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Her eyelid pops open, and she glares at him. “Just because I love you doesn’t mean you get to order me around.”
Hunter huffs. “Of course, you would finally say those words to me when you’re gravely injured.”
I don’t know what expression I’m wearing, but Scarlett’s glare softens when she looks over at me. “Don’t worry, Sir Wolf. I love you, too.”
Her eyes begin to close once more, and my heart lurches both with happiness and fear. I nudge her shoulder gently, not wanting to jostle her too much if her head is injured.
Her eyelids flutter before she glares up at me. “Would you stop poking me?” she snaps.
“No,” Hunter answers. “Not until we know you won’t fall asleep and never wake up again.”
Scarlett sighs, sounding incredibly put out. “Vera keeps a healing potion in her bedroom cabinet. It’s clearly labeled, and the bottle is dark brown. If I take it, I’ll sleep for a half day—” She stops speaking abruptly, and I nearly poke her shoulder again to make sure she’s truly awake, but she continues before I can. “Maybe a full day, as badly as my head hurts. But I’ll wake up much better.”
Hunter looks at me and nods. He doesn’t use words, but I know he wants me to go find the healing potion. I’ll be the fastest.
Without a word, I jump to my feet and sprint into Vera’s cottage.
In moments, I’m in front of the cabinet in her bedroom. I know it’s the right one because it smells of herbs and magic. Carefully, I open the cabinet, revealing rows and rows of potions and tonics.
My hands tremble as I run my fingers over the front of each shelf, reading the tiny labels affixed to the front of the bottles. Unfortunately, Vera’s handwriting is atrocious, so it takes me longer than I’d like to find the healing potion. Once I do, I snatch it up and run back outside.
Hunter is kneeling over Scarlett, talking to her and smirking to hide his fear as she snarls and grumbles at him like a grumpy bear just awakened from hibernation.
I hold up the bottle in front of her, but he’s the one to speak. “Is this it?” he asks.
“Does it say healing tonic?” she retorts.
“It’s almost impossible to tell, because Vera’s script is horrendous, but this does look like an h-e-a, and it ends with a n-i-c.”
Scarlett rolls her eyes, then winces in pain after. “Yes, that’s it.”
I yank the cork and wax seal off in one motion and inch forward so I can slip my hand beneath her head. Cradling her skull gently, I lift her head and rest it on my knee.
“Drink slowly,” Hunter admonishes.
Scarlett flicks him an irritated glance but takes small sips of the tonic until it’s completely gone. The tension leaks out of her body as she rests more of her weight on my leg.
I can smell the herbs Vera used, but I can also feel the magic buzzing in her blood as it takes effect.
“Oh-kay,” she mumbles. “I’m gonna sleep now. Love you.”
Her body goes limp on the ground, and I look up at Hunter, at a loss for what we should do next.
My packmate looks haggard and exhausted. “Let’s get her inside and into bed. Then, we’ll clean ourselves up before we clean her.”
Since I have no other idea of what to do and his plan is sound, I nod and scoop our mate into my arms.
As I carry her past the body of the male who hurt her, the taste of his blood fills my mouth. I want to give my mate to Hunter so I can rend the male limb from limb, but it would be wasted energy.
He’s dead and gone.
My mate is all I care about right now.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hunter
One full day, my ass.
