For a second, I thought about the others, knowing that they would disapprove, but that didn't matter. They needed him. They needed their steadfast and strong leader. The man who saved them all in one way or another. If I let him die because of me, I knew that something would be broken between all of us, and I refused to let anything else break in my world.
As I got closer, Rabid's shocked face was clear as day. His eyes flicked toward Killian, and the bullet that was covered in a deadly dose of wolfsbane making its way over to him. I saw when he connected the dots, when he realized what I was doing. Even if I didn't hear it, I saw the words forming on his lips, telling me to go away. All I did was smile, letting him know in the simplest and easiest way that I was okay with this. I accepted my fate as soon as Killian pulled the trigger.
I jumped at the last second, angling myself just right to ensure he didn't get hit. Pain rippled from my chest and I sighed in relief. I did it. Rabid was safe.
Instead of the forest ground that I expected to feel, I was shaking uncontrollably, almost like I was in the middle of an earthquake. I cracked my eyes open to see Rabid shaking, his skin rippling as his teeth elongated into fangs, and his hair started to grow. I felt his fingers carve into my arms, so I knew he was still part human.
"Rabid! Rabid! Don't shift! Keep yourself in control. You don't want to hurt Celine even more!" I heard Gears' voice scream, panic and desperation peppered his usually calm and collected wolf. It sounded weird coming from him.
It looked like Bricks had his massive arms wrapped around Rabid's neck as Gears told him to calm down, to not shift, and the shaking subsided.
A finger traced down my cheek softly, and my face tilted towards its sweet call. "Cupcake, keep your eyes open. Please don't go to sleep. We got you. We are going to get help. Just stay with us. Please stay with us." I could feel the water tracking down Duce's face even though I wasn't touching him. Hear the despair and pain in his voice. It hurt my heart, and I wanted to confront him, except my arms wouldn't work.
I heard a loud, sorrowful roar, followed by bones crunching, and the wet sound of blood being spilled. I could feel my eyes growing heavier and heavier, even with Duce and Gears trying to wake me up. I felt my life force draining from me as hands were scrambling to stop the bleeding, desperately calling for an ambulance.
My mind suddenly became clear, so clear, that I almost wanted to hit myself over the head with it. As darkness took over my vision and I slumped against a hard body, I realized that I deeply cared for these men and did not want to part from them.
Chapter 24
ThefirstthingIfelt was annoyed at the beeping sound that was waking me up. It was going in time with my pulsing headache, which made matters worse. Flashes of Killian smiling, my panic, and Rabid looking like half-wolf, half-man entered my mind.Oh, right. I was shot. Before I cracked my eyes open, I took an inventory of my body.
Wiggled my toes,check. Shifting my legs,check. I took a deep breath,oh, that hurt. As soon as I inhaled and felt a soreness radiate from my chest, I grimaced. I settled back down and cracked my eyes open, seeing a large, slumped form beside me. I saw the tattoos on folded arms, a head full of honey-brown hair, and a deep grumble of a sign as the figure shifted towards me. I looked down, recognizing that familiar angular face. Rabid.
I smiled. Relief filled my soul as he lay there sleeping. Alive and well. I lifted my hand closest to him, not able to resist the magnetic pull to run my fingers lightly through his silky hair. I needed to feel him, to touch him, for my mind to connect that everything was all right.
My fingers had barely started to sink in when his eyes popped open, and he looked up at me, not moving at all, just staring. We stayed like that for a second, eyes taking our fill of each other before I came to my senses and yanked my hand back. “Sorry.”
He snapped out, grabbing my hand before I could slide it underneath the covers. “I don’t mind,” he rambled, holding my hand as he made small circles with his thumb. It was weird while at the same time comforting. Almost like my mind didn't understand, but my body craved his touch, just like it did for the others. We stayed like that, him looking at me and me looking at our joined hands until I worked up the courage to talk.
“So, uh, what happened? Are the guys okay? How many casualties did we have?” His lips turned up into a lazy smile, making my cheeks redden and my whole body uneasy in a different kind of way. I squirmed under his solid gaze uncontrollably, and his eyes turned into a swirl of golden honey as his smile turned devious. I pulled my eyes away from his odd smile that was making my stomach flutter uncomfortably like a little schoolgirl. I glanced around the room for the first time and noticed the white walls, my arm hooked up to machines, and I was on the most uncomfortable bed in the world. Yep. I was in the hospital. Yuck.
He began to rumble as I looked around. “We didn't know anything about how sirens heal, so we brought you to the nearest hospital. They were all very fascinated with you because they have not had a lot of experience with sirens, let alone full-blooded ones with so much power.” I gazed at him, hearing the question in his voice that I didn't want to answer, so I kept quiet until he continued. “They had to take the bullet out, which grazed your heart, by the way.”
His hand fisted my sheets until he relaxed. “The bullet was laced with a lethal dose of wolfsbane, so if you were a wolf, you would’ve died within seconds.” I nodded at that information, expecting it. Now I was more than happy that I jumped in front of that bullet. It would’ve for sure killed Rabid, sending the Moon Raiders into a downward spiral without their alpha. “They used a magic-infused healing water drip on your wound, and it started to heal up slowly.”
I nodded. “How long have I been here?”
“Only nine hours, twenty-three minutes, and fifteen seconds.” He rattled it off like he had been counting it in his head, but how could he when he was asleep? It seemed like he cared more than he should, I just didn't get it. We both settled in an uncomfortable silence, the questions we really wanted to ask hanging in the air, unspoken.
“And everyone else? How is everyone else?” I shifted to sit up, his hand hovering over me to help. He sighed when I glared at him, settling back in his chair next to my bed with a huff.
“So far, everyone is fine. We don't have any casualties, maybe a few scars that some of the young pups are bragging about, but no one died.” I exhaled, my shoulders relaxed into the thin mattress and stiff springs.
“The guys?” Curious as to where they all were.
“They just left about an hour ago to make sure everything is back up, fully running, and secure before they come back to check on you.” It sounded logical, practical, which was something I had expected from Rabid and Gears but not the rest of them. He must’ve seen something in my face because he continued, “Yeah. We found out the hard way that my wolf would not let me leave your side.” He looked at the door, rubbing his neck as it turned red. “The second I tried to step outside this hospital, my wolf started to force me to shift, trying to take over to bring us back to you. Once we figured that out, the guys all told me to stay. And they all went back.”
My head jerked towards him as my mouth went dry. His wolf wouldn't let him leave me? What was that about? What does that mean? Before I could verbalize any of that, he turned back to me. His expression was a mix of pain and wonderment. “Why, Celine?” He couldn't mask the hurt and confusion in his voice as he asked, “Why did you jump in front of me?”
I tensed up for a second, not wanting to make this even more awkward. “I mean, someone had to make sure that idiot vampire didn't get what he wanted, right?” I puffed out a laugh.
Rabid let out a frustrated breath as his features grew a little sad. “I should’ve expected your trademark response, making a joke to divert from the thing you don't want to discuss or keep hidden.”
I folded my arms, wincing when they hit my chest, but raised my chin and looked down at him, “It's better than not answering at all like some people I know.”
He tilted his head for a second, puffed out a laugh as he ran his hands over his face, and said, “Touché.”
We both sat in silence again, tension building so high it was giving me a headache. I relented. “Look, the Moon Raiders need you. They need their leader,” his mouth dropped open at my admission, “but more than that, you are the one that found them all, brought them to one spot and glued them all together. Giving everyone a sense of purpose in a world that told them they had none. That they were worthless and unimportant.” I could see an unknown emotion entering his eye, so I fell on my default response to these kinds of touchy-feely situations. “Plus, I just kill people. It's not that big of a sacrifice.”
