Chapter 9
“No!”
Eli’s heart stopped, and his entire body went numb.
Somehow, he managed to cradle Olivia in his arms. For the first few seconds, he felt absolutely nothing as he held her, then he felt everything—shock, agony, pain, disbelief.
His wolf, on the other hand, was going ballistic.
It scratched at him, wanting to get out.
To tear apart whoever did this to their mate.
Her screams had stopped, but now she was weeping incoherently, her body convulsing in pain. Her violet eyes were unfocused and glassy, and the only thing keeping him from completely losing it was the rise and fall of her chest.
Don’t you dare. Don’t you fucking dare leave me.
“Her body’s trying to heal,” Sloane said, her face pale as she watched the horror unfolding before them. Jacob was behind her, ushering people away. “But the wound can’t close because the bullets are still inside her. Oh fuck, she must be in so much pain.”
He wanted to rage at himself, tell her he was sorry for how things went, but she wouldn’t be able to hear him. And this was no time to fall apart.
“We have to get her to the hospital,” Sloane said. “Oh, Olivia, hang on, please. You’ll be fine, as long as they can take the bullets out.”
They could wait for the ambulance, but from this part of town that could take ten minutes. The ride to Boston Med was another ten. And then another couple of minutes to get her on the operating table and explain to the doctors what was going on.
His hand went to his pocket, where the vials rested against his heart.
Or he could end her suffering now.
The decision didn’t even take a millisecond. Taking out two vials, he closed his eyes, fingers circling the cold glass.
“Eli, we need to move—Jesus Christ, what are you doing? What’s going on?”
Sloane’s voice faded away, as did all the noise around him. A warmth from within spread across his body, trailing up his arms and to his fingers, surrounding the vials with a yellow glow.
“What the fuck,” Someone—Jacob probably—gasped.
It was ready.
Without another thought, Eli ripped the corks out with his teeth, then poured the liquid from the vials into Olivia’s chest and stomach wound.
Please. Please. Please.
He held her hand tight, staring down into her beautiful violet eyes. Time had seemingly slowed down, but in reality he knew it only took seconds for her wounds to close up. Olivia let out a sob of relief before passing out.
Every muscle in his body gave out at once and he slumped forward, pressed his forehead to hers and finally breathed.
“Eli …”
He held onto Olivia tighter, ignoring Sloane.
“Eli!” She tapped at his shoulder insistently. “C’mon, we gotta go.”
He forced himself to move. Rising to his feet, he lifted Olivia into his arms. Sloane’s expression was a mix of confusion and disbelief. Jacob’s was similar, but there was something else there.
Recognition.
He would have to deal with that later. For now, they had to leave. “Let’s get her to the car.”
There was no time to go back to the hotel and grab bags or check out because they had to get the hell out of Boston.
Jacob had sprinted ahead of them out of the diner, and had started the SUV by the time they reached the parking lot.
Sloane held the back door open while he climbed in as he cradled Olivia against his chest. Her stillness and the clamminess of her skin was alarming, but he knew his potion had worked, so she would be fine.
Still, his hands couldn’t stop shaking and his wolf paced restlessly.
“Go,” Sloane said, barely getting her own door shut before Jacob floored it.
The entire ride out of Boston was silent, save for the roar of the engine and Olivia’s slow and even breathing. He could only stare out the window, the view outside blurring as they sped along the highway.
His mind kept replaying the last hour. His last words to her, the anger at her, and mostly, himself when he recalled the look on her face when he snapped at her. Yes, she had brought up the one topic in the entire world he refused to speak about, but he shouldn’t have been so harsh.
He’d gone to Jacob and Sloane, told them about Garret’s escape and the fire at Lone Wolf.
But there wasn’t much more to discuss beyond what he’d already heard on the phone.
Truth was, he went to their room because he needed to be anywhere else except his.
But even as he listened to Jacob and Sloane strategize, the only thing on his mind was Olivia, alone in their room, hurting from his words and thinking he didn’t trust her enough to let her in.
He had rushed back, intending to apologize.
But all he came back to was an empty room.
Her purse was gone and so were her shoes.
The bed was still unmade and smelled of a mixture of their scents.
At that point, he wasn’t alarmed that she was gone, but knowing she was starving, he made his way to the diner.
The chaos as soon as he entered turned his blood cold and he just knew it had something to do with Olivia. He never wanted his instinct to be so wrong as when he saw her on the floor, covered in blood, screaming in agony.
A small sound pulled him back to the present. Olivia stirred against him, her eyelids fluttering. Her fingers curled into his shirt.
“Eli?” Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough for his wolf to settle down.
“I’m here.” He tightened his arms around her. “You’re safe.”
She blinked up at him, disoriented, then looked down at the blood on her ripped shirt and chest. “What … I thought I was …”
“You’re okay. It’s over.”
“The baby?”
“Fine. You’re both fine.”
She pressed her face into his neck, and he felt the dampness of tears against his skin. He held her and said nothing.
The SUV slowed, then pulled off the highway at an empty picnic rest stop. Glancing outside, Eli knew they were well past the Massachusetts border. There was nothing around them but trees and highway.
Jacob killed the engine and he just sat there for the longest time, both hands on the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. Then he turned around, his green eyes locking onto Eli’s before he spoke.
“What the hell are you, Eli? And why are you still lying to us?”
“Jacob, please.” Sloane put a hand on his arm. “I’m sure he has a reason—”
“Did you know,” he bit out at his mate. “Know he could do that?”
Sloane shrank away and shook her head.
“Don’t talk to her like that.” His gut twisted at the hurt on his almost-sister’s face. “She doesn’t know anything. No one does.”
Never let anyone know, little bird. Promise me.
“Wait, wait.” Olivia brushed Eli’s hands away when he tried to stop her from sitting up on her own. “Know what?” She shook her head. “Someone tell me what’s going on.”
“What do you remember?” Jacob asked.
“I …” She inhaled a quick breath. “I was shot—no, I don’t know who did it, but I did see a dark blur. Lycan. And then there was pain.” Her expression shifted. “The wounds wouldn’t close up.”
“You were shot in the heart and stomach,” Sloane said. “And from the blood on your temples, probably in the head too, but that bullet likely went through so that closed up right away. And Eli … helped.”
“How?”
“With a potion,” he finished. “A dissolving potion.”
“You carry a dissolving potion with you?” Olivia asked.
The question hung in the air, as Eli weighed his options. But there was no other choice now, except to tell them the whole truth. “No, I don’t carry them. I made them.”
Violet eyes blinked. “Made them?”
“I’m a hybrid.” He shot Jacob a look. “Like you.”
“And like me, your mother was a witch, not a human,” Jacob stated. “What can you do?”
“I can activate any liquid into a potion.” That night at Blood Moon, when Devon Hale lost control of his wolf, Eli concocted a stunning potion to knock him out. “Provided I know the ingredients and the process.”
“Who taught—” Olivia clamped her mouth shut.
“My mother was a talented potion maker. The best in her coven, probably the world. A lot of people came to her for her brews. I don’t know how, but she just knew I was a hybrid. When my powers started manifesting, she began teaching me.”
“So, you lived with your mother’s coven until she died?” Sloane asked.
A bitter taste coated his mouth. “No. When her coven found out she was having a True Mate child with a Lycan, they tossed her out.”
“But why?” Jacob frowned. “The animosity between the Lycans and witches has been over for decades.”
Eli snorted. “Not for everyone. My mother’s clan were purists. They even avoided marrying humans so they don’t dilute the power in their bloodline.”
Jacob huffed. “Magic doesn’t work that way. My mother was a powerless witch, but both her children have magic.”
“They believe whatever they want to believe.” Eli shrugged. “So they kicked her out and we moved away on our own.”
“So your mother …” Olivia reached over and placed her hand over his, giving it a squeeze as she searched his face. The fact that there was no trace of anger from her allowed him to relax and continue.
“She died. Cancer. Then Garret showed up, said he was my father and brought me to the Boston clan. But before that, while she was dying, she made me promise never to reveal what I was. So I never told anyone, not even Garret. To him, I was just a Lycan.”
“Why not?” Sloane asked.
“What do you think Ronan would have done if he found out what I could do?”
She swallowed audibly. “He would have exploited you and your powers.”
“He would have turned me into a weapon, an assassin who could kill without raising a hand or pulling a trigger.” They hadn’t even seen the extent of his abilities.
The stunning and dissolving potions were nothing compared to what he could do and make.
“I’m sorry I never told you either, Sloane.
The knowledge could have put you in danger too. ”
“Does your mother’s coven know about you?” Olivia asked.