Burning

Chapter EIGHTEEN

Too bad her leg was injured so she couldn't fully enjoy stretching it out. One good thing about being kidnapped by werewolves was the accommodations. Much better beds than dorm rooms. Who would have guessed. And it came with her own private security guard. Gabby was unsurprised but grateful to see Chris had been good to his word. He was slumped forward, pillow forgotten with his chin to his chest. His right arm remained stretched out. For all the stress he caused her it was hard not to feel some affection towards him. Whatever happened with him and Mariah as she was whisked away sounded serious. But then he returned, looking admittedly terrifying but somehow just as obnoxiously snobbish when he spoke. And she dropped her guard. Gabby rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fooling strangers was easy. She watched the sleeping boy. He would be harder to convince she could be a cunning spy. Shit. She'd never felt cunning a day in her life.

At that thought the door swung open and Mariah appeared carrying a box over her shoulder and a disconcerting smile on her lips. She was wearing Gabby's coat still. Had she really been in it all night?

Chris was awake the moment the door opened, dropped into a predatory crouch between the door and the bed although from the way he was blinking she was pretty sure it was more out of surprise then actual aggression. When he saw who it was he fell backward with a groan and rubbed his face. "Can't you ever come in like a normal bet?"

"This is my room, foot-licker. I don't think I said you could sleep here, either."

"I wasn't leaving Gabrielle alone."

"Annie was supposed to stay."

"I did instead."

Mariah raised her eyebrows. She dropped the heavy box with a hefty 'thdunk' and hopped over it towards Gabby. Her hair was fly-away.

"Did you sleep?" Gabby eyed her.

"Me? No. I was busy. Busy busy busy- gimme your leg."

Gabby and Chris shot each other a look but Gabby cautiously complied. She started unwrapping while Gabby tried not to wince. Chris watched on with a stern expression. Without any explanation, but a whole lot of talking, Mariah proceeded to re-wrap the cut. Honestly Gabby thought it was deep enough to need stitches but Mariah insisted otherwise, holding a small jar of what looked suspiciously like yogurt with a single red swirl of strawberry. She pressed a liberal amount onto the cut which stung enough that her eyes watered.

"What is that stuff?"

"Gotta get you looking good. Sheira wants you introduced properly. One misstep here and you could make a lot of enemies."

"But no pressure though." Gabby sighed.

"How the fuck did you get that from what I said?" Mariah pulled the gauze tight. "You should be feeling loads of pressure."

"Mariah can you put on some clothes?" Chris' eyes were firmly on her leg even though it clearly was turning his stomach.

"This is clothes." Mariah flipped the crusty iron-brown belt at him and finished the leg wrap with an aggressive bow flourish.

"You just said Gabby needs to be introduced properly. You really think you standing there in a jacket soaked in day old blood is going to help her case?"

"It's not that old." She glared at her shoulder. "Damn thing keeps splitting open."

Gabby squinted. She didn't realize the man that attacked them got a blow in on Mariah. She sat up straighter. It didn't look like a knife wound-