Kael.
Leilani's cries nearly tore down the entire house. And for some reason, my only response to it was pain.
I was not aroused that she was naked. Not curious or anxious especially since this was the first time I was seeing her in such a state.
I was hurt. Completely. Utterly.
And I was afraid.
It felt like I was the one in pain… like I was the one whose body was burning up with a fever so intense it melted away ice cubes and nearly steamed whenever the washcloth was placed against her skin.
From where I stood against the door, I watched my brothers attend to her. But I couldn't. Not because I didn't want to but because I couldn't bring myself to move. Because I was afraid of touching her… of feeling her… of knowing the extent to which she was hurting.
And then, there was something else.
—The fact that I was the only one who could see that she was stuck in a state of mid-shift.
