Protect and Fur [3xtasy Lake 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Corinne Davies Page A

loaded a tray with first aid supplies. This would be easier if she had River here. She wished she’d called her assistant earlier.
    They kept the line open as she raced around, but Craig didn’t say anything as Brenna recited emergency room protocols out of habit.
    “Bren, we’re here.” The call disconnected and she ran for the front door as Craig pulled into the parking lot. He slammed on the brakes and threw it into park in front of the clinic.
    “Hold it open!” he yelled as he raced around the car. Craig reached in the passenger seat and scooped up the wolf. The animal hung limp in his arms as he rushed for the door, and Brenna feared the worst.
    They rushed to the exam room, where he laid the animal down on the table. Brenna grabbed some gauze and tried to clean away some of the blood to see the wound. Her hand shook as she pressed against the wound. Aiden lifted his head and looked at her, his eyes glassed with pain. “Aiden, I’m going to numb the area.” She pulled a new syringe out of its packaging and reached for the small bottle lidocaine she’d tossed on the tray earlier. “I don’t think the bullet is deep, but the faster I get it out the sooner you can shift and heal the damage.”
    Brenna’s hands shook so wildly she had a problem lining up the bottle and needle. I have to get my shit together. I can’t do a damn thing to help if I keep shaking like this. Craig wrapped his arms around her, laying his hands over hers. “Brenna, I know you can do this, and so does he.” He sounded so confident of her abilities. “Take a deep breath and relax into your training.”
    The trembling in her hands stopped as a wave of calm washed over her. Craig believed in her, and when she glanced at Aiden, he nodded at her and then lay his head back down. She took a deep breath and eased the needle into the bottle. Pulling on the syringe, she extracted what she needed to make this procedure as painless as possible.
     
    * * * *
     
    Craig let go of Brenna’s hands and stepped back out of her way. He understood what was causing her to shake so badly. The last wolf with a bullet wound on her table hadn’t made it, and she hadn’t taken it well. He remembered that day and how badly she’d reacted to losing a friend. The possibility of losing a Mate would be harder on her.
    Now that she’d calmed down and fallen into the right frame of mind, she was a wonder to watch. She moved with such grace as she worked. Her brow wrinkled, and she squished up her nose slightly as she carefully numbed the area around the bullet wound. When she reached for a pair of what looked like needle-nose pliers, he turned away.
    “Craig, how is Aiden doing?” she asked. The wolf opened up his eyes and met Craig’s gaze.
    “He’s still ugly, but he’s breathing.” Aiden flattened his ears back and narrowed his eyes in a threatening manner.
    “Got it.” There was a soft clang as the bullet hit the metal bowl. Brenna pressed a piece of gauze over the wound. “Aiden, can you shift?”
    A moment later the wolf disappeared and Aiden lay on the table. Brenna looked like she was about to deflate, and Craig caught her as her knees buckled.
    “You were incredible, Brenna,” Craig crooned into her ear. He scooped her up and backed up to a stool and sat down with her on his lap. Brenna curled into his body and he could feel his shirt grow wet from her silent tears.
    “I fell apart,” she mumbled against his chest. “He needed me and I couldn’t function.”
    “But you did great.” Aiden leapt off the table and got down on his knees on the opposite side of Brenna. “See? I’m good as new.”
    “You were strong, Brenna.” Her tears shredded his heart, especially when he wasn’t certain how to make her stop. “We’re proud of you.”
    She looked up at him and then at Aiden, disbelief in her features. They had fucked up badly if they put that look on her face. Craig wished they’d met her under different circumstances, but he