Page 67 of Burn of Obsidian
“Ruhne, shut up.” Thea dropped beside him, cringing at the state of his thigh. There was a wound that tore through his muscle, starting at his hip and ending just above his knee. It wasn’t bleeding as profusely, and the edges looked like they’d already begun to heal.
“How long was I out?” Jax asked again, turning his head slightly to meet her eyes. They were back to their natural blue, but they were ringed in silver.
“A night, I think.” She reached for one of the wipes from the med kit, only for him to grab her wrist.
“Leave it.”
“I can see your bone.” She pulled, and he released his grip.
Jax frowned, looking down. “You got a suture kit?”
“Why would I have a suture kit?” Thea double checked, finding only a single roll of white gauze and a few plasters with cartoons on.
“Tape?”
“I got it!” Ruhne said, whizzing over to her kitchen. He managed to kick open one of the drawers, grabbing the roll of duct tape and flying it back. “What? You shouldn’t have left me alone with your cat; I was bored and snooped.”
Thea returned her attention to Jax. “You’re not seriously going to use that?”
He ignored her, pinching together each side of the large slash before using the tape to secure it closed. He worked meticulously, not a single wince or evidence of pain.
“Jax?”
He jumped to his feet, one hand holding the sheet against his hips while the other checked the integrity of the tape. It rasped as he flexed his thigh, but kept tight to his skin.
“This is why men die earlier than women.” Thea let out a sound of frustration when he simply turned his back, dropping the sheet to grab his jeans.
She couldn’t help but stare, watching the muscles of his butt bunch as he tugged them on. He’d seen her naked. It was only fair.
“Take off my shirt,” he said, turning back to face her. He’d left his jeans undone, and Thea was immediately drawn to the lines of hips.
Fuck.
Jax closed their distance, grabbing the bottom of the T-shirt while her brain momentarily short-circuited. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Take it off.”
Thea pulled the fabric from his hand. “Thunder had fur. I needed it more than you.” His brows raised, and she rolled her eyes in reply. “Thunder was a better name than Fluffy; you should thank me.”
“Thunder’s a cool name,” Ruhne added, and Thea had almost forgotten he was even there.
“Thunder?” Jax asked, still confused. “You named my beast Thunder?”
“He’s the Jekyll to your Hyde.” Thea smirked. “I think I prefer him, actually.”
Ruhne chuckled, the sound like little bells as he floated around. “Wasn’t Hyde the crazy one?”
“Exactly.” She grinned.
“Thea,” Jax growled, impatient.
He tugged the T-shirt gently, and with a last scowl, she lifted her arms so he could pull it off. She immediately covered her breasts, remembering her dress was ripped. He didn’t deserve to see her naked again, but he wasn’t looking at her breasts. His eyes had settled on her shoulder, and before she could comment, he nuzzled his nose against her neck.“You smell clean,” he said, breath hot against her skin. “No trace of venom.”
“It’s just a scratch.” There was no pain, even when his fingers brushed against the side of the one furthest cuts along her shoulder. She could barely feel them, just a slight tugging from the stitches when she moved. Whatever was in Thunder’s slobber was amazing, if not disgusting.
“You could have been killed,” he growled, his body vibrating with barely controlled rage. It was strange to see him react so viscerally around her. He was always so composed, cold.
“But I didn’t.” Thea stilled, waiting for Jax to relax. “It killed Grey.” Her memory was crystal clear. The drowsiness had faded pretty quickly once she’d woken and found a large beast draped over her.