How Things Changed Forever.. PART - II

CH 40: We'll Figure it Out

Kai didn't hesitate.

The trip to Dev's cabin took less than five minutes, but every second felt too long. He held Hillary tightly the entire way, arms wrapped securely around her limp frame. Her breathing was too shallow, her skin like ice against his.

At the door, he hesitated. One last chance to back out, he thought. Then Hillary shuddered weakly in his arms.The decision was made for him. He stepped inside.

Dev moved fast. The heater roared to life, chasing away the cold-stiffened air. He cleared the couch with swift efficiency, and Kai laid Hillary down, kneeling beside her immediately. His fingers worked at the bun she had tied her hair in—it had frozen stiff.

She was too pale. Too cold.Only the terrible shivering of her body, the chattering of her teeth, reassured him she was still fighting.

"I need to check her pulse," Dev announced quietly, his hands inches from her wrist.

Kai didn't stop him, but his gaze never left the man's hands as he continued assessing her. One wrong move, and he would beat the hell out of him before escaping with Hillary.

He glanced around. The cabin was small and clean, with an attached bedroom and a bathroom. The kitchen was attached to the hall. The front door was locked with a simple latch, just to keep the Hall warm. It wouldn't be a problem if he needed to escape.

He didn't see any weapons lying around, but that didn't mean too much, most people kept their ammunition away from direct reach. And given that there was a kitchen, knives were within reach anyway. That would do.

The only problem he did think he might face was the mastiff. It had curled up and settled in front of the heater as soon as they came in, and wasn't making much noise. Fighting off a human was easy. Things got a bit difficult when you were fighting with a canaine as huge as it was, especially when he didn't want to hurt it.

"Weak, but steady," Dev muttered, drawing him back to the present. "She needs more blankets. The heater'll help, but she needs direct warmth first."

Kai barely acknowledged him. The heat was beginning to seep into his own skin, but Hillary remained cold beneath his fingertips.

Too cold.

His jaw clenched.

Dev returned with another layer of blankets and tucked Hillary in with the kind of efficiency that told Kai this wasn't his first time handling something like this. But that didn't mean Kai trusted him.

Dev must have sensed it because he spoke as he worked, as if explaining himself would stop Kai from putting a knife to his throat the second something went wrong.

"I need to warm her up gradually," he said, slipping a heat pack beneath the layers. "Can't do it too fast or her body'll go into shock."

Kai sat stiffly beside the couch, arms resting on his knees, eyes locked on Hillary's face. The blankets seemed to help—her shivering had eased slightly—but her breathing was still too shallow for his liking. Then a faint wheeze escaped her. It was so faint that Kai had almost missed it until Dev frowned and leaned in, listening. His expression darkened. "Something's wrong with her breathing." He muttered.

Kai said nothing, his frown deepening. Dev then pressed two fingers lightly against her stomach, pausing. His brow furrowed. "Her stomach's tight." He glanced up. "What did you say happened to her?"

Kai met his gaze evenly. "I don't know." He admitted. Dev didn't look convinced.

"I found her in an alley," Kai continued, rubbing his hands to warm them up. "She was barely standing. She thought she'd been mugged—her cash was gone, her phone was smashed. Why? Is something wrong? Does she need to see a doctor?"