11. Ciaryn
11
CIARYN
S tella sways on her feet, and I catch her before she can hit the ground.
I was unaware I had even moved until I’m cradling her small body in my arms. Her skin is sickly pale. She feels cold and clammy to the touch. I press my hand to her wound, and it is instantly wet with her blood. Her eyelids are heavy—her blinks are too long.
“Stella,” I whisper hoarsely. “Stay awake. Keep your eyes open, please. Stella.”
Her hand limply raises to my cheek, caressing it softly. The look of adoration in her eyes causes my heart to crack. Each breath is painfully shallow. I curl myself around her. Members of my pack have gathered close, each one whining and lowering on all fours.
“I love you, Ciaryn,” she says softly. Tears fall down her round cheeks. “I always will.”
I hold her close and howl up towards the sky. This cannot be happening. I just found her, and I’ve already lost her. She can’t die. There has to be something I can do. Someone as wonderful as Stella should be saved. If there is any force out there, I silently beg for it to come and help her. I’ll give anything for this not to be the end of us.
My heart shatters with each of her ragged breaths. I clutch her close, vowing that if she doesn’t make it, neither shall I. I understand my father more now than I ever have. How had he lived thirty years without his mate? I don’t know if I can bear even thirty seconds without her. My agony yawns open and threatens to swallow me whole.
Her body is cold as I howl once again. The sound shakes the trees above. My cries echo around me until I feel the ground beneath me rattling with despair. My body shakes with the force of my trembling. I can hardly stand it. I kiss her face, whispering words of love and devotion in her ears as the world around us ripples. I will my broken heart to kill me so that we can be reunited in whatever comes after this life.
Perhaps the ground will open and swallow us both.
A startled yelp goes up amongst our pack, and the wolves around me dig their claws into the grass. Only once their unease tickles my neck do I finally realize the ground is actually shaking. The trees around us wobble and pull back as the ground below us opens. Bright light spills up from beneath the crack in the soil—the pungent scent of fresh flowers and dank earth soaks the air.
From the crumbly ground, a lone figure appears.
Its skin is milky green, and its eyes are wholly black. A crown of gnarled branches rests over its brow. It’s dressed in a silk skirt and matching pants. Its bare hands are black and tipped with deadly claws. I snarl at the intruder and haul Stella harder against me.
“What are you?” I demand. “Why are you here?”
If this is some demon that has come to spirit her soul away, I will slay him where he stands. No one is touching my mate—I refuse to let even death separate us.
The creature arches a delicate white brow.
“A friend,” it replies simply.
In a flash of white light, he appears beside me. His long fingers glide over Stella’s brow, and I snap my teeth at him and pull her away. The creature merely waves a hand, unperturbed by my threat.
“She’s dying.”
The blunt statement feels like being gutted by a silver knife. I look away, pressing another kiss to her cold brow. Her breaths are even fainter than before. The creature huffs beside me before rising to his full height and brushing invisible dirt from his pants.
“You wolves are such obstinate creatures. It’s been ages since I dealt with one. Only for my blossom would I do something like this.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
“Speak plainly,” I spit.
Rolling his eyes, the creature extends a hand towards Stella.
“I will save your little mate.”
Apprehension tickles the back of my neck. I’ve heard of creatures like this who live in The Woods . One’s who bargain and make deals. One’s who have power over life and death. My father warned me of such beings and to take care when dealing with them.
An offer like this is not given without repayment.
“Tick-tock, wolf. Her final breath draws nearer every moment.” His dark eyes glow. “Saving her then won’t be as simple.”
“You can restore her to what she was before?”
The creature nods.
With a deep breath, I look down at Stella’s face. I vowed to always protect her, and I meant it. Whatever this creature wants for his help I shall be the one to give it.
“I will take on the debt of this bargain.” My voice is firm.
“That is not for you to decide.” Before I can protest, he waves another dismissive hand. “But lucky for you, this is repayment for the debt I owe your mate. She saved mine from a most unfortunate fate, and now I am here to do the same.”
Shock renders me speechless. However, if a creature like this owes anyone a favor, it would be Stella. Her kindness knows no bounds. I would know, after all.
With a wave of the creature's hand, warm light envelopes Stella. The scent of flowers nearly blankets her honey scent. I watch in awe as color returns to her sallow cheeks. There is a soft clink as the bullet from her wound slips from her body, and the hole closes up. Her full lips part on a gasp, and she blinks wild blue eyes open at me.
“Ciaryn,” she murmurs.
I say nothing but rain kisses all over her beautiful face. My lips touch every part of her, and I hold her close. Her warmth soaks into me as she clutches at my arms.
“Stella, Stella.” I repeat her name as a reminder that she is here with me.
Turning towards the stranger still lingering beside us, I give him a nod.
“Thank you for saving her.”
Stella’s eyes widen as she takes in the figure. A small gasp leaves her when it smiles, exposing two sets of pointed teeth.
“Wolves live much longer than humans do. I fixed that little obstacle for you two as well.”
It is my turn to gasp. Both of us share a look of bewilderment. That had been another point I meant to explain to her. Wolves can live hundreds of years, but most will bind their lives to their mates and grow old with them. My father had not been mated to my mother long enough to see it as a necessity yet, so he lingered without her.
Now, Stella and I no longer have to worry about that.
“And my thanks to you, Stella, for helping my Laurelle flee your brother all those years ago,” the creature says with a smile. “Helping you escape the castle and saving you tonight was the least I could do.”
Stella’s eyes widened. “That was y?—”
Before she can finish, the creature is gone. The ground groans as it shuffles back into place and neatly knits over as if it had never opened in the first place. A calmness settles over the clearing.
I feel off-kilter as I hold Stella in my arms. In one moment, I was ready to will myself to die to be with her, and now the two of us have centuries to enjoy each other. We stare at each other, lost in the overwhelming sensation of our love. She turns in my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck.
My pack gathers around us, each member bloody from the fight. Our quarrel with the hunters seems so long ago. Stella frowns before looking over each of the wolfmen gathered there.
“I’m sorry to all of you for exposing myself like that. I just thought I had to try at least if there was a way to end this without bloodshed.” She shakes her head. “Now I see that a show of force is necessary to keep our home and each other safe.”
A great howl goes up, and they all bow their heads to my mate. I hold her close, rising with her in my arms, and nod to those around us.
“We will work on fortifying the den so that if any more hunters come looking for her—or any of us—they will be snuffed out swiftly.”
“In the meantime,” Stella says, grinning at me before approaching our pack. “I will tend to your wounds.”
I want to argue and demand she go back to our room where I can keep a close eye on her and remind myself that she is very much alive. However, her look tells me she needs to do this. As mistress of the pack, these are her people, too, and tending to them will solidify her role here.
“Those less injured, stay with me to help strengthen our defenses.”
I press a kiss to Stella’s mouth and allow her to disappear into the den with a few of our most heavily wounded. The clearing empties quickly, with only Brydon and a few other wolves remaining to help set up traps.
A limping Lukar stumbles over to me. Blood still oozes from many of his wounds, and one of his eyes is swelling shut.
“Alpha,” he says, spitting blood from his mouth. “I didn’t mean to bring them here. It was foolish to go off alone, but I needed space to think. They tortured me. I?—”
“All is well, Lukar,” I say, touching his shoulder. “You need Stella’s healing. As an important member of this pack, I want to see you well taken care of.”
Lukar bows his head.
“Your mate is very brave, alpha.” Longing dances in his eyes. “I hope to find my own one day.”
“You will,” I reassure him.
I look at the faces of the other wolves gathered. Even Brydon, who was a century older than my father, still has that same look of longing. I never understood why only my father had found his mate. It is a mystery that has plagued our pack for centuries.
Don’t worry—I took care of that, too, says a voice on the wind. I shudder at the sound, but I feel comforted by it. For the first time in my life, there is true hope for the future—not just for Stella and me but for the pack as well.
“Trust me, I have a feeling you’ll all find your mates very soon.”