Chapter 16 An Intimate Inspection
AN INTIMATE INSPECTION
“We’re leaving?” Killian asked in dismay.
Even though they had only arrived this morning, Killian had fallen in love with the cabin—its beautiful spacious rooms, the vast windows looking out at the forest, the kitchen full of food.
And the snuggly nest that Crush had built for him.
“Every moment that Bleu is alive, this location remains compromised.” Crush gave him a sideways look. “You didn’t hear his voice in the car, did you?”
Killian sagged. “No.”
“Which means he still knows where we are.” Crush tightened his arm around Killian. “We shouldn’t delay for too much longer.”
“Now I’m really trying not to panic,” Killian whined.
Crush grimaced. “Sorry. That was not my intention.”
The moment they stepped back into the cabin, Naddie cried out, reaching for Killian. “Ah, ahh!”
Killian sighed. “She’s hungry.”
“We can do them both at the same time. You’ll feed her, and I’ll look for the tracker.” Crush set Killian on his feet, disappearing into his bedroom. Seconds later, the sound of running water filled the cabin.
Naddie latched happily onto Killian the moment she was in his arms. Protectiveness surged through Killian’s chest.
It wasn’t just Naddie at risk. There was at least one pup in Killian’s belly; that thought made him blush all over.
I’ll keep all of you safe, he thought fiercely.
He followed Crush into the master bathroom. Somehow, he hadn’t gotten to look around during the hours they had spent in the bedroom—probably because he had been too distracted by Crush’s knot.
“That’s a huge tub,” Killian blurted.
Crush’s bathtub was large enough for two.
It was recessed into the bathroom floor, its lip flush with the floor tiles.
Daylight poured through the large picture window, and on the other side of the room, a wolf-themed mirror sat above a long, elegant counter.
The bathroom was so fancy that the toilet had its own privacy walls, and in the far corner was the shower, enclosed by glass.
“I promise we’ll both fit into the tub,” Crush said with a grin. “It could fit more, but I don’t like sharing.”
Killian groaned and tried to cover Naddie’s ears. “You didn’t have to make that sound questionable!”
“Sweetheart, you interpreted that as something questionable all on your own.”
Killian scowled. Crush shrugged and stepped into the tub.
Grumbling to himself, Killian set his gun on the counter and dropped his pants. When he got close, Crush reached out, holding him steady as he climbed in. Crush turned Killian to face him as he sat, then turned off the water when it had barely covered Killian’s hips.
“I need most of you out of the water,” Crush explained. “But the steam will help keep you warm.”
Gently, the alpha combed his fingers through Killian’s hair, brushing them away from his face.
His fingertips were soothing on Killian’s scalp, trailing methodically from Killian’s forehead to the back of his head.
Crush traced his fingertips over Killian’s rabbit ears, base to tip. Pleasure shivered down Killian’s spine.
“You like that,” Crush murmured.
“My ears are sensitive.”
Crush grasped the base of Killian’s ears and did it again. Killian shuddered. The longer Crush stroked them, the wider his smile grew. “You’re so adorable.”
“I’m not adorable.”
“Agree to disagree.” Crush stroked the inside of Killian’s ears, then released them to massage Killian’s face—forehead, cheeks, nose and lips. He carefully brushed his thumbs over Killian’s eyelids, then tipped Killian’s head back and touched his neck.
It was more intimate than any inspection Killian had ever received. Hands like Crush’s... Crush had snapped that man’s neck with no hesitation.
Then again, Killian had done the exact same thing. And yet here he was, holding his own baby.
“What are you thinking about?” Crush asked quietly.
“Has it ever occurred to you how weird this is? You killed people today. And yet you touch me like I’m...”
“Like you’re someone precious,” Crush finished for him. He smiled. “I would do a lot of things to keep my people safe, sweetheart.”
Killian looked down at Naddie, knowing he would do it all again to protect her. “Does it not bother you that I... that I’ve...”
“That you’ve killed people?” Crush sighed.
“You were forced to. And you know what? In a weird, roundabout way, I’m glad you have the skills to protect yourself.
So if I’m ever away, or out of town, or anywhere that’s not by your side, I know I don’t have to worry, because the bad guys are not the most dangerous thing in the room.
My bunny has sharp teeth. You did great earlier. ”
“I just gave you spells and bullets.”
“You kept a level head and gave me what I needed to eliminate the threat. I think we make a good team. Don’t you?”
Killian blushed, unsure how to respond. He called me his bunny.
Crush rumbled. He slid his fingertips over Killian’s shoulders and down his arm. He checked Killian’s other arm too, carefully, since he was still holding Naddie. Then he probed Killian’s chest, pressing around his nipples.
“I’ll save the rest of your chest and arm for later, since I can’t reach those,” Crush said. “Time for your back.”
He carefully turned Killian around so Killian straddled his lap, facing the other way. Large fingers skimmed across Killian’s shoulders, rubbing small circles into his skin. They drifted down Killian’s shoulder blades, down the muscles of his back, and over his spine.
Crush paused, suddenly. He drew a slow breath. “Did you always have a bump here?”
Killian’s senses jangled. “What bump?”
Crush took Killian’s free hand and eased it behind his back. Carefully, he pressed Killian’s fingers against a small, almost undetectable bump in his skin. It had been there for a while.
“That’s a clogged pore, isn’t it? One of those things I thought would resolve on its own, but it never came out.”
Silence.
“It doesn’t look like a clogged pore, sweetheart.”
Killian’s breath snagged. “Wh-what does it look like?”
Crush hesitated. “Look, I could grab my phone and take a picture. But I’m going to call the shots here, and just cut it out. Alright? You don’t need more nightmares.”
Before Killian could respond, there was a quick, sharp prick in his skin. Then a focused pressure, as though Crush was trying to push out something.
The pressure disappeared almost immediately. Crush pressed down on that aching spot and held it for a while. “To stop the bleeding.”
His voice was calm, almost too calm.
“What did you find?” Killian asked shakily.
“Do you really want to see it?”
“I should, shouldn’t I? It’s been giving us hell.”
Crush sighed. “Okay. Give it a minute for your cut to close up a little.” He leaned in and pressed a soft, dry kiss to Killian’s neck. Then he nuzzled Killian, and kissed him again. “We’ll be fine, sweetheart. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I’ll believe you when everything’s done and over with,” Killian mumbled.
“That’s understandable.” Crush tucked his nose into Killian’s hair. After far too long, he brought his hands around Killian, one hand cupped over the other. “Ready?”
“Let’s just get it over with.”
When Crush separated his hands, Killian frowned. The thing in his palm was tiny, tinier than even his pinky nail—a colorless plastic disc with a small black gem protruding from its middle. Faint lines covered the disc.
Had that been sitting in his body for the past several years? Sending out information to someone in the world? Killian shuddered.
“I don’t have a microscope on me, but I’m pretty sure those lines are runes,” Crush growled. His other hand had returned to Killian’s back, holding the incision closed. “I want to destroy it. But I need to consult with Uriel first.”
“Please,” Killian mumbled.
Crush set the tracker on the bathroom floor, away from the tub. Then he slid his arms around Killian and hugged him tight. “I’ll be right back. Don’t think I’m going to leave you alone.”
That was reassuring. Killian focused on breathing, his heart thumping against his ribs.
When he had calmed down slightly, Crush moved him off his lap. The alpha climbed out of the tub, all bulging muscle, and picked the tracker off the floor. Killian watched as Crush left the bathroom.
But that sucked, because it left him to his terrible thoughts. Killian’s back stung. He felt unclean all over.
“Uriel?” Crush said as he entered the bathroom two minutes later. He set some things next to the tub and climbed back in, wrapping his arm around Killian’s shoulder. In his other hand was his phone, their mage friend Uriel on a video call.
Uriel was frowning. With his broad shoulders and muscles, he looked like an alpha. It helped that he was bald and had several silvery scars all over his face—no one would guess the secret he kept from Crush and their alpha friends—Uriel was actually an omega.
“I got the pictures you sent,” Uriel said, looking troubled.
“What’s the bad news?” Crush asked immediately.
“That’s going to be a tricky tracker to destroy. I didn’t sense it when I was near Killian, which means it has layers of magic written into it. I’ll have to break it in person.”
“Fuck,” Crush said. “I can’t just smash it with a heavy object?”
“Don’t!” Uriel said urgently. “If you smash it, it’ll probably send out a distress signal like a homing beacon.”
“Huh.” Crush glanced at the pile of things next to the tub. “Sorry about calling you up like this. If it helps, we’ll be making our way back toward Cartfalls, maybe a couple hours away. I’ll text you the address.”
“Call in some of the others, too,” Uriel said. “It’s getting close to nightfall; they might make it there sooner than me.”
“Will do. Thanks.” Crush sighed and ended the video call.
Killian was still trying to keep his panic at bay. “You didn’t mention it earlier; where are we going?”
“Somewhere safer.” Crush rubbed his thumb over Killian’s shoulder. “We’re going to my pack.”