Free Dark Forest (Secret Blood, Book 1) by Emma Weylin

okay?”
    She entered the room and moved to where he awkwardly lay on the small exam table. He was half on his side, holding one of his arms at a funny angle. “I’m fine, but look at you.”
    He laughed a weak, rasping sound. “I’ve been worse.” He tried to sit up.
    Rose helped him. “I’ll have someone get my car. Then I’ll take you some place you can heal. You don’t heal as a human?”
    “Minor injuries, but this…” He looked down at himself. Blood oozed and congealed on him in so many places it was difficult to tell where he wasn’t hurt. “The lycan heals the best of all my shapes.”
    “Okay,” she whispered. “What do I do to help you?”
    “Come here,” he said through gritted teeth.
    Rose moved closer.
    He hooked his arm around her. His breath hissed with pain, but his arm tightened around her. “Delegate until it’s time to move me. I need you.” He dragged in a deep breath. “And don’t let me fall asleep. I’ll shift on my own if I fall asleep.”
    “Okay.” She hugged him as tight as she dared. “I need to go for just a minute, and then I’ll be right back.”
    He reluctantly let her go. In the span of ten minutes, she had everyone still awake and functional in Dark Forest getting her everything she’d need to disappear with Aiden for a while. She made Davis take Grams out to Aiden’s place to get her car. They had clothes, toiletries, and Grams’ ATM card to pay for food and anything else they could need until they got back. Once she had her own bank cards replaced, she’d pay Grams back every penny, but until then, she was happy she came from a small town where everyone took care of everyone else.
    Aiden moved out to her car under his own power, with some help from her and the sheriff. They got him up into the back seat. She kissed the top of his head and closed the door, hoping he wouldn’t fall asleep until they were at least out of the parking lot. She hugged Grams tight, and then gave Davis explicit instructions to take care of the old woman while she took Aiden to a better hospital.
    She thanked the doctor and the sheriff before she was finally able to get out of there. She drove straight to the motel just off the highway. They barely made it to the room before Aiden pitched forward on the king-sized bed, and shifted into his huge lycan shape.
    It was over. She eased onto the bed next to him, curled into his side, and let her tears of fear and worry take her into sleep.
    *
    Aiden drew in a deep breath as he came back to consciousness. Rose’s wonderful scent was right next to him. He started to sit up.
    “Wait.” Rose jerked up. “Don’t move or you’ll…” She puffed out a breath and dropped back onto the bed. “Never mind. How are you feeling?”
    He flexed sore muscles. “Great, considering. Where are we?”
    “The motel closest to Dark Forest.” Her gaze searched him. “Are you really okay?”
    “Yes.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I need to call the Council. I need to report what happened.”
    She stuck her tongue out. “Then go do it.”
    “Did I miss something?” He tried to figure out what he’d done, but it was making his brain hurt.
    “You ran away from me,” she snapped, and then scooted off the bed and sat in the chair next to the door. “You killed that son of a bitch, and then you acted like I was going to hate you for it.”
    It was too soon after waking up to deal with this, and without a pot of coffee to help him think straight. “I had to find out if Kiera was still alive. I’m sorry, I should have told you, or at least tried to. If I promise to never do it again, will you come shower with me?”
    “We both need a shower. I’m covered in stubborn, impossible werewolf blood.” She got off the chair as if it were the most difficult task in the world. She took two steps toward the bathroom, and then her face crumpled. Tears leaked down her cheeks. “I shot him. Point blank. In the chest. And he didn’t die.”
    Aiden