2. Kace
2
KACE
The violent screams and shrieks of a fight pumped adrenaline through my veins. It sounded downright vicious—and too close to Rubydawn for comfort. The closer we got, the thicker the stink of blood became. I knew it was bad, I just didn’t realize how bad.
Despite the crimson soaking into his snow-white fur and the agony in his cries, the loner was the most beautiful wolf I’d ever seen in my life. Covered in blood and gore, he dragged himself closer with soft whimpers and gasped breaths. His blue eyes were glassy with pain and sorrow, but when I dropped to my knees beside him, he only sought comfort.
His whine was plaintive, pleading. My heart stuttered behind its cage of bones and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. It shot through me like a fiery arrow—this wolf was my mate . My Omega. I was certain of it. This was the man I’d been waiting for, and he was bleeding out in my arms.
“Hurry,” I snapped at my sister. “Go fetch Mom.” Our mother was a veterinarian, and if anyone could save this wounded wolf, it was her. Tasha’s gaze lingered on me a moment longer than I would’ve liked, but it was my friend Pike who nudged her into action.
“You heard the man. Let’s go. Time’s a-wasting.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. Pike patted my shoulder and followed her.
I was alone.
My gut twisting, I turned my attention back to the wolf. He trembled violently in my lap. I smoothed my hands down his cheeks and ran fingers through his grimy fur. I didn’t want to face the truth. He wouldn’t last long, not with these wounds.
“Hold on, honey. Please, hold on.” I knew he couldn’t hear me, but I felt the need to speak, if anything else, to hear my own voice. I swallowed hard, shaken by the sudden fear that I’d found my fated mate, only to lose him before I ever learned his name.
It wasn’t long before several wolves came running up, Mom’s Gator bouncing through the woods after them. She took one look at the wounded Omega in my lap and grimaced. That wasn’t a good sign. She cursed underneath her breath, but my mother was nothing if not determined. When she saw a life in danger, she would do her damndest to save it.
“Let’s go, people,” she barked. “We’ve gotta move fast.”
Pike and I gently eased the wolf onto an old comforter, and the two of us lifted him into the backseat of the ATV. My friend shot me a concerned look, questioning me, but I shook my head. Later. There would be time for explanations after my mate was in the clear.
Mom ran the clinic out of her home, so we didn’t have far to go. I rested my hand on the loner’s shoulder and let his head drape over my knee as the Gator tore off towards packlands.
From there, everything seemed to blur together.
The wolf lay motionless on the stainless steel exam table, hooked up to an IV drip. His eyes were slitted open, but his breathing was shallow. It scared me. Mom caught my eye and frowned. “He’s lost a lot of blood. We might be too late. You realize that, right?”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Try.”
“I’ll do my best, honey.”
“Keep your chin up, bro.” My little sister Quinn squeezed my shoulder, then slipped past me into the room, shutting the door behind her. She would assist with the surgery in any way she could; she and Mom made a good team. He was under the best care possible.
I took a deep breath to calm my cagey inner-wolf, and went out into the lobby to wait.
I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I paced the floors. My chest was filled with this strange sort of longing, an ache that I’d never quite felt before. It hurt in the worst of ways, not knowing if my future husband was dying on that operating table. Not knowing if I’d ever get the chance to hear the sound of his voice, or see him smile, or taste his lips on mine.
It wasn’t long before they called me back. My stomach was in knots. God, if you’re listening… Please, just give me this. Help him pull through and I’ll never ask for anything ever again. I gulped down my nerves and met Mom at the door.
“Is he…”
“He needs a transfusion,” she said firmly.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” I told her. Truth was, I was terrified of needles, but that didn’t matter. He needed me.
With a short nod, she led me back into the room. I hesitated when I saw my Omega splayed out on the cold steel table, wrapped in gauze and bandages. His side rose and fell, though, and that’s all I cared about.
I forced myself to focus on him while Quinn wrapped my upper arm in a tight rubber tourniquet. I hissed and sank down in one of the chairs. I felt a little woozy already, and I hadn’t even seen the needle yet.
“Close your eyes,” she murmured. I did, but damn if my heart didn’t go crazy. “You’re just fine. For a big, strong Alpha, you sure are a wimp.” She laughed and pricked the skin of my inner-elbow, before taping the tube in place. I groaned under my breath and opened my eyes once more, but averted my gaze.
“Thanks, sis.”
“No prob, brother-mine. Let me just take your precious lifeblood like the vampire I am. Mwahaha. Real talk, though? He’s gonna need a lot, so you might start feeling a little weak and light-headed. Tell me if you do, okay?”
“Is that a bad thing?” I asked, cutting another glance to the wounded wolf.
“Nah. We’re shifters, remember? It’s nothing a couple glasses of OJ and some rest won’t fix. In a couple of days, you won’t even remember it.”
I scowled. “Pretty sure I will. I hate needles.”
“I know. He must be some wolf, huh?” Her hazel eyes got big and shiny and her voice dropped to a hush. “Is this the one?” The one I’d been waiting my entire life for. The one I’d saved myself for, despite interest from other Omegas throughout the years. My soulmate.
“I think so, yeah,” I said softly, placing my flattened palm over where my heart was currently thumping away. “I don’t… I can’t explain how I know, but I feel it right here. He’s mine, and I’ll do anything to help him. Anything.”
“Wow.”
“Wouldn’t you do the same for Shannon?” Quinn had fallen in love with her Alpha when they were just a couple of goofy teenagers. Two years ago, he’d dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She’d replied with an emphatic “Yes!” and the two of them were happily mated, with a daughter of their own. My niece Isobel was the cutest little stinker ever.
She deadpanned. “Duh, but uh… I’ve known Shannon since we were pups. We were in grade school together, Kace. It’s a little different. This guy is a complete stranger to you. You don’t even know his name.”
“Not yet,” I said. “But if I feel this strongly towards a man I’ve never met, he’s gotta feel something too. You know, when he’s not on his deathbed.” I grimaced and leaned back in my seat, trying to avoid looking at my blood slowly filling the plastic bag.
“I hope so, for your sake,” said Quinn with a smile.
When the first bag was full, she swapped it out for a fresh one and immediately began transfusing my blood into the weakened Omega.
I watched the crimson liquid trail down a clear tube and into where the IV was taped into his foreleg. I had to cling to the hope that the magic in my blood would be enough to bring him back to me, so that I could get to know the man my heart was suddenly singing for.