Page 72 of Beastkin

“Phoenix,” I heard him rasp, his voice barely audible. “Enough.”

But I shook my head, tears streaming down my face as I poured everything I had into him. The golden light intensified,burning so bright it cast long shadows across the lawn. I felt my life force draining away, feeding the magic that was saving him.

“I love you,” I whispered, as the last of my strength gave out.

The world tilted sideways, and suddenly I was falling, tumbling into darkness. The last thing I felt was Karrick’s arms catching me, his warmth enveloping me as consciousness slipped away. Our bond pulsed once, twice, like a heartbeat stretched between two bodies, and then there was nothing but peaceful, empty darkness.

Chapter 28

Karrick

It had been three days since the raid on the Emberwood Estate, and I was still sore. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the dagger plunged in my gut or the sudden outburst of magic that I’d used against Phoenix’s parents. Either way, my whole body was sore from head to toe, and it didn’t seem to want to disappear.

Of course, the way things were not made it hard for me to care. Phoenix had given his all to save me, poured every last drop of his magic and energy into the wound in my belly. He’d managed to give me the antidote too and somehow killed Thomas in the process. It was a spectacular show of power. Up until that point I knew he was a firebug, but not much else. I wasnotaware, however, that he possessed a conflagration inside him that could burn a powerful witch to cinders in a matter of seconds. It was terrifying and awe-inspiring.

But now that was over. I was back at the mansion that belonged to Atlas and his tetrad. They’d given me a room to myself filled with plush furnishings and an ethereal servant that would give me anything except what I really wanted.

Phoenix.

I felt the tears form at the corners of my eyes as I thought of him. I just wanted to hold him again, to breathe in his scent, to kiss him. But that wasn’t possible now. Not until…

There was a soft knock at the door that pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced up, sniffing the air. The scent of werewolf greeted me. It was Atlas.

“Come in,” I said, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

Atlas stepped into the room, his golden eyes immediately finding mine. I could see the concern written across his features, the way his shoulders tensed when he took in my disheveled appearance. I probably looked like hell. I felt like it too.

“How are you holding up?” he asked, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

I let out a bitter laugh, the sound harsh in the quiet room. “How do you think I’m holding up? My mate is in a magical coma because he nearly killed himself saving me, and I can’t even be in the same room as him.” My voice cracked on the last word, and I had to look away, focusing on the ornate wallpaper instead of Atlas’s pitying expression.

“Caden’s with him now,” Atlas said gently, moving closer but keeping his distance. “He’s stable, Karrick. His breathing is steady, his heartbeat is strong. The magical exhaustion will pass.”

“Will it?” I snapped, whirling to face him. “Because it’s been three fucking days, Atlas. Three days of him lying there like he’s dead, and I can barely feel him through our bond. What if—” I couldn’t finish the sentence. What if he never woke up? What if I’d lost him anyway, despite everything we’d overcome?

Atlas’s expression softened, and for a moment I saw past the Alpha authority to the friend I’d known. “He’s going to be okay. Magical exhaustion takes time to recover from, especially when someone expends that much power at once. What Phoenix did...” He shook his head in amazement. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Neither had I. The memory of Phoenix’s magic erupting fromhim, consuming Thomas from the inside out, still made my skin crawl. Not because it disgusted me, quite the opposite actually. The fierce protectiveness in that moment, the way he’d destroyed anyone who threatened us, had awakened something deep within me. My mate was powerful, more powerful than any of us had realized. More powerful than…me.

“There’s something else,” Atlas said, and something in his tone made my stomach clench. “About Phoenix’s condition.”

I was on my feet instantly, every muscle in my body coiled tight. “What? What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Atlas said quickly, holding up his hands. “But Caden thinks... he thinks Phoenix might be in some kind of healing trance. His magic is still active, just turned inward. He’s not just recovering… he’s changing.”

“Changing into what?”

Atlas just shook his head. “Something new, I guess. He’s being reborn in a way, free of his past life completely. Seems kind of ironic considering his name.” Atlas shrugged. “But Caden thinks it might’ve weakened the bond between you two. He wants you to go to Phoenix and be with him. To call him back to us using your bond.”

My heart nearly stopped at his words. “Weakened the bond?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. The thought of losing that connection with Phoenix, even temporarily, made my chest feel like it was caving in.

“It’s not permanent,” Atlas assured me quickly. “But Caden says the longer you stay away from him, the weaker it might become. You need to be there when he wakes up, to anchor him to this world.”

I was already moving toward the door before he finished speaking. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“Because Caden wasn’t sure until now. And honestly?” Atlas caught my arm as I reached for the handle. “We were worried about you too. You’ve been through hell, Karrick. We needed to make sure you were stable before?—”

“I’m stable,” I growled, though we both knew it was a lie. Ihadn’t slept more than a few hours since we’d brought Phoenix back. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him collapsing in my arms, felt that terrifying moment when our bond had gone silent, that moment I feared the worst. “I need to see him.”