Chapter 15 Dargo
I clutched Taz to my chest, my heart trying to pound out of my chest as I relived the moment I thought the percer had her.
My female had almost died right in front of me because I’d insisted on playing her game and staying bound.
I should have broken free the moment I heard the percer coming but I'd wanted Taz to keep trusting me.
She almost died, and if I didn't find her a med pack quickly, she still might. Percer venom was potent, nasty stuff. If she'd been bitten, she'd be dead already, but as it was, I didn't know how much of the venom had sunk into her fragile skin and into her bloodstream.
How much venom could a female as small as Taz withstand?
Not much, I knew that for sure. The males who’d answered my call crowded around me as I bolted into camp, clearing the way and directing me toward a small tent near the fire. I crashed inside, laying Taz on a thin pallet of blankets as I scanned the piles of supplies for a familiar blue medpack.
There was a small mountain of them beside a salvaged barrel of water and I grabbed one, ripping it open, as I prayed that I was moving fast enough. My hands were clumsy as I sloshed a handful of water into the packet. I’d done this a hundred times and yet I couldn’t seem to remember the steps.
It felt like it took hours for the poultice to rehydrate and I glared down at the mushy paste like I could force it to hurry through sheer force of will.
The bitter scent of the boiling flowers filled the tent, a smell I’d been all too familiar with in the barracks after a match. As soon as the paste was ready, I turned back to my injured female.
Taz sat on the pallet where I'd left her, cradling her arm to her chest, her complexion already paling under her sunburn. Her eyes were dazed and glassy and I cursed myself again for hesitating when I’d heard the percer.
"It moved so fast," she mumbled, looking down at the burns on her arm like she couldn't understand what had happened.
"They are incredibly powerful," I agreed, gently grasping her wrist and pulling her arm toward me. For the first time, she didn't resist and I felt a bolt of fear through my chest.
Taz fought me at every turn, I didn't want her docile. I wanted her healthy and vicious.
I poured the steaming poultice over the burns, waiting for the flowers to do their work as I held her hand. Taz stared at our clasped hands, and to my horror, a tear slipped down her cheek.
"Are you in pain?" I demanded, twisting her arm to check for more injuries.
"I can't save Penny if I can't even keep myself alive," she wailed, her head falling forward as her shoulders shook.
"She could be anywhere and I can't find her and there-there are monsters all over the place.
" Her words had devolved into hiccuping stutters and I wrapped my arms around her, pressing her tear stained cheek to my chest.
"I promised that your friend is safe," I reminded her, wishing I could convince her to let go of this fear.
She shook her head, soft hairs tickling my face as she moved.
"You'd say anything if you thought I'd sleep with you."
"That's not true," I argued, a little offended. "I told you I wouldn't lie to you."
"Bullshit!" she wailed.
I grasped her shoulders and pushed her back so I could look at her face.
"I will help you find your friend." Anything to bring back the little Firebrand that had captured me.
She glared up at me, her tiny nose red from crying.
"What's the catch? I have to agree to be your mate?"
I started to deny it and then realized what a good idea it was. It wasn't really lying if she didn't know I'd help her either way, but it definitely turned things in my favor. Feeling a little shameful, I nodded.
"It's a good deal. I'll keep you safe, and help you find Penny, and in return you get a mate any female would love to have."
Taz's shoulder's slumped and she sniffled again, looking so defeated and worn out I almost took it back. Then she straightened her spine and looked up at me. Her red rimmed eyes still shiny with tears, even as her jaw was set with determination.
"It's a deal."
I couldn't believe she'd said yes.
"Turochs mate for life," I hedged, praying she didn't take it back even as I told her the ramifications of our deal. "I won't let you run away as soon as we find your friend."
"I said it's a deal," she barked, eyes snapping with fury. "Don't back out on me now."
"Just a moment." I got my hooves under me and ducked outside the supply tent. A crowd of males stood outside, every ear swiveled in my direction as I grinned and announced my claim.
"I claim Ulto on the female."
A wave of mutters passed over the camp and I saw several males angling to get a better look inside the tent. There'd be challenges until Taz was properly gentled, but I wasn't worried. I'd fought to the death a hundred times and that was before I had a mate waiting for me.
"You did not just call me 'the female' you asshole!" Taz shouted from the tent.
My worry over her mental state disappeared. If my Firebrand was well enough to curse at me, she wasn't broken after all.