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the faster she could begin mending her bruised heart and put him
behind her.
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Amanda Young
She wiped her damp palms off on the slick fabric of her skirt. She
may not have inherited the full shape-shifter gene from her father like
Kenze had, but she did possess some of the perks that being a lycan
engendered.
An unnaturally good sense of smell and sight, the ability to sense
others of her kinds, plus advanced regeneration, made her slightly more
than human. It was the latter trait that would come in handy for her
tonight.
Yanking open one drawer after another beneath the sink, Gail dug up
a small container and tube of antibiotic salve. After dumping the cotton
balls out of the flip-top container, she squeezed the entire tube of milky-
looking cream into it.
Casting a glance around the room, she searched for something to cut
herself with. She wasn t about to go back into the kitchen to get a knife.
There was no way she could explain taking a knife into the bathroom
with her if she was caught on her way back with it.
The pink razor in the shower caught her eye. It would have to do.
Grabbing it off the shelf, she glanced down at the triple-blade end
and shuddered. This was going to hurt. Holding her breath, she held out
her finger over the sink and before she could change her mind arched
the razor over the tip of her index finger. It sliced into the meaty pad.
With a muffled grunt of pain, she looked down at what she d done.
Blood welled up from the cut, spilling over the sides. Crimson dots
littered the white sink like morbid, gruesome confetti. Before the wound
could heal, she dipped her finger into the salve and stirred. The milky
salve turned a faint pink color.
Pulling her finger free, she saw that the minor cut had already
finished knitting itself shut. Satisfied, she closed the lid on the container.
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Shameful
She washed and dried her hands, scrubbing the sink of any wayward
crimson drops, before opening the locked door and walking out into the
hallway.
Leaning over Ty, Shame wiped away the last of the blood and muck
from his gaunt face. Usually thin and razor sharp, the angles of his face
looked even more severe with his bones jutting unnaturally through his
olive-toned skin.
Red-tinted, puffy bags of flesh ringed Ty s eyes, giving them a sunken
appearance. Shame knew without having to see them that his eyes would
be bloodshot as well, a side effect of being severely dehydrated. Since it
was virtually impossible for the body to survive without water for more
than a few days, they must have given him something to keep his organs
functioning. Shame was sure that what little water Ty had received had
been few and far between.
His fingers balled into fists of their own volition. Unholy rage pumped
through Shame s system, making him want to punch something, tear
something apart with his bare hands. It was obvious Ty hadn t been fed
the entire time he d been held captive.
Ty cried out in his sleep, his dreams tormented by God only knew
what. Shame perched on the side of the bed, hoping Ty could feel his
presence beside him.  Don t worry, buddy. Everything is going to be okay
now. We ll make the bastards pay for what they did to you&  He ran his
hand over Ty s shorn scalp, then glanced down at the festering welts
covering his torso and upper thighs.  & for everything they ve done.
A scuttling noise had him pulling his head up and glancing at the
door. Gail stood on the threshold, her eyes wide as her gaze raked over
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Amanda Young
the havoc that had been wrought to Ty s body.  My God, she whispered,
walking over to his side.  What would leave marks like that on someone?
Shame chose not to answer her question. He figured she didn t really
want to hear the answer anyway.  So  he nodded toward the small pot
of pink goop she held in her hand  what have you got there?
 Oh, this? She held the container out to him.  This is just some
salve for his wounds. It s an old family remedy. I thought you might be
able to use it.
Warmth bloomed inside his chest at her thoughtful gesture.  Thank
you. He accepted it from her and popped back the lid, sniffing the
contents. It just smelled like regular old ointment to him.  What s in it?
 Not much, really. A little of this and that. She smiled at him.  I
could tell you the exact ingredients, but then it wouldn t be a secret
family remedy anymore, would it?
Something about her smile didn t sit well with him. It didn t quite
reach her eyes. Assuming that she was just trying to hold herself
together in light of everything he d told her and seeing Ty as he was,
Shame shoved away his suspicions and smiled back at her.
 I guess I ll just have to trust that you didn t put anything poisonous
in this stuff, he joked.
Gail blanched.  No, of course not. She reached out and jerked the
container out of his hands, backing up into the doorway.  I only wanted
to help.
 Jeez, Gail, calm down. Shame stood and walked toward her, pulling
her to him. She trembled in his arms.  I was only picking at you, darlin .
I know I can trust you. He rubbed his cheek against her hair, inhaling
the light floral fragrance of her shampoo.
 I would never intentionally hurt either one of you, Shame. You have
to believe that.
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Shameful
 I do, darlin . Now, how about you give me back that special family
remedy of yours for Ty, and go get yourself some rest. He pressed a
quick kiss to her lips and stepped away, the temptation to deepen it, take
it further, riding hard on his back.  I m going to stay here and watch over
Ty, maybe see if I can get him to eat or drink something in a little while. I
don t want him to wake up later and freak out when he doesn t recognize
his surroundings.
 Oh, I thought you would& I guess I hadn t really thought of that.
She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit on it.
His cock lifted its head, anxious for her to nibble on him like she was
doing to that full lip of hers. Shame reminded himself that he was
leaving, he d already told Gail. It wouldn t be fair to tell her he was
leaving in one breath and ask her to fuck him with the next. There would
be no more sex. Besides, he consoled himself, there were much more
important things that needed his attention. Like Ty and how they were
going to advance with their plans now that the element of surprise was
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