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The elf healers, Trouble and Melody, hurried over the moment Winter carried her inside. “What happened?” Melody asked.

“No clue,” Winter said. “She fell out of the damn sky and was okay for a few minutes and then passed out.”

“Adrenaline crash,” Trouble said. “Her wings look bruised. Lay her on her stomach, we’ll check them.”

Winter laid the female on one of the beds and kept close while the elves checked her out. “Thanks for sticking with me when you probably thought I was insane,” he said to Alder.

The other security team members had stayed outside to continue patrolling, but the elf had stayed with Winter, and he appreciated it.

“Of course. And I did think you were insane, but clearly you had a good reason for running out there.”

Winter pulled off his hat and ran a hand through his short hair. “Yeah. She’s my truemate.”

“So awesome, man. Congrats. I’m going to head back out, radio if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

He turned back to the females. “Well?”

“One wing looks really badly bruised, but we don’t think it’s broken,” Melody said. “But we can’t heal her, we’re not bird shifter specialists.”

Trouble picked up a nearby wall phone. “I’m calling Emberlin. If she can’t heal her, maybe Santa can.”

“Thanks.”

Winter picked up the female’s hand, which was still cold, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

A few minutes later, Emberlin, the phoenix-witch, who was mated to Sebastian, swept into the room, her dark hair pulled back and her eyes glowing red with her magic. “I heard you need someone healed? How can I help? Oh, shit, those are wings.”

Winter chuckled. “I heard a bird’s call before she fell. I don’t know what she is, though.”

“Bird shifters don’t usually have white wings except for the snowy owls. And she fell? From the sky?” Emberlin asked.

“Yep.”

“Damn. Well, she’s lucky her truemate was nearby.”

His brow lowered. “How did you know?”

She waved a hand with a laugh. “You shifter males all look the same when you find your truemate – protective and possessive. Now, talk to me, ladies.”

The elves told her what they’d seen with their exam and then Emberlin gently checked the wings. “I can fix her wings, and while I’m healing her, I’ll make sure nothing else is injured. If she fell from a big height and shifted back after she hit, she probably healed any major things, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

Her magic flared to life and warmth filled the space. She set her fingertips on the wings and moved them slowly over the bruised places, smoothing away the injuries. Then she hovered her hands a few inches over the female and moved slowly from her head to her toes, stopping every now and then to focus, her magic heating up, and then moving on.

“There we go,” Emberlin said as her magic faded. “She had some minor injuries, but the wings were the major issue. The one was cracked and might not have healed right if she wasn’t able to wake up and shift to heal it.”

“Will she wake up soon?” he asked.

“Where am I?” the owl female said with a rough voice.

“Yes,” Emberlin said with a chuckle. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Thanks, Emberlin,” Winter said. To the female on the bed – his mate – he said, “I’m Winter, one of the Yuletide Guardians. You’re inside Northernmost in the infirmary. You fell from the sky and your wings were injured. One of the Guardians’ mates healed you.”

She lifted her head and looked over her shoulder, her wings moving slightly. “Oh. Wow.” With a grunt, she pushed herself up and then sat up fully, swinging her legs around. “I thought I was going to die.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”