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if she hurt, she could feel. Keller was cold enough for the two of them.
    “It’s done,” Sage said, her voice barely above a whisper. “The wound is already starting to heal.”
    “You’ll need to tend to her leg, too.”
    “I already did.”
    Of course she had. Sage would be thorough where her best friend was concerned. Keller set down the blade he had been gripping and moved to Sage’s side to study Josie. Her skin was still so very pale, but Sage was right about the healing. He watched as Josie’s tendons wove together, muscle regenerated, veins fused.
    “She’s strong.” A combination of relief and pride decided to take up residence. So did a slew of questions.
    “Yes. She is. I have no doubt she would have made it through this on her own,” Sage said. “But thanks for calling me. She won’t be happy about it, but we helped speed up her recovery.”
    “You did and I’m grateful to you.” Keller clasped his hands behind his head and squeezed. The pain caused by his refusal to feed was escalating. He turned to Sage, noted the traces of pink on her cheeks and the drop of blood in the corner of her mouth. Keller reached out and wiped it off with the pad of his thumb. Then he stared at the smear of red, craving…refusing. He moved to the sink and washed his hands.
    The mattress creaked. Hopeful, he turned, but Josie hadn’t moved. Sage sat on the end of the bed with her long legs flung over the footboard. Yet another new tattoo peeked out from beneath the hem of her jeans to wrap around her ankle in an intricate pattern.
    Sage folded her hands in her lap. “Care to tell me what’s going on with you?”
    He crossed his arms over his chest and snorted. How could he explain what he didn’t understand himself?
    Sage held silent, giving Keller the time to try and sort it out. In the end, he decided to share his thoughts. “She’s the one, Sage.”
    He wondered if she’d even heard him until he looked up.
    Her eyes were wide and bright, her mouth hung slightly ajar. “Who? Josie? No,” she said, shaking her head hard enough to have her braids knocking against each other. “It’s impossible. I would have sensed something. Right?”
    Keller hadn’t realized he’d moved from the kitchen area until he felt the silkiness of Josie’s hair between his fingers. “You and I both know it’s entirely possible. And maybe you did sense it. Maybe that’s why you called me here.”
    Sage swiveled to face him. “I don’t know, Keller. While I’d like nothing more than to see both my brother and my best friend happy, it will never work between you two.”
    He stiffened. Josie’s hair slid from his hand and settled on the pillow, the red locks a sharp contrast to the pretty yellow sheets. “Why not?” Two words spoken with enough ice to frost the room.
    “You’ll smother her.” Sage patted his shoulder, unaffected by his anger. “Josie doesn’t have it in her to be who you need her to be.”
    He hadn’t even heard Sage move. Keller blamed his lack of awareness on nutritional deficiency and emotional instability, both of which he had little control over at the moment. “And who do I need her to be?”
    “Someone who let’s you lead. You’re too protective, too intense for someone like Josie.”
    Since when had wanting to protect someone become a fault? “What if I think she’s perfect exactly how she is?” Josie’s wound sealed closed. The only evidence she had been hurt was the redness that marked her skin from inflammation. She’d stir soon, wouldn’t she? Keller moved to the window, noted at least an inch of snow had fallen since they’d come inside. There would be a lot more before the sun broke over the horizon.
    “You can’t know that yet, Keller. You don’t know her.”
    “But I will.”
    “She won’t let you.”
    Keller spun on his heel and nailed Sage with a glare. “She let you.”
    Sage flinched. “It’s not as easy as that,” she said on a sigh. “She’s half human,