Chapter 24: Blood and Breeding

---

The next morning Oz woke on his own. He could pretty much hear everyone else moving around, so he must be the last one getting up today. Oz went to get up and a jolt of pain ran through his leg.

"Ow." Oz grimaced and looked to see a blood stain on his left pant leg. "How the—" Oz started to wonder when Fenir flashbacked to the fight yesterday.

"One of them got me in the leg. I didn't even realize it."

'Blocked pain.' Fenir stated.

"Thanks Fen." Oz peeled off his jeans and with a wet towel gently cleaned off the blood. The wound looked to have scabbed over. It was a long shallow cut going from the top of his thigh down to his knee. "That sucks." Oz pulled on a pair of jeans and a ripped tee shirt.

The werewolf made his way out of his room to the now cleaned cargo bay. The smell of incense was heavy in the air. But underneath it Oz could still almost taste the blood that had covered the room. He tried to smell where Kaylee and River were but the incense covered it. So he listened instead.

They were in Inara's shuttle.

Oz walked up the stairs limping a little along the way. The door was open but Oz still knocked before entering.

"Come in." Inara called.

Oz waved at the girls as he entered the shuttle. They were all sitting on the bed. Kaylee was brushing River's hair and Inara was brushing Kaylee's.

"The wolf rises late in the morning." River smiled at Oz. "Late wolves won't catch the rabbit."

"Rabbits sleep late too." Oz shot back.

"Only the male ones." River raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" Oz raised an eyebrow in return.

"Yes because the males are the ones that sleep late after the copious amounts of se—" River was stopped by Kaylee's hand on her mouth.

"I don't think we need to hear anymore of that." Kaylee was trying not to laugh. Oz ducked his head to hide his smile.

"So Oz what brings you to— What happened to your leg?" Inara got up off the bed and moved towards Oz. The werewolf looked down at his leg and groaned. The cut had reopened and had bled through his jeans.

Kaylee also jumped off the bed, "Quick let's get you to the infirmary. Simon'll fix you up in no time."

"I'll get Simon." River ran from the room.

"No I'll just wrap it." Oz really didn't want to go visit the doctor.

"I don't think so mister. You're going to the infirmary to get patched up." Kaylee said wearing what looked very similar to Willow's resolve face.

"But—"

"No buts, infirmary now." Kaylee's hands were on her hips.

"Okay." Oz sighed. Women and their resolve faces.