Chapter One #2
In complete silence, Kyrie made the trip home.
He didn’t even bother turning on the radio.
His social battery and tolerance for sound had been completely drained.
Some wolves didn’t get to be young. Kyrie topped that list. He was exhausted and lonely.
Tired of rejection. Lights passed by, hypnotizing Kyrie.
He zoned out, driving on autopilot. Everything blurred.
Life took on an edge of surreality. Kyrie blinked.
His car sat in the driveway of his duplex.
Kyrie had zero memory of how he had gotten home.
That was scary. He needed to get some sleep.
Wolves howled in the woods at the edge of his backyard.
Kyrie’s skin itched. He wanted to set his wolf free and run.
Just keep running until he dropped. Wherever he landed, he would start a new life there.
There was nothing for him in Wulfe. He was different.
Everyone knew it. No one wanted to claim a child everyone knew would put them in danger.
All it took was one look at Kyrie’s eyes to see he wasn’t full wolf.
There was more in his blood. Something powerful. Dangerous.
As Kyrie stumbled through the front door into the darkness, everything looked as bright as day to him.
He tossed his apron full of tips on the couch and headed for the kitchen.
Kyrie was terrible about remembering to drink or eat.
That half a breadstick he had shared with Fen was all he had eaten in probably two days.
He supposed he’d had water at some point in the day.
While it was fairly affordable to live in Wulfe, especially with a pack discount, Kyrie stayed too exhausted to cook for himself and too broke to eat takeout all the time.
He was one hundred percent sick of the food from work.
Kyrie simply stood in front of the open refrigerator door and spaced out.
Was he even hungry? His hands tingled with numbness and his vision darkened around the edges.
An invisible weight sat on his chest, slowly suffocating him. Everything spun and then went black.
Ambrosia filled his nose, overwhelming his system. He felt like he floated on a cloud. Fingertips softly stroked his cheek. Kyrie nuzzled closer to the touch. Goddess, he missed affection. Soft lips brushed his, drawing a moan from Kyrie.
“So exhausted. I should let you sleep.”
Kyrie's chest ached at the idea of losing the invisible arms surrounding him, even though they didn’t love him. If he woke, his house would be empty. His life would still be totally devoid of comfort. Only when the darkness swallowed him did he find solace.
“Oh, beautiful. I miss you too. Sleep. Dream.”
Kyrie wanted to obey. Something gnawed at him, keeping him from sinking deeper into the abyss.
Kyrie fought the hot tears that pressed against his eyes.
His chest felt like it might cave. None of this was real except the emotional pain.
Each time the other side pulled him toward destiny, the less Kyrie craved life. He craved genuine peace.
“Damn, Kyrie. Are you okay? Do I need to call Frost? Your car and front door were standing wide open. Fuck it. I’m getting Frost.”
Kyrie blinked. The shadow of a man hovering over him took shape. Still, Kyrie couldn’t fully see.
The mystery figure vanished.
Kyrie struggled to sit. His refrigerator stood open with Kyrie’s body blocking it from closing. “Goddamn. My electric bill is going to be through the roof this month.” A startled cry escaped him as two figures popped into his kitchen from nowhere.
Frost immediately dropped to his knees next to Kyrie. He looked like he had been pulled from bed. “Tell me what happened.”
Kyrie’s hands rose and fell. He worried if he opened his mouth, he’d cry.
“I found him unconscious.”
Kyrie’s gaze slid Fen’s way. His mind cleared a little more by the second. Fen looked panicked. Kyrie tried to focus. His head spun.
Frost checked his pulse, and a small light hit Kyrie’s eyes. Life didn’t come into full focus until Frost set his hand on Kyrie’s chest. Warmth spread from the spot Frost touched. Frost’s pretty green gaze moved over Kyrie’s face.
“When was the last time you ate?”
“He had half a breadstick with me at dinner.”
Thankfully, Frost didn’t react to the news they’d had dinner together. Of course, people ate together all the time.
Frost completely cut Kyrie from the conversation. “Did he drink anything?”
Fen seemed to think about it before slowly shaking his head. “Not that I recall.”
Frost checked Kyrie’s pulse again. “If you were human, I’d have you on an IV right now. Unfortunately, with the rate you heal, I’ll only risk an IV under extreme circumstances. Still, I’m on the fence. Do you think you could give me a urine sample?”
Kyrie tiredly shook his head. He wasn’t even sure he wouldn’t faint again.
“That’s what I thought. I need to take some blood. Your pallor and vitals have me worried about your kidneys. Obviously, you’re dangerously dehydrated.”
Before Kyrie saw it coming, not that his mind was clear enough to anticipate anything, Fen grabbed Kyrie’s wrist and bit. The world vanished again, but oddly, he still heard the rapid beating of his heart.
“Can you keep control of his mind? Anything I give him for pain will burn through too fast to help. Keep him unconscious if you can.”
Rapid-fire phrases flew around him. Kyrie really couldn’t pinpoint who spoke or what happened. Everything felt out of his control. Nothing felt real. Then everything was gone again.