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Poppy’s blood had long ago dried into Kieran’s clothes. The frantic trek to the hunting cabin rolled in his minds periphery as he and Delano nudged the door wide.
The dusty dilapidated shack had been a site to his eyes. Easing the bedroom door open, Kieran struggled to stay in the present as he set Poppy’s still body on the small bed. The faint rise and fall of her chest the only relief he could feel when he looked over the blood drenched and torn slip. Even with the brief time she had been hostage. His liessa.
Steps came behind him as Delano entered the bedroom, carefully easing Cas onto the bed beside Poppy. His King. His brother.
Cas had made a valiant effort to stay conscious, but after giving up so much blood, he had passed out hours ago, even with the help of Niall’s blood. Concern tugged at Kieran as he took in the site of Poppy and Cas on the slim bed.
It had all been going at breakneck speed between the long hours awake, Poppy’s kidnapping, the battle, and the Terri that followed. Eyes gritty, Kieran felt drained to his depths. He only vaguely remembered the last leg of the trip. The strain of holding Poppy to him as he pressed Setti forward. His anxiety as he continued to check that Cas was still riding with Niall. It had taken everything for him to fight his shift into his wolven form. In that form he could protect them better.
Even now he felt the lingering shivers down his back. His instincts told him to shift and seek out those who had harmed his pack. His gums ached with the need to shred their enemies.
Stepping back from the bed, Kieran turned on his heel to rummaged through the equipment they stored in the next room.
“I’ll get some water,” came Delano’s voice from behind him. The white wolven seemed to understand Kieran’s intentions. He couldn’t leave them saturated in the blood and filth either. None of them had spoken much once they stayed the rapid flight to the cabin. Delano and Niall were probably as shit scared as Kieran was.
Moments later, two water buckets were set up within the bedroom. Cloths and what towels could be salvaged lay ready to be used at the base of the bed. Kieran watched Delano’s face turn grave as he surveyed the task ahead.
“I’ve got this,” Kieran said quietly. Their eyes met and held. Delano heaved a deep breath before he nodded and left the room. Knowing this was Kieran’s task.
Kieran made quick work of stripping Cas’s boots and clothes. Wetting the strips of cloth, he wiped and scrubbed the blood from Cas. It eased something within him to see that none of the blood was his. That at least his brother was unharmed. Just worn and drained, likely to wake within the next few hours.
Glancing at Poppy, he considered his next steps. Hands shaking, he pulled the sheets over Cas’s prone form. They were both alive, he reminded himself. Both were ALIVE.
Whatever came next he would deal with it, at the moment they were both alive. Moving to Poppy’s side of the bed, he carefully eased the thin scraps of clothing she wore. The fabric was stiff and creased. Dried blood flaked under his fingers like tissue paper.
The quiver along his spine shuddered as he took in her form. Poppy was a beautiful female, no question, but in this moment all he could see was his friend, his liessa.
Cas’s blood had healed the worst of her injuries, but it would be hours yet before everything was healed. Poppy’s blood was caked and smeared along her torso and chest. With soft wipes of the damp rags, he gently cleaned her skin. Below the blood, bruises and scrapes littered her skin where she had been bound with the bones of a deity. The spurs from those restraints had left deep purple bruises across her limbs, neck, and torso. Some were starting to mottle to yellow and green on the edges as Cas’s blood worked to smooth her pain. Worst of all though, was the wound between her breasts where the crossbow bolt had struck her.
Sucking in a ragged breath, Kieran tried to focus on the present task. It took several passes along her torso to clean away the worst of the mess. The skin was puckered and red along the wound. The barbs of the crossbow bolt had left the margins of the puncture irregular and ragged. Tightness clenched at his chest and throat as he swallowed thickly. Concern? Fear? Rage? It was hard to be sure which was the strongest in this moment.
It took everything for him to keep his hands gentle as he methodically cleaned the rest of her front. Only once her front was clear did he take in what injuries lingered. It was almost worse to see her without the blood. The bruises and cuts were stark against her pale skin.
Carefully, Kieran eased Poppy onto her stomach, gently turning her face to the side. The view was much like her front had been. Welts and bruises peeked through the splotches and streaks of blood. He made quick work of her shoulders and torso, even going so far to wipe the strands of her long soft hair gently with a wet cloth.
Kieran worked to focus on his task. His breath came ragged with each new cleaning pass along her skin. Only once her back was clear did a cold splash of shock puncture his focus. Long thin scars crisscrossed the gentle slope of her lower back and ribs. They were nothing like the craven scars scattered across her skin. Those he hardly noticed. These however told a different story.
The tips of his trembling fingers brushed against the raised lines that cut across her skin. These were purposeful and told of a pain he had not realized existed. One that he could not wipe away,
Jaw tight, Kieran resituated Poppy’s loose limbs and tucked the sheet around her and Cas.
Turning from the bed, he gathered the now filthy water buckets. His fingers dug into the tarnished metal surface, as he strode from the cabin into the crisp air.
The murky water darkened the rough grit at his feet as he drained each of the buckets. Kieran couldn’t help but scan the trees as the last of the the mess disappeared. Only after spotting Delano’s white form flicking through the forest did he realize he had been holding his breath. Heart pounding, he returned to the cabin, and tried to steady his breathing.
Now he had the long wait for Cas to wake, and the even longer wait to see what came next for Poppy. Slumping into a rickety chair in the bedroom, Kieran noticed that in all the time he had spent cleaning Cas and Poppy, that he still had her blood under his nails.