Twenty Nine

Aiden took his shirt covered in stains of my blood and tossed it aside, leaving only his bare chest visible, and damn it was beautiful. He slid his arm under me and lifted me into his arms in one smooth motion like I weighed nothing at all.

"You don't have to carry me, I can walk," I said, because being this close to him felt strange and tempting at the same time, my whole body pressed against his chest, and it sent something through me. I wasn't prepared for a feeling that nothing could reach me here. That I was safe.

It was comforting in a way I didn't have the energy to examine right now.

"Your lies are terrible," he said, not even looking at me. "Your ego on the other hand is impressive."

I kept my mouth shut. There was simply no way to argue with how he spoke. His words left no door open for discussion and I was too exhausted to try forcing one.

He carried me across the room and placed me on the table with surprising gentleness, positioning my arms and legs carefully, like he was handling something that still mattered even in this state.

Marcus was already at the bag he'd brought in, moving efficiently and quietly. He passed Aiden a pair of thick gloves without being asked, and Aiden pulled them on, then reached in and lifted out the silver chain.

Even through the gloves, Aiden's jaw tightened the moment the silver hit his hands. Just slightly. Just enough for me to catch it.

I watched him handle it and said nothing. Most werewolves couldn't hold silver even with protection without their hands shaking from the burn. Aiden held it like it was simply an inconvenience he had decided not to dignify with a reaction.

His pain tolerance was quite high and was very impressive.

"Marcus," Aiden said, his voice low and even. "I need you on her left side. When it starts she's going to fight the restraints. I need her still."

"Yes Alpha." Marcus moved immediately, without hesitation, positioning himself at my left without another word. His voice was respectful and quiet and he didn't look at me with pity — just focus. Like this was something important he'd been trusted with and he wasn't going to let it go wrong.

He respected Aiden a lot and I saw it in his eyes.

I looked up at him. "You, I don't know who you are and I don’t trust you but if you are going to hold me down. Do it gently or we are going to have a problem"

Marcus had this confused expression on his face saying ‘hey lady we only just met, you are too weak and small to utter such threats’, and then he looked at Aiden.

“Ignore everything she says and do as I say, you force if necessary” Aiden gave out his order and it was final.

“Force wait no force….arrgh..no way” I spat out spilling out blood from my lips. I guess it as about time I keep shut or die running my mouth

"Relax girl, I'm just going to hold you down and keep you from hurting yourself," he said, and his voice was surprisingly gentle for someone built the way he was. "There's a difference."

I didn't have a response to that or more like I had but I just couldn't speak up at this point.

"Nathan," Aiden said.

"Already here." Nathan appeared at my right side, his expression serious and steady. He looked down at me and something honest moved through his eyes. "I know this is terrifying," he said quietly, just to me. "But we're not going anywhere. Both of us are right here the whole time. Okay?"

I swallowed hard. "Okay."

Aiden took the silver restraint and closed it around my wrists and ankles. The clicks were soft and small and final, like little doors being shut one after another.

"Silver hurts wolves," I said, confused even now. "But I'm—"

"Not wolfless," Aiden said. "We've established that. You, whatever you are, there's something in you that will react to it."

The moment the silver made contact with my skin I felt it. Not pain exactly — more like pressure. Like something deep inside me recognized the silver as a threat and was immediately shoving against it, furious, trying to create distance between itself and the metal by any means necessary.

Then the pressure shifted into something that had no name except if felt wrong.

My breathing went heavy and fast. My whole body started rejecting the contact — every nerve firing at once — and I started writhing against the restraints without meaning to, unable to hold still no matter how hard I told myself to.

Marcus's hands came down on my left arm immediately — firm, controlled, steady. "I've got you," he said quietly. "Stop fighting the table. Fight what's inside instead."

"Hmmm…Interesting," Nathan muttered, leaning closer, watching the skin where the silver touched with an expression caught between concern and fascination.

He noticed that at first the silver had little to no effect and now the effect was rising up fast.