Vindicator

Chapter 37

Alessia let an angry snarl rip from her chest, and Karma could tell she was pacing to expel some of her fury. "I'll rip that mutt limb from limb" she hissed.

Karma had only ever seen Alessia so protective over Christina and Faith before, she was surprised to see such a reaction. Regardless, she pushed her wolf and her shock to the back of her mind to focus on helping the Prince. When she was younger, and trying to comfort her mother, she would rub her back or play with her hair to try to take her mind off of her pain. Those both seemed like such intimate actions, though, and left her at a loss for how to help Chance.

"Just rub his back, then!" Alessia snapped, irritated by Karma's lack of action.

"He's basically naked! I'm not touching him!" Karma growled back at her wolf.

"Do it, or I will" Alessia warned, creeping forward to try to push for control.

Not knowing what her wolf might do to the half-naked man before her, Karma relented. "Alright, alright! Calm down!" She muttered, reaching a hand out gingerly to place on Chance's back and give him a gentle pat. His skin was soft beneath her fingers, but burning hot and a bit sweaty, as if he had a fever. This caused a frown to pass over Karma's face.

Chance suddenly froze at the feeling of Karma's hand on his skin, sucking in a sharp breath of air. Karma's touch was like a cooling relief radiating from where she touched, and it nearly took his breath away at first. Karma misunderstood, and jerked her hand back; but, as soon as she lifted her hand away from his hot skin, he choked on a cry of pain.

He suddenly jerked his body up so he could stare at Karma. His eyes were wide and wild with pain, and if she was being honest it freaked her out a little. Stunned doesn't even begin to describe how she felt when he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him.

"What—" she started to shout, but stopped as he laid her hand flat against his six-pack. His expression relaxed from one of pain to one of disbelief.

"You're helping" he croaked out enigmatically.

"What the Hell are you talking about?" She demanded, forcefully ripping her hand away from his skin. She was blushing red, too embarrassed to understand what was happening.

"No, please" he cried out, completely baffling Karma as he threw himself against her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and clung on for all he was worth.

"What the Hell?!" Karma repeated again, angrily this time. "What are you doing?!"

"It's not working" Chance whimpered.

"What isn't?! Get off of me!" She growled, putting her hands on his shoulders and pushing. She might as well have been trying to move a hot, fleshy mountain for all the good it did her. It seemed to do Chance some good, though, because he gasped in another startled breath.

"There! When you touch me, the pain isn't as bad!" He managed to explain before Karma pulled away again.

"What?" She asked, bewildered. "Why? How?"

"I don't know...Please, keep your hands on me" he begged.

"It's the skin contact" Xander said. "That's why her hands work, I bet if she put her arms on us it would help more" he told his human.

Karma was sitting awkwardly with Chance's arms around her middle, his head leaned on her shoulder and her hands pressed against his shoulders. She didn't understand what was happening, would her touch normally help a distressed mate being cheated on? She tried to think back, but couldn't recall ever having to comfort anyone but her mother. Back then, she wasn't blessed, so it made sense she was of no use.