Only The Mate's Blood

Starlight’s POV

The battle ended as abruptly as it had begun. The moment Alpha Helios collapsed, the rogues, witches, and vampires retreated into the night like shadows dissolving into darkness. The stench of blood and burnt wood lingered in the air, a testament to the brutal attack that had left the Moonlit Pack in ruins.

Despite the destruction, there were no fatalities. The warriors, though wounded, were alive. But Helios, their Alpha, my stupid mate, lay unmoving on the ground, his body trembling from the dark magic that still coiled around him.

The pack scrambled to assist the injured. Warriors were supported by their comrades, omegas rushed to fetch water, and the healers worked tirelessly to stabilize the wounded. But the weight of one devastating truth hung over all of them. Their Alpha was hanging by a thread.

A group of warriors lifted Helios’ limp form and carried him toward the infirmary, his father, Former Alpha Killian, leading the way. The sheer panic in his storm-gray eyes was something I had never seen before. The great and ruthless Killian, who had led the Moonlit Pack for decades with an iron will, now looked like a desperate man.

I followed at a distance, my heart hammering in my chest. The whispers started before we even reached the infirmary. "The runt is his mate?" "This has to be a mistake." "No wonder she’s still standing when he’s not."

I clenched my fists, willing myself not to react. I had been the lowest of the low in this pack for years, I was used to their disdain. But this was different. Their hatred was now mixed with fear. Inside the infirmary, chaos ensued.

Helios was placed on the hospital bed, his skin alarmingly pale, his breathing shallow. His once-powerful body now looked frail, his usual presence dimmed to a flickering flame. “Get the transfusion ready!” Killian barked, his voice hoarse with urgency.

The pack doctors rushed to obey, setting up the IVs. The moment the needle pierced Helios’ vein, the healer, Elysia, stepped forward. “This will not work.” Her voice was steady, but there was a warning in her tone. Killian shot her a glare. “And why the hell not?”

Elysia’s eyes darkened. “The magic used on him was not just any curse, it was crafted to ensure his body rejects any blood but his mate’s.” A thick silence filled the room.

Killian’s lips curled in irritation. “That’s absurd. If that girl was truly his mate, Helios would have rejected her, or told me about her.” His voice carried conviction, but there was an underlying tremor of doubt.

Elysia’s jaw tightened. “Believe what you want, but I have seen this kind of spell before. The witches were certain Helios had yet to find his mate. That is why they cast this curse, to ensure he would never recover unless his mate found him first.”

I stiffened, my breath catching in my throat. Killian’s sneer deepened. “Then let’s prove you wrong.” Elysia’s expression darkened, but she said nothing more. Instead, she turned to me, her sharp eyes piercing through my very soul. "Step aside, Starlight."

I hesitated. Killian barely spared me a glance before barking at the doctors, “Proceed with the transfusion.” The first pint of blood was administered. Helios remained still. The second pint. Then, alarms blared. The heart monitor flatlined.

Panic erupted in the room. Helios’ body arched unnaturally, his lips parting in a silent scream as his body violently rejected the transfused blood. “He’s going into cardiac arrest!” a doctor shouted. Killian turned ghostly pale. “Do something!”

The doctors scrambled, attempting to stabilize him, but Helios’ body convulsed. His heartbeat was slowing, he was dying right before our eyes.

The room spun with chaos, but I stood frozen, my lungs squeezing painfully in my chest. Elysia turned sharply to Killian, her voice laced with anger. “I warned you.”

Killian looked at his son, the only thing in this world he had ever truly cared about, writhing on that bed like a man damned. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. The strong, unwavering Alpha was helpless.

I saw it in his eyes, the moment he realized I was the only one who could save his son. He turned to me. “Please.” His voice broke. “Please, Starlight. Save my son.” Silence crashed over the room.

I stared at him, feeling the weight of the moment. This man had stood by and allowed me to be treated like filth my entire life. He had watched as his son and his pack humiliated me, never once caring.

And now, he was begging me. I wanted to say no. I wanted to watch as he suffered the way I had suffered. But I wasn’t like them. I wasn’t like Helios. I wasn’t like Killian. I exhaled sharply. “Fine.”

Elysia’s lips curled in satisfaction as she gently took my arm and guided me to Helios' bedside. The doctors moved aside, some looking at me with shock, others with outright disgust. I didn’t care. Besides, if Helios truly died, I wouldn't fare any better.

I climbed onto the bed beside Helios, my body pressing against his unnaturally cold one. My heart pounded in my chest as Elysia inserted the needle into my vein, the other end feeding directly into his.

The moment my blood entered his system, Helios' body stilled. The beeping of the heart monitor steadied. His breathing evened. The dark magic coiling around him began to fade.

Gasps filled the room. “It’s working,” one of the doctors whispered in awe. Killian stumbled backward, gripping the edge of a chair like the weight of reality had finally crashed down on him.

Only my blood could save his son. The knowledge settled like a rock in my stomach. Then the dizziness hit me. My vision blurred, my body weakening. The room tilted, the voices fading. I was slipping into a deep dark ess.

As my consciousness wavered, I heard Elysia’s voice, distant yet clear. “It was the witches,” she explained. “They cast a spell ensuring the Alpha’s body would reject any blood but his mate’s. They believed he was yet to find her. That’s why they did this.”

A stunned gasp rang through the room. And then, Helios' voice. Weak. Staggered. Shocked. “…Starlight?” But darkness took me before I could say a word. But I welcomed it openly. I needed a time away from the chaos of the Moonlit Pack. Even if that alone time came in the form of slipping into a coma.