Venom stifled a snort. Kosher? Right. The word didn’t come close to describing the situation. Not with Wick playing keep-away with a female.
“How’s Tania?” Mac asked.
Bastian snorted. “On a hair trigger.”
“Hold on.” As Mac jogged across the LZ, the thud-thud of his boots echoed in the vastness, making the light globes sway above their heads. Stone dust drifted from the ceiling, sprinkling Venom’s shoulders as Mac engaged the energy shield that protected Black Diamond, hiding their home from outsiders. Static electricity buzzed. The cave wall rippled, opening the magical doorway into the underground lair. “I’m coming.”
“Thank fuck,” Bastian murmured. “I don’t know what to do with her.”
Venom could relate. He didn’t know what to do with Wick either.
Looking for help, he glanced in Sloan’s direction. Shitkickers planted beside the decapitated Honda, his buddy shrugged and turned his hands palm up, the gesture one of “how the hell should I know?” Wonderful. No help from that quarter, but maybe…
Glancing over his shoulder, he met Forge’s gaze.
The Scot shook his head. “Donnae look at me, lad. You know him better than anyone.”
True enough. “Give me the floor, guys. I’ll get him moving.”
As the guys “uh-huhed” and beat feet toward the exit, Venom strode in the opposite direction. A couple of feet from his target, he crouched in front of his best friend. “Wick, let me—”
“Tell me what to do, Ven.”
Venom blinked, not understanding.
“I don’t know how to soothe her.” Nestling his cheek against the top of J. J.’s head, Wick met his gaze. Venom flinched, getting nailed by the concern in his friend’s eyes along with, well… something else too. Panic maybe? Worry too? Wick’s expression bordered on both. Except that didn’t make any sense. Nothing made Wick lose his cool. Ever. “You’re good at this shit. Tell me what to do.”
He wanted to say “give her to me,” but knew that wouldn’t fly. Wick was too tense, and after getting told not to touch her in the park? He didn’t like his chances of surviving a hostile takeover. Wick would fight to keep her, and… yeah. All of a sudden—and as strange as it sounded—helping his friend care for her seemed like a better option than taking her away.
A healthier one too.
“Keep talking to her.” Balanced on the balls of his feet, Venom rested his elbows on the tops of his thighs. “You’re doing fine.”
“Should I… I mean…” Wick trailed off, his hesitation palpable. “Touch her or something?”
Like a sucker punch to the gut, the question stole his air and… holy hell. The situation had just gone from semi-weird to full-on sci-fi. “Do you want to?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Frowning, Wick broke eye contact, looking lost—so confused it broke Venom’s heart. So damaged. So unsure. So stuck in the past. His friend was the poster boy for abuse. But as he stared at Wick, realization struck. He stood on a precipice, the defining moment that might change Wick’s life. Right here. Right now. Surrounded by stone and musty air, possibility held Wick in the palm of its hand. Venom recognized the opportunity. Saw the difference in the male he’d known almost all his life. Wick wanted to help—to give of himself—instead of turn away. “She liked holding my hand in the truck. Said it helped with the pain.”
Venom cleared his throat. “Then go for it.”
“All right.”
Inhaling deep, Wick exhaled smooth and raised his hand. His fingertips stroked over her temple, brushing the thick strands of dark hair away from her face. With a sigh, J. J. stirred, turning into the touch instead of away. Another gentle caress across her skin. Her bio-energy flared, nearly blinding Venom with the fiery pulse in her aura. He turned his face away to shield his eyes. The Meridian hummed, rising in a powerful wave to forge a connection between the two.
Venom’s mouth fell open. Goddamn. Talk about insane, bizarre… whatever. The descriptor didn’t matter. The sudden flare-up, however? Jeez. That mattered. Without knowing it, Wick was feeding her: opening an energy channel, letting her link in, nourishing her with the healing flow drawn from the Meridian.
“Vanzäla,” Wick murmured, cupping her cheek, giving Venom another shock as he called her songbird in Dragonese. He shook his head. Wick didn’t notice. All his focus on J. J., he caressed her again. “Open your eyes and look at me.”
She shivered, trembling in Wick’s arms.
“Come on, baby.”
Wet lashes fluttered, lifting to reveal brilliant blue irises. “You’re back.”
Wick stroked along her jaw. “I never left.”
“Yes, you did,” she whispered. “How did you do it?”
“What… shift forms?”
She nodded.
“Dragon DNA,” Wick said, giving her the simplest answer.
“Figures, I guess, since you turned into one.” Wick traced the fine arch of her eyebrow, then changed tact to caress her cheek. With a hum, J. J. turned her head, seeking more of his friend’s touch. “You scared me.”
“I know.”
“Please don’t do that again.”
Wick huffed. “I’ll try.”
“Good,” she said, and Venom cringed.
Goddamn it. The exchange made him feel like a first-class heel. Like a voyeur, butting in where he didn’t belong. It was beyond awkward, starting to border on embarrassing now. Venom shifted on the balls of his feet. He wanted to turn and walk away. Leave the situation behind and never look back. The strategy was a good one, except for one problem.
He couldn’t leave.
Duty called. Honor rode shotgun, refusing to give him a get-out-of-jail-free card. He’d given his word. Bastian expected him to get the pair inside the lair. Which left him playing monkey in the middle, baring witness to an intimate moment between two people so absorbed in each other they’d forgotten he existed.
Venom cleared his throat, hoping to break up the party.
J. J. ignored him. Raising her hand, she touched her fingertip to the corner of Wick’s mouth. His friend tensed, but stayed true, allowing her to touch him. She drew a soft circle on his skin. In reaction, Wick’s gaze began to glow. “You’re not human.”
“Half,” Wick said. “We’re a different species.”
“Oh,” she said, a frown on her face. The expression pained Venom. It made her look as though she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. Not something any female should be made to do. “Hey, Wick?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m really tired.” As though admitting the truth elevated her fatigue, her body gave out. She dropped her hand, tucking it back in her lap. Pressing her face to Wick’s shoulder, her eyes drifted closed. “I can’t think anymore. I’m just… done.”
Wick nodded, even though she couldn’t see him anymore. “Sleep, vanzäla. You’ll feel better.”
“Promise me something?”
“What?”
“Don’t leave me alone with strangers,” she whispered, strain in her tone. “Promise you’ll be here when I wake up.”
“You don’t need me.” Shifting her in his arms, Wick pushed to his feet. The movement was smooth, measured, designed for her comfort. “Your sister will—”
“Please?”
The whispered plea tipped the balance. Folding like a bad poker hand, Wick gave it up, promising her as exhaustion drew J. J. into slumber. Cradling her close, Wick strode across the LZ. Venom followed, trailing his friend, wondering what the hell had just happened. None of it made sense. Not Wick’s reaction to J. J. Not her lack of fear or her acceptance of a male most females avoided at every turn. Not the wretched sense of loss Venom suffered in the aftermath of their exchange either.