Claws

Chapter Sixty-Three

I wiped the blood from my mouth and spat some into the forest floor after shifting into my human form. 

When I looked down at the five dismembered Southerners in front of me, my body went rigid. Their heads, torsos, and limbs had reverted to their human form. That's when it hit me. I'd killed five human beings. 

I covered my bloodstained mouth with my sticky red hands and turned around to see Zale limp on the ground, breathing heavily.

When he saw the tears in my eyes, his muscles tensed, and he tried to sit up. "Mae," Zale groaned, pressing his hand against his ribs. "Ugh."

"What are you doing? Don't move around too much!"  I shakily exhaled, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand as I knelt beside Zale. I needed to get it together. Zale winced as I gently helped him lay down again, placing his head on my lap. When I looked him over, I bit my lip, silent tears pouring down my cheeks. His wounds were bad. I couldn't find a place on his body that wasn't bruised or covered in gashes that were gushing blood. His face was covered in bruises and cuts as well, making my chest ache. "I'm so sorry, Zale. I...It was like I couldn't move," I accidentally let out a sob, brushing my fingers through his hair. "I could have come in sooner. Then you wouldn't have gotten hurt this bad."

I closed my eyes when Zale reached up and grazed his fingers across my cheek, catching a teardrop. "Don't cry." His voice was gentle and sweet, but he sounded like he was struggling to speak.

"Shh, don't try to talk. I'm going to sit you up so you can take some of my blood. That way, we can at least stop your bleeding and swelling," I coaxed him, pressing my mouth against his forehead. I carefully lifted Zale's shoulders while supporting his back, slowly helping him sit up. I brushed his hair back when he cried in pain, biting my lip as a sob escaped his lips. When I got him situated, he hooked his arm across my shoulders, tugging my hoodie down. His breaths were heavy, and I could feel his tears drip from his cheeks to my skin. "Open your mouth. Just relax and put your weight on me while you bite."

"Are you sure?" Zale mumbled, his voice rough and uneven. His lips grazed against my throat as his fingers slid beneath my hoodie, tugging it to the side so both my bare neck and shoulder were exposed. I shivered and shakily exhaled as he kissed up and down both areas. "It'll hurt."

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Now please," I closed my eyes, gently sliding my fingers in Zale's hair to tug his mouth up to my neck. "Please drink. We need to get you out of here."

Zale responded by slowly kissing my neck, followed by a couple of affectionate nibbles before his teeth sank into my skin.

I cried out with a gasp, tilting my head to the side as Zale's fingers slid around the side of my neck. When his teeth pulled out of my skin, I felt him suck. It almost felt like he was giving me a hickey despite the feeling of my blood dripping out the sides of his mouth and the sharp twinge where his teeth had pierced only moments ago. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip when Zale bit into my shoulder for more blood. He then began repeating the process.

I slid my fingers deeper into Zale's hair, moving the other under the back of his shirt to check if his wounds were healing when my head began to spin. I wondered how much more blood he would have to take from me. Luckily, his gashes were closing up for the most part, but my blood still seemed to be struggling to heal the more shallow gashes for some reason. "Z-Zale," I mumbled as I released my fingers from his hair, brushing them across the back of his neck. I was getting lightheaded. "Zale, I need you to let go for now. That should be enough to get you home. I won't be able to have the strength to carry you back if you keep going."

It only took a moment for Zale to stop drinking and pull back with heavy breaths. He brushed his thumb across my two bite marks, nuzzling my ear. "Sorry. Are you okay?" Zale mumbled. His words were slightly slurred.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself for once." When I pulled back to see how he was doing, I slid my hand on his face and brushed my thumb across his cheek. His nose seemed to be fine, and his split lip was healed, but the bruises remained. He still held a hand to his ribs. From experience, I knew they weren't completely healed.

Zale leaned his cheek into my hand and looked at me with unsure eyes. "How long have you...I mean, what did you all see?"

"Everything. I saw everything," I said in a quiet voice, sliding on my knees. "We can talk about it when we get to your house. This is neither time nor place. Your wounds aren't healed all the way, and we're left vulnerable out in the open like this, especially while we're in the southern territory."

"Okay," Zale looked away from me, tears forming but holding in his eyes as he clenched his jaw. Why did men have to do that? Act all tough when they were really falling apart inside. 

Zale winced as I helped him stand, clutching his ribs with a struggling exhale. "How bad are your ribs? Do you think you have the strength to get on my back if I shift?" I asked him as I grabbed his arm and pulled it over my shoulders. 

"They're without a doubt broken. Maybe two or three on each side. Luckily, the bones haven't punctured my lungs, but it's still hard to breathe. I'm pretty sure I can manage to get on your back, although I must admit, it's kind of strange that I'm riding you instead of the other way around."

I rolled my eyes. "Still cracking crude jokes in this situation. What a talent. Now shut up, and let's get you out of here."