Prophylaxis - 18. Chapter 18

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My eyes fluttered open with effort, I had trouble getting them to focus. From the lights and the motion I seemed to be in a moving car. Someone was talking, I heard my name. Fuck, I felt like shit and I didn’t know where I was. This could be bad.

“I don’t know… I’ll be there in a couple minutes. I can’t take him to the hospital looking like this, I didn’t even recognize him at first… His hair and skin, you’ll see when I get there.”

Guy’s voice. Relief flooded me. Okay, so hopefully this was a good thing not a bad thing.

“I don’t know if the pack doctor could help him, Riley.” There was silence for a moment as Guy listened. “You’re the only fae I know… Look, I’m almost there, what door should I come in?”

I groaned as we went over a bump and pain shot through me from my ass into my guts. I blinked hard and my vision finally cleared. I was in the front seat of a car, Guy’s car. A big ratty blanket was wrapped around me. My arms were tucked in, leaving me feeling trapped. I struggled to get my arms loose, but ended up just making myself tired and my belly ache. I gave up, pushing the panicked feeling down.

“Mick!” Guy exclaimed as he pulled up to park haphazardly behind a building I didn’t recognize. “Thank god, you’re awake!”

I felt fingers, gentle on my face, pushing my new silvery hair from my eyes. My eyes that weren’t the plain dark navy I’d seen in the mirror my whole life. I couldn’t remember for a moment their new color, something light… Pale blue, like the eyes of a husky. Not right, though. They weren’t my eyes. Everything was wrong.

“Stay with me, baby.” Guy’s hazel eyes were filled with worry.

I blinked blearily, Guy had been talking to me and I’d missed it. Shit.

“Let’s get you inside.” He stroked my cheek softly before leaving the car, shutting his door gently and coming to my side.

I found myself lifted, biting back a yelp of pain as my body bent slightly. The big werewolf’s arms tucked under my knees and around my shoulders. The blanket puddled around me, my bare feet sticking out of the bottom and the smell of the dusty fabric next to my face. I heard a car door shut and we were moving. I found I distinctly disliked being carried. It made me feel small and helpless… I supposed I was both of those things at the time. I didn’t have to like it, though.

The door we approached was opened before we could reach it. Riley stood, holding it wide, bouncing on his toes.

“Up the stairs and straight to the red door,” the flame-haired fae said anxiously. “Hurry.”

Guy’s movements were smooth and careful as he went up, jostling me as little as possible, which was appreciated. Again, the door was opened before we reached it, a familiar form stood there.

“Takashi,” I murmured.

“I’m here, sweet one,” he said gently before looking to Guy. “Lay him down on the couch.”

I sucked in a gasp as I was laid flat on a soft surface. The change in position let loose something inside me and I felt warm wetness soak under me. I had a wild wandering thought that this must be what it feels like for a woman to unexpectedly get her period. I felt the blood soak the blanket under me and worried about the mess.

“I’m gonna ruin your couch,” I protested as I tried to sit up.

We needed some towels under my butt, ASAP.

Takashi’s hand on my shoulder kept me down. “It’s leather. It’s fine. If it’s not fine, I’ll get another couch.”

“Let me see him,” Riley demanded. I’d never heard his voice quite so firm.

Takashi stepped back to talk to Guy as the small fae nudged past to kneel at my side.

“Your form and features are quite pleasing without a glamour dimming them.” Riley’s words sounded oddly formal and flat. I looked at him in confusion. Freaky change in colors aside, I looked like shit.

“Sorry. Ingrained manners for seeing someone without glamour for the first time.” He paused and shook his head. “I need to look you over, see where you’re hurt.”

I nodded.

Riley untucked the blanket from around my face. I immediately felt less claustrophobic, which was appreciated. He stroked bruises and scrapes with sadness in his eyes. His touch felt good though. I leaned my cheek into his hand. Behind him I vaguely registered Guy and Takashi talking.

“What are you thinking bringing an empath to a strip club?” Takashi asked scoldingly. “I don’t know if this room is far enough from the main floor for him not to be affected.”

“Riley was here, so I brought him here,” Guy snapped back. “Besides, Mick told us before that his empathy shuts down when he’s in enough pain. He… He’s definitely hurting right now.”

“Where did you find him?” Takashi asked, voice hard.

“In his car at a gas station near Solon. He called me. He was unconscious when I got there. He was naked so I got a blanket out of my trunk to wrap him in.” I heard Guy swallow. “He was sitting in a puddle of blood. I think he’s hurt… inside.”

“Shit.” Takashi swore. “When he is well I will find who did this to him…”

“Yeah,” Guy interjected. “I’m sure I can get permission for vengeance since Mick is supposed to be under pack protection as my pursued.”

There was silence from them for a moment as Riley continued uncovering me, the small fae making sympathetic soothing noises.

“Pursued?” Takashi chuckled snidely. “Serious, aren’t you, pup? Then why aren’t pack healers helping him right now?”

I heard a growl rumble through the room, it sounded like Guy. “Mick is clearly fae. I don’t think the pack could help him.”

“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?” Takashi’s voice was cold. “I know of your kind’s aversion to fae. Still too afraid of being kept as pets to help your lover?”

“We try to foster good relations with the fae.” Guy’s voice rumbled like he’d been gargling rocks. “The geas only forbids us from entering fae land.”

Riley sucked in a breath as he uncovered my lower half. I glanced down. That was an awful lot of red down there.

“Can you two stop bickering about old politics and work on finding me a fucking healer?” Riley snapped. “I can’t fix this with a cuddle and a band-aid. Get me some towels or something, I think we need to put pressure on this.”

A shadow fell over me and my eyes rolled up to see Guy and Takashi looming over Riley’s shoulders.

“Fuck, he’s still bleeding,” Guy hissed.

Takashi disappeared for a moment before shoving several plush hand towels into Riley’s hands.

“Lift his ass a little.”

I whimpered as I felt strong arms under my back boosting me slightly. I fought to keep still as hands spread my ass, not liking the distressed noises the people around me made before the terry cloth was pressed against my ripped and damaged hole.

Oh fuck, that fucking hurt. My hands clenched in the old blanket. The fabric was smooth and worn under my fingertips. I tried to concentrate on the sensation instead of the pain.

“Okay, let him down. That should keep pressure on it… I hope.”

It got hard to keep track of the conversation after that. I was suddenly sweating and dizzy. I missed most of what was said until voices started getting louder and angrier.

“Seriously?! You’ll use this as some machination opportunity?” Guy’s voice was incredulous.

“If there is benefit to be found here at no extra cost, why not take it?” Takashi answered smoothly.

“There will be a price,” Riley sounded subdued. “You know there will be. There’s always a price.”

“Not a price for you to pay, not for this.” Takashi huffed a breath. “What does it matter who claims to have discovered the last living Sift? There’s no finder’s fee they would give me that I want or need. There’s nothing good they would share with Guy that wouldn’t be dangerous for a werewolf. They would try to trick him, surely. Let me reach my contacts and I will pass it to you, Riley.” There was a pause. “Tell me you want nothing to do with the Dark Court. Tell me you reject them and what they offer and I will call them myself and leave you out of it, but decide now and quickly. Our lover bleeds as we bicker semantics.”

I was kind of all for the not fucking around. I didn’t know what we were doing, but I was into getting the show on the road. Something was definitely not right inside me. I could feel it as I tried to breathe shallowly and carefully not move. Hospital or healer, I needed something.

“Call them,” Riley sighed.

“I have a mirror that should be large enough for a call of this import. It’s in the next room,” Takashi stated. “Guy?”

“I’ll watch over Mick,” the werewolf growled before kneeling at my side.

It was noticeably quieter when Takashi and Riley left the room. Guy fussed with the musty blanket, tucking it around me. The werewolf was acting like my grandma. I held back a giggle. I imagined Guy thick as thieves with my abuela. I definitely needed to keep those two apart, I thought with a snort. She’d probably try to teach him to crochet.

I also thought the blood loss might have been making me loopy.

“You look a lot different.” Guy rubbed a lock of my tinsel-colored hair between his fingers. “It’s still definitely you there, though… and it does suit you.” His voice was gentle but his face was tight with tension. “I like the ears.”

I huffed a painful chuckle. Right. I had pointed elfy ears now.

“Do you know who it was, Mick?”

I felt my own face tense, I turned my head away from him and pressed my lips closed tight.

“Please, tell me who did this to you…”

I just shook my head. First of all, no. Second of all, I was nowhere near ready to talk about any of it. Not a chance. How about we just pretended I was in a terrible farming accident? That sounded good to me. I got too close to an angry hay-baler… or something.

Guy sighed at my continued silence. I kept my eyes on the back of the couch, inadvertently exposing my throat. Guy growled before standing, stomping to the door, and sticking his head out.

“I need bolt-cutters, and I need them right now.”

I don’t know where I was that they were able to scrounge up bolt-cutters in less than five-minutes, but in that time someone had returned and put them in Guy’s hands.

“Let’s get this damn thing off you,” he said as he opened the blanket further around my throat, causing the chain attached to the collar to jangle. “If you can, tip your head up a little.”

I did my best to comply. I felt the thick cold metal under my chin and the long handles brush my chest as Guy got the tool in position.

“Don’t move.”

I was so not moving.

After a quick movement and the harsh noise of sheering metal, the large tool was set aside. Guy carefully removed the now-broken lock and then unbuckled the hated collar from my neck. I knew it hadn’t been that tight on my throat, but suddenly it was easier to breathe. Tears pricked at my eyes, though I blinked hard to keep them at bay. I was semi-successful. I felt two cool, wet streaks track from the corners of my eyes and over my temples to get lost in my hair. Guy gathered the collar and chain in his hands and flung them from him. I heard a heavy bang as it hit the wall.

That sounded like it did some damage.

A moment later Takashi and Riley returned.

“Did my wall offend you, pup?” Takashi asked coolly.

Guy snarled as he turned to the taller man. “The fact that he was chained and collared offended me.”

Takashi’s mouth snapped shut.

Riley crouched next to me. “Mick, honey? We found a healer to fix you up. We have to take you through a portal to get you there fast. Hopefully the ride won’t be too bumpy, but we don’t want to waste time and effort driving you all the way to the fae lands.”

“I’m going where?” I wasn’t following at all.

“There’s a healer that can help you,” Takashi explained slowly. “He’s an Unseelie fae. He’ll heal you and then you will be presented at court.”

“I thought I was supposed to stay away from court, that they wanted me dead or something?” I asked.

Riley and Takashi exchanged looks.

“Your glamour is broken.” Riley said gently. “You don’t know how to rebuild it or hide yourself. The Queen of the Light Court will find you, it’s just a question of when.”

“So,” Takashi interjected. “We take you to the Dark Court, to the Unseelie King… and we try to make a deal.”