Page 29

Chapter 29

NATE

I throw myself with every bit of strength I have and barrel into him before he gets a chance to shoot Madeline. The gun fires, but the bullet skids along the ground forming a shallow trench.

The hunter recovers swiftly and aims the gun at me before either of us reacts. He shoots me in the leg, causing me to fly backward. I feel the silver piercing my skin.

“Ha! You're quite the savior aren't you?” Henry shouts.

I dig my claws into the wound, feeling slick bloody warmth. With a sharp tug, I extract the bullet, tearing through flesh as more blood oozes from the gaping wound. The moon shines on the small silver bullet while I shuffle away from it.

Henry aims at me again but I run back into the woods. The hunter wastes no time chasing me, completely forgetting about Madeline, which is exactly what I want.

I hide behind a clump of trees. No human eyes will be as sharp as mine in the darkness, but the bright moon isn't helping me tonight.

“Come on out,” Henry calls, poised to shoot at the slightest movement. “You can't save her by hiding. You love Madeline, don't you? Step out and pay for her sins.”

I grab a large rock beside me and hurl it high into the air. It lands in the distance and leads Henry that way.

“You can't hide for—”

I jump on the hunter from behind, trying to sink my fangs into his shoulder. Whatever his clothes are made of, they absorb most of the impact from my bite.

He shakes me off and tries to fire, but I slam my claws into the gun with all my strength. The weapon falls to the ground in front of us.

Henry brandishes a knife. “You think I'm afraid of you, an animal?”

I growl at him, baring my fangs. He swings wildly, clearly blinded by rage. I dodge the first swing, but quickly realize there's only one way to get closer.

I leap point-blank into the hunter's face. He stabs me in the gut, but I'm close enough to sink my fangs into the side of his head.

“Ahh!” He lets out a blood-curdling scream as I break into his skull. The hunter's lifeless body drops to the ground and so do I.

The knife blade is deep in my side, almost to the hilt. I rush back to Madeline, finding her unconscious. I slowly change to human form, realizing my mate is far too weak to do the same.

I hold her in my arms, realizing that she's barely breathing. “Madeline, today is not your day. Don't you dare die on me.” My head lowers to her chest, listening for her heartbeat. “Madeline please, you can't leave me now.”

There's still no response. She lies lifeless in my arms. My face burns as hot tears course down, blurring my vision.

“Madeline, you have to come back to me. I love you.” The confession is more genuine than any words I've ever said. I try to pull at the golden string that connects us through our bonds. “I love you. I want to be with you. Don't you dare leave me now. Madeline!”

She suddenly chokes for air, taking big gasps. Her chest rises and falls again and her eyes only open briefly before closing again.

“You're alive,” I say, laughter and tears mixing together. I hold her close, careful not to hurt her further, and act immediately. “I'll get you out of here.” I pick her up and settle her over my shoulders. My leg hurts like hell, but I push through the pain. “Don't worry, you'll be safe soon.”

I drag myself and Madeline through the woods, making sure to always pause and check to make sure she's breathing. We continue trudging through the woods, until finally we’re out of there. At that point, I don't care if we're seen; I just want to get her to safety.

Thankfully, it's too late at night for anyone to be outside when I reach the street where I parked my car. I help my mate into the car before getting into the driver's seat and breathe properly for the first time all night.

I glance at the phone next to me and notice a message from the alpha. I almost call him, but I decide to check what the text says first. Are these directions? Directions to Grant's house here in the city? I call him immediately. Luckily, he answers quickly. “Nate, are you guys okay?”

“No, we need a doctor!” I beg him. “Find someone! I think Madeline's been poisoned! Please, send someone!

“I'll send someone right away,” he promises. “Take her to my house and stay there. The doctor will meet you.”

I send a quick prayer of thanks to Grant and speed away. I hastily follow the directions leading me through the city. After almost half an hour driving, Iwe arrive at Grant's house.

The large front gate is already open, so I drive into the compound and park directly in front of the house. I open the back door and carefully lift Madeline out.

I take her to the living room and lay her flat on a couch. She still struggles, but at least she's breathing. I grab hold of her paw. “I'm here, my love.”

She opens her eyes and looks at me. Her breathing settles. She closes her eyes as if in pain, before slowly transitioning into human form. In just over a minute, she's back to her human form.

“Thank God!” I cry, pulling her into my arms. “I thought I lost you.” This time, the tears that flow are due to joy. “Thank you for coming back to me.”

She runs a high fever, but now I can see her facial expressions more clearly.

“Nate …” Madeline's voice is hoarse. Grant brings a bottle of water, and I tilt her head help her drink it.

She swallows all of it, which seems to help, so Grant brings another, just in case. “I thought I lost you,” I confess. I hold her hand to my lips and kiss it. “I love you, Madeline. Please, don't do anything like this again.”

“It got you to confess, didn't it?” she whispers, cracking a weak smile, but her smile quickly turns to small sobs. “I knew I was going to die.”

I hold her close. “I'd never let anything like that happen to you.”

“I'm so sorry,” she chokes.

I hold my mate even tighter. “Don't apologize. You're safe now. You're safe here with me.”

“No,” she continues crying. “He gave me wolfsbane. I can feel it moving through me.”

“He shot you with it? I don't see any injury.”

Madeline shakes her head. “He fed it to a rabbit and I ate the meat. I threw up most of it, but my body feels like it's on fire.” She grips me tightly. “I love you, Nate. I don't want to die.”

Her body is almost too hot to hold. “You're not going to die.”

A man appears at the front door, holding a small case. “Where is the patient?” Then he takes one look at me. “Oh, shit—are you okay?”

I suddenly realize I'm covered in my own blood with wounds still open. I look down at my side and shake my head. “I'm fine, just take care of her first. You must be the doctor?” I ask and he confirms with a nod. “She ingested wolfsbane.”

“Then we need to act fast.” He sets the case down and brings out a large syringe. “Madeline, do you remember me? I'm Dr. Gordon, your aunt's physician. You're going to be alright.”

He keeps talking to keep her awake. I watch quietly as he injects her. After a couple of seconds, she falls asleep. We both watch her, making sure she's still breathing.

“What did you give her?”

The doctor gets up and sighs. “It's an emergency treatment to help flush the wolfsbane out of her system.”

“Will she be okay?”

“Of course,” he states, putting my fears to rest. “You need to watch her closely and take good care of her, but she'll be just fine. She didn't ingest the wolfsbane long ago, so this treatment will work. It's a blessing her aunt has been sick with wolfsbane. This treatment isn't something we routinely have on hand.”

Once he's sure she's okay, Dr. Gordon attends to my wounds. My adrenaline is still too high for me to feel much pain from the stab wound. However, the bullet hole in my thigh throbs heavily.

“Thank you so much for helping,” I say as he finishes administering painkillers. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

The doctor nods. “Madeline needs to stay here. Moving her around won't help her condition.”

“So I can't take her to a more comfortable place? Like a bed?”

“She has to stay here at the house. You can move her to a bed, but it has to be here.”

“Understood.”

“She won't be able to transform either, but she should be strong enough to leave after the full moon tomorrow. That will help with her recovery.”

“Alright, thank you so much for coming, Dr. Gordon.”

I walk the doctor to the door and use the opportunity to get my phone from the car. When I get back, Madeline is still sleeping peacefully. I rest a hand on her forehead, where there's still a fever, but she's calmer and quieter now.

I lift her up and carefully carry her up the stairs to one of the large bedrooms. I set her down gently, putting a pillow behind her head and covering her with a warm quilt.

She mutters something I can't make out before going back to sleep. Once I'm sure she's secure, I call the alpha to give him an update.

“Nate, the doctor just called. He said you're not in the best shape either.”

“I'm a little banged up, but I'll live. We both will.”

“I'm glad you’re all safe.”

“Me too. Thank you for everything.”

“No need to thank me. I take it you were able to deal with the hunter.”

“He won't be bothering us any time soon,” I promise.

“Alright. We'll still keep an eye out,” Grant says. “Dr. Gordon also said you won't be joining us for the full moon.”

“Yeah, I'm not sure where I'm going to transform though.”

“I have a bunker where the basement should be. Feel free to use it.”

My eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

“Of course, I am. Take care of yourself and take care of Madeline.”

“I will.”

The call ends, leaving me with my mate. She reaches out and holds my arm even though she's still asleep. I crawl into bed beside her and pull her close to me.

“I love you,” I whisper. “I love you, Madeline.”