Page 87 of Sergi
How quickly my life changed once again.
Sergi followedthe same trail for two miles, turning around every couple minutes to keep an eye on Alex. She remained in wolf form, and his first assumption was that she wanted to remain in her shifter form in case the wild ones decided revenge was better than prudence.
He didn’t miss the increasing limp in her front leg. Blood stained her coat, and like him, much of it came from their opponents, but the stain on her shoulder gleamed wet, reflecting an open wound. They’d passed several pools and one creek where he refilled their water bottles. Alex drank deeply but still refused to shift back. After a few hundred yards, he selected anarrower path that bordered the mountainside as he searched for an appropriate cave.
He settled on the third one he found, which was the same size as the cave from the previous night but had an upper shelf ten feet long and two feet off the cave floor. It was tall enough for Alex to stand, though he’d have to hunch over, and space for both of them to sleep warmly with a nearby fire.
Alex laid down, head on her paws, and was still in that position when Sergi returned with firewood. Once the fire licked at the wood, he leaned against the rock wall that formed the shelf and watched her sleep. After a couple of minutes, she rose and limped toward the exit.
The limp was worse.
“Where are you going?”
The wolf stopped and paused a moment before looking back. When she took another step, he doubted she’d make it more than a few steps outside before collapsing.
“You’re not leaving, and if you think you can outrun me with your injury, you’re mistaken. Don’t make me chase you.”
She whined, and he shook his head.
“We’re out of danger. Shift and heal your leg. You should have done that after the first mile.”
When she held her ground, he stood and strolled toward her, leaving as much distance as the cave would allow until he positioned himself between her and the exit. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down. Rather than shift, she slowly lowered to the ground, her eyes closing as she once again rested her head on her front legs. Her movements confirmed what he already knew. Her injury was worse than she wanted him to believe.
After giving it some thought, he strolled over and squatted next to her. When she didn’t appear bothered by his nearness, he sat. He wasn’t sure why he made the next move because hewasn’t an Alpha, and he was invading her space. Rather than worry if he was doing the right thing, he placed a hand on her back and stroked the surprisingly soft fur along her back. He stayed away from the matted blood that ran from midpoint on her neck, thickened in mass around her shoulder, then trailed down her leg.
They sat like that for several minutes. Her breathing turned to pants as he continued his gentle stroking. Then, without warning, she shifted back to human form.
At first, she yelped, but when it turned into a human cry, he knew it was bad. Her eyes were unfocused, and when he placed his hand on her forehead, he cursed under his breath.
He rolled her over. A bite on her shoulder, less than two hours old, was red, angry, and likely infected. Her shifter magic should have healed her, but it sometimes required more than one shift. He hadn’t heard of shifters succumbing to infections after a fight, but these had been wild shifters. All the time he’d spent in the Carpathians, he’d never run across them before, and other than the warnings of how dangerous they were, he knew little else.
“Shift.” He threw as much weight as he could into the command, but she didn’t stir. If her wolf was awake, it didn’t have any more luck in rousing her.
Her breathing became ragged, similar to her wolf’s pants. He scanned the rest of her body but didn’t find any other noticeable injuries until he pushed her hair up and found a second bite on her neck. This one wasn’t as deep, but it also appeared infected.
An infection working as rapidly as it was could be deadly. He ran a hand over her hair, then left her side to pull the package of vials from her lab coat. He found what he wanted in the first package—the vials of the BP-X. The Blood Poppy had worked wonders for him, and it was vital to dreamwalkers, but what would it do to a shifter? Would it cure an infection? He couldcarry her the rest of the way, but they were a long way from a clinic, and when they reached it, it might be too late to save her, assuming she made it that far.
The vial was warm in his hand. Based on his experience with Blood Poppy, and what he’d seen from Remus’s lab tests, she should only require a few drops, certainly no more than half the vial. He closed his eyes. It might not help, but would it hurt her? He stared at the flames, felt the warmth flush his face, and made a decision.
He lifted the top off the vial, opened her mouth, and dribbled a few drops on her tongue. One fell on her lips, and she instinctively licked it off. When she licked her lips again as if searching for more, he obliged her. He emptied a quarter of the vial before resealing it.
After a minute, and with no apparent change in her, he decided on plan B. He left her long enough to put the vial back with the others and strip off his clothes, piling them next to the fire.
Alex didn’t struggle when he lifted her into his arms. She was so cold. Not a good sign. She surprised him before he exited the cave when she curled into him, seeking his warmth.
He strode quickly through the dark forest, using his shoulder to push through the bushes and low-hanging limbs to protect her body. When he crossed the creek where they’d refreshed their water bottles, he turned right down a well-used trail that led to a small pool bordered by rocks and a small grassy area.
Without pausing, he waded into the warm water, a slight mineral scent tickling his nose. She startled when the water flowed over her but didn’t attempt to leave his arms. The pool wasn’t any deeper than a bathtub, and he sat in the middle, keeping her head above the water that reached his chest. Once he settled into a comfortable position, he held her tight as helowered her deeper into the water, ensuring the water covered the injuries on her shoulder and the back of her neck.
The minerals in the water should clean out the wound, but he didn’t think they would be enough to kill the infection. He rocked back and forth in a slow rhythm, keeping his senses alert for any other trouble, but he soon relaxed. They were safe for now.
After some time had passed, he sat her up so he could check her wounds. He pulled her wet hair aside and breathed a sigh of relief when the area around the bite was clean and the redness had faded to a dark pink. The most grievous wound on her shoulder had improved as well.
He remained in the water and carefully washed the blood off both their bodies. After checking the wounds once more, he was pleased enough to leave the pool. She was still unresponsive, but with any luck, her shifter blood, and perhaps the Blood Poppy, was healing her.
He stood and repositioned her in his arms once more before striding for the path. If nothing else, her heart pounded strong against his chest. When he reached the cave, he settled in front of the fire with her still in his arms. He reached over and tossed two logs onto the fire. Once the flames burned brightly, he moved Alex so the heat would dry her skin.
The heat of the flames dried them quickly, and he gently dressed her and laid her on the shelf, where she curled into a fetal position. He didn’t want to block her from the fire, but he refused to leave her the closest to the entrance, and as he expected, the air was warmer on the shelf. He stretched next to her and closed his eyes, allowing a hand to settle on her arm. Satisfied her skin radiated warmth, he relaxed into a satisfied sleep.
