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REYES

“I t can’t be,” I whisper, my voice barely cutting through the roar of my own pulse.

I can’t believe what I’m seeing—or more like what I’m feeling in every cell. My wolf is losing it, clawing at me, demanding I let him loose. The scent—blackberries and leather—wraps around me, squeezing out every logical thought, leaving only this raw, primal need.

The bleeding stranger beneath me?

She’s my mate.

For a second, I just…freeze. Questions batter my brain: How? Why now? Why her? But none of it matters. Not to the part of me that’s been caged for so long it’s ready to rip through the bars.

She’s here.

She’s mine.

And she’s dying.

Movement snaps me out of it. The guy who shot her is galloping away, dodging punishment. My wolf howls, begging me to go after him, to make him pay for what he’s done. A growl bubbles up in my chest, but I glance down at her and—fuck. Her heartbeat is slowing down, faint and uneven.

I can’t chase him. Not when my mate needs me. She’s more important.

I drop back to her side, my hands framing her hips. Instinct drives me to press my lips against the blood slicking her stomach, desperate to do something, anything, to stop it. The taste of blood floods my senses, sharp and metallic, mixed with that maddening blackberry sweetness. The bullet hit her gut, just off to the left. A kill shot if I don’t act fast.

The pain in her face, the weak rise and fall of her chest…it’s like it’s happening to me. My wolf snarls, urging me to save her, to claim her, to do whatever it takes.

“Stay with me,” I murmur, my voice rough, breaking against her skin. “Don’t you dare give up now.”

I run my tongue over the wound, lapping at the blood. It’s primal, pure and simple, the wolf taking over. Her blood is rich, wild, tinged with blackberry, and every pass of my tongue feels like I’m holding her here, tethering her to life. Our venom–our saliva–has healing properties, or so I’ve heard. It’s why the gunshot she hit me with is already on the mend…but I’m full lycan, and she’s human. She needs more than this.

My wolf paces inside me, restless and raging.

She’s not just anyone. She’s ours.

“Reyes!”

I spin, snarling, crouching over her like a shield. Will has just walked up and he freezes, hands raised in surrender. Smart move. The power rolling off me isn’t something he wants to mess with right now.

“It’s me,” he says cautiously, like he’s trying not to spook a cornered animal. “Are there any others?”

The bushes rustle, and I catch Grant’s scent before he steps into view, rifle ready. He glances between me and her, his expression flipping between confusion and alarm.

“No,” I grind out, the word coming rough, heavy. “Three are dead. The last one ran off.”

Will’s eyes flick toward the trees, where the horses are still tied up. They’re restless, their nervous whinnies cutting through the quiet. “Well, at least they left us these,” he mutters, jerking his head toward the horses. “Could be useful.”

I barely hear him. My focus is locked on my mate’s pale face, on the blood soaking into the dirt beneath her. Her chest rises and falls so faintly it’s like she’s already half gone. “Will, she needs help.”

His brow furrows. “Reyes, she’s one of them. Why would?—”

I’m on him before he can finish, my hand slamming around his throat as I pin him to the nearest tree. His growl is automatic, reflexive, but I squash it with one of my own. The Alpha Prime in me rises to the surface, dominance rolling off me in waves.

“Get her help,” I growl, my voice razor-sharp.

Grant steps forward, pale but steady. “I’ll get Suyin,” he says, already moving. “She’s in the den. I’ll bring her out.”

“Now,” I snap, releasing Will. “And Will—scan the area. Make sure we’re clear.”

Will hesitates, his jaw tight, but he nods and disappears into the shadows.

And then it’s just me and her again.

I kneel beside her, pressing my ear to her chest. Her heartbeat is faint, too faint. My hand shakes as I brush a strand of blood-matted chestnut hair from her face, fallen loose from a long braid. She’s bleeding so much that it’s drenched her clothes, her dark hair… “Don’t you dare give up on me,” I whisper, my voice cracking.

Every second drags, each breath a fragile thread holding her to life. My logical mind screams that this is a bad idea, that doing what my wolf wants risks everything I’ve worked for. But none of that matters. Not right now.

I close my eyes and breathe her in. Her scent—blackberries and leather—feeds the restless wolf clawing at the edges of my mind. This isn’t a fight I can win with logic.

This is instinct. Pure, primal instinct.

“Forgive me,” I murmur, my voice low and hoarse, unsure if I’m asking God or my mate.

And then I sink my teeth into her hip.

The moment my teeth break her skin, the world sharpens. Her blood is hot and…fuck, it’s delicious, her flavor coursing through me like wildfire. My wolf howls in triumph, surging forward, clawing at the edges of control. For a second, it’s like I’m drowning in her—her scent, her taste, her essence.

Everything about her screams mine.

I release my clamped jaws and brush messy kisses around the fringes of the wound, giving into every wild impulse. Here in the light of the full moon…this feels right. Touching her, kissing her, claiming her.

Her body jerks under me, a faint gasp escaping her lips, and I freeze. She’s still alive–barely–but the bond is taking hold. My venom will work fast, pushing her body to heal itself, infecting her with lycanthropy. I pull back to see that the bleeding has already slowed, my bite mark almost fully healed as her skin knits itself back together.

It won’t be immediate, but she’s not going to die.

I pull back, licking the blood from my lips, and for a second, I just look at her. Her face is pale, her breaths shallow, but she’s still here. Still fighting.

I swear under my breath and scoop her up, cradling her against my chest. She’s too light, her weight barely registering against me. Her blood has soaked into my skin, into my hair, and the scent of it—of her —follows me like a shadow.

The others are going to lose their shit when they find out about this. A crusader in the den? One with my mark on her? Yeah, that’ll go over well. But I don’t care. I’ll deal with the fallout later.

Right now, she’s the only thing that matters.

I break into a sprint, moving faster than I should with her in my arms, the terrain blurring around me. The pack will be gathered at the den, and I can already hear the murmurs, the laughter, the low growls of wolves in heat. It grates against me, this reminder of what I’ve denied myself, but it also stokes a fire. My wolf is restless, pacing in the back of my mind, ready to tear apart anyone who so much as looks at her wrong.

And when she’s healed…

I shake my head to dispel those sinful thoughts as I walk past the perimeter fence and the old sign for Inner Space Caverns. The den comes into view, a sprawling network of tunnels and rooms carved into the earth. A crowd has gathered at the entrance, their eyes narrowing as they catch sight of me. I must look like hell—bloodied, naked, with a dying crusader in my arms—but I don’t slow down.

“Reyes!” Mateo calls, stepping forward. My brother’s face is tight, his brows furrowed in confusion. “What the hell is this?”

“Not now,” I snap, my voice sharp enough to cut. “Where’s Suyin?”

“She’s inside,” Mateo says, his gaze flicking to the woman in my arms. His mouth opens like he’s about to ask more questions, but I don’t give him the chance.

I push past him, through the murmuring crowd, and head straight for my room. The familiar scents of the den surround me—earth, wood, sweat and pheromones—but all I can focus on is her.

She should be in the clinic–not here. But I can’t bring her there, not when I’ve marked her, when she’s an enemy. I lay her down on the bed, staining the blankets with blood. She stirs, a faint whimper escaping her lips, and my chest tightens.

“It’s okay,” I murmur, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You’re safe.”

Suyin arrives a moment later, her bag slung over one shoulder. Her sharp eyes take in the scene—me, naked and bloodied, hovering over a woman who just shot me. The nudity isn’t a problem anymore; when you hang out with shifters, you get used to it.

“What the hell, Reyes?” Suyin growls.

“She was dying,” I say, straightening. “She’s still dying. Help her.”

Suyin hesitates, her gaze darting between me and the woman on the bed. “You bit her,” she says, her tone flat.

I don’t answer. I don’t need to.

She sighs, muttering something under her breath as she moves to the bedside. “You realize this is going to cause problems, right? Like, massive problems?”

“She’s my mate,” I say, the words coming out rough, raw.

Suyin freezes, her hands hovering over her bag. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was.” I rub a hand over my face, the weight of it all crashing down. “Just…help her. Please.”

Suyin sighs.

“Fine,” she says. “Just…get dressed, please. I don’t need a priest swinging his dick around while I work.”

Her lips press into a thin line, and she drops to her knees beside the bed, her medical kit clinking softly as she pulls out a bottle of antiseptic and some gauze. I do as she asked, going to the dresser to pull out some sweats and a t-shirt. I’m hoping she’ll be done when I’m dressed, faster than possible…but she’s not.

So I crouch at the end of the bed and watch the woman bleeding out in my room.

My mate.

The room is heavy with tension, the only sounds the soft clink of Suyin’s tools and the shallow rasp of the woman’s breath. My wolf stirs uneasily, pacing just beneath the surface, his instincts at war with the sight of her still and vulnerable.

“She’s healing fast,” Suyin mutters as she dabs at the wound with a soaked cloth. The woman groans, and I fight the urge to pull her away, to shield my mate from any more pain.

“Faster, but not fast enough,” I say, my voice rough.

Suyin doesn’t look up. “It’s the venom,” she says, her tone clipped. “It’s doing the work, but it’s not a miracle cure, Reyes. You know that.”

I grit my teeth and stay quiet, watching as she threads a needle with practiced precision. The steady rhythm of her hands, the careful pull of the stitches through flesh—it’s hypnotic, almost mechanical.

Time slows.

Every second feels like an eternity as Suyin works, her expression unflinching. I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until she finally leans back on her heels, her fingers pressing lightly against the edges of the wound.

“She’s stable,” Suyin says after what feels like an eternity. She stands, wiping her hands on a rag. “But she’s going to be pissed when she wakes up.”

“I’ll deal with it,” I say, my voice low.

Suyin gives me a look, one that says good luck, you idiot, before slinging her bag over her shoulder. “You’ve got about an hour before the others start asking questions,” she says. “Figure out what you’re going to tell them.”

I nod, but I don’t respond. My focus is entirely on my mate—the steady rise and fall of her chest, the faint flush of color returning to her cheeks.

She’s alive. That’s all I can ask for.

Suyin leaves, and the room falls silent. I take her place, kneeling. My mate stirs again, her lips parting like she’s trying to say something, but no words come out.

I clasp my hands together, lowering my head as the familiar rhythm of prayer begins to fill the room.

“Heavenly Father,” I whisper, my voice low but steady. “Thank You for sparing her life. For guiding my hand when I was too lost in myself to see clearly. Forgive me for what I’ve done—what I’ve had to do—and for what I might have to do next. You know my heart. You know my struggle.”

The words falter for a moment, and I glance at her again. She looks so small, so fragile beneath the weight of what’s just happened.

“Help me protect her,” I say, my voice roughening with the weight of the plea. “Help me find the strength to keep her safe, no matter what it costs me. And forgive me, Lord, if I’ve already failed her.”

I sit in the silence that follows, the words lingering in the air like an unanswered question. The wolf inside me stirs uneasily, pacing against the edges of my control, but for once, he stays quiet.

And so I pray, long into the night, as the full moon watches over us both.