26. Help
HELP
“I’m fine,” Zenith said tightly, his hand pressed against his side.
Emre’s heart clenched.
“No, you’re not fine,” he blurted. He wanted to get to the ground and help Zenith, but he had two pups in his arms and no first aid experience. “Hux, please help him!”
“On it,” Huxton said.
Emre could only watch as Huxton shifted back into a man, ripping Zenith’s shirt into pieces so he could shove fabric against the bleeding wound.
“Fuck,” Zenith hissed, his face turning pale.
How badly was he hurt? Had the knife hit a vital organ, and none of them knew it?
What if Zenith bled out before someone could help?
Emre trembled, trying to imagine a life without Zenith.
His mind shied away from the thought. Zenith had become a source of comfort, of happiness.
He always smiled so brightly whenever he saw the pups; he loved to crouch down low to bring himself to the pups’ eye level.
He had held Abbie and changed Bean’s diapers, he had sat with Emre for hours when the pups wouldn’t stop crying.
To lose an alpha like that, the only alpha in the world that Emre trusted with his life, his pups’ lives...
It shook the very foundations of his existence, much more than he thought it would.
Did he... love Zenith?
“Zenith,” Emre whispered, his voice cracking.
Zenith looked up and met his gaze.
“Please don’t die on me,” Emre said.
Zenith’s lips quirked. “What, you don’t want the inheritance?”
Emre shuddered. “No! Don’t joke about that.”
To his relief, Zenith grew serious. “I wasn’t sure you’d want what I have in my hoard, anyway. Aside from the gold.”
Actually, it had been weeks since Emre had moved in, and he hadn’t even had a peek. “What else is in there?”
Zenith made a face. “It’s embarrassing.”
Huxton coughed lightly. “All the more reason why Scribbly Consort should know.”
Zenith glowered.
“Well, if you don’t want me telling him all about your hoard, you should read him some pickup lines,” Huxton said cheerfully.
“Hux, I’m bleeding out.”
“Hush, it’s not that bad.” Huxton straightened his shoulders. “I can read the lines on your behalf, Scribbly Master. Does it help that I’m naked?”
“No,” Zenith said.
Huxton cleared his throat anyway. “When springtime ejaculates all over the world, covering it in fertile seed, the flower of my heart will bloom for you, revealing the love nectar in its throbbing core. I will spread my petals to receive your pulsating love, and hold you so tenderly to my heaving bosom. My love will spill out of my nipples to nourish you with eternal youth. Open your mouth and be ready to receive my tender rosebud.”
Emre’s mouth fell open. “Did you actually memorize that?”
Zenith groaned. “Why is this my life? My balls are shriveling; that was so terrible.”
Huxton looked down hopefully. “Did it also shrivel up your wounds?”
“Why...” Zenith sighed. “I don’t want to know why you thought that.”
“Think of all the potential applications,” Huxton said, perking up. “These lines could be healing spells. Recite them to someone on their deathbed and they’ll feel so strongly that they’ll make an immediate recovery.”
“Only because they feel so repulsed,” Zenith said. “They’d heal faster to avoid hearing more lines.”
“Or maybe it’ll send them to an earlier grave,” Emre said.
Huxton sniffed disdainfully. “We’ll ask Uriel for his professional opinion when he shows up.”
Bruiser arrived first, in a fire truck. He left the lights flashing and strode into the alley, glancing around. “Doc’s on his way. I’ll clear the area.”
“Thanks,” Zenith said.
Emre passed the time by listening to Zenith’s heartbeat. It was still going strong, which went a long way in lifting the rock in his stomach.
Uriel arrived next. Emre sat up straighter, but it was Huxton who lit up at the sight of the mage.
“Uriel,” Huxton said solemnly.
“Yeah?” Uriel cut his gaze toward the butler.
In the same grave tone, Huxton asked, “Can pickup lines be used as healing spells?”
Uriel stared. He opened and closed his mouth, blinking hard. “Are you... serious? Yes, of course you are. Why did I expect any different?”
“Well?” Huxton said.
“Let me get back to you on that.” Uriel looked around. “Do you need my help with something more urgent?”
Emre bit his lip. He wanted to get down from the roof, get closer to Zenith to see how he was doing.
Doc arrived right then, squeezing around Uriel and Huxton to reach Zenith.
Emre realized that there was no space in the cramped alley to fit all of them, especially with all those broad alpha shoulders jostling each other. He swallowed his disappointment and shuffled along the rooftop, moving closer so he could watch Doc tending to Zenith’s stab wound.
“Doc,” Emre whispered. “Is Zenith going to be okay?”
Doc looked up at him. “Yes. I need to work quickly, but he’ll be fine.”
Relief flowed through Emre like the rising tide. He sagged against the low wall and cuddled his pups, watching as Doc spoke quietly to Uriel. Huxton had acquired a pair of pants from somewhere; he flitted around as Doc and Uriel set up a clean zone—in a back alley!—so Doc could work on Zenith.
Emre had seen bloody injuries on himself, thanks to Ronald, but seeing one on Zenith... It was different. Scarier, even though he knew Zenith was in good hands.
It was only when Doc had tied off the last stitch and taped a bandage over Zenith’s wound, that Emre breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thanks, Doc,” Zenith and Emre said at the same time.
They looked at each other across the space between them. For the first time in what felt like hours, Emre could smile again.
Zenith grinned back. “I’m okay,” he said quietly.
“You almost weren’t,” Emre muttered.
Zenith’s gaze was warm and dark, sending a flutter through Emre’s gut.
“We need to get you home so I can take care of you,” Emre said.
Zenith opened his mouth, on the verge of answering, when Bruiser stormed back into the alley.
At his sudden entrance, Doc and Uriel looked up. Uriel met Bruiser’s eyes; tension crackled in the air between them.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Bruiser said.
Uriel scowled. “What are you doing here? I’m helping.”
“Well, so am I,” Bruiser retorted. “I’ve just made sure that this entire block was safe. Whereas you are just standing around, doing nothing.”
The incandescent rage on Uriel’s face was a sight to behold.
“Does everyone just believe the bullshit you spout?” Uriel growled.
Bruiser narrowed his eyes. “I call it like I see it.”
Uriel shook his head. “Little wonder why he doesn’t have an omega.”
Bruiser straightened to his full height, offended. “I choose not to have one.”
“If that makes you feel better.” Uriel rolled his eyes.
Bruiser opened and closed his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words for it. He glowered at Uriel though, his neck turning red.
Emre exchanged a look with Zenith.
“I think I know how the book ends,” Zenith said.
Bruiser glanced over. “What book?”
Zenith gave the fakest shrug known to mankind. “Romance novel. It has something to do with a shopping cart.”
Doc shot Zenith a look that spoke volumes. “Well, my work here is done. I should get going.” He helped Zenith to his feet.
Uriel scanned Zenith, then gave a quick nod. “I’ll hitch a ride with you, Doc. You’re much better company than some people.”
Bruiser narrowed his eyes.
Uriel stalked off without looking back. Doc shrugged at Bruiser and followed him; Bruiser watched them leave.
After a while, Bruiser left in his firetruck.
“Wow,” Emre whispered.
“I know, right?” Zenith said.
“I can’t tell if they’re going to kiss or kill each other,” Emre replied.
“Both,” Huxton said cheerfully.
“It’s such a train wreck,” Emre said.
“A very explosive train wreck,” Huxton agreed. Then he frowned. “Uriel never gave me an answer about the pickup line healing spells.”
“They probably wouldn’t work,” Zenith said, looking up at Emre. “Need a hand down from there, sweetheart?”
“I’ve got it.” Huxton dropped his pants and shifted into a smaller pterodactyl, flying up to the rooftop. There, he shifted into a much larger pterodactyl, waited for Emre to climb onto his leg, before flying down to the sidewalk.
“Thanks,” Emre said. He wanted to go up to Zenith and hug him, but there were a few bodies scattered between them. That was really hard to ignore, even if he wanted nothing more than to hug his alpha. “Um. Is someone going to do something about this?”
“I’ll handle it,” Huxton said, shifting back into a human and pulling his pants back on. “Are you heading home?”
Zenith glanced at Emre, who sagged and nodded.
“That’s enough excitement for one day,” Emre said tiredly. Buttwheel bumped up against his hip, miraculously with their groceries still intact. “Hey, Buttwheel.”
“We’ll go home and make a cuddle pile,” Zenith said. “Hux, call Blade. He’ll come over and get our statements when we’ve settled in. Blade’s my brother. He’s pretty high up in the police department,” he said to Emre.
Zenith made his way through the alley, over the bodies, and wrapped his arm around Emre’s shoulder. Emre leaned into Zenith’s unhurt side, his heart aching at the bandages on Zenith’s other side.
“You’re hurt,” Emre said quietly.
Zenith squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll heal.”
Emre nudged Abbie and Bean against Zenith’s stomach so they could nuzzle him too. “I’ve heard that pup kisses can cure anything.”
The alpha broke into a grin. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Thanks for saving them.”
At that, Zenith rolled his shoulders. “I’m glad I could.” Then he sighed. “I wanted to build you a proper nest. But now I’m supposed to sit tight with this injury. That sucks.”
“You’ve already built me a nest,” Emre said, confused. “Although I guess it isn’t quite a nest anymore.” They had disassembled the blankets and everything, but those were all still in Zenith’s mansion.
Zenith sighed. “I wanted to build a more permanent nest this time around. The one on our bed was the best I could do with only a few days’ notice.”
“We could use the temporary nest again,” Emre said, nudging Zenith. “And maybe next time, you can build me a permanent one.”
Zenith’s eyes widened; he straightened his spine. “Are we talking about... another pup?”
“Maybe.” Emre’s cheeks grew warm. “We can discuss it after this one.” He glanced at his belly.
Zenith lit up so brightly that Emre’s heart skipped a beat. “Okay, right,” Zenith said, almost giddy. “Let’s... Let’s go home. I just... Wow.”
Emre laughed. “You weren’t even fazed by the stab wound, but this makes you speechless?”
“Well, yes! You’re offering to give me another pup.” Zenith’s joy made Emre grin right back.
The words crowded on Emre’s tongue again. I could share these two with you as well.
But he was suddenly shy, and somehow, he couldn’t find the courage to say it.
“You saved the day,” Emre blurted instead. “I’m sorry Ronald hurt you.”
“It’s not your fault, what he did. And you’re very welcome.” Zenith leaned in and winced, aborting the movement. “C’mon, let’s go home so I can kiss you properly. At least I can sit down there.”
Emre was starting to get ideas on how he could care for Zenith, just like how Zenith had cared for him during his morning sickness.
Before they left the cleanup to Huxton, Zenith squeezed Emre again. “I’m glad that all of you are safe,” Zenith said quietly. “I was so worried when those other men came along to trap you in.” He shuddered.
Emre pressed a kiss to Zenith’s chest. “Me too. But enough of that for now. I have something better that I want to discuss.”
Zenith’s smile reappeared. “Oh?”
“Tell me how Ulgon and Burnzinger’s story is going to end.”