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~Jason’s POV~
I couldn’t process today. My brain refused to absorb all the new things it had seen. Fae in the bar. Josie standing before them like a real queen, demanding their attention and gaining it. She had made them fucking kneel before her. Forced them to with her magic. Something about her was powerful in a way my human brain couldn’t understand. My eyes felt like liars as they reminded me what she had looked like. The way Josie had become more right in front of my eyes, changing so much, I thought I no longer recognized her. Then as we were leaving, she had disappeared on us. She was there, and then she wasn’t. Only the fact that we could track her allowed us to catch up to her and her damn wolf.
No one said anything as we walked back to the car, but I had a million questions for Josie. Foster and Waylon wouldn’t ask, never like how I did when I needed answers. They seemed to take it all in far better than I could and that pissed me off.
How the fuck were they not throwing questions at her right now?
How come I wasn’t?
Josie walked in front of me, next to Foster, back to looking like the Josie I had come to know since she returned. She wasn’t walking as well as she should have, more like she was leaning into Foster. Jealousy surged through me. I wanted to be her support. I wanted her to lean on me. I shook my head, getting rid of those thoughts.
She did lean on me. If I were by her side instead, no doubt she’d look to me for support. The closer we got to the car, the worse off she was beginning to look.
“Josie?” I asked, but it was already too late. She was falling.
“Shit.” Foster scooped her up. She was completely out of it.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked, rushing to her side. Her skin was so cold I thought my fingers were going to get frostbite. “Fuck.”
“Hospital?” Waylon asked, frowning down at her with worry. He was still carrying Berry, who was whining as he stared at Josie.
Berry growled at us when Waylon made that suggestion.
“I’m going to take that as a no,” Foster said. He practically ran with her in his arms to the car. He jumped into the back while Waylon took the driver’s side and I hopped in the passenger seat. The fucking wolf shoved himself in the back, practically on top of Josie and Foster, whining as he nudged his nose at her, blue eyes dull with fear.
I turned in my seat to stare at her as Waylon practically screeched his way out of the park and back to the hotel.
“We need to get her warm,” Foster said, wrapping a coat that was in the car around her.
“No shit,” I said.
He glared at me. I glared back.
“Fuck.” I grabbed my phone and began reading up on how to get her body warm again. I blasted the heat in the car, hoping it’d help.
As soon as we were parked, we were running into the elevator.
“Get the tub filled with hot water,” Foster snapped out, trying to strip her of her clothes.
“On it,” I called out, already running to the bathroom. My heart was in panic mode, my hands shaking as I turned the nobs, getting the hot water going.
Only a couple minutes later, Foster came in, still carrying her.
“Keep her arms and legs out, don’t want the cold blood rushing to her core.”
“Right,” I said and grabbed her legs as Foster lowered her into the water.
The moment she touched the water, she began screaming as if someone was killing her.
“Take me out! Take me out!”
I was ready to do just that when Foster glared at me and explained why that wasn’t a good idea. I bit my lip, wanting to take away all her pain, but feeling defenseless to do so.
It was hard to watch her in pain like that, begging us to let her out. We had to fight to keep her in the tub. She was too strong and desperate. I hadn’t realized it right away; not until Waylon brushed my face did I realize the burning in my eyes was because I was crying.
“We’re going to hurt her,” I said.
“She has to stay in.”
Josie thrashed around again, and Foster went to hold her shoulders down. Her hands slipped from gripping on the sides of the tub as she fought to get back out. There was a loud thud before she slipped under.
“Shit,” I said.
There wasn’t a warning before Berry pounced onto Foster’s back. He fell forward, his chest smashing into the side of the tub. He grunted, face twisted in pain. Berry growled again, saliva dripping from his body.
As if on instinct, Foster twisted his head to the side, baring his neck. “Let us help Josie. She needs us. You know it too.”
For a long moment, Berry glared hard at Foster before moving back to the door. His hair was still ruffled and I was pretty sure he had grown in size. Given the chance, there was no doubt he’d tear our heads off in retribution.
Josie wasn’t the only one we had to look out for. That damn wolf was close to creating a bloodbath inside in the bathroom for her.
I turned to Josie as Foster lifted her head above the water and carefully prodded her head. She was out now, so we no longer had to fight to keep her in the water.
Berry growled again, but I didn’t care. If it meant Josie would be okay, I didn’t care if her fucking dog tore us apart.
She only needed to be okay.
