to think, and if she was as sweet a female as she appeared…perhaps he’d find her during a Gathering. He might well see her turn that color during mating.
He and Tynan might even share the little female. It’d been a long time since they’d enjoyed a female together.
“Where is Lucas? I need my cub.”
Donal recognized Bonnie’s frantic voice and glanced at the cub huddled next to the banfasa. “Margery, you have her pup.”
“Oh, right.” Margery released Tynan’s hand and kissed the top of the cub’s head. “Lucas, let’s get you to your mama.”
The boy had a firm hold on Margery’s shirt, but he whispered, “Mama.”
“Come on, sweetling.” She tried to stand and winced.
Before Donal could move, she released the cub to push herself up with both hands. After getting her balance, she smiled and took Lucas’s hand.
And the pup clung. Because Lucas recognized a caring heart.
I’ve been blind.
He wasn’t blind any longer. Donal glanced around the park at the wounded shifters. “Margery, could you check the injured for me, please? See if they need anything else or need me urgently?”
Her startled expression told him he really had been a boggart before.
Far more polite than he would’ve been, she didn’t give him any grief. “Of course, healer. I’d be happy to check on them.” She led Lucas toward Bonnie.
“She’s limping,” Ben commented.
Tynan frowned. “Her leg wasn’t that bad yesterday.”
“You didn’t see her running like a charging bull to get here.” Thorson joined them. “Made my bones hurt just to see it.”
“She did good to get here when she did. Bonnie was losing blood fast.” Donal motioned to Ben. “Griz, can you pull on Tynan’s leg so I can set it?”
“Aye.” Ben gave Minette over to Thorson, and Donal grinned. The old werecat terrified most adults, especially young males, but the cubs saw through the gruffness and adored the bookstore owner.
As Minette snuggled up to Joe, she watched Donal with an intriguing intensity. Was he going to have a healer apprentice in a few years? Although the God didn’t call females of bearing age to be cahirs, the healers and blademage professions had no such restriction.
Ben gripped Tynan’s leg, one hand above the break, the other on the ankle, and pulled slowly.
Tynan’s back arched, his jaw tight as he muffled what would have been a howl of pain.
Herne’s heart, but it was gut-wrenching to see his littermate hurting.
Donal swallowed and forced a smile. “Perfect, Griz. You’re my favorite bone setting assistant.” The grizzly cahir was outrageously strong.
Tynan growled under his breath as his muscles spasmed.
Setting his palms over the injury, Donal eased the congestion, loosened the tight muscles.
Good. Time to work. Closing his eyes, Donal finished aligning the bones by feel—forcing himself to ignore the whine of pain from his littermate. A burst of power, fast, then slow, fixed the break, then the damaged tissue around it.
Slowly, he worked his way out, then sat back and pulled in a shaky breath. Tried for a light tone. “Not a bad break, really.”
“Oh. Well. Glad I didn’t put you to too much effort.” Tynan unfisted his hands. “By the Gods, I’d forgotten how much a busted bone can hurt when you fix it.”
How fucking much pain would it take to make his littermate say that? Donal felt as if a rope was wrapped around his chest. “Sorry, brawd.”
“Hey, no, feck, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s healed.” Tynan’s face was still pale, but he grinned. “Thank you.”
The words let Donal breathe again. And realize how much of a pain in the tail Tynan would be until he was back to normal.
“You’re healed, but weak.” Donal pointed a finger at his idiot littermate. “Sleep today and tomorrow. Take it easy for a week after. Lots of fluids.”
“Yeah, got it.” Tynan brightened when Margery carefully knelt beside him.
After taking his hand, she ventured a small smile at Donal. “I took care of the superficial wounds on Bonnie. But if you have more…power left, could you check Nia? She has a few scratches that will heal all right on their own. I went ahead and cleaned and dressed those. But the one down her neck will leave a scar. If you could…”
Her tentative look almost broke his heart. A shifter should never worry about asking for help from a healer. Especially for someone else.
“Of course, I will.” He smiled. “If I don’t have enough power right now, I’ll ask another female to give me some. There is no need for any shifter in our territory to