08~ My Blood Is The Only Choice For Her

Kaiden's Point Of View

"What’s wrong with mate?" Slade’s voice was raw, laced with a desperation that clawed at my chest like jagged glass. "Did we scare her that much?"

I didn’t answer. My eyes were locked on her... her lean, battered frame, the bruises mottling her skin like a cruel map of suffering. My jaw tightened so hard I thought my teeth might crack, my body trembling with barely contained rage. Who did this to her? The question burned in my mind, a wildfire threatening to consume me. But I forced myself to stay still, to breathe. She was in my arms now. After all these years of searching, of false hopes and shattered bonds, she was here.

"Let’s mark her!" Slade demanded, his voice a snarl of impatience, his energy a storm inside me. "Now. Before she wakes up and tries to run."

I clenched my teeth, my grip tightening around her fragile body. "Slade. Control yourself."

"But we’ve waited so long—"

"And she’s half-dead!" I snapped, my voice a whip-crack of fury. "Look at her, Slade. She’s barely breathing. Her pulse is weak, her skin is cold. If we mark her now, in this state, it’ll kill her. Is that what you want? After everything we’ve been through? After all the pain, the false bonds, the curse gnawing at us? You want to lose her now, when she’s finally here?"

Slade whimpered, his energy recoiling like a struck beast, his presence shrinking in my mind. "No," he admitted, his voice small, broken. "I just… I don’t want to lose her. Not again."

"Then we do this right," I said, my voice softer now, but no less firm. "As much as I want to, I would rather not mark her than let her die on me, Slade. We save her first. Then we claim her."

He didn’t argue. Instead, he retreated to the back of my mind, his presence a quiet, aching hope.

**********

I carried her carefully, my steps quick but measured as I raced through the pack house. The air was thick with tension, the silence oppressive, as if the very walls were holding their breath. Shadows stretched long and jagged across the floors, the dim lantern light casting an eerie glow over everything. It felt wrong... too still, too empty, compared to the fragile warmth of her body in my arms.

I laid her on my bed, the softness of the sheets a stark contrast to the harsh reality of her condition. The faint light from the lantern flickered, casting shadows over her bruised skin, each mark a testament to the pain she’d endured. My chest tightened, my claws pricking at my palms as I fought the urge to hunt down every single soul who had dared to hurt her.

"Lewis," I called through the mind-link, my voice tight with urgency. "I need you in my chambers. Now."

"Your Highness?" His voice was hesitant, but I could hear the rustle of movement, the clatter of medical tools being gathered. "Is everything alright?"

"No," I snapped, my grip tightening around her. "It’s not. "I need you here within the next ten minutes. Any dela will cost you, your head."

There was a pause. Then, "I’ll be there as quickly as I can, Alpha."

I severed the connection, my mind racing. The mind-link was efficient, but right now, it was just another reminder of how alone she was. How broken.

**********

A knock at the door shattered the silence. "Your Highness, may I come in?" Lewis’s voice was hesitant, his scent laced with nervousness.

"Come in," I grunted, my eyes never leaving her.

He entered, his movements careful, his medical bag clinking softly as he set it down. The sound grated against my nerves, each rustle and clatter a sharp intrusion into the heavy quiet. Even the lantern’s glow felt too bright, too invasive, as if it were exposing something sacred.

"Your Highness," Lewis began, his voice trembling slightly. "May I see where you’re hurt?"

Slade stirred angrily in my mind, his energy a dark, restless thing. "Do I look like I need a doctor’s help?" I snapped, my voice a low growl.

Lewis flinched, his hands stilling. "Did I say something wrong, Alpha?"

"You’re not here for me," I growled, pointing to the bed. "You’re here for her. "

His gaze followed my gesture, and I saw the moment he took in her condition. His breath hitched, his expression tightening with pity. "Your Highness…" He hesitated. "May I…?"

"Do your job," I ordered, my voice a low threat.

He nodded, stepping closer. His fingers hovered over her, careful, as he began to assess her wounds. "I’m finding it hard to locate her pulse," he murmured, his voice tight. "What I can feel is dangerously weak."

"Then fix it," I growled, my claws pricking at my palms. "That’s why you’re here."

He swallowed hard. "She’s lost a lot of blood. She needs a transfusion. But first, I’ll need to—"

"You will not undress her," I cut him off, my voice a snarl. "Leave. I’ll call you back once I’ve changed her clothes."

Lewis bowed his head and retreated, the door clicking shut behind him.

The bathroom was a sanctuary of steam and warmth, the air thick with the scent of lavender and chamomile. I carried her in carefully, my arms cradling her fragile body as if she were made of glass. The water in the tub was warm, almost too warm, but I needed it to be perfect... she needed it to be perfect. The steam curled around us like a living thing, wrapping us in a cocoon of heat, but it did nothing to ease the chill that had settled deep in my bones.

I lowered her into the bath, my movements slow, deliberate. The water lapped gently against her skin, the warmth a stark contrast to the cold, harsh reality of her condition. Her body was a map of suffering... bruises mottling her skin, scars crisscrossing her flesh like the marks of a battle she had fought alone. My hands trembled as I ran the cloth over her, each touch gentle, each movement careful. The water turned pink with the blood from her wounds, a stark reminder of the pain she had endured.

Who did this to her?

The question burned in my mind, a fire that threatened to consume me. What had she gone through? How much had she endured? And what in the name of the Moon Goddess was she doing in the Silver Abyss? That place was a death trap, a cursed chasm where even the bravest wolves feared to tread. Yet here she was, broken and bleeding, as if she had fought her way through hell itself.

I traced the rough edges of her scars, each one a story I wasn’t ready to hear. My claws pricked at my palms, the pain grounding me, reminding me that I was still here, still alive, while she hovered on the edge of death. Her shallow breaths filled the silence, each one faint, as though it might be her last. I clenched my fists, my claws digging deeper into my skin, drawing blood. A silent promise. A vow.

Whoever had dared to harm her would pay.

In blood.

I washed her carefully, my touch gentle, my movements slow. The water turned murky with the grime and blood, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not when she was so close to slipping away. Not when she had fought so hard to survive.

Once she was clean, I lifted her from the bath, the water dripping from her skin as I wrapped her in a soft, fresh towel. Then changed her into my t-shirt and a short. My movements were deliberate, each action a promise that I would keep her safe. That I would protect her.

I carried her back to the bed, my arms holding her close, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. Then I called Lewis back, my voice a low command through the mind-link.

"You can check her now," I said, my voice a warning as he entered the room. "But mind how you touch her."

"Of course, Your Highness," he replied, his hands steady as he began to work.

Lewis’s hands stilled as he finished wrapping the last of her wounds, his expression grim as he turned to face me. The lantern light flickered, casting long shadows across his face, deepening the lines of worry etched into his features. "Your Highness…" His voice was hesitant, as if he were afraid the words alone might break her. "From the scars, the wounds… it seems she’s endured years of beating. Torture."

He swallowed hard, his gaze flickering to her pale, still form. "She’s malnourished. It’ll be a miracle if she survives the night."

My fists clenched so tightly my claws pierced my palms, blood welling in thin, dark lines. The metallic scent of it mixed with the antiseptic sharpness of the medical herbs Lewis had used, a bitter reminder of how close she was to slipping away. "I’ll make sure everyone who did this to her pays," I promised, my voice a low, lethal growl. The words tasted like venom, like a vow carved into my very soul.

Slade’s presence surged forward, his fury a tangible force in my mind. "With their lives," he snarled, his voice a dark echo of my own rage.

Lewis exhaled sharply, his fingers trembling as he adjusted the bandages around her arm. "And the transfusion…" He hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "Her blood type is rare. Without it, she won’t make it through the night."

I didn’t hesitate.

"Take mine."

I rolled up my sleeve, the fabric rough against my skin as I stretched out my arm. The veins beneath were dark, prominent, throbbing with the same desperate urgency that pounded in my chest. "Take as much as you need," I said, my voice rough with something raw, something primal. "She’s my mate. My blood is the only choice for her."

Lewis’s eyes widened as he stared at her and back at me, but he didn’t argue. He moved quickly, efficiently, preparing the transfusion with practiced hands. The needle slid into my vein, the sharp pinch barely registering over the roar of my own heartbeat. I watched as my blood dripped into the tube, a dark, vital lifeline flowing into her. The sight should have unsettled me, should have made me feel weak, but it didn’t. It only made the fire in my chest burn hotter.

"I’ll do everything I can, Alpha," Lewis murmured, his voice steady despite the tension thick in the air.

I didn’t look at him. My eyes were locked on her, on the way her chest rose and fell with each shallow breath, on the way the faintest hint of color was already returning to her lips. "You’d better," I warned, my voice a blade honed on the edge of madness. "If anything happens to her, you’ll pay for it. And so will your family." I knew what I was saying was unreasonable. I knew threatening his family was crossing a line. But in that moment, I was far beyond reasoning.

Lewis paled, his hands stuttering for just a second before he steadied himself. He didn’t argue. He didn’t dare. The transfusion continued, the slow drip of my blood into hers the only sound in the room besides her faint, fragile breaths.

**********

Three hours.

Three endless, agonizing hours later, the transfusion was done. Lewis carefully removed the needle, pressing a cotton pad to the small puncture wound on my arm. I barely felt it. My attention was solely on her... on the way her complexion was already improving, the way the faintest flush was returning to her cheeks. She was still unconscious, her breaths shallow but steadier now, her pulse no longer a faint, fleeting thing.

She was here.

Alive.

Mine.

Lewis packed up his things, his movements quiet, his presence fading into the background. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with her, the silence wrapping around us like a shroud.

I reached for the mind-link, my voice a low, rough command.

"Caspian. There’s someone important you need to meet."