Chapter 33
Demon’s paws were shredding through Bragga’s insides.
The wolf ensuring there’d be no resurgence of this fuck or his pack.
Koe’s command carried to Demon through the pack ties.
Without hesitation, Demon ripped his teeth from the enemy wolf he’d just killed and turned.
His heart that had just seconds ago been beating heavily from the thrill of battle was now thundering for an entirely different reason.
What about Narae? Why hadn’t Koe finished the sentence? Was Narae hurt?
Fear had his front paws ripping into the Earth while his hind legs propelled him forward with a power borne of terror.
And it was terror, not knowing if Narae was hurt…
or worse. Shaking his head, he wouldn’t even consider the last as he raced like the wind to get to Narae.
He prayed as his feet pounded, “Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay!” In the distance, thunder rumbled low, and a streak of lightning shot across the darkening sky.
It felt ominous and only added to Demon’s fear, which ratcheted impossibly higher when he scented blood, lots of it, and it was Narae’s!
His paws splashed through a dark pool where the concentration was the strongest, and he kept going, following the trail of crimson and his tie to Koe.
Demon could scent Koe before he even came up on a crest that led down a slope to a stand of pines.
Koe was at the bottom of the slope, pacing in his human form.
Jeans and t-shirt blood-soaked and rain-drenched, abs heaving beneath his clinging shirt, Koe’s attention was rapt on something in the tree line.
Fists balling and unbaling, Koe was raging at whatever had his attention, but Demon could make out the words in the still falling rain.
Knowing Narae was hurt somewhere close, Demon barreled down the slope.
Hurtling himself forward, his gaze sliced from Koe to the tree line, trying to see what Koe was looking at.
At first, he saw nothing, then there was a slight movement and the flash of bright white fangs.
It was Narae’s wolf. She was backed deep into the trees and squared off with Koe, injured and bleeding. She was feral.
As Demon drew closer, he could hear Koe barking, “I said shift, Narae! Now! As your Alpha, I command you!”
Demon knew Koe was trying to get Narae to shift for her own good. The grass around her was saturated. She was badly injured, the amount of blood beneath her said she was bleeding out, and Koe couldn’t get to her in her current state without the risk of hurting her more.
Tearing across the terrain, Demon had a moment of doubt.
What if Narae didn’t recognize him in her state?
What if the attack had been too much, and she’d finally snapped?
She’d already been through so much. What if she resented him for the way he’d initially claimed her?
What if how she’d been treated by males had broken her? What if he’d contributed to it?
Lip ticking up in a snarl, Demon shoved those thoughts aside. He didn’t care if Narae hated him. It was her right. He only cared that he got to her. He had to help her. Only he could.
As he drew closer, Demon loosed a guttural bark that drew Narae’s attention from where Koe was begging, “Please, Narae! You’re hurt! Let me help you! Please, fuck!”
Narae’s ferocious gaze locked on Demon’s, and her lips that had been peeled back in a snarl slipped. Sobering, she stared at him. And then she staggered.
Eyes roving over her, it was hard for Demon to make out where she was injured.
Her dark black fur hid her injuries, so he focused on where crimson was dripping from a wound low on her throat.
As he raced past Koe, Koe bellowed, “She’s bleeding out, D.
Get her to fucking shift so we can find her injuries! ”
Narae’s gaze shot back to Koe, and then she went back to snarling, ears pinned back as she hunched low in aggression.
The movement sent a spurt of blood shooting from her shoulder and had Demon’s heart dropping.
Above them, the sky cracked with a bright flash and a thunderous clap before the rain began to fall harder.
Barreling toward her, Demon prayed harder than he’d ever prayed before. Locking up his legs, he let a pulse of power blast through him and shifted. Sliding on his knees in the rain-drenched grass, he came to a stop just a few inches in front of Narae.
“My love,” he breathed, holding out his hands, “it’s me. Let me help you.”
Narae’s wolf focused on Daemon, her snarl slipping as her ears lifted. With one tentative step, she was too him. She leaned her body into his and then she collapsed.
“Narae!” Daemon had her on her side in a flash as he roared, “Koe! Help me!”
Koe was at his side in an instant. “I think it’s at the top of her left shoulder, in the bend by her neck.”
Daemon already had his fingers probing for the wound.
He found it! The wound was deep, and so much blood was escaping.
This wasn’t the result of claws. Narae had been stabbed.
Seething, Daemon clamped his hand over the wound.
Koe was already ripping his shirt off. He handed it to Daemon, who crushed it into a ball and pressed it hard over his hand before pulling his hand out from beneath and using both hands to apply pressure.
Behind him, Koe ripped Daemon’s shirt right off his body, then tore it into strips that they used to tie the balled-up shirt into place.
Thrall raced up behind them in human form. “Shit! Narae!”
Koe was barking orders, telling Thrall to get Oliver then get to the manor and to prepare the medical unit, but all of that slipped into background noise for Daemon.
He was lifting Narae and turning to race for the house, pissed at how far they were, at how cold it was, at how much blood Narae had already lost. What the fuck was she even doing here?
Thrall’s wolf exploded from him before he raced ahead of them while Koe kept pace beside Daemon. Blake and Colson rushed to Koe, who barked, “Go get a truck!” Blake and Colson both shifted and took off at a breakneck pace.
Running with Narae, Daemon didn’t dare look down at her.
He was afraid to. He was afraid to see that she’d already gone because her body was so cold.
He couldn’t feel any warmth coming from her now, and she was just a limp, dead weight.
He prayed her temperature was because of the rain.
Aloud, he pleaded, “Please, love, don’t leave me!
Not yet. I haven’t gotten the chance to love you, Narae.
I’m gonna give you everything you deserve if you stay with me. Stay with me. Please!”
Beside him, Koe looked at Narae and snarled, “Stay with us, Narae. That’s a fucking order!”
Daemon pushed harder, ran as fast as he possibly could.
He couldn’t lose Narae now. Not like this.
Bragga couldn’t take her from him; Bragga couldn’t win.
He didn’t deserve to. Narae was the one who deserved to have the life she wanted.
She deserved to be happy and to have a mate who cherished her.
She deserved to have children, and bliss, and a future where she and Jury were free and happy.
Lights flashed up ahead and relief hit Daemon hard. They were closer to the manor than he’d thought. The lights hadn’t been on, and the rain was coming down too heavy to tell, but someone had turned on the outdoor lights so he could see the manor now clearly.
Suddenly, Oliver and Hiro were there.
“Set her down!” Oliver barked.
Daemon did as instructed.
“Move your hands,” Oliver ordered, and when Daemon hesitated, Oliver raged, “Move your fucking hands!”
Daemon was ripped backward. He roared and tried to surge toward Narae but Hiro and Koe were holding him tightly. “Let him work,” Koe ordered. “Let him try to save her!”
But Daemon knew Narae wouldn’t survive. Good things didn’t happen for him, ever.
It’s why he was a Demon. He was cursed. And having Narae was a blessing he didn’t deserve.
Tears slipped from his eyes, hidden by the pelting rain, as he sagged in Koe and Hiro’s hold, dropping to his knees as all the fight left him.
At his ear, Koe commanded, “Don’t you fucking give up on her, brother.
Not yet. She’s the strongest female I’ve ever met.
” Lifting his head, Koe bellowed, “You hear me, Narae! You’re too fucking strong to give up now.
And we need you. Jury needs you. Daemon needs you.
This pack needs you, so fight, Narae.” Koe swallowed hard and roared, “Fiiiiiiight!”
Lightning split the sky, and thunder rattled the ground. More of the pack arrived and stood quietly in a circle, watching sadly as Oliver fought to save Narae.
After several long minutes, Oliver turned his head, locking eyes with Daemon, his hands stilling in their ministrations. “D...”
Daemon’s heart plummeted. He didn’t want to hear the words he knew came next.
Oliver shook the rain from his face and sat back on his heels, shoulders slumping. “D,” he started again, “I’ve got her stable. Carry your mate to the compound. We need to get her dry and warm.”
All the air exploded from Daemon’s lungs on a huff of disbelief.
Oliver stood and was barking orders at the pack, “Cyrus, go heat the med bay. Full blast. Thrall, we need heated blankets, and I’m clearing the blood bank. Hiro, get some of the guys to donate ASAP, we’ll need to replenish the stores.”
Daemon barely registered any of it as he crawled to Narae and pulled her up into his arms. She was cold, but she was breathing, her chest barely rising and falling.
It was now up to him to get her to safety.
He rose to his feet with a purpose, cradling Narae close but making sure to be gentle.
He strode for the compound, slowly at first, afraid to jostle his mate.
Staring down at her, he picked up the pace to a slow jog, and then he was in an outright run.
His packmates were flanking him, their eyes scouring the area, vigilant to ensure no threats remained, so he and Narae could get back safely.
Emotion clogged Daemon’s throat. He’d never needed protection before.
It was an odd sensation to rely on others, but gratitude flooded him.
In the past, he’d battle anyone anytime, but not now.
Now, he had something precious that came before all else.
Rushing into the compound, he sent up a silent vow to the Gods.
“Let her live, and I’ll spend the rest of my days coveting her.
She’ll never know hardship or abuse ever again.
I’ll dedicate my all to her. I swear it. ”
He didn’t expect the Gods to do him any favors. He didn’t deserve it, but Narae did. After all she’d endured, and for how good she was, she deserved only the best that life had to offer. He’d give that to her…if he had the chance.