Page 58 of The Golden Receiver

“What’s wrong with him?” Preston asked as he noticed the man in my arms. He held the door open for me.

As soon as I got in, I started toward my bedroom. I wanted to put Kieran down somewhere soft. I wanted to put him on my bed, somewhere I knew he’d be safe. Preston followed me. I was glad that we all figured out ways to have our doors partially open when we weren’t in them. Mostly because there had been more than one incident where one of us got locked out.

Okay, by one of us, I meant me, Ryan, and Benny. Preston never got locked out of his room, but after we had the RA in our room to unlock doors three times in one week, we figured out a way around that. And by we figured out a way, I mean we all put something small and barely noticeable at the bottom. I’d found an old drumstick at the warehouse and when no one claimed it, I decided it was the perfect doorstop. Benny used colored pencils, but they snapped a lot. He had to keep replacing them.

Preston held the door open for me so I could get Kieran into the room. I got Kieran laid out on the bed, and I noticed that Preston was still there. Leaning against the doorframe.

“What happened?”

My tail twitched. I didn’t know how to answer that. Stupid werewolf tongue not being great at forming words.

“Got jumped,” Kieran provided.

I growled low in my throat. I wanted to demand answers, and then I wanted to go and hunt down the people who did this to him and get my revenge. I had never been a violent person, but there were exceptions to every rule. Anyone who could do this to Kieran was the exception. They were worth my violence, and I would rip them to shreds.

“We should get you cleaned up,” Preston said quietly. “I’m going to—uh, bathroom. First aid kit.”

He sounded out of place.

He was out of place.

I should be the one cleaning Kieran up, but the idea of leaving his side was unthinkable. Plus I wasn’t sure how I could help him. Stupid paws. Stupid lack of opposable thumbs.

Preston returned a few minutes later. He stepped close to Kieran, and another growl ripped out of my throat.

“Down boy,” Preston warned.

Right. He was helping. He was able to help in a way that I couldn’t. I fell back down onto my four paws and walked closer to the bed. I rested my head next to Kieran, just in case he needed something soft to touch while Preston did whatever he needed to do to help my human. It was the only kind of comfort I could think of giving him.

He didn’t take it.

Kieran’s fists clenched as Preston began to wipe him down. He moved slowly and carefully, which I appreciated. Before tonight, I hadn’t known that Preston had any kind of first aid knowledge. I was grateful that he could do what I couldn’t. I watched as he cleaned a few small cuts on Kieran’s face. I growled when he reached down to touch Kieran’s chest.

That was when Kieran reached out and touched my head. “Fuck that hurts,” he hissed. I no longer cared that Preston’s hand was touching my human. I only cared that Kieran was in pain. I wanted to comfort him. I wanted to be able to do anything to help him, but I was useless. I was so useless in this form.

I suddenly hated the blood moon.

After what seemed like forever, Preston stopped doing whatever he was doing to help Kieran. He straightened up and took a few steps back until he reached the desk chair. “I think we should get him to the clinic. He might have hit his head.”

I’d thought about that. Preston could come with us. He could do the talking.

My tail started to wag in agreement, but Kieran nipped that plan in the bud. “No.”

One simple word.

Preston opened his mouth to argue, and Kieran sat up. “I’m fine. Hurt, but fine. I didn’t hit my head. Don’t need—I don’t need the clinic or a doctor or anything.”

Preston sighed before shrugging his shoulders. “If you need anything, let me know.”

Kieran nodded. “Thanks.”

One simple word. I spun around and nudged Preston’s knee, my own personal way of thanking him without words. He reached down and scratched my head like I was some kind of house pet. I hated that it felt good.

Once Preston left, I sat by the bed until Kieran finally told me to get in there. I curled up in front of him, determined to stay up and guard him all night.

I did not stay awake all night.

I woke up sprawled out in my bed, Kieran’s warm body tucked neatly behind mine. His arm was thrown over my bare chest. At least with the sun up, I was back to my human form.