I gasped as he sank his teeth in, biting me hard enough to pull me away from Caspian and towards him.
Kai’s love rushed into me, shaking me to my core as he dived inside and solidified our bond.
I whimpered as his hand rounded my stomach, bringing me closer, releasing the bite so he could lick at the wound and kiss my neck.
“Fuck, I’ve wanted to do that since Caspian bit you. Do you know how unfair it is that I didn’t get to see you bond? Absolutely terrible behaviour. You’re going to have to make that one up to me.”
He said it with a smile, but his fear pounded through me. He couldn’t keep the tension out of his body, and it jumped inside me, nerves skipping through my veins.
He squeezed me as he met me with another serious look. “You need to focus, okay? You’re connected to him, too. If you pass out, we’ll lose even more of a connection.”
“But what if Caspian—”
“No, fuck that. You just need to stay with me, okay? You didn’t do this to Caspian. This isn’t your fault. You shouldn’t have to save him.” Kai’s hands were trembling against me. “You need to bite me, too, okay? Here’s my neck, just bite into me like you always do.”
He pressed his neck against my lips, but it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t bite down when everything was so sore.
“I can’t hold on. I’m not strong enough for this,” my voice slurred as I pushed out the words. The red dark was taking over me again, even when Kai licked the bite he gave me.
“Brandy, you’re fucking strong, but you don’t have to be strong for us, okay? You took on the Risler pack and bonded with us in three weeks. Who the fuck even does that, apart from someone made of steel? No one’s done what you’ve done. And we wouldn’t feel this way about anyone but you.”
He leaned down, placing another bite on my neck, his energy zipping through me, his presence filling me. I was sure he was just talking to keep me awake, but I wanted to believe what he was saying as well.
“I’m so fucking sorry you got mixed up with us,” he groaned as his teeth scratched over my collarbone. “But we can do this, okay? I just need you to be strong one more time, and that’s it, I promise.”
I wheezed as my lungs tightened, and the fury took me. I could hear myself shouting, but Kai bit me again, and I moaned, his own pain mixed with Caspian’s. He poured so much of himself into me it was like he’d grabbed my soul and yanked me, demanding me to come back to him.
“I’m sorry, Brandy,” he choked out as he clutched me. “I’m so sorry we’re not good enough for you. I’m so fucking sorry you’ve scent matched with pieces of shit like us, but I’ll make it better, okay? I’ll do everything to make you happy. I’ll make sure you’rehappy, I’ll give you everything you need, I promise. But you have to stay awake,” he gasped. “Just stay awake, please…”
“Why do you keep making me all these promises?” I sighed as pain beat in my heart like a drum as Caspian attacked me from inside. The red was getting deeper, and I couldn’t sense the shape of myself anymore. All there was was rage.
Kai laughed, even though panic was tearing through him, as my breathing slowed.
“Because I want you to keep us accountable.” He grinned through his worry as he brushed his nose over my cheek. “I don’t want our alphas to get away with anything after this. You have to stay awake to make them pay. And you can’t let me go, either, alright?”
Kai held me close as he buried his teeth in my neck again. He was going to chew me up at this rate.
“Please just stay awake,” he begged. “Don’t leave me. I need you too much,” he whimpered as he clung to me. “You can’t go when we’ve just found you.”
I flinched as another roar screeched in me. I didn’t think it could hurt any more, until my chest cracked and my whole body spasmed.
“I love you, Brandy,” he whispered so softly that I almost didn’t hear him as a low whine joined my pain. “So you have to stay awake, alright? Don’t let it take you.”
But my heart was squeezing so fiercely, I thought it was going to burst. Because I was so overwhelmed with the love that poured from him.
I wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to tell him how I felt too. But Caspian was fading. And Kai’s fear surged into a storm as the bond between us flickered.
“Kai? Where’s Caspian?” I moaned. I didn’t even know if I was talking or if it was my omega instincts demanding me to be with my mate. I was slipping away, that last sliver of myselfdesperately holding onto Kai. I didn’t want to go into the red dark and leave my omega with that look of horror on his face.
“Brandy! Hey!” Kai shook me, but it wasn’t enough. “Brandy!”
My head dropped forward. “We have to…” I trailed off, my nails burying into Kai’s arm. “We have to find Caspian…”
“Brandy! Don’t you fucking dare fall asleep,” he shouted so loud that his voice bounced around the corridor. “I swear to fucking God I’ll follow you and haunt the shit out of you in every fucking lifetime. Brandy!” He sank his teeth into my neck again, and I jolted. I groaned as Kai’s presence filled me, but Caspian’s wildness was swallowing me, and the red dark pulled me under.
“Brandy?” Kai’s whimpering was too far off in the distance. “Brandy, please, just stop. Come back to me. I love you, okay. Please, I love you, so don’t go.” I thought hearing Kai cry would only happen once in my life, but my heart ached as he clung to me, trembling hard as he dug his teeth into my shoulder and strengthened the bond.
I thought my insides were being crushed. My throat dry, tears slipped from my eyes as he held me.
