Making it Normal

The knife slashed across her middle, and he saw her collapses just as the scream was leaving her plump lips. The barguest’s body fell before him, her blood splashing across his face.

“Raven, Crawl, go catch him.” Aiden said, pointing after the fiend they’d been chasing all night. His two demonic familiars ran after him, their sharp claws clicking off the pavement. Though they lacked Ren’s speed, they’d at least be able to locate the missing devil so that Aiden might return to bring him to hell later.

Ren gasped for breath, having reverted back to her human form. Blood poured freely from a wound in her stomach, staining the ground a bright crimson, and he knew he’d have to act quickly. He quickly cut the leather jerkin she wore in both wolf and human form off, tearing the thin layer of cotton that was all the remained of her t-shirt underneath.

Ren whimpered, her eyes closed shut, her breathing coming quicker and quicker. She clenched her fists, but did her best not to move, a big help when it all came down to assessing her injuries.

“How bad are they?” Her voice rasped out a moment later, and he had to respond as honestly as possible.

“Kinda bad Ren. He got the edge of your gut, I’m not sure what I could do to fix it quickly.” He sighed, pulling out the emergency kit he kept in the back of his bag. The woman before him moaned for a second, her breath growing a little shallower.

“It’ll be okay though, I’ll fix it, you’ll see.” Aiden said, gently, brushing the hair from her face.

He took one of her hands in his own, her trembling flesh cold beneath his own. He squeezed it gently, and felt her relax underneath him.

“I’ll have you patched up and home in no time, you’ll see.” He fought to keep the rest of the worry from his voice, pulling out the needle and thread and getting to work.

It took him along time to get her patched back up. She’d sustained more injuries then the one to the stomach on their hunt for the fiend, but it was the last one that had really done the damage. Still, her resistance to pain allowed her to stay awake for more then half of the surgery, and it was only when he was forced to actually start touching her gut that she passed out. Two more hours where spent patching and sewing her, then he had to haul her unconscious body into the shower to wipe the blood off.

By the time he got her back home, Dan was already in bed, and he couldn’t even ask him for his help. Not that he’d give Aiden his help willingly, but Ren made a good bartering prize. Very rarely would he say ‘no’ to him when the reaper held her in his arms, keeping her away from her mate. The longing and pain that flashed into Dan’s crimson eyes always let him know it was working, he didn’t even have to go as far as to make him jealous.

Ren’s pale mate was asleep in her bed. His thin frame was clutching her blankets to his face, as though even in his sleep he missed her. Aiden smirked at that, then reached over, lifting one of his arms from the blanket and placing Ren underneath it instead. Almost instinctively, Dan wrapped his arm around her, pulling her frail body closer to his own. Ren responded in turn, nuzzling her head against his chest. With a chuckle, Aiden turned and left, closing the door behind him.

While it was true he loved his fiancé, Lady, no one could say he didn’t love Ren. It just wasn’t romantic or as deep as his feelings for Lady where. No, his love for Ren was more selfish then that. She provided him with a faint little window into the normal world, and he would do everything he could to keep it open. Even if it meant having to make things normal himself.