Page 4 of Cursed Magic (Rejected Fate Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER FOUR

A crushing weight seemed to fall on my chest, making it impossible to breathe. How could the thought of this man—whom I had once despised almost as much as Reid—dying make me want to scream?

I hadn’t realized how much I’d grown to care for him. For the last four days, he’d protected me and taken care of me while I was on the mend. I had a hard time associating him with the man who’d tortured Simon maliciously—the man who’d pulled me from the river so I wouldn’t drown but who’d planned on leaving me on the embankment to die slowly, and the man whom I’d heard had beaten others needlessly.

That same man had jumped in front of a knife to protect my sister. Now I owed him a life debt that I needed to pay sooner than I’d ever expected.

“Raven, we gotta go,” I said, voice thick from desperation. “We need to stop the bleeding, or we’re going to lose him.”

The skin around her eyes tightened as she vanished from her spot next to Gage, and the front driver’s side door quickly opened and closed. The top of her head appeared in front of Ryker. She started the SUV just as Briar rushed to the front passenger door.

Gage took a step back, his lips pressed into a line. “We’ll catch up. Go to the mansion, and we’ll meet you there.” He slammed the door.

Not even the loud bang startled Ryker.

A salty-sour taste filled my mouth as my stomach roiled. With every second, the situation seemed to grow more and more dire.

The problem was that the mansion was an hour away, and I was certain Ryker didn’t have that long. However, we couldn’t take him to a hospital, and there wasn’t a pack we could trust. The Shae pack was under attack, even if I had thought we could take him to them. “We’re not going to be able to wait to get to the mansion.”

Raven dodged a tree and glanced over her shoulder. “Where did the knife stab him?”

“His side. He jumped in front of our attacker just as whatever it was tried to stab Briar,” I gritted out, trying like hell to keep my voice neutral.

The SUV hit a bump, and then Raven peeled out of the woods and onto solid asphalt.

Briar yelped from her spot in front as Ryker’s body jerked toward me. I caught him with both hands and dropped to my knees in the small opening between our two seats, not wanting the knife to cause further problems.

Pain exploded in my back, and my knees ached. I bit back a whimper, knowing that Raven was trying to get us back to the mansion as quickly as possible.

Briar whipped her head toward me, forehead lined. “Are you okay?” Her anger and disgust from earlier seemed completely gone .

“I’ll be fine.” The last person anyone needed to worry about at this moment was me. Ryker would die if we didn’t do something quickly.

Biting the inside of my cheek so I didn’t make any noises of pain, I kept one hand on his chest and moved so I could see where the knife went in.

His shirt and pants were soaked in blood, and the coppery smell had me ready to gag. I swallowed hard and tried to gently rip the rest of his shirt so I could see as much of the wound as possible.

Warm blood wetted my fingertips once more, softening the congealed blood on my hand. My wolf whimpered inside me in both hurt and rage at what had been done to Ryker.

I wanted to embrace the emotions, but I couldn’t. Not right now. I didn’t have the time or luxury to be anything but calm and rational in this moment.

I leaned forward, the smell of blood so strong now I could taste iron on my tongue. I held my breath and leaned closer, my nose nearly touching Ryker’s blood-soaked shirt as I tried to get a better look.

The knife protruded from between his ribs at a sharp upward angle, the blade disappearing into his flesh. The skin around the entry point was inflamed. Blood oozed steadily from the wound, trickling down Ryker’s side and pooling on the seat beneath him.

With trembling fingers, I gently touched the skin around the knife, and a buzz shot up my arm like wildfire. I never knew when I would feel this strange connection between us, but when the sensation did come, it was both pleasant and unwanted.

Right now, I’d take it because it was confirmation that he was going to live… At least, I’d embrace that de lusion to get through this.

Relieved that he hadn’t reacted negatively to my touch, I moved closer to the wound, noticing his skin became warmer the closer I got to the entry point.

My heart dropped into my stomach. Was the warmth a good sign or a bad one? Either way, I had to do the best I could with what we had. I continued to palpate the area near the blade.

Ryker winced, and his muscles turned rigid then twitched.

I jerked my hand back. Had I hurt him? I swallowed hard, my throat tight with worry. “Raven, the dagger went in at an angle between his ribs. It’s not a straight stab wound.”

Raven exhaled loudly. “That’s actually good news.” Her voice sounded less strained. “Based on the angle and what I can hear, it doesn’t sound like it hit any major arteries. The blood loss isn’t as rapid or forceful as it would be with arterial damage.”

A little bit of relief washed over me, but he’d still lost too much blood. “Should I try to put pressure on the wound to make the bleeding stop?”

Raven met my gaze in the rearview mirror, her usually warm cognac eyes dark with worry and fear. “It’d be best to remove the knife so we can truly put pressure on the wound to clot the whole thing. Leaving it in risks further damage, especially if it shifts and prolongs the bleeding. We need the entire wound to clot, and you need to remove it while he still has enough strength for his wolf magic to help heal him.”

My stomach dropped at the thought of pulling out the blade. I’d seen plenty of movies and TV shows, and they always said to leave the knife in. But Raven was centuries old and had no doubt dealt with countless injuries during her long life. If she thought removing it was best, I had to trust her judgment. She hadn’t steered us wrong yet; in fact, she’d been our best ally.

Briar turned around in her seat, her expression twisted with fear and uncertainty. “Are you sure we should remove the knife?” Her voice trembled. “What if it makes him bleed out faster? We have to think this through. This man sacrificed himself for me. If something goes wrong…”

The weight of Briar’s worries pressed on me as I tried to keep up a steady facade. Deep down, my stomach fluttered, and it wasn’t from warm feelings. Was Raven really making the right call? Would I regret trusting her in this life-and-death situation?

Still, doing nothing wasn’t an option, and Raven’s logic made sense. Regardless, the decision had to be made quickly. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the consequences, but waiting wasn’t a luxury I had.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. We had no better choice. Every second that ticked by was another drop of blood Ryker couldn’t afford to lose.

“I’m going to do it,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt inside. “With the blade left inside, he’ll continue to bleed, and his heart is getting weaker.”

Briar’s eyes widened, a mix of what seemed to be fear and doubt clouding her gaze. In less than an hour, we’d broken her out of a makeshift prison, been attacked by enemies no one but I could see, and now I was asking her to trust a vampire, a member of the one species wolves inherently didn’t get along with because vampire magic came from taking life—blood—which clashed with how wolf magic connected with nature and helped maintain balance.

I didn’t want to upset Briar more, but I did believe that removing the knife was our best bet. I gritted my teeth, hating that I was about to cause Ryker more pain but knowing it was necessary to save his life.

I leaned over Ryker to reach the wound. Taking a deep breath, I grasped the hilt firmly with both hands. The cool metal contrasted sharply with the warm, sticky blood coating Ryker’s skin and my hands.

As soon as my fingers wrapped around the handle, Ryker let out a low, pained groan. His body tensed, his muscles going rigid beneath my touch. I froze, my heart racing as I looked at his face. His eyes remained closed, but his brows furrowed, emphasizing the scar down the middle of his left one.

My chest constricted as I inhaled shakily. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure Ryker could even hear me in his unconscious state.

With one swift movement, I yanked the blade from Ryker’s side. His eyes snapped open, and an anguished scream erupted from his throat. He thrashed against the seat, muscles bulging under his taut skin. More blood seeped from the wound.

“Briar, help me restrain him!” I yelled, tossing the bloodstained knife to the floorboard. I climbed over his waist, straddling him.

I pressed my weight down to try to keep him still as he continued to thrash. His muscles rippled beneath me, and if he’d been in full health, he would’ve easily thrown me off. I placed my hands on his broad shoulders, feeling the heat of his skin through his blood-soaked shirt and the faint buzz that sparked when we touched.

Briar scrambled over the center console and reached around me to hold down his hands. But as soon as she touched him, he fought her off, causing even more bleeding.

“Ryker, it’s me. Ember.” I leaned forward, trying to make him focus on my face. “You’re safe. We had to remove the knife.”

His wild eyes locked with mine. The sheen that sometimes covered them was gone, revealing their gorgeous brown color. The gold could barely be seen.

Then the gold sparked, and his expression softened. The corners of his mouth tipped upward slightly. “Em…ber,” he rasped. “I was…worried. You’re…safe.”

My heart skipped a beat.

His hand trembled as he raised it and touched my cheek, leaving a warm wetness behind. A smudge of blood, I assumed.

My throat closed, and something sweetly painful unfurled in my chest. It almost seemed as if Ryker…cared about me.

I exhaled and shook off that thought. If Reid—my fated mate—could turn on me, Ryker definitely could. I wouldn’t leave him and the others until I knew they were safe and accounted for, but the more time I spent with him—with all of them—the harder it would be to leave. And I had to leave for both Briar’s and my safety.

But when Ryker’s hand fell limply to his side, my heart plummeted. His eyes fluttered closed, and his breathing grew shallow and ragged.

“No, no, no!” My voice rose in panic. “Ryker, stay with me!”

He was no longer fighting us, so I was able to move my hands to his wound and press firmly against it.

Warm blood continued to seep between my fingers at an alarming rate. The metallic scent of copper filled the air, making my stomach churn.

“Oh Fate, Ember,” Briar gasped, moving to the mid-row seat I’d been sitting in. “It’s bleeding so much more now. I told you it wasn’t smart to remove it!”

Doubt crept into my mind. Had I made the wrong choice? The blood continued to ooze steadily between my fingers. Each trickle felt like another grain of sand slipping through an hourglass, counting down the precious seconds of Ryker’s life.

His skin grew paler, and his heartbeat weakened further. Panic clawed at my chest. I pressed harder against the wound, desperate enough to beg Fate to help me. Please, please, please . If he died because I’d made the wrong decision, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to live with it.

“Don’t listen to her, Ember. Leaving it in would have been even worse,” Raven said confidently. “The knife could have shifted and caused more harm. This is the best chance to stop the bleeding since the blade missed an artery. There’s no gushing sound, which would indicate we made the wrong call. And right now, doubt is your enemy. You need to focus on saving him.”

As Raven’s words sank in, I forced myself to take a deep breath and refocus. She was right—doubt would only hinder me. The decision had been made, and I had to continue with the plan.

Desperate to slow the bleeding, I pressed my hands against the gaping wound. I glanced around, searching for something to use to help clot the injury.

The strange sensation flared inside me, warmth pulsing from my chest and flowing into my hands. It seemed to connect with something primal and hot, reminding me of my wolf magic.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the weird feeling. Between the grief of losing my pack, the stress of our current situation, and the bizarre shadows only I could see, I’d begun to question my own sanity. These odd feelings and sensations had to be my mind playing tricks on me. And I couldn’t afford to get distracted now.

Ignoring the strange warmth, I surveyed the SUV again for anything I could use to help stop the bleeding. The leather seats and floor were already slick with Ryker’s blood, and I didn’t see a damn thing that would be better to use than my hands.

I looked down at my own bloodstained shirt. The fabric was torn and dirty from the earlier fight, but it was still better than nothing.

The SUV hit another bump, jostling us. Ryker’s body shifted beneath me. I waited for the blood to pour, but despite the tingles in my hands, I didn’t feel any pulse of fresh blood.

I removed my hands and grabbed the hem of my shirt.

“What are you doing?” Briar cried and leaned toward me. “You can’t stop putting pressure on it.”

“I need something to help clot the wound.” I removed my shirt and winced as my damaged back burned with the movement. “My hands alone aren’t enough.”

Cool air hit my bare torso, and I bundled up the shirt, keeping the cleanest portion outside to press against his injury.

My eyes flicked back to Ryker’s rib cage, and I blinked several times, trying to understand what I was seeing.