Frayed Ties (Ties, Book 1) | ✓

Chapter 25

Danya woke slowly to what sounded like someone snoring nearby, and then abruptly the rest of the way after cataloguing in his head who it could be and coming up with an answer. It was Yore, but he wasn't snoring. His breathing had gotten worse.

There was daylight coming in through the windows now and Lucas was laying next to Yore, a hand on his forehead. Hamish was on Lucas' other side, spooning him from behind so that they could all fit on the bed. On the small table next to Yore's bed there was a bowl with a tied bundle of gently smoking dried leaves in it. It had filled the room with a strong, herbal smell.

When Danya shifted, Simon moved with him. He was already awake.

Danya covered a yawn with the back of his hand as he sat up. "How is he?"

"Pretty shit," Lucas said. "I'm cooling his fever. They said the one thing that would be fine in all this was his brain, but, well. Not if a fever fries it."

"Good thinking. Is everyone still here?"

"Nah, just me. I need to talk to Liam about how some of my criminal friends might be able to help out with what he has planned, for a price. But he's off saving the day or whatever, so I'm just waiting around. After that's sorted, I'll head off and find my friends. They probably think I'm dead right now, which isn't great."

"Yeah, Simon," Hamish murmured into the back of Lucas' neck.

"Hey, I was kidnapped!" Simon objected.

"Pshh," Hamish said, but he didn't dispute that.

"I need to get back to healing him, but I should eat soon," Danya said. "Is there someone we can ask for something to eat?"

"Oh, right. Food." Simon sat up and combed his fingers through Danya's hair to free it from the mess of sleep. "That didn't even cross my mind last night."

"Mine either," Danya admitted. "There was just... too much. But it's been a day since any of us have eaten now, and I'm starting to feel it."

"I mean, I ate," Lucas said. "I hope your guy survives and gets better because I really wanted to smooch his pretty face and now... not so much. But I'm not going to starve myself over it."

"That's why you care?" Simon asked.

"No, Simon, that was a joke," Lucas said. "I care because of empathy or whatever, but I've never taken anything seriously in my life before and I'm not about to start now."

Hamish stretched out until he rolled off the side of the bed, but he turned it into a tumble that ended with him on his feet. "I'll go ask about food."

"Make sure they boil the water and prepare things in a safe way," Simon said. "I still remember Slone trying to cook that turkey. From what I understand werewolves don't have to deal with things like food poisoning, and I'm not sure most of them realise we do."

Hamish pulled a shirt on for the first time since he'd taken his wet one off last night. "I'm going to sound like such a picky bitch."

"Don't worry," Lucas said. "Liam got food and drink for the group for the journey yesterday. No way you rank higher on the picky bitch scale than him."

"Personally I don't think asking for food that won't make us seriously ill is all that unreasonable," Simon said.

"But Simon, I don't wanna look weak in front of the sexy wolf people," Hamish whined, but he was already on the way to the door.

Simon and Danya got up and had just finished moving a bedside table and a chair out of the way so that they could drag a second bed next to Yore's, when already Hamish was back.