to concentrate hard to keep the wolf quiet.

Digby senses her turmoil as he stands close and strokes his hands, gently massaging her back and shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She rubs her hand against the red-raw mark that circles her neck as she turns around and faces him. “I um… I need a couple of minutes to myself. I need to… well, I’ll be right back.”

“All right, but you are sure you’re okay? I mean, if you need to talk about what happened, then I’m right here.” The furrowed lines on his brow deepen and he wraps his arm around her waist, while he tries to work out what’s going on in her head. “Do you need me to come with you?”

“No,” she flinches and wriggles herself free from his grip. “I just told you, I need a few minutes to myself. But if you really must know… I need to pee.”

“Oh… Oh um, yeah sure. Right, sorry. Yeah, you go right ahead. I didn’t think.”

“It’s okay. Digby, please… I’m fine, you really don’t need to keep worrying so much.” She smiles and gives his arm a reassuring squeeze before disappearing into the undergrowth behind them.

He sighs and drags his hand through his hair as he considers whether he should follow her but then decides it would probably be best for him to remain where he is. Looking up, he hears a hiss of air behind him and turns around.

“You know I could help her with that.” Darius gestures a line across his neck. “I could help to make it better. But I’ll only do it if you agree to it?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, of course. Yeah, I know what you mean but… well, I’m not sure it would be such a good idea and it probably wouldn’t feel right given the circumstances.” Digby bites nervously at his lip as he considers Darius’s offer and his feelings about letting him be near her—that intimately.

“So, what, you’d rather her be in pain than let me relieve her from the discomfort? Oh, c’mon Diggs, I swear there’d be nothing in it. I would just be helping her by healing her neck faster.”

“Yeah, I get that, but… no. No, I don’t think so.”

Something about the tone with which Darius asks annoys him, and Digby can’t help but snarl. Again he rakes his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath as he turns away, ignoring the glaring stare of Darius’s purple eyes on him. “Oh hell, I don’t know. Yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe I should let you. Shit… I told you, I don’t know. I don’t know what the hell I should do.”

“C’mon, you know she shouldn’t be in pain just because of the way things are between us. Hell, neither of us wants that. Look at it like this, it would be no different than her treating a wound on either of us, right?”

“Yeah, I guess… Okay, okay see what she says, but remember, it’s totally up to her.” Though Digby knows Darius can help Kat, there’s a part of him that is hoping she will say no. The thought of Darius touching her, being that close to her—does not sit well with him right now.

***

Startled, Kat stands up from where she’s crouched in the bush, and turning around, she sneers at Darius as he stares at her.

“Oh, for fuck’ sake… What, can’t I even get a minute to pee in peace without one of you checking up on me?”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize that was what you were doin’. Should I go?”

“No, don’t worry about it. I’m done here now, anyway. So, did you want me for something specific?” Her tone is dismissive and her reply snappy as she purposely keeps her back to him and does up her pants.

“I came to say, I can help with that—the burn on your neck—I’ve got a way to help. But just like when I cut your hand, you kinda have to trust me.”

“Trust…you?” She laughs. “Oh, you have to be fuckin’ kidding me, right? Well, for what it’s worth, I don’t fuckin’ trust you. I’m fine, and I don’t need your kind of help. To be honest…” she takes a deep breath and faces him; her green eyes locked on his purple. “I don’t need anything from you—not anymore. In fact, I’d rather we only speak about work from now on. Keep things to team business only and stay away from anything personal.”

“Oh…” he frowns, “okay. And can I ask what the hell brought that on?”

“You. You did this,” she sneers. “When you decided to lie to me.”

“I did? I mean, I lied to you? So you wanna tell me about that, cos I really don’t remember doing that. Kat, what the hell is wrong with you? What’s going on? Please talk to me—tell me.”

“There’s nothing going on, and that’s the way I wanna keep it now. I just… well, I just had time to think about things. The things going on between us—and I don’t think we should see each other anymore. Not like that, anyway. What I think is that now Digby and I are bonded, and I know what it feels like to lose my wolf… well, it’s given me a different perspective on things. I can see things I didn’t see before and Digby’s right, I should concentrate more on being what I am—a wolf. So should you. You should stick to what you are. Darius—me and you—it can’t happen. You were right when you said that.”

She places a hand against her neck, grimacing at the surge in pain. Glancing up, she quickly looks at him, checking his reaction to the sharp response of her tone.

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