Chapter 44
WILSON.
My body launches forward, and I let Emyr take control as I jump into the air. A howl leaves my mouth as I watch the creature sink his claws into Emma’s back and the sight of blood dripping from the corners of her mouth makes me furious in a way I’ve never been before. And Emyr feels it 100 because he knows–he knows how much she means.
I’m not thinking about how strategic it is as I pounce. I throw myself in the air again and glide to the side, landing on the rail of the short stairs. I steady myself with a paw before going for him and the kick to his shoulder makes himn fall back. I take Emma before she can hit the ground and lie ber down gently. She’s lost consciousness as my wolf looms over her and I look at the Kanima again, baring my fangs at the beast
He’s steadied himself with an attempt to attack, but no no, I don’t give him the time. The sound of my roar echoes across the surroundings as I meet him in the middle and his claws sink into my side as I grab his head with my paws. I endure the sharp pain that sizzles through me and look into his glowing yellow eyes as I dig my claws into his neck.
His go deeper but I don’t falter. Instead, more strength flares through me and I roar as I slash my claws across his throat.
“Alpha, the someone starts to speak but I don’t hear them as I jump back, away from the grasp of his stinging claws, then I come forward again, my claws first scratching his face before I slap his head off.
Emyr lets me take control again and I shift back. I grab the head that’s falling off his neck and look into his eyes as I snarl, “You won’t get to hurt her again. Never again. Whoever’s behind you; YOU WON’T GET TO HURT HER AGAIN I rip his head off the neck completely and black blood spurts in the air, some getting to my face and staining my naked body as I hold up his head, then turn.
Ian is standing by the door with wide eyes and a bottle of mountain ash in his hand. I hold his gaze as I toss the head to the side, then without waiting another second, I turn to where I’ve left her.
“Emma!” My breaths leave my mouth in pants as I push her into my lap, the blood on my hand staining her cheek when I grab her face. “Emma.” The moan of her name leaves my mouth again as I drag a finger to her mouth and my heart stops beating inomentarily when I don’t feel her breath
I look towards where lan stands, and he doesn’t need a word before he comes rushing down. When he reaches me, I say, “She isn’t breathing. Do something”
“We should get her inside first. He tells me, and I lift her into my arms as 1 rise to my feet. I dash into the house and take her into her room. My heart breaks with each step I take, knowing I can’t hear the beats of her own
I drop her on her bed and lan rushes through the door. I slap a band on my forehead and pace across the room as I watch him turn her on her back. He lifts the shirt she has on and my throat tightens at the sight of the blood oozing from where his claws dug deep.
I can’t bear it. I can’t. I fucking can’t.
I punch the bedside lamp sitting near me and a scream tears from my lips, I wipe my sweaty face with my equally sweaty palms and bark, “I did this. I told her to come here. I asked her to risk her life and I couldn’t protect her, I let her get hurt?
I shake my head. “No. No, she can’t she can’t.”
“Alpha,” Ian walks to me and slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Alpha, please. She won’t die. I promise you
“She isn’t breathing.” I speak the obvious as my eyes go back to her. “Ian. She isn’t fucking breathing”
Tim here. She won’t die, Alpha. I won’t let her. His words don’t reassure me, but I let him go back to her and I watch as he pulls her shirt down before spinning her again. He inches closer to her face and a wince escapes my throat as I drop to the floor on one knee. As another wince leaves, Ian is at my side, his worried eyes scanning my body. He gasps when he looks to my side and his finger strokes the cuts as he says, “You’re hurt,”
“11 be fine,” I respond through clenched teeth, and lan’s p
gaze lifts. “We have to treat you. He had his claws in your-
“I said.” 1 liss as 1 hold the contact. “I’ll be fucking line. I’m not the one who needs your treatment. Make sure she doesn’t die like you said. The rest of my words hang at the sound of whimpering. My head snaps to the side, and I immediately move to my feet when I see Emma writhing on the bed. I stand with furrowed brows as her bark arches off and then slams down. Her head moves from side to side and her legs are thrusting against the sheets. Sweat drips from her forehead and her lunds clutch the inalties.
“What’s hapjerning?” I ask lan as he gets on the bed and he looks just as perplexed as I am.“I don’t she’s…”
“Khe’s what?” My voice is impatient and fan looks back at me with wonder in his eyes as the words unble out. “She’s trying to–no, she’s healing henelf” Silence stretches between us for a second before tan looks away and my mouth drops when he turns Emma’s body to lift her shirt and the claw marks we saw earlier gone.
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There’s nothing but the bareness of her skin and blood smudged across it. No holes. No scars. Absolutely nothing
“She healed her scars, lan repeats the words as though he can’t believe what he’s seeing and I step forward. I tug the shirt down and turn her. A sigh leaves my parted lips as my eyes sean her face. She’s still whimpering sofily and her breathing is slow. Her eyes are also closed.
I endure the pain that threatens to take me as I move into the space next to her and grab her hand. I lift it to my mouth before pressing it to my check, uncaring of the other presence in the room.
The sound of lan’s footsteps receding, and one of the door locks rumbles through the room and at the lack of his presence, I move my other hand to Emma’s forehead to feel her temperature. Her skin is hot against my touch and I let out a shaky exhale as 1 grab her hand with both of mine. I lift it to my mouth and my lips graze her knuckles. “Please, You have to wake up. Do you hear me, Emma‘ I need you to get up. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I let him
I swallow the rest of my words at the creak of the door and Ian enters the room again with a syringe in hand. I perk a brow when he stands by the bed. “What’s that for?”
“Same cure I gave you when the Kanima attacked last time. Thought it might help–she healed the marks, but she’s still fighting the venom.” I nod and watch as the needle pierces her skin before lan shuttles back
I lift a hand to caress the spot before my gaze shifts and I brush the strands of hair sticking to Emma’s cheeks back.
“You killed the Kanima. Ian voices, breaking the silence, and my head turns to him. I drop Emma’s hand on the bed as my mouth twitches. “I
hould have done that the first time.”
“He had a master and the only way to find our
“I don’t fucking care!” I snap, halting his words. “I should have killed it the second we caught it. Then this wouldn’t have…”
“We didn’t know. We thought the mountain ash would hold, and we did it for Emma’s protection. We needed to find out who was behind it for her to be safe. Now the Kanima is gone and whoever its master was remains unknown.”
“Whoever it is,” I pause and use a hand to hold my side as I stand from the bed and saunter to lan. “Shall and will answer to me. I’ll find them- wherever they’re hiding” lan gives a small nod and peeks over my shoulder. With a shake of his head, he says, “It doesn’t make sense. The Kanima never attacked her. Why did the mind change? How did he break from the mountain ash? No supernatural-
There’s the sound of whimpering again–louder this time—and I look back to see Emma’s body thrashing against the bed.
“What’s happening! V Why’s she doing that again?” I question Tan, dread filling me at the sight of her struggling.
“But I gave her the cure” fan rushes to her, and he stays silent for several fast–beating heartbeats before he says, “The cure didn’t work. If I try to do anything now, she might…” he stops and I stare at him with a brow raised. “She might what?”
“Alpha.”
I trot to him and seize his neck, fury driving deep in my bones as I hold him in the air and growl in his face. “She might fucking what? Answer me before I rip your fucking head off.”“
lan in’t scared. He doesn’t look threatened because he knows I won’t do it. Instead, his eyes are pitiful and his voice is quiet when he opens his mouth. “She might die. I’m sorry, Alpha.”
“But she’ll be fine. She’ll heal and once this stage has passed, I’d give her something that’d calm her and shell wake
“Why not now?” I ask as I let go of him and lan says, “Her body is healing on its own. Anything I attempt to give her now would slow her down, and that might do more harm than good.”
“The cure worked for me last time while Emyr was fighting the poison.” I remind him and Ian hura. “Yes. But your powers differ from Emma’s, Alpha. And the claws weren’t as deep, it’d be..” I stagger on my feet as my eyes roll in their sockets and my lashes flutter,
tan’s voice is waning and when I look at the bed, Emma’s is twirling. The entire room is the room is moving and I…
“Alpha. Are you. Alpha His words are distant echoes and I wheeze as I drop to my knees. I jerk my head to catch the focus of my vision and it steadies again—but only for a second. Only for a second to see the girl I failed to protect fighting for her life on the bed. Only for a second for the anger of my careleurs to sip in. And only for a second to regret leaving the house to go on a run, letting her stay back because I wanted her to
Then it endi
And I feel my body drop to the ground as my consciousness drifts with nothing but the image of the girl I love swirling around in my darkness.
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