10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Darius
My heart was breaking. There was no other way to describe the aching pain inside of my chest. When Jeremy was challenged for the alpha title and Milo stepped in as second, that was when my heart started aching, not because it was broken yet, but because it was beating in fear.
Then I had to stand there and support Cass as he fearfully watched Jeremy shift into his wolf before the fight.
I couldn’t even muster the words to say anything to my own fated, only the hope that Jeremy would win and that Milo wouldn’t have to fight was enough to keep me somewhat sane.
That all changed though when Fillian switched targets mid fight.
Paul’s breath turned into a gasp the second Fillian’s eyes locked on Cass, and that was when Milo reacted, shifting and shredding his clothes as he jumped on Cass, forcing the human to land heavily on the ground, and thus taking the entire attack from Fillian.
Fillian’s jaw snapped around my fated’s neck.
Before I could even shift myself to protect Milo from dying right there in front of me, Milo moved and somehow managed to snap Fillian’s neck.
In all of this chaos, Jeremy had been attacked by Fillian’s father Marcus, meaning that once Marcus was dead, Jeremy had no idea what had gone down between Fillian and Milo.
I kneeled next to Milo’s unconscious wolf form, seeing the blood flow out of him too fast for it to just be a tiny scratch. Our fast healing could mend wounds quickly, but Milo’s injuries were simply too dire for his healing to fix it.
I’d never been more afraid in my life.
Paul kneeled next to me as Jeremy shifted back into his human form next to us, watching his mate slumped underneath Milo, both of them unconscious. Fillian’s wolf form laid lifeless next to them, but we paid him no mind. He was dead to us in all ways possible.
“We need to take him to Nicmondus,” I stated, somehow managing to keep my voice even. Paul looked at me and nodded before helping me carry Milo to our pack healer, Nic.
Jeremy followed behind us as he carried Cass in his arms. I had no idea how badly hurt Cass was, as a human he couldn’t take as much damage as we could, and Milo’s wolf form had hit him rather hard when he took the attack from Fillian, then with Fillian’s hard hit to Milo, and Cass taking both the wolves’ weight…
Poor Cass could have broken so many of his frail bones just from that alone.
Nic’s house was close to the packhouse, and his front door stood wide open, clearly waiting for us. His home was a tiny cottage style house with thatched roofing and stone walls surrounding it.
Paul and I carried Milo in first, Nic urging us to a cleared bed with a protective sheet over it. Both beds in the room were big enough for our wolf forms, so Cass would have plenty of room on his.
“I’m sorry, Paul, but you need to leave the room,” Nic ordered as soon as Cass and Milo were both on the beds.
“Okay,” Paul said, stepping back. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
I was glad he didn’t fight me on who had a right to be here for Milo.
I won, being his fated. It was still nice he just accepted it, or was it because he didn’t truly care that his son was hurt?
I’d always thought Paul cared equally about his sons, but his continuing words about Milo and the belief that whenever anything went wrong Milo was to blame, had somehow changed my view on Paul, as had my respect for him.
He wasn’t the alpha I’d looked up to anymore, instead I eyed him warily as he hurried out of the room, leaving Nic to do his healing with more room.
Also, how Nic knew about me being Milo’s fated would remain a mystery, I could only guess that Paul had told the entire pack our business.
Nic looked Milo over carefully before ordering, “Hand me the vial labeled ‘Quick Up’.”
I found the vial quickly from his shelves upon shelves of different potions and salves, each clearly labelled and easy to find.
Handing over the vial, I took in Milo’s wolf.
He’d always been a beautiful wolf in my opinion, but I really wanted to see his human form right now.
It would be easier for me to know just how badly he was hurt if I could actually see his skin, but maybe this was better for my heart.
“Damn,” Nic muttered, pouring the vial down Milo’s muzzle. The fact that Milo was still in his wolf form proved just how badly wounded he was. We healed faster when shifted, but often we shifted back when healed enough, even in sleep.
“What is it?” I dared ask, my heart in my throat.
“That vial was supposed to make him shift,” Nic explained. “If he doesn’t shift back soon, it will be harder to stitch him up.”
“Why?” Jeremy asked.
“Because then he’ll need to stay in his wolf form until the stitches are removed,” Nic explained.
“Oh, and that’s a bad thing?” Jeremy questioned.
Nic continued to work, wiping blood away from Milo’s body and cutting off fur with clippers. “It’s not a bad thing, I just can’t risk him shifting suddenly, it will pull the stitches, making his injuries worse.”
“Do whatever you have to do,” I said, my voice level. “I’ll make sure he stays in wolf form for however long is needed.”
And I would. I would take such good care of my mate. Forever and always. If Milo survived this, he would know I was his always.
“Good,” Nic said. “I’ll start stitching him up so he won’t lose any more blood.”
After stitching Milo’s wounds together, Nic turned to help Cass, making him drink something that had his eyes flutter open.
“Hi, baby,” Jeremy whispered softly.
“Red,” he whispered back before closing his eyes again, this time with a small smile on his lips.
“Paul!” Nic yelled from the door, surprisingly not waking Cass or Milo.
Paul rushed in a second later, ready for whatever Nic needed.
“Milo is ready to be transferred home,” Nic calmly explained. “I have my old wagon out back you can move him in. But I’ll need it back soon for my trips.”
“I’ll bring it back right after,” Paul promised, then helped me carry Milo outside.
Milo just managed to fit on the wagon which was just a slab of wood with paneled sides. Nic used it whenever he went deep into the forest for supplies. The front had a harness he could slip into in his wolf form, making it easier to carry lots of weight at once.
Paul followed behind the wagon as I shifted and pulled it home. Milo would be staying with me while he healed, and if I had any say in it, he would stay forever.
I finally had my mate for myself. In my home. I truly couldn’t hide my excitement as I hurried to carry Milo inside, not even saying a parting word to Paul as he left with the wagon.
Milo was heavy in his wolf form, but my body could protest all it wanted. I wasn’t about to let Paul in, fearing he would stay longer than I was comfortable with. I wasn’t up for chitchat at the moment, my instincts flaring inside me to protect Milo. To shield him from the world.
Inside my living room, I carefully placed Milo on my fluffy carpet in front of the fireplace. I didn’t care about his blood, just his comfort. Besides, we could pick out a new carpet together, making this our home instead of just mine.
With Milo safe on the carpet, I hurried to the bathroom grabbing some of my darkest towels, knowing it would do him good to get cleaned up a bit.
I secretly loved taking care of Milo, finally just showing him without words how much he meant to me.
It seemed words failed us each time, so maybe this no talking thing would do us good.
I could always shift and talk to him in my wolf form if I needed to.
Our minds were linked to our packmates, making it possible to mind speak whenever we were shifted.
But I would remain in my human form for as long as possible.
It would make it harder for Milo to refuse my help, which I knew he would.
He'd started our first kiss with ill intent, an immature decision, no doubt there, but I hadn’t been mature either. It seemed both of us needed to grow up, I just wanted us to grow up together from now on.
A soft whimper escaped Milo as I carefully washed his fur with a damp towel, the blood slowly clearing away, not fully, but enough for me to feel satisfied he wasn’t drenched in his own blood.
“Shh,” I whispered. “You’re safe.”
He didn’t respond, likely still out of it, so I simply continued with my clean up.
The scent of his blood made me queasy, the fact he’d been so close to dying enough of a scare that just the lingering metallic smell was enough to make me feel sick to my stomach.
I’d been so close to losing my fated. So close to never seeing Milo smile again.
I had so many things I needed to tell him, to show him.
I never intended on us being apart for long, and as I watched Fillian attack him, I’d realized how stupid I’d been for thinking he needed to change before we could mate.
Yes, he was acting immature, but so was outright denying him on the spot instead of calmly talking things through.
The irony of such wisdom only hitting me straight in the face when he was attacked wasn’t lost on me.
I wouldn’t waste another second of the life I could have, wanted to have with Milo.
I was ready to fight, claws out and everything, for us.