Page 4 of Sapphire Flame
The blows from Kryder’s boots were already punching at his ribs. After six long years of dealing with this monster, however, Grant knew how to take it.
For the sake of the three young wolves, for Ryan, for his entire pack, he’d do it a thousand times over.
An hour later, he reclined on a bed in the compound’s medical unit. The wolf attending him, Dr. Thorpe, had been an internist in his previous life. Butaltermedicine wasn’t nearly as intensive as normal human treatment.
Thorpe now sat on a stool beside the bed leafing through a car magazine.
“How bad is it this time?” Grant asked. He smiled as he asked the question. Unless the wounds were fatal, his long-lived healing kicked in fast and kept on coming.
Thorpe looked up from his magazine. “He got a couple shots to the kidneys, and two of your ribs are broken. I’d say one more hour and you’ll be good as new.”
Grant adjusted the bed to a sitting position but forced himself to stay put. If Kryder was anywhere near when Grant left the medical bay, he might want another beating session.
But after a few minutes, his usual restlessness set in. He was a man who liked to be doing. His ass planted on a med-bed wasn’t his style at all.
He gritted his teeth as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He took a few deep breaths. He could all but feel the ribs knitting together at light speed. It was one of the best parts of hisalterlife.
Thorpe knew him well and didn’t bother yelling at him to stay. Instead, he smiled and handed Grant his black tank top.
Grant grunted as he put it back on. Though his normal duties included serving as a Border Patrol officer, he had the night off. The extra time meant he could run more drills with the pack wolves, go over administrative duties with Ryan, or any of a dozen tasks he’d set for himself over the years.
Thorpe rose from his stool, his magazine slung under his arm. “Eat a couple of steaks, bloody as all hell, and you should be good to go.”
Grant’s stomach rumbled. He decided to take Thorpe’s advice and headed in the direction of the kitchens.
As he left the med-bay, however, his wolf instincts vibrated heavily up and down his spine. He wasn’t sure if it was his confrontation with Kryder or something else, though he leaned toward the latter.
He was on the third, belowground level of the compound. Near the med-bay was a door with a sign that said ‘Supplies’. He knew every room in the compound but this one didn’t look familiar. He’d have to ask Ryan about it later.
As he headed to the ground floor, he received all kinds of thanks for taking one for the team yet again. He had to admit, though, he was tired of being Kryder’s punching bag.
Another vibration traveled down his spine. The uneasy sensation grew stronger.
He contacted Ryan telepathically.Everything okay where you are?
Fine, but are you ready to serve because we’ve got a situation?
And there it was.
Ryan usually pushed him to take it easy after Kryder unleashed some hurt, but not this time.
Grant looked at both his hands. He felt the strangest tingling race up his forearms then over his biceps. He felt odd, as though he could almost sense the future, which was more a fae trait than wolf.What’s goin’ on?
I just got a call from the Revel Border Patrol. A fae who lives near the Graveyard called in to report three wolves attacking a woman not far from where the canal ends. Revel thought we might want to take care of this ourselves.
It was the right call. Better to have wolves taking down wolves than the fae Border Patrol.
Grant experienced a sudden, powerful need to head out there.I’m on it.When it came to Revel, he had his own making-up to do. He’d always regretted his part in the Fae-Wolf wars. Since that time, he’d bent over backwards to repair the damage that had been done to the relationship between territories.
~ ~ ~
Natalie McKinnon felt a sudden, profound need to strangle the human sitting in the tall, winged-back chair. Terry was complaining about her husband, also a human, who didn’t pay her enough attention.
Natalie tried to be sympathetic, she really did. Instead, her patience had run thin and all she wanted to do was slap the female silly for being such a small creature. Wasn’t she aware that while she could travel the world at her leisure because of the money her husband earned with future information Natalie provided, Natalie’s world would forever be confined to Revel Territory in thealterworld of Five Bridges? Couldn’t Terry see how blessed she was?
Natalie met with her clients in her futurist studio in an upscale part of Revel Territory. Both witches and fae could reach into the future. She’d even heard some deadtalkers could as well. Almost from the beginning, she’d earned her bread-and-butter with her futurist gift.
Right now, she was positioned behind the tall client chair, which was her preferred way of working.
