"What the hell was he doing here?' she asked again.
"Would you shut up? 'Braden snarled, though his hand pawed at her head roughly, She guessed it was some form of comforting gesture. Damn, he seemed kind of upset. "It didn't go in deep. " She tried to look at the wound, but gave up when the growl became an animalistic snarl.
"Darnn, you're grouchy," she muttered as he rocked her. Sitting in the
damned dirt and he was rocking her. It felt kind of nice: a little odd, but nice.
"And you're shot, Superwoman," he snapped. "Act like it. '.
She frowned at that. "There's a way to act?"
He groaned. And he didn't sound pleased.
Thankfully, that thought didn't seem to bother her much. She closed her eyes, resting against his warmth. And let the darkness edging along her vision finally surround her. She was just going to nap for a minute. Just for a minute…
"Pass out on me and Lance will see it," Braden's voice suddenly cut through the fog in her veins. "He showed up with the rest of the damned males in your family, Megan. What did you say? The wound wasn't deep?
Are you wimping out on me here?"
Oh. now that wasn't fair. Her eyes snapped open as she tilted her head back defiantly.
"I'm going to kick your ass. " The threat lacked heat. It actually sounded rather weak.
But Braden's smile, it lit up the night. Those s
exy lips curved slowly, wickedly.
"Talk like that is just going to make my dick hard. "
She lifted her hand, cupped his cheek, and smiled. God she loved him.
"Your dick stays hard. "
"Just for you, Mate. " He turned until those perfect lips were pressing to her palm. "Always, just for you. "
Always. That sounded good enough for her.
She sighed as Lance and her uncles were suddenly converging on her. Thankfully, there was no coddling.
Steven checked the wound, his fingers probing but gentle, his gaze proud. He watched her with pride. With understanding. Seeing those emotions in his eyes helped her to hold back her instinctive rejection of his touch. The discomfort wasn't as severe as it had been, but still, it wasn't comfortable.
"Come on, bad ass. " Braden moved in front of Steven when he finished, lifting her into his arms. "You're a crazy woman. Not too deep, my ass. That bullet has to come out, Megan. Looks like you get to wimp out on
me after all. "
Still in? She stared up at him in horror as she felt her head whirl. Oh hell…
She never saw the shock on her mate's face as she passed out, or the surprise in her cousin's and uncle's. But it was her first bullet, she would be careful to assure them later. She deserved a little faint.
Chapter Twenty-One
SANCTUARY FOUR WEEKS LATER
Megan stared at the shafts of sunlight spearing through the windows of the cabin she and Braden had occupied during the weeks of testing they had agreed to. They had left the hospital after the surgery that removed the bullet from her side and flew straight to Sanctuary, where she had been watched over with such careful observation that it gave her the
damned willies. The doctors here were way too intense.
But it had saved her from an influx of family members.