By the time I’d managed to get out of the car, still limping badly, Rys and Gabriel had appeared at the door to the pack house.
Rys’s eyes narrowed as he noticed my limp. He opened his mouth, no doubt about to ask what was wrong, when Elliot opened the back door to get to Max.
Rys’s roar scared the birds from the trees.
Elliot stepped back out of the way as Rys stalked over to the car. “Who did this?” he growled, jaw tense as he struggled to stay in control.
Gabriel came up behind him. “Oh fuck,” he hissed, when he got a good look at Max. His hand covered his mouth, eyes wide.
“We stitched the wounds as best we could,” Elliot said, softly. “He wasn’t…” he faltered, and Rys growled again. “He wasn’t healing.”
Closing his eyes, Rys ducked inside the car and gently settled a hand over the worst of Max’s wounds. He inhaled in one long pull. As an alpha his senses were sharper, more attuned than ours, able to pick up subtle changes in Max’s body that neither Elliot nor I could.
We all held our breath.
“You saved his life,” Rys murmured, expression soft as he studied where Elliot had patched Max back together. Then he turned to us, and all the warmth evaporated as his wolf rose to the surface. Cold and unforgiving. “Who did this?” he asked again, and the barely contained fury in it sent a shiver down my spine.
“Xen,” I said, holding onto the car door for support.
“I’ll kill him,” Rys whispered, his whole body vibrating.
“Rys.” Gabriel put a hand on his back. “I know you’re angry,Goddess knowsI am too, but I need you to calm down. You can’t help Max until you do.”
I marvelled as the rage seemed to drain out of him. A soulbond was a powerful thing.
Rys nodded and, ignoring Elliot’s offer of help, scooped Max out of the back seat as if he weighed nothing.
I growled, instinct kicking in. “Give him to me.”
Everyone froze.
Except Rys.
My hands curled into fists as he turned to face me, Max still in his arms.
“I know you want to protect him,” Rys said, voice soft but firm, with no trace of the alpha power he carried. “He’s badly hurt, and he’s your…” His gaze flicked to Elliot. “…pack. Your instinct is to guard him.”
I swallowed the urge to rip Max away from him and nodded.
“It’s mine, too,” Rys said. “He’s my family, and you’re in my territory. You brought him here because you know I’ll protect him with my life.”
I nodded again, because he was right. My hands uncurled as my wolf settled some at his words, rational thought returning. Scrubbing a hand over my face, I muttered, “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“Never apologise for following your instincts.” Rys shook his head. “But you’re in no state to carry him anywhere, and Ineedto do this. Will you let me?”
The faint tremor in his voice caught my attention, the raw vulnerability he was letting me see settling my wolf. I tilted my neck to the side in submission. “Yes.”
With another nod, Rys turned and then carried Max inside.
Gabriel fell into step beside me as I limped after them. “Areyouokay?” He glanced at my leg, expression grave.
I shrugged. “I’ll live.”
“Come inside and get off that leg.” Gabriel stepped over the threshold but stopped when both Elliot and I came to an abrupt halt.
I whined. As desperate as I was to stay close to Max, I couldn’t go any further.
Elliot eyed the pack house with some trepidation.
