“My name is Melody,” she snapped, and he jerked backward as if she’d slapped him.
Feeling worse than ever, she sighed. She could keep her distance without being a bitch. She owed them that much and more. They had kept her alive for two weeks, studied with her all hours of the day and night, and helped her to finish her history class in half a year. She could hold them at arm’s length and do it with grace and kindness, it was the least she could do for them.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Please, I would like these tubes removed, and then I really ought to put Asher out of his misery.”
Nick looked at her, his eyes roving over her face, like her thoughts were written there for him to read. Finally, he nodded. He got her to lie back down on her side, made her raise her top leg and had her breathe deeply while he removed the tubing under the blanket without looking. It was an odd tugging sensation indeed, followed by a pop, and then Nick was pulling it out from under the blanket. Melody looked away, she didn’t want to see it or think about it.
Nick chuckled, then sobered, “Okay, this one is going to be quite unpleasant, it will likely trigger your gag reflex. I’ve got a bucket here in case, I just ask that you try to hold off until my hands are out of the way, yeah?”
He gently teased the pieces of tape holding the tubing to her face and chest, away from her skin. “How did you learn all of this?” she asked him, needing a distraction.
“I’ve been at the academy for a long time. I got bored, so I spent ten years or so volunteering in the clinic here. They know they can call on me if they get short handed, but most of the time, I just come in and observe the more unusual things.” He stroked a finger down her face. “Okay, I’m ready to pull. When I tell you to, I want you to take as deep a breath as you possibly can and hold it, then as soon as you feel me pulling, I want you to let it go as slowly as you can. I need you to keep breathing out the entire time, think you can do that?”
Melody nodded anxiously.
“Alright, breathe in then,” he told her, and she did, filling her lungs to capacity, even though it made the skin on her back stretch and ache. Then she felt him tugging the tubing out, and she allowed herself to slowly release it, feeling the relief as her taut skin began to relax. He was right, it did trigger her gag reflex, but because she was already breathing out, it wasn’t too hard to control. The worst bit was actually when it passed through her nose. It made her want to sneeze, shake her head and swat at flies, all at the same time.
She did sneeze, and cough, but that was the worst of it. Still, Nick held the bucket there for her for a moment or two, just in case. When she smiled at him through watery eyes, however, he put it down on the ground and dropped the tubing into it.
“Well, that’s that done, would you like to freshen up before you see him?” he asked.
“I probably should. Two weeks in bed, I must reek.”
Nick turned crimson. “Actually, I gave you several bed baths, you’re a little past fresh as a daisy, but there’s no way you have a two week funk lingering around you,” he said with a sheepish look.
“Oh, um. Thanks. I’ll probably just have a quick basin bath then, and put on some loose clothing, then I should be ready for him.”
“Okay, I’ll get rid of this and come back and check on you, alright? I’ll also make sure the wolf is fit to be seen. Two weeks of living as his wolf and he’s probably due for a bath or two himself.”
Melody laughed and he beamed at her, obviously pleased by her reaction. He helped her to her feet and dug out some sweats and underpants, but he didn’t pass her a bra. She realised that he was right not to, her back was too sore for her to wear one.
“I’ll grab one of Dean’s shirts for you, it’ll be nice and loose and will go a long way to calming his beast. As a bonus, it’ll piss off Asher too.”
Melody noticed that he called the shifter by name and not some epithet as the Apex were prone to do. Obviously, something had changed in their relationship while she had been unconscious.
In no time at all, she had freshened up and slipped into the soft clothing, Dean’s shirt had been left on her bed, and she slipped into it, grateful that she didn’t have to lift up her arms. The sleeves were so big, the holes practically dropped to her waist. She would have to be careful that she didn’t flash them all. Then again, she didn’t plan on raising her arms either, it would rip open the fragile wounds on her back.
Out in the living area, they all sat waiting for her. She was surprised to see the provost, Mrs Hardinger, Professor Whitlow—her history teacher—and Mr Phelps. She should have expected them. Of course this couldn’t be a private thing, not now that there had been a complaint.
Even when she wasn’t here, Shawna was interfering in their lives. Melody suspected that any future bonds she made would need to be well-witnessed, at least until she’d proven herself with a couple of standard challenges. Not that it would be anytime soon. Inwardly she rolled her eyes. No, once they all understood what kind of monster she was, she would never have a familiar again.
Melody sighed. “I guess he’d better come in,”
