Page 54 of Cursed Beasts

Lucien sat me in a chair as Mr. Potter disappeared, only to reappear a moment later with a bag. Lucien put a blanket over my naked lap, not for my sake but for hers.

“How did you fall through the window with her?” Mr. Potter sat on the bed to inspect her injuries. “What was she doing?”

“I don’t know. I woke up next to them,” Lucien said, standing on the other side of the bed.

I debated saying anything, wondering if they would even believe me, but I didn’t have a chance to stop myself.

“I think we were chasing her last night through the library. We collided together, and I was thrown back into consciousness.”

I looked up to see both staring at me like I had two heads.

“That's impossible,” Mr. Potter said in disbelief.

“It’s possible because he looked at me like a completely different wolf before Lucien attacked us. Aeon protected me as much as possible but it seems falling three stories did me in.” Katarina tried to sit up.

“Stay laying down,” Mr. Potter said, pushing her shoulder back, and she hissed in pain. “I think your shoulder is dislocated. Your nose might be as well.”

I was hoping to keep the tidbit out that Lucien was the one who had thrown us out the window, but she had just divulged everything.

“Give this to Aeon.” He handed Lucien a vial, and I knew it was going to be for pain, hopefully. The great thing about being a shifter, was healing was quick and once I transformed into my wolf again, I would be good as new.

He brought the vial to me, looking defeated as I threw it back.

“Don’t,” I growled, knowing his thoughts were taking him to bad places. “If we hadn’t collided, I would have been the one to hurt her.”

“I hate missing pieces of my life, living sixty minutes at a time.” He looked defeated. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this.”

“Lucien, I need you to hold on to her. I need to reset her shoulder.”

He looked back at the bed, with indecision on his face. I knew he wanted to leave, but Lucien was always the guy who did the right thing, no matter what. He walked back to the bed as he took instructions from Mr. Potter.

They sat her up with Lucien in front of her, his arm wrapped around her waist as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. Mr. Potter lifted her arm up and down.

She whimpered, pushing her face into Lucien's shoulder more. He tensed before he held her a little tighter, watching her with an expression that looked torn.

“Alright on the count of three.” Mr. Potter extended her arm out when she cried out. My body jerked forward and a protectiveness flared in me.

I bit back the growl that wanted to escape as he popped her shoulder back into place and she cried out again.

What the hell was going on? She was not mine to protect. She wasn’t mine.

“That feels good,” Mr. Potter said, moving her arm around. “How does that feel?”

“Better, but it still hurts,” she said, still nestled up against Lucien, then pushed into him more like she couldn’t get close enough to him.

“You will have pain for a few days,” he said, giving her a vial, while he pulled out a piece of cloth that he cut.

She looked at it skeptically before Lucien leaned down to tell her something. She looked up at his face and nodded before she took the vial.

“You need to keep your shoulder close to your body, no big range movements.” He fashioned a sling with the cut-up fabric, sliding it over her neck.

Lucien took the opportunity to get up from the bed and walk away, nodding at me before he left looking stoic.

“I don’t think your nose is broken.”

“Fuck!” Katarina yelled, pulling away. “What the hell?”

“Ok, maybe it was a little off center, I just ensured it was straight.” He gave her another vial to take.

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