Page 19 of Her Forbidden Shifters
“Stay with me,” he kept saying over and over, and my heart broke a little with the pain he tried to keep hidden in his voice.
At some point, I must have lost consciousness, because when I came to, we were in his car, speeding along the streets of Denver. I hoped he wasn’t taking me to a hospital. They wouldn’t do me any good. He had to have known that. Before I could get out a word to say as much, my eyes drifted closed again.
When I woke up again, I was being carried into my house. The familiar smell of lilac and vanilla filled my nostrils. I had plenty of lilac on hand for different reasons. Mostly for soaps and candles. And the second we were through my threshold I was retaining a bit more consciousness.
“Take me to my bed,” I mumbled. My words came out slurred together and barely discernable, but Liam must have gotten the point because my body sank into my pillow soft mattress not too much time later.
I sighed.
“I’m going to make you some tea,” he said.
“Don’t,” I breathed out and settled my attention on his very attractive backside. When he turned around to face me again, he sighed and leaned against the doorway. I added, “Tea isn’t going to help me.”
“It has before,” he argued.
I nodded and winced at the pain the movement caused. “I’m beyond the simple remedies.”
“Care to tell me what I can do now then?” he asked.
“Just let me lie here for a bit,” I said.
He nodded. “I’ll come to check on you in a bit.”
“You can stay here if you want,” I said.
His lips stretched into a grin that lacked any humor. “You need the rest.”
“I need to catch you up,” I said. “Your presence, rather your energy, could help me with the healing process.”
He stepped closer, taking a seat at the foot of my bed. “So, what happened?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping you could help me with that,” I said.
“Why didn’t you use your magic?” he asked with an edge to his words.
“I couldn’t,” I said. “They were somehow able to stop me.”
His eyebrows drew closer together. “How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t like it,” I said. “But I have a feeling Noah wasn’t the only person on their list.”
“Do you think it was the same group?” he asked.
“I know for certain it was. I just can’t connect the change in victims. Or the powers they had. Outside of them using bait, which doesn’t seem likely.”
He nodded. “It was unusual.”
“Not to mention their strength,” I added. “I have some witch hazel in the bathroom. Grab it and a clean rag.”
Liam instantly stood and headed for my bathroom. I closed my eyes and waited for the throbbing to ebb. Seconds later, Liam returned. I settled my gaze on him.
“Want me to help you with this?” he asked.
I nodded. “Please.”
With his help, I sat up and peeled my bloody clothes from my frame. Liam turned around and settled his attention on the wall next to my bed. I chuckled softly, even though it caused a significant amount of pain. It surprised me that he would turn his back, though I appreciated that he was willing to give me the privacy he felt I needed. Though it did me little good.
“You can’t help apply the solution to my body if you’re too shy to look at me,” I said.
