Page 7 of Sapphire Flame
Grant remembered the gunshot, but he’d thought Ryan or one of his other fellow officers had come to the rescue.
As he turned, he saw that his back-up warrior was fae, the last thing he’d expected. She was bent over the mauled woman.
He rushed to help. Blood still oozed from dozens of deep bites and tears. His rescuer stripped off her leggings, wadded them up, then used them to pack what was no doubt the worst of the wounds on the victim’s abdomen.
Grant knew what he had to do. He scooped her up and flew her straight into the air. The other woman, her gun in hand, tracked beside him. Her voice was suddenly in his head.Do you know Kiara’s refuge in Revel?
Yep. That’s where we’re headed.He had the fae pressed tight against his chest to hold the packing in place. He could feel the warmth of her blood oozing everywhere, especially on his chest. How was she still alive?
His battle-mate spoke again,I’m contacting one of the nurses now. They’ll be ready for us.
Grant flew damn fast and was surprised the woman could keep up.What’s your name?
Natalie McKinnon. Yours?
Grant. Officer Davis Grant of the Savage Border Patrol.
I’ve heard good things about you.
He crossed one more rise of houses and a strip center appeared. Waiting in the parking lot was the refuge medical team with a gurney. He dropped down fast. Two of the members moved quickly out of the way to give him room. He wasn’t a small man.
He laid the woman on the gurney but kept his hand pressed to the packing against the abdominal wound.
Natalie explained things quickly. Hands moved in to replace his. He felt a grip on his arm. Natalie spoke close to his ear. “They’ve got her. You can let her go now. You did good.”
With difficulty, he released the woman.
He rose upright as the team hurtled the gurney into the refuge and down the long hall. His feet followed as though having a mind of their own. Natalie held his arm and stayed with him. She was holding onto him tight, which surprised him. She probably wasn’t used to battle.
A nurse hurried up to them and took his other arm which also surprised him.
Suddenly, he was dizzy as hell, and he stumbled, but the women held him upright. “We’ve got you,” Natalie said.
Her words didn’t make sense. Maybe both women needed emotional support. One thing about being at alpha-level in his pack, over the years he’d gained a better understanding of women.
He didn’t know why, but suddenly he started feeling light-headed and his vision began to fade at the edges. When another gurney appeared, some instinct had him hurtling toward it.
One thought went through his mind.Oh, shit. Some of the blood was mine.
Then he passed out.
~ ~ ~
“He didn’t know he was wounded,” Natalie explained to the nurse now tracking the gurney on his right side.
“I figured. These big wolves never know when to quit.” It was more a statement than a criticism.
“It’s a good thing. If Officer Grant hadn’t carried her here, I know I couldn’t have done it. I’m grateful beyond words he made it this far.”
When he’d picked the woman up off the ground, Natalie had almost stopped him. He was bleeding profusely from a deep cut in the well of his right shoulder and he was horribly pale.
But he was also pumped from battle. She’d seen it before. Adrenaline could do amazing things, like blocking pain and keeping a warrior upright. Besides, what had their options been? Zero, if he’d fallen. The fae would have died. Officer Grant might have as well. Now both of them had a chance.
So, she’d flown beside him and kept sending up prayers to analterGod she wasn’t sure existed, hoping Grant would be able to make it all the way. Funny the things you do and think when you’re desperate.
Two nurses worked on Grant. One set him up quickly with anIVof wolf blood. In theiraltercondition, blood-type didn’t matter. The other nurse used a big-ass needle and quickly started setting stitches in his shoulder. Natalie helped since some suction was needed. The artery had been nicked, hence the level of blood loss, but nothing the nurse couldn’t handle. The refuge doctor was busy with the near-dead fae. Emergency room tactics were down and dirty.
Even so, Grant was in excellent hands.
