Sondrae Bennett: Worth Fighting For

Misty forced all the air from her lungs, trying one of the breathing techniques her doctor had shown her, and was amazed when her wheezing abated. But for some reason, Cody seemed more distressed by the improvement. His words became frantic, assuring her she’d be okay.

It was kind of charming how worried he was about her. A man wouldn’t be this panicked over a friend, right? Maybe Cody did feel something for her. She tried to reassure him that she was okay now, but her fox form restricted her.

She’d never seen him panic before, but no doubt he was now, she realized as she stared at his darkened features. Those frown lines would cause wrinkles if he kept it up much longer. Although she still felt bruised from where the cat had hit her, and the whole side of her face was burning, the breathing techniques had quieted the asthma. There was no need for his anxiety.

No matter how much she was enjoying being in his arms, she had to let him know she was all right. Focusing inward, Misty drew in her fox, pulling it, aspect by aspect, back inside until her human half took over. Her legs and arms stretched, her fur receded as her skin swelled. She expected Cody to put her down, but instead he continued forth, leaving the front door open in his hasty rush inside.

His hands on her new, overly-sensitive skin sent a shiver through her. What she wouldn’t give to be naked in his arms under different circumstances.

“Cody,” she croaked, her voice hoarse from both the change and the asthma attack. The breathing exercises had helped, but she’d need a puff or two on her inhaler when she got back to the bar.

“No, don’t speak. Just hang on. I’ve got a spare inhaler around here somewhere.” He swore under his breath as he stubbed his toe on the edge of the counter in the dark.

“But Cody–”

“Damn it, Misty. Give me one second to find it. Hang on, okay?” Cody cut her off. She could tell he was past listening as he set her on the counter and shuffled through drawers. With a sigh, Misty leaned back on her hands.

As long as she was here, she might as well enjoy the view. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen Cody naked. Years ago, it had been a regular occurrence whenever they’d gone hunting. But starting in high school, he’d shifted before meeting her. At the time, she’d barely noticed, but as her attraction toward him grew, she longed for the glimpses of Cody’s body. Now, she studied what she’d been missing out on over the years.

Was it any wonder the man captivated her? Although he had the red hair so prevalent among fox shifters, his seemed darker, exotic, and the shaggy cut he favored seemed effortless–even though she’d seen first-hand the hair product in his bathroom.

Unlike many fox shifters, who tended to be short but lanky, his build was stocky, with muscles begging to be licked. And on the subject of things begging to be licked…

Misty bit her lip as her gaze moved lower. Cody wasn’t the largest man she’d ever seen, but he certainly wasn’t lacking in that department either. And if the stories were to be believed, he knew how to use what he had. She’d bet they’d be amazing in bed together. If only she’d managed to convince him to give it a try.

“Got it,” he shouted, holding up one of her spare inhalers she must have left over here at some point.

Misty quickly raised her gaze to his, but the look in his eyes as they met hers told her he knew exactly what she’d been ogling.

Coughing into her hand, she tried to hide the smile refusing to go away. Without warning, he stood before her, pushing her hand aside and trying to shove the inhaler in her mouth.

“It’s okay, Misty. Stop fighting, this is going to help you.”

She grabbed the inhaler from him before he knocked out her teeth, putting her hand in front of her to hold him back, then stared at him in silence until he calmed down.

The breathing exercises had helped with her asthma attack, but her chest still felt sore from struggling to breathe. So Misty took a deep breath with the inhaler, letting the medicine coat her airways. After two puffs, she began to feel normal again, even though her face still stung and she’d likely have two huge bruises on her chest and back–one from the cat and one from the ground.

“You’re okay?” Cody asked, the panic starting to fade from his eyes.

“Yeah. I still hurt in places, but I’ll live.” She thought about mentioning his unnecessary panic, but was glad she hadn’t brought it up after seeing the relief flooding his eyes. No need to bring it up when it would only put him on the defensive. It had been a tough night.

“Wait here. I’ll get the first aid kit for your cut.”

Misty frowned as she watched him walk out of the kitchen. The stinging on the right side of her face became sharper as she focused on it. But was it bad enough to need a first aid kit?

All of a sudden, Misty didn’t feel quite so confident sitting on Cody’s kitchen counter stark naked. With a tentative hand, Misty reached up to assess the damage. Her breath hissed as she encountered raw flesh. Blood covered the tips of her fingers when she pulled them away.

That was one way to kill a girl’s self-confidence. She might be naked, but she’d also bled all over the man’s kitchen while ogling him. As if Cody didn’t have enough embarrassing stories about her, she had to add one more.

“Okay, tell it to me straight. How bad is it?” Misty asked after Cody reappeared carrying some bandages and Neosporin. The question seemed to startle him, and he stared at her cheek for a moment before replying.

“Uh…”

The hesitation made Misty groan. “That bad?”

“No.” The waver in his voice belied the words. “No,” He stated with a firmer tone. “The guy got you pretty good, but it’s already starting to heal. Tomorrow you’ll be good as new, but I want to put something on it to be sure.”

“I actually think it was the ground.”

“What?”

“The gash. I think it’s from sliding on the ground. He tackled my other side. See?” Misty pointed to the darkening spot on her side. “This is where he tackled me. The bruise on my shoulder and gash on my face is from the ground.”

Cody fought the urge to growl as he examined the wounds on Misty’s pale skin. Everything inside him wanted to find the bastard in the town jail and beat the living crap out of him. The cat might outweigh his fox, but the rage he felt assured him of victory.

Even though her shift earlier had likely healed some of the damage, the wounds Cody saw would take a couple days to heal completely. Which proved how bad the damage had been.

Without thought, Cody moved to Misty’s side, his hand bushing the mark on her shoulder where she claimed she’d hit the ground. Blood pooled under the skin, giving the area a bluish tint. By tonight, the area would turn black, and by tomorrow, it would already be yellow. He leaned down and placed a gentle peck above the offended flesh.

Emotions rioted inside him. He’d almost lost her tonight. If they hadn’t gotten the beast off when they did, or if her asthma attack had been worse… He shuddered. He now understood what it had cost Jason to release the man who’d captured his sister. He’d thought he knew before, but these emotions were much worse than he’d imagined.

It wasn’t until he leaned away from her shoulder that he realized his hand had been absently stroking her thigh. Her inner thigh. Snatching it back, he cleared his throat and reached for the Neosporin.

Since the first time they’d met, Cody had always felt a special connection to Misty. Being an only child, he used to fantasize about Misty being his sister. But the feelings crashing through his chest right now didn’t feel very brotherly.