September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(31)

Kale frowned. “You don’t mean that. Giving in isn’t like you. Don’t you dare go down without a fight.”

I laughed softly. “If it wouldn’t drive you crazy, I would hug you right now. Thank you for caring in spite of everything.”

“Don’t thank me.” He waved away my gratitude. “I’m not a good guy. I wanted to let them try for Arys. Believe me, it was hard not to join in on that action.”

“I know,” I said, nodding in understanding. “But you didn’t. So you are a good guy. Still.”

Kale smiled then, a wistful action that reminded me of the sweet-natured guy he used to be. “Let’s not kid ourselves. I haven’t been a good guy in over five hundred years.”

Before I could tell him how wrong he was, Jez sat up suddenly with a loud gasp. She groped about in a disoriented stupor. “I think I’m gonna be sick,” she groaned, falling off the couch with a thud.

Kale and I both sprang into action. We got her up and moving toward the bathroom. Her balance was off, and she leaned heavily on me.

“It’s ok. I’ve got this,” I said, waving Kale away. “I’ll take care of the hair holding. Do you have something she can wear after I throw her in the shower?”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll put some clean sheets on the bed too.”

No sooner had I gotten Jez into the bathroom and closed the door than she proceeded to vomit. I stood close enough to hold her hair back while she clutched the toilet.

Jez struggled to catch her breath. “Oh my God. Am I dead? Is this hell?”

“Not even close. It’s Kale’s bathroom.”

Another round of vomiting had me cringing. It was amazing the things people would do to themselves in the search for escape. I was no exception. I’d done my fair share of stupid shit.

“I feel like death. I’m such a f*cking idiot.” She clutched the porcelain in a white-knuckled grip. Her body trembled, and she moaned, “Just put me out of my misery, Lex. Please. I’m begging you.”

“You’re starting to sound like Kale.” I winced when my voice echoed in the acoustics of the bathroom. “Sorry, Jez. You’re going to have to suffer before you’ll feel like yourself again. Come on. Let’s get you into the shower.”

The sounds of agony and distress never stopped. Every move she made had Jez groaning and gasping with more than a little cursing thrown in the mix. I dug around in the cupboard under the sink and managed to find some mouthwash and a comb. Kale was definitely lacking in the way of female-friendly vanity items.

After getting Jez dressed in some sweatpants and a t-shirt provided by Kale, I dragged the comb through her hair while she sat on the closed toilet lid. “Are you feeling any better?” I asked, carefully picking my way through her golden tangles.

“I feel like I’ve been turned inside out. It’s unbearable.” Her voice was soft, lacking her usual feisty enthusiasm.

“You know, eventually I’m going to grill you about tonight. But I’ll give you time to sleep it off and recover first. Then I’ll expect some honest answers.”

“I suppose that’s fair.” Jez was quiet for a moment. “Thanks, Lex. For taking care of me tonight.”

“That’s what friends do. I love you, Jez. Which is why I’m so damn worried about what I saw tonight. You really scared us.”

She was quiet for so long that I grew worried. I finished up with her hair and stood there, searching for the right words. Jez turned to face me, tears glistening in her glassy, green eyes.

“I don’t know what’s going on with me. I don’t even know who I am lately.” Jez looked so forlorn, so lost. “I’m scared.”

I pulled her into a hug, clutching her trembling frame tight against me. My wolf was eager to soothe her. Our beasts shared a connection that required no words. I would have given just about anything to ease her pain.

“I’m here for you,” I promised. “So is Kale. We’ll walk with you through this.”

“I was just starting to let myself get used to the idea of having someone who understood me. Someone who I didn’t have to play human for. We had this connection. It was better than I could have hoped. And then it was gone.” Tears spilled down Jez’s cheeks, and she clung to me like a lost child.

It took all my strength to blink back the tears of empathy that welled up. I wanted to fall apart with her. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, stroking her wet hair. “I’m so sorry.”

The night was fading fast by the time I got her into bed in the guest room on the main floor. I knew that Kale had a downstairs bedroom, but judging by the heavily covered window, it appeared as if he’d been spending some time there.

Jez was still pretty out of it, mumbling things that made sense to nobody but her. Being in Kale’s bedroom was awkward. Even more so when Jez begged me to lay with her.

I glanced at Kale who stood silent in the doorway. He wore a pained expression as he gazed at Jez. “You should stay with her a while. I’ll wait in the living room.” He disappeared, leaving me staring after his shadow as it retreated down the hall.

Shrugging out of my jacket, I laid it and the Dragon Claw on a chair near the door. Then I crawled in beside Jez and pulled her close. She settled in against me, her fingers curling in my hair.