“It hurts,” Sophia whimpered.
“We could give her medical attention at least. Bring her to the medical unit?” I hoped my suggestion would be well received.
My three friends sighed in unison and crossed their arms over their chests as I watched them internally debate the situation. My heart pounded and I couldn’t imagine the fear that Sophia must have been feeling.
“We did all vow together that we would take in any refugee in trouble. This girl clearly fits that description,” Cameron said.
“Right,” James agreed. “Pick her up. We’ll go with you to the medical unit.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and watched the same emotion flood Sophia’s features. I was getting a migraine from all this stress.
“Come on,” I said as I lifted her. “Let’s go get you checked out.”
Sophia relaxed in my arms as I carried her downstairs with the guys in tow. She gave them each an apprehensive gaze, but she said nothing.
“In here,” I told her as James and Cameron entered the examination room first.
Drake and Brooks were on the medical team. We had been fortunate to gain them because before they had been slaves, they were doctors back in the villages. It had been an exceptional day when we found them fleeing through the forest, broken down and dirty. It was vital that we had their help whenever someone in the bunker fell ill or became injured.
“Who is this girl?” Brooks asked as he moved aside to let me place her on the examination bed.
“Her name is Sophia,” I said. “She broke her leg by falling into the river when fleeing from her Master.”
Brooks and Drake glanced at each other. “You want us to fix her leg?”
Sophia was softly crying now. “Can you?” She peered up at Brooks and Drake with desperation shimmering in her wet eyes. “Will I ever dance again?”
Drake took a slightly gentler approach with Sophia. “Are you a dancer?” he asked.
“Yes,” she nodded. Her shoulders shook as she attempted to choke back sobs of both physical and emotional agony.
Drake glanced down at the wound and began to examine it. “We will place a cast on your leg to mend the broken bones.”
“Really?” I asked. I stood up straight, getting excited now. I had already invested so much time and energy into Sophia that it was only natural that I wanted her to heal and succeed.
Drake gave me a professional nod and glanced over his shoulder at his Brooks. “We’ll treat her and let her rest in the sick bay while she recovers.”
I smiled and leaned down to whisper in Sophia’s ear. “Any slave seeking refuge here gets their own room while they heal,” I told her.
Sophia’s face brightened for the first time since I had met her. My heart galloped in my chest with new affection.
“It will take some time to mend,” Brooks said with a sobering glance at Sophia. “It’ll be a while until you are back on your feet.”
“Okay.” Sophia wiped the tears from her eyes and glanced between Drake and Brooks. “Just as long as I have even a slim hope of dancing again one day.”
“We can’t make any promises,” Brooks said, “but we will do our best. We don’t have an X-ray machine down here, although we are working to try and obtain one. I can tell by the way your leg is twisted that the break is probably in your femur. We will cast it accordingly.”
Sophia smiled. “Thank you. I really appreciate all your hospitality. If not for you, I would be at the mercy of my Master again.”
Brooks attempted to smile at Sophia, but I could tell that it was forced, and he didn’t actually feel the same level of empathy for her that I did. “We’ve all been there,” he said.
I delicately touched the small of her back, assuming that she would flinch and shy away, but she didn’t. She just gazed up at me with gorgeous, piercing eyes with a smile that was trying not to appear intimidated.
“It’s okay, Sophia,” I told her in the kindest voice I could manage. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
Her body language was wilted and defeated. I didn’t want her to feel scared around us, but we certainly had a lot to prove to her. I also knew that the others in the bunker might not welcome her, so that was another challenge we were going to have to face together.
My new goal was going to be convincing her that she was safe with us, and I hoped my best friends would be along for the ride with me.
20
Sophia
In the fully functioning and operating world of the bunker, which I quickly learned harbored slave refugees who had escaped and were on the run, things worked much differently than they did in the Masters’ castles.
For one thing, they called doctors ‘menders’ instead of doctors. My menders were named Drake and Brooks. Drake had a kinder demeanor than Brooks. It was almost as if Brooks didn’t trust me and wanted to keep me at bay, so his reaction was to behave abrasively toward me.
Blaze told me that Brooks ‘had a stick up his ass so far that it would never come out.’ It made me smile.
On the day that Blaze brought me to the underground bunker where he lived, he introduced me to his best friends Ayden, James and Cameron. They seemed nice enough, but I was still a little wary of them.
It would take a while for the trust to build. I only hoped that I would be able to stay here with them for long enough for that to happen.
“Okay, we are going to use a series of steps to bind your fractured bones together before we place the cast on your leg,” Brooks explained in a professional voice. I wasn’t sure why they were waiting so long to cast me, but it could have been due to the difficulty to find menders.
I glanced up at Blaze, who nodded in approval. Then I looked back at Brooks and Drake. “All right.”
Brooks raised his hands over my leg and closed his eyes as if he were gearing up to concentrate. I assumed at that point that he was going to use some kind of shifter magic on me.
“Wait,” I stopped him.
He opened his eyes and gave me an impatient look. “What is it?”
“Will it hurt?” I was already wincing.
Brooks exhaled sharply and looked at Drake. Then he focused his attention back at me.
“I don’t want to lie to you. It won’t hurt, per se, but it will probably be uncomfortable for several minutes.”
I gave Blaze and the others an apprehensive glance. My heart was pounding, and I felt like I was going to vomit.
“I can hold your hand if you want me to,” Blaze suggested.
I sighed with relief. “Yes, thank you. That would actually be wonderful.”
Blaze seemed encouraged as he gave me a beaming smile and reached for my hand. He squeezed it tight. I instantly felt better as a surge of strength and endurance rippled through me. I didn’t know if that was some of Blaze’s own shifter magic seeping into me, but I welcomed the sensation.
“You’re going to be fine,” Cameron mentioned from behind Blaze. He gave me a wink and a thumbs up.
“Thanks,” I said, and managed to give him a chagrinned smile.
It wasn’t the best situation to be in, but I knew that I was better off with these guys than back in the talons of Thom and his guards. I couldn’t imagine what they would do to me if they knew I had a broken leg. They probably would have killed me just so they wouldn’t have to deal with it.
“I’ve had a broken wrist before,” Ayden said as if to reassure me. “These guys did amazing work at getting me going again in no time.”
“That’s good to know.” I gave Ayden a grateful nod and a smile, which seemed to give him a sense of pride.
“Are we finally ready?” Brooks took a moment to look at everyone in the room. He still had an element of irritation flickering in his eyes.
“I’m ready,” I said. I took a deep breath and held it as I squeezed my eyes as tightly shut as they would go.
I didn’t want to see what Brooks was doing. I was going to feel it, but I could get through the pain. A few seconds late
r, I began to feel like my leg was being twisted off my body. Tears slid out of my closed eyelids and dribbled down my chin.
“Ouch,” I said with a cringe, attempting to breathe through the pain.
“It’s okay,” I heard Blaze whisper softly beside me. “You are doing great.”
His encouragement helped, but only a little. The sensation of my bones moving into place felt like an elephant sitting on my leg. The pain wasn’t excruciating, but it was exceptionally uncomfortable just as Brooks had warned me it would be. I had to admire his honesty, at least.
After a few more seconds, the pain eased up slightly. “Okay,” Brooks said. “We can get you in a brace now.”
“I thought I would need a cast?” I asked and opened my eyes. I looked down at my leg. It wasn’t as bended as before, but it was badly bruised.
“Your break wasn’t as severe as we initially assumed,” Drake said.
“Oh, that’s fantastic news,” I breathed out, and then frowned up at them. “Right?”
“It could be,” Drake said with a shrug. “You will still need the brace. We used magical components to move the bones. Once they are back in place, the force retracts, almost like two batteries that are bouncing against each other and repelling as opposites. That’s how we know that the bones are in place without the use of an x-ray machine.”
“Hmm,” I said. “That’s interesting. Thanks for describing it that way.”
Drake gave me a friendly smile. “Anything that helps.”
They set me in the brace and gave me a pair of crutches to use after I refused the use of a wheelchair.
“Stay off of that leg,” Brooks told me in an authoritative way. “You need to rest it. We will give you ice periodically to put on it as well.”
I smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“Come on,” Blaze said. “I’ll take you to the sick bay.”
“Thanks,” I said, absorbing and appreciating his gentle kindness.
I followed him down a hallway, hobbling along. He stopped in front of a doorway on the left side of corridor.
“All right, here we are,” he said with a charming smile and a twinkle in his eye.
It was almost as if he enjoyed the fact that he had found me and was the one to bring me here. His instant acceptance of me brought an enormous amount of relief over the situation, making me feel better even though I had a broken leg.
I couldn’t stand being debilitated and helpless. “I hope that you all don’t think I’m a burden,” I said and glanced behind me, noticing that Blaze’s friends had also joined us in the hallway.
“Not at all,” Ayden said. He had a handsome face with stunning blue eyes and blond hair. His skin was as golden bronzed as the sun.
“We’re just happy that you are safe and out of the arms of your Master,” Blaze said with a warmhearted smile.
“You and me both,” I chuckled and then craned my neck to peek with curiosity into the sick bay.
I was relieved to be getting my own room, at least for a little while, as I got to know some of the other shifter refugees.
“I’ll help you get comfortable,” Blaze said as he noticed me scoping the place out.
I looked at the group of guys, grateful for their company. I didn’t know how I was ever going to pay them back for the hospitality.
“I’m sorry I was crying back there in the medical unit. It’s just…I love to dance, and my legs were the only thing that kept me going, the only solace I felt at Thom’s castle.”
Each of the guys gave me empathetic looks. “We know what it’s like to feel trapped. We hope that you will be up and moving again in no time,” James said.
“That means a lot to me,” I said.
“As long as you follow the menders’ instructions to rest and stay off that leg, you’ll improve your chances of a quick recovery,” Ayden mentioned.
I nodded. “You are probably right.” I let out a deep sigh. “I’m getting really sleepy.” My eyelids felt heavy and my body was tired all over.
“We’ll let you get some sleep now,” James said.
He had the most incredible smooth-as-chocolate-looking skin. I had to resist the temptation to reach out and envelop him in a hug. I couldn’t do that, of course. I didn’t know him, or any of them, well enough yet.
“Thank you,” I said with a gracious smile. “I don’t think I will need anything else tonight, except maybe some water.”
“There are beverages and snacks in the sick bay rooms. There are televisions in the rooms too,” Blaze said proudly. “And tablets. You can keep up with the events going on or you can play games. We also have a pretty substantial library downstairs in the common area. If you want me to bring you something to read, I’ll be happy to.”
“That sounds good,” I said. “But for now, I think I will just rest and recover and count my blessings that I’m still alive.”
Blaze and the others nodded.
“Sounds good to us. Have a good rest,” Ayden said and cast me a little wave.
I gave him a subtle wave back and tottered into the room with Blaze following behind me.
“Once you get to a regular room, you’ll have a fireplace with a nice brick hearth,” he explained to me. “It’s extremely cozy.”
I smiled and sat down on the edge of the little twin mattress that was covered with a star-patterned quilt. “Anything is better than a cell in a dungeon.”
“That’s a good point,” Blaze said with a chuckle.
There was an awkward pause between us. I wasn’t sure if it was sexual tension or something else that was burning a hole through me and making my heart pound, but it was making my senses tingle. Blaze was exceptionally attractive. He still wasn’t wearing a shirt, revealing toned muscles all over his body. He looked like he was well equipped to win a fight against a guard even without having a bear shifter advantage.
“Do you mind if I sit down on the bed next to you?” Blaze asked. I could tell that all the hope dwelling inside of him hung on what my response would be.
“Of course,” I said and patted the empty spot next to me.
He plopped down with a fatigued sigh. His knee rubbed up against mine and made me quiver. There was a current of sexual energy flowing between us. I knew that he could feel it too based on the hazy way he looked at me.
I cleared my throat and attempted to clear some of the thick air. “If it wasn’t for you, I would probably be floating and dead, face down in that angry, churning river right now.”
Blaze flinched and made a puckering sour face. “Let’s not even think about how that could have turned out.”
“You’re right.” I looked down at my hands cradled in my lap.
“It was my obligation to save you,” Blaze said. His expression was so earnest that I felt like I could just melt into a puddle right in front of him.
“I really appreciate your bravery,” I whispered to him softly.
Blaze met my gaze with a smolder. “Life is too precious in the terrible times we live in. Every life is just as valuable as the next.”
I placed my hand over his thigh. A shiver of pleasure surged through me. “Every life except for the Masters and their guards.”
Blaze chuckled and that beloved dimple I had become so fond of was back. “You are right about that one.”
A sparkling connection sizzled between us, and he leaned in, never breaking eye contact. Before I knew what was happening, his lips were pressed to mine. A flame ignited in my soul. I held my breath and then released it with a contented sigh.
Blaze let out a whimpering groan of pleasure in response and ran a hand through my hair. After a few seconds, I pulled away to catch my breath, but the lingering effect of his lips pressed to mine was still as fierce as the sun.
I was panting hard. I felt raw and sensual. My heart was pulsing violently, threatening to beat right out of my chest.
I suddenly felt as if I were being flooded with a million different emotions clashing against each other at once.
“I’ve been through hell,” I said and internally cringed at the sound of my voice cracking again.
“I’m so sorry.” Blaze’s expression was empathetic.
“You can’t even imagine the torture and sexual abuse I’ve endured throughout the years,” I admitted.
“I also went through some violent abuse with my master before I escaped,” Blaze said.
I looked up at him and his eyes were radiant. “Maybe we can help each other cope.”
Blaze smiled and touched the small of my back. He made me feel safe and perfect inside. I had never had this type of reaction to any other male before. It was both incredible and daunting.
“What was it like for you?” I wiped my eyes and looked at him. “I mean, if you are willing to—”
“It’s fine,” Blaze said. “I’ve put that portion of my life behind me, so I don’t mind discussing it every now and then.”
“That’s good,” I said with a nod. I wasn’t there yet. My wounds were still fresh. I just needed to hear some reassurance that I wasn’t the only one who had to deal with the battle scars of my past.
Blaze sighed and gazed up at the ceiling. “The Master in my castle would make me watch him have violent sex with some of his favorite female prisoners,” he admitted.
“That sounds horrible,” I said. I had experienced the same thing and it was always terrifying.
“It was. The Master would also make me have violent sex with the women while he watched and got himself off.”
“Just terrible.” I shook my head in disgust.
“For that reason, I have some issues with sex,” he said and hung his head as if he were ashamed. “I love violence and domination in the bedroom.”
I stroked his thigh. “You can always overcome the things in your life that cause you pain and suffering,” I reminded him gently. There was always room to climb over a challenging obstacle.
He gave me a curious glance. “How can someone who has only just escaped their Master be so calm and wise on such a brutal subject?”
I chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t know, really. I just try to center myself and keep my mind in a tranquil state no matter what is going on around me. My Master used to get angry with me and tell me I never showed enough emotion.”
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