Page 78 of Midnight of Ashes
Knox glanced at me. “I’m gonna get you both some dry clothes. You going to be okay for a minute?”
I nodded, and he headed out of the bathroom.
My fingers trailed up and down Hayden’s spine. Her skin was so unbelievably smooth. Delicate. Just like her. But that delicateness hid a strength.
Knox had told me that it had been clear Hayden had fought back. Fought against someone twice her size and had gotten in a few good licks. God, I wanted her to shift so that she had that increased strength. So that human assholes wouldn’t stand a chance against her. It wouldn’t help that much against other shifters, but at least it would be more of an even match.
Footsteps sounded, and Knox reappeared with a pair of sweats and a tee for me and some pajamas for Hayden. He set them on the counter. “Ready to get her out?”
No. I wasn’t. Because with Hayden in my arms, I knew she was safe. Whole.
“Sure,” I lied.
I brushed the hair away from her face. “Hayden?”
“Mmm,” she mumbled.
“I’m going to lift you out of the bath, okay?”
“’Kay,” she said, smacking her lips but not quite fully awake.
I stood, the air feeling cold after the warmth of the bath. Knox was immediately there with a towel, taking Hayden from my arms. But I didn’t want to give her up. The only thing letting me do so was knowing that she needed to get dry and warm.
I quickly shucked my soaking wet clothes and dropped them into the draining bathtub so they wouldn’t get water everywhere. I grabbed a towel, drying myself as fast as possible before putting on the sweats.
“Grab the pajamas,” Knox called.
I did and headed back to him and Hayden. Her eyes were glassy as she blinked up at me. “Thank you.”
A muscle along my jaw fluttered. “You don’t have to thank me.”
She shouldn’t. Not when I should’ve been there to stop it from happening in the first place.
I handed the pajama bottoms to Knox as I opened the top. “Let’s get this on you.”
I studiously avoided Hayden’s chest, focusing on getting her arms into the sleeves and then wrapping it around her. Slowly, my fingers fastened each button. But as I reached the top button, my gaze locked on the angry red marks on her throat. They were already deepening to bruises.
“Grab me the balm,” I croaked to Knox as he rose from getting Hayden’s pajama bottoms on.
He jerked his head in a nod and crossed to where I’d set the two jars. He handed me one. “This is for any bruising. I’ve got the one for her lip.”
I unscrewed the lid and dabbed a glob of it onto my finger. My gaze locked with Hayden’s. “Tell me if anything hurts.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
As gently as possible, I rubbed it over the marks. God, I hoped this erased any pain, any reminder of what had happened to her. The scent of it had a hint of rose. A hell of a lot better than the stuff we’d gotten our hands on before.
I finished smoothing it over Hayden’s neck and then put a dab on her cheek where another bruise was forming. “I’m so sorry, Hayden.”
“Not your fault,” she said hoarsely.
But it was. And I’d never forget that.
“Come on,” Knox said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Let’s get you into bed.”
She let Knox guide her into the bedroom as I wiped my fingers clean on a towel. By the time I followed, Hayden was settled into the middle of the giant bed, and Knox was settling in next to her.
Hayden’s eyelids fluttered as she curled into Knox, already slipping back into sleep. It was what she needed most right now.
