Page 101 of Leashed

“Probably explains why there was no hemorrhaging, either,” Dio commented as he balled up the sandwich wrapper and tossed it onto the counter. “Of course, we would have known about the spit a little quicker if he’d been bleeding out the eyes.”

Of course you would have.

A complete numbness had settled over her as she’d sat on Bo’s kitchen floor, cradling his head in her lap while Dio and Ryan labored over him for hours. Every knotted brow from Ryan, every hushed curse from Dio had sent her heart into her throat, blocking her breath until they muttered an “all clear” and moved on to the next wound.

The floor had become a minefield of salts and knives, needles and bowls. A pile of bloodied towels sat by the dishwasher, the cardboard of empty paper towels rolls tossed haphazardly beside them. Dio had disappeared for half an hour, returning with a satchel full of vials and bottles that now lay empty, strewn across the floor as they were used and kicked aside.

Hushed words were exchanged between Ryan and Dio as they hunched over Bo, some of which she recognized, many she didn’t.

Scylla.

Lachesis.

Eidolon.

Acomitum.

Urtica.

The last two had sent Dio from the apartment to collect whatever remedies were contained in the vials he’d retrieved “back home” to treat the plants’ poisons. With the bones set, Ryan had turned his attention to some of the surface scratches he’d found under Bo’s fur, his lips drawing into a tight line as he poked at the blackening wounds.

Bo had held still under her hands while Dio and Ryan began treating the small slashes, his body stiffening with every drop of liquid rubbed into his skin. He’d growled quietly the entire time, yelping only when Dio became frustrated with the sheer amount of wounds and doused him with the solutions.

“Why can’t you do this when he’s human?” she’d asked shakily while Ryan worked the medicine into the thick fur.

He’d given Bo a stern look before replying. “Healing is both faster and less painful in hound form. With this much damage, being human is too draining and, frankly, dangerous. We’re lucky he didn’t go into a toxic shock or cardiac arrest from the sheer amount of the three poisons in his system. His heart should have given out hours ago.”

Matching her expression to Ryan’s, she’d tilted Bo’s head up enough to ensure he saw her. “I’m not one bit happy with you right now.”

Bo had nattered gruffly in response and nuzzled her hands.

“Sage?”

Ryan.

She snapped out of her daze and looked over at him.

“We’re going to move him into the living room and get him comfortable.”

She nodded, easing back as Ryan and Dio lifted the beast, walking slow enough so she could keep her hand on his head. They set him down on the sofa and she dropped to the floor beside him. “He’ll be okay now, right?”

“Give him a few days,” Dio replied, flopping down in the recliner while Ryan returned to the kitchen to straighten up. “I bartered for some pretty powerful healers, so he damn well better be okay soon.”

Ryan poked his head in. “Everything’s feeling pretty dampened on my end, so you definitely got your money’s worth.”

The god nodded smugly. “I’m impressed you managed to work through it. That right there is why you’re the top dog.” She looked at Dio and he grinned at her, pulling an amphora from his bag and taking a long swig. “Oh, little girl, do I have a story for you.”

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