Page 107 of Knot Their Soldier: Part Three

A responding weak laugh catches in her throat, then falls apart before it can become real. She lifts her head, eyes wet, mouth tight, and I watch her make a choice.

She can’t stay in her grief, so she goes where she can function: her work.

Her gaze snaps to the ultrasound machine.

"You came back from the dead," she says, and her voice turns steadier with every word. "I need to know what coming back did to you."

My stomach dips.

Everlyn reaches for her gloves.

"Up on the table, Sparks."

Chapter Twenty-Six

Halley

Her tears are still wet when she reaches for the datapad, and I watch her bury the grief under work.

"Right," she says, voice rough and clipped. "Before you went into heat, I was trying to do a full post-resurrection wellness check, and then your body decided to set itself on fire and derail my entire plan."

I blink at the whiplash. "Everlyn..."

"No. Let's not… Just please." She points at the examination bed. "Sit back. Shirt up."

I almost insist that we talk about how she's feeling, but decide to give her what she wants, and get comfortable on the exam table. "I'm here when you're ready to talk about it."

"I don't have time for feelings," she mutters, already moving, gathering herself by organizing the room. She yanks open a drawer and starts pulling things out with brisk movements: a stethoscope, a wrapped probe cover, and a bottle of gel.

"I don't think feelings wait for an appropriate time."

"My stupid, inconvenient feelings will probably shut up once I can finally check you're actually okay. It's been like an itch in my brain. I need to know that your organs are where they’re supposed to be, and that you won’t drop dead from complications of… death."

"I feel fine," I say, which sounds weak even to me.

She gives me a look over her shoulder. "You also thought you were fine right before you went into heat, so your opinion is noted and discarded."

A knock raps at the infirmary door.

Everlyn does not even look up. "If that is another severed limb one of your mates has lopped off, I will hold you personally responsible."

The door opens, and Shade slips inside, breathing a little harder than usual. "Sorry. Took longer than expected to check on Knox."

He shuts the door behind him and crosses to us in three quick strides. There is dried blood at his hairline and across one cheek, like a rust-colored smear.

His eyes land on me first, scanning fast and thorough, then flick to Everlyn. "Everything okay?"

"If you need to go back, I'm okay here," I say, narrowing my eyes at his knuckles that are scuffed raw, skin freshly healed from a split over two of them.

"No, I shouldn't have left you alone in the first place," he says, vehemently shaking his head.

"She's not alone. I'm here," Everlyn says.

"Alone with no protection," he clarifies.

Everlyn just pulls out a scalpel and looks at him intently.

His throat bobs and he gives her a thin, placating smile.