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Back Claws and Crochet Save as PDF
Chapters (69)
  1. Cover
  2. Untitled
  3. CLAWS & CROCHET
  4. NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  5. CONTENT WARNING
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58. Epilogue
  64. EPILOGUE
  65. VISIT FOLK HAVEN
  66. SEDUCED BY A SELKIE
  67. NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  68. ALSO BY LAUREN CONNOLLY
  69. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Once it’s just the three of us left, the doctor proceeds to disinfect her cuts. Zoey’s lips press tight, going white around the edges. She’s in pain, and I don’t want to add to her discomfort, but not knowing what really happened is making my wolf turn rabid. Helpless anger presses against the edges of my thoughts.

“Zoey?” I move to the edge of my seat, scooting it closer and offering my hand, which she takes with her uninjured one. “Can you please tell me what happened? Saying you fell doesn’t explain all of this.” I gesture to her skin, riddled with cuts, and her limbs that are possibly broken.

Dr. Briggs threads his needle. “You can talk, just try to keep still. This shouldn’t hurt with the numbing agent.”

Zoey gives a nod before refocusing on me. “When I said fell, I didn’t mean I’d tripped.”

The sight of the metal piercing the skin on her neck tries to distract me from her explanation. I remind my wolf that the needle is helping her, just like when she got her arm stitched up.

She continues, unaware of how close I am to losing it, “My brothers were making the cabin feel crowded, so I went out to the tree house. Every time I’ve been up there before, the thing has felt solid. But I guess it is a few decades old. Anyway, I climbed up, and the second I stepped onto the floor, my weight must’ve set it off-balance somehow. The whole thing fell and me along with it.”

“Shit,” I mutter.

That tree house is at least fifteen feet off the ground. Maybe twenty. I was right. She could have died.

With my thoughts threatening to descend into a panic spiral, I’m shocked to hear her light chuckle. When I glance up, Dr. Briggs meets my stare with a confused one of his own as he pauses his stitching.

“How does your head feel, Zoey?” the doctor asks. “Are you dizzy?”

“Oh, no. Sorry. I know this isn’t a laughing moment. It’s only …” She glances at me, biting her lip. Another giggle slips out, and it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard. “Warner, you still have glitter in your hair.”

That’s when I know, without a doubt …

Zoey Gunner is my future.

45

ZOEY

I ache everywhere.

But I’m alive, so there’s that. Plus, I have Warner’s warm body beside me as I hobble up the front steps.

Really, I’m not that broken. Just a bruised ankle and a broken wrist. All in all, I came out okay. I choose to forget the number of stitches the doctor said he put in me.

“Are you hungry?” Warner holds the door open for me while also keeping an arm outstretched in case I stumble.