He grimaced in sympathy at Kieran's first answer, most of his attention still on the wound in question. Having to chain himself up couldn't be a sustainable situation if it made the werewolf more aggravated, but at the same time there was no way to be outside without them, lest someone stumbled across his path -
So what had Kieran just said?
"No," Jude replied, sincere and certain of this. How could he have? He'd always been careful, chained himself up, had never wanted to hurt anyone, Jude knew this without question. "No, you couldn't have," he added gently, eyes flickering upwards in an attempt to be reassuring, to settle the misplaced sense of guilt Kieran was clearly feeling about last night's near miss.
He found his gaze caught on Kieran now, slow to decipher the expression on his face. But it was probably the last thing Kieran had needed, for this to happen, when Jude supposed there must have been a seed sown of this feeling already. He'd been acting differently in the last few months, had seemed to have found a new agitation about his condition. Jude had been worried about him.
Since... since August.
Since the news about Topaz Urquart.
Jude's hand stilled suddenly, the bloodied cloth halfway between Kieran's ankle and the washbowl. His grasp on it tightened without him noticing, wringing a few accidental droplets out onto the floor.
No. There was no connection there, there wasn't. Hurt didn't mean bitten. Jude pushed away the idea that was burrowing its way into his head, offended by the mere notion of thinking it. No, because it made perfect sense already that Kieran had cared so profoundly when the news had broken, without being personally involved. It was natural. He'd... if he'd done anything, it had been try to help...
"You're exhausted," Jude said steadily, meaning you don't know what you're saying.
So what had Kieran just said?
"No," Jude replied, sincere and certain of this. How could he have? He'd always been careful, chained himself up, had never wanted to hurt anyone, Jude knew this without question. "No, you couldn't have," he added gently, eyes flickering upwards in an attempt to be reassuring, to settle the misplaced sense of guilt Kieran was clearly feeling about last night's near miss.
He found his gaze caught on Kieran now, slow to decipher the expression on his face. But it was probably the last thing Kieran had needed, for this to happen, when Jude supposed there must have been a seed sown of this feeling already. He'd been acting differently in the last few months, had seemed to have found a new agitation about his condition. Jude had been worried about him.
Since... since August.
Since the news about Topaz Urquart.
Jude's hand stilled suddenly, the bloodied cloth halfway between Kieran's ankle and the washbowl. His grasp on it tightened without him noticing, wringing a few accidental droplets out onto the floor.
No. There was no connection there, there wasn't. Hurt didn't mean bitten. Jude pushed away the idea that was burrowing its way into his head, offended by the mere notion of thinking it. No, because it made perfect sense already that Kieran had cared so profoundly when the news had broken, without being personally involved. It was natural. He'd... if he'd done anything, it had been try to help...
"You're exhausted," Jude said steadily, meaning you don't know what you're saying.
