“After what they did to my mate? I think that you went a little to easy on them.”
“You seemed to have developed a bit of an aggressive streak,” Ryan commented as he walked out of the building, inhaling clean air that didn’t carry the scent of blood.
“It’s Erica,” Sebastian explained. “When it comes to her, I just can’t seem to gather any sense of control. I become angry over things that I usually would have let pass and I can’t do anything about it. Walk up that path,” he directed casually.
Easily following his brother’s guidance Ryan began the journey up the cliff side. “I guess that’s what it’s like to be mated. Seeing it is one thing and experiencing it is completely different. You and Tobias are prime examples of that,” he sighed.
“Ryan did something happen at the estate? You’ve been really quiet ever since you met me after going there.”
“Alex was abducted.”
“What?” Sebastian spluttered.
“It’s ok now, she’s fine. Last I heard she was back at the estate resting. Elijah took her, he thought that she could help him steal Tobias’ crown.”
“What happened?”
“What do you think happened? Elijah had hurt her. Badly. Tobias killed him.”
“Well it’s not as though he could have done anything different, he couldn’t just let a threat to his mate stand.”
“Wow,” Ryan breathed. “Being mated really does change you. Not too long ago you might have said something different. I don’t know like, we should have tried to see where Elijah was coming from and talk things out with him.”
“Like I said, it’s all Erica. I’m seeing the world in a whole new light. If being mated has made me this violent I dread to think what will happen when you find your mate. You’re already aggressive enough for ten males.” Ryan scoffed.
From his perch on his brother’s shoulder Sebastian finally caught sight of Erica moving along the cliff side. Her gait was unsteady but she was moving, she was alive. A shot rang out, she faltered and his heart jumped into his throat. She had fallen from the cliff. “Erica!” he screamed, watching her body fall through the air as though in slow motion. Though his body was weakened he felt a momentary surge of strength fill him and he leapt from Ryan’s back to run to the edge of the cliff. There was no hesitation as he threw his body off the cliff after hers. She was falling out of reach and he knew that she would land in the water before he could reach her, though his hands never stopped reaching for her. She hit the water with a loud splash and he braced himself for the fall.
He sucked in a deep breath before he landed in the water. The water was ice cold and though he normally wouldn’t have noticed the freezing temperature, the silver was still in his system. He opened his eyes despite the stinging of the water and began his search. He saw her plummeting further into the depths of the sea, her body too weak to even try and prevent her rapid descent. The shock from the fall had forced her body from its lupine form and her human body was steadily sinking. A steady stream of a dark liquid was flowing from her head and he panicked. His weakened body pushed itself to its limits, reaching her and pulling her close. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he swam for the surface. They broke free from the deep water and Sebastian immediately began to examine his mate. She had hit the rocks on her fall. A large gash was bleeding blood from her head and while her body was covered in cuts, he was unsure if they were from the fall or from the inhumane treatment of her captors. The wound on her head worried him, it wasn’t healing and her blood continued to flow despite the seconds that passed.
“Erica, you can’t leave me. I just found you. I’m not ready to let you go dammit!”
Chapter Sixteen
“Sebastian!” The sound of Ryan’s loud voice calling to him momentarily drew his attention away from the unresponsive body of his mate. Treading water, he struggled to keep them both afloat as his momentary surge of strength began to wane.
As he saw his brother’s strength begin to fade, Ryan pulled his phone from his pocket and placed it on the pebbles that covered the ground. I have a feeling we’re going to need that, he thought before he dove into the water, swimming recklessly towards them. Watching his brother dive into the sea that surrounded him, Sebastian easily understood what Ryan was trying to do and swam forward, intent on giving Erica to his brother and ensuring that she made it to land and out of the frigid water that surrounded them.
“Take her Ryan, get her to the shore. You’ll get there faster than I can at the moment,” Sebastian shouted over the roar of the waves as he met his brother.
The seriousness of the situation prevented Ryan from even attempting to make a joke of what was happening around them and he took Erica without argument. As soon as he handed Erica to his brother, a low growl slipped past Sebastian's lips. Though the logical side of his brain knew that it was necessary for Ryan to wrap his arm around her body to get her back to the shore, the sight didn’t sit well with him and he felt an unreasonable surge of anger towards his brother.
No one should touch her, the wolf snarled. She’s ours.
Ryan isn’t going to do anything. He’s our brother besides he’s faster than we are at the moment. Look, they’re already near the shore. We have to do what’s best for her, Sebastian reasoned, before beginning to swim towards the coastline. He could feel his strength returning as his body purged the last traces of silver from his system. His stroke became surer, his body easily cutting through the water and he was soon at the shore. Striding from the freezing water, he quickly covered the distance that separated him from his mate. Lifting her from the unforgiving pebbles that lined the coast, he gathered her into his arms, his hands immediately going to the wound at her head. His fingers came away red and bloody and his heart began to race as panic once again flooded him.
She shouldn’t be bleeding anymore. Why is she still bleeding? He was vaguely aware of his brother moving around him, but his attention was focused solely on his mate. “Erica wake up sweetheart,” he pleaded, gently shaking her prone form within his arms. She didn’t respond to him, her body cold and still within his embrace. Though he knew that she could only be killed by decapitation, he was unsure of how much pain a single body could take before it simply gave up the will to live and became a husk of its former self, permanently damaged from the trauma it had suffered. Blood continued to pour from the wound on her head and he could feel his own run cold in response. His eyes frantically scanned their surroundings, searching for something to stem the flow but he came up empty. There was nothing but rocks on the barren strip of land that they were on. Though he didn’t like the idea of Erica's battered body lying against the cold and uncomfortable rock that formed the shore, he lowered her against the pebbles, quickly stripped himself of his shirt before gathering her back in his arms.
He placed the damp material against the large gash on her head, assured that he was doing all he could to help her heal. His moment of peace was short lived as the already wet shirt became increasingly damp as Erica's blood began to seep through the crumpled layers pressed against her scalp. His senses were so focused on her that he could hear her heartbeat and the blood flowing through her body. The constant stuttering of the usually strong organ wasn’t reassuring, telling him that her heart was having immense difficulty completing the necessary task of pumping blood around her body and keeping her alive.
“Good thing I took this out of my pocket before I jumped into the water,” Ryan mused as he watched his brother cradling Erica's limp body. Picking the phone up from the pebbles, he quickly dialled his cousin.
“Tobias, it’s Ryan.”
“What’s wrong?” Tobias demanded upon hearing the serious tone in his normally jovial cousin’s voice.
“Sebastian and I need help. I’m not sure he’d want me telling you this, it was almost like pulling teeth getting him to tell me, but we don’t have a choice anymore. He found his mate but she’s been hurt bad.”
“How bad?” Tobias pressed anxious
ly.
“She was caught by hunters. They must have wanted information seeing as they kept her alive as long as they did and let’s just say that they didn’t use the gentlest methods to try and get her to talk.”
“Where are you, I’ll have someone come to pick you up as soon as possible.” Ryan quickly relayed the information of where he approximated their location to be judging from the distance they had run to Tobias. “That’s a fair distance from the clans Ryan,” Tobias remarked.
“I know. How long do you think it will take for help to arrive?”
“I know someone who has a helicopter in that area, I’ll ask them if they can bring you back here. I’ll call you right back.” The call ended with a silent click and Ryan turned his attention back to his brother.
“How is she Sebastian?”
“The bleeding is finally beginning to slow but she won’t wake up Ryan. She’s barely breathing.”
“Help is on the way. I just called Tobias and he’s getting someone to collect us. Once we make it back to the estate there are doctors who can have a look at her. She’s going to be fine. She’s managed to survive this long, I don’t think she’s going to give up at the final hurdle.” His phone began to ring within his palm and seeing who the caller was Ryan quickly answered. “What did they say Tobias?”
“Chris has agreed to help. He says that there’s a field nearby. Go there and he’ll be with you in a few minutes.”
“That quick?”
“The life of Sebastian's mate is on the line, of course it’s going to be fast.”
“Thank you Tobias, we’re on our way right now.” Ending the call he touched Sebastian on the shoulder to gain his attention. “Sebastian, Tobias has sent help, we’ve got to go. Our ride is going to be here any minute.”
Sebastian nodded, before he stood, keeping Erica close to his chest hoping that the warmth from his body would penetrate hers and help maintain a healthy temperature. “Let’s go then.”
The brothers took off, remembering a field they had passed on their journey and heading directly for it, hoping that it was the right one. They weren’t wrong. A helicopter waited for them in the centre of the open space, the noise from the blades was immense especially with their sensitive hearing but they moved towards it regardless of the pain in their ears. The helicopter took off as soon as they entered, lifting them away from the ground and moving steadily towards the estate. Sebastian was distantly aware of Ryan covering his ears with large headphones, the noise diminished significantly but his attention was focused intently on Erica. She had yet to show any outwards signs of life, her lips were steadily turning blue and her breathing had become raspy as she struggled to inhale. His only comfort was the knowledge that the bleeding had finally stopped.
The trip back to the estate passed in a blur and before he knew it the blades of the helicopter were winding down as it settled on the grounds of the estate. The doors of the large building flew open as they disembarked and people poured forth. Some Sebastian recognised others he didn’t and he was too preoccupied with the need to get his mate medical attention to care as he moved quickly towards the gathered crowd.
“I need a doctor!” he shouted, hoping that there was one amidst the throng.
His wish was granted as not one but three people stepped forward, claiming that they could help. He was lead into the estate and down a little used path to the infirmary. Though injuries were common among wolves, their ability to self-heal from most injuries made doctors mostly obsolete except in situations like this and Sebastian was never more grateful for the fact that the estate had several for cases of emergency than he was at that moment in time.
The infirmary though small appeared much like what he assumed human hospitals looked like; white walls, hard floor and a few beds. The smell of disinfectant heavily laced the air and he had to resist the urge to sneeze as he followed the doctors inside.
“Put her on the bed,” one of the doctors ordered. He quickly complied, gently lowering her still form on to the mattress.
“Don’t worry, we’re going to do everything we can,” another said trying to reassure him. “Now just step back so we can get to work.
He did as he was told without complaint and watched them work. Their voices were steady and calm as they relayed instructions to one another and their hands were in constant motion. He had never felt so helpless, the doctors were strangers to him and he was trusting them to save the life of his mate. His eyes narrowed as a large needle was inserted into Erica's arm, she winced at the pain and Sebastian sighed with relief at the first sign of life she had shown since he had pulled her from the water. The needle was feeding a liquid into her body and though he didn’t know what was in the liquid, he assumed it was helping. The blue tinge to her lips was fading, and her cheeks were regaining colour. The bruises on her flesh were beginning to fade and she sighed with relief as the pain began to ebb. Her body apparently greedy for the healing liquid quickly emptied the bag that contained the clear fluid. The doctors rushed to replace it and it was soon gone as quickly as the first. They continued to replace the bag until her body stopped consuming the liquid so fast. The liquid now moved into her body at a steady drip rather than leaving the bag in a rush.
Apparently satisfied with their work the doctors left Erica's side to talk to him. “She’s going to be fine. Everything is healing by itself now as it should. Her body just didn’t have the energy necessary to heal before. We’ve fixed that now and she should be fine when she wakes. There are some tests we would like to do when she comes round.”
“But she’s going to live?” Sebastian interrupted, anxious to have his worries put to rest.
“Yes. There isn’t a risk of her dying now.”
“Thank God,” he sighed in relief. “Can I sit with her until she wakes up?”
“I see no reason why you shouldn’t. Just don’t remove the needle from her arm.”
“Ok,” he agreed, before moving away from the doctors to grab a chair from the corner of the infirmary. Placing the chair at Erica's side, he sat down and grasped her free hand, lightly caressing the healed skin. “You had me worried sweetheart. Make sure you never do it again otherwise I’m going to be very mad at you. I’m sorry to say this love but the secret is out. I had to tell people about us being mates to get you the help you needed. Don’t be too mad at me when you wake up ok?”
He was distantly aware that two of the doctors had left the room, leaving only their spokesperson with him. His hand gently touched the now healed wound on her head, relieved that it had repaired itself so quickly. Erica groaned beneath his questing fingers and he pulled them back as though he had been burnt. Her eyelids began to flutter as she struggled to open them and his heart leaped in his chest.
“Erica? Erica sweetheart wake up. I think she’s waking up!” he called excitedly to the doctor, pleased that she had recovered so quickly.
The doctor moved to his side just as her blue eyes opened. She blinked trying to bring everything into focus.
“Erica, thank God you’re awake sweetheart, you had me so worried.”
Her eyes turned to him and as she looked at him a frown appeared on her face. “I’m sorry but just who are you?”
Chapter Seventeen
Vincent stood in the centre of his decimated base of operations, his grey eyes calmly taking in the carnage that surrounded him. The bodies of his fellow hunters covered the floor, their savagely brutalised corpses reminding him of why they sought to remove this particular threat to humanity from existence. Others may have scoffed at them but they knew the threat was real. The werewolves were out there and they were deadly. The blood of his comrades coated the floor and in the bright light of day he could see the blood spatter that also covered the walls. Bloody paw prints told him who had committed the act, though he needed no proof to confirm his suspicions.
Ten men had been on duty the previous night. It might have seemed excessive to an outsider, having ten armed men guard a single apparen
tly defenceless female and under different circumstances he too might have thought the measures extreme. Vincent, however, knew better than to underestimate the enemy, even if she had been tied to a chair that she couldn’t have escaped from without help. His caution had proved to be reasonable but he had apparently taken them too lightly despite the seemingly overwhelming show of force. The wolf was gone and his men were dead. Only one had escaped to tell him of what was happening while he was away reporting his progress to his section leader, leaving nine men dead. Members of their organisation knew the risks that came with their job, they knew they faced death but they were prepared to take the risk to make the world safe. Most distanced themselves from their families to protect them from retribution from the wolves. Most however, didn’t mean all, there would be families devastated by this attack.
“Peaceful?” he scoffed, remembering his captive’s pleas for release and her adamant belief that the wolves were a peaceful people. “This looks real peaceful to me.”
The remaining members of his branch worked steadily around him, removing the bodies from within the warehouse and piling them outside. The bodies would have to be burned, the organisation couldn’t afford to attract outside attention and nine dead bodies was the fastest way of doing just that. The organisation couldn’t be assured of support should the world come to know of the existence of wolves and so they chose to keep their activities secret, protecting the world and receiving no credit for their sacrifices.
The last of the bodies removed, he summoned the remaining twenty odd members of his branch to him. A slight rise in his voice was all that was needed for the men to form two straight lines, ready and awaiting his orders. His men were well trained and well disciplined; they had to be if they were to survive. The outside world may not have known it, but they were at war and the organisation acted accordingly, training their members well. “Are they all outside now?”
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