Chapter Eleven
“Why do you look like you’ve sucked on a lemon?” Graham asked.
Rocco turned toward the other man and frowned. “What?”
“Your face. You look like you’ve received bad news.”
He should have known Graham would notice. The guy didn’t miss a thing. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, but you, like always, are evading the question.”
“I’m not evading shit. I’m just wanting to know how you are. How you’re dealing with stuff.”
Graham laughed. “You know you suck at lying, don’t you?”
He glared at him, because the truth was, he wasn’t in the mood for the random bullshit or teasing. The full moon was fast approaching and he knew Rose was getting apprehensive about what this meant for Graham. This was why every chance they got, they were with each other. Rocco hated and loved it. He loved it, because he was finally getting the chance to be with his mate, and he hated it because he knew why they were doing this. They were using this time to be together so they were not so consumed come the full moon. Also, in the last few days, he realized how badly he fucked up. Being Rose’s mate was not a bad thing.
The truth was, he’d spewed out a bunch of bullshit to her that didn’t even make any sense. He didn’t give a fuck if she was Miss Popular or not. It made no difference to him. It still doesn’t matter.
“I fucked up,” Rocco said. “In a big way, and I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to make it up to her.”
“She’ll forgive you.”
“I doubt it.”
“Isn’t this what mates do? Mess things up, then fix it?”
Rocco shrugged. “I’ve not known enough mates in my time.”
“What makes you think she hasn’t forgiven you now?” Graham asked.
“Would you?”
“I’m not someone’s mate and I certainly haven’t messed up the way you have. I’m not going to lie, what you did was pretty … messed up.”
Rocco dropped his head and blew out a breath. “I know.”
“But, you were also having to deal with something quite unprecedented. That makes a lot of sense,” Graham said. “Stumbling onto what Milton was doing, the people that were dying … I can’t imagine that being a whole lot of fun. Also, you know, the fact you wanted to kill us.”
“Only to put you guys out of your misery.”
Graham smiled. “I’m not offended. Trust me, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about that part as well. It doesn’t exactly sound like a lot of fun.”
Rocco couldn’t help but remember the men and women they’d lost. Even though it had only been a couple, it had still felt like one too many.
“I’m sorry, man.”
“Don’t, okay, don’t. I know there is no guarantee for me, and that there is a chance I’m not going to make it to next Christmas, that my outlook is fucked. Still, I want to remember the good times. Not the bad.”
Rocco didn’t know how he was able to do it.
“And that means helping you out, so I don’t suppose you have any idea how you’re going to win your woman back, or if you have any clue how to do it in the first place?”
He shrugged. “I’m … thinking of telling the club. Letting the pack know that Rose is mine. That she is my mate.”
“But?” Graham asked.
“There’s no but, just, I don’t know if that is what Rose would want,” Rocco said.
“Why do you think she wouldn’t want that?”
“Because people haven known we’ve been together, like close, and we’ve not told anyone, and at times I have … ignored her.”
Graham winced. “Wow, you do not hurt women lightly, do you? You just go straight in for the attack.”
“It’s not something I was planning. Everything was fucked up.”
“Then talk to Rose,” Graham said. “It’s the least you can do, and if you want, I’m more than happy to be in my tiny shed, enjoying the last few days of my life.”
“Don’t say stuff like that,” Rocco said.
Graham looked behind him. “She’s in the kitchen, why not go and talk to her now?”
It sounded so simple and it really was. He and Rose were mates, bound together for the rest of their lives, and that shouldn’t feel as complicated as it did.
Stepping into the kitchen, he left Graham alone. The scent of coffee was heavy in the air, but also Rose’s vanilla and cinnamon scent mingled in. His wolf wanted to go to her, to touch her, rub all over her body. The full moon was fast approaching, which was why it was getting more difficult to control these impulses. It was much easier when he didn’t see her regularly and could ignore these needs.
“Morning,” he said.
Rose looked toward him with a smile. “Good morning.”
This felt so good, to be on speaking terms and for her to be smiling toward him. He felt like punching the air in victory. “So, uh, the full moon is coming close.”
“Yep, I don’t know if we should take Graham to the cages, just in case, or maybe keep him here. I think with the two of us, we can make it work. What do you think?” She licked some cream off her finger.
“I want to tell the pack,” Rocco said.
Rose stopped. “About what?”
“You and me. I want the whole pack, the club, the beta team, everyone, to know that you and I are mates, and we’re together.”
“Rocco?”
“I know I messed up, and that’s not good, but you and me are good together. Can’t you feel it?”
Rose stared at him. “But, once we do that, there is no turning back.”
“Are you telling me you want to turn back?” Rocco asked.
“I wasn’t the one that rejected you in the first place, Rocco. You did all of that on your own. I’ve just had to deal with it all,” Rose said. “It hasn’t been easy. My wolf didn’t like being rejected and there were times she wanted to hunt you down, hurt you, and also mate with you. It was complicated.”
“I fucked up.” He moved closer to her and took hold of her hands, locking their fingers together. “And I messed it all up.”
“They’re kind of the same thing,” Rose said.
“And I want to make it right. Not for Graham or anyone else. I know this is for life,” Rocco said. “Regardless of what happens.”
The truth was, he didn’t want Graham to die. In the few short days he’d been around him, he’d come to really like the bastard. It was going to be hard to watch him go, if it even came to that.
For the first time since hearing what Milton did and the harsh reality of what it meant, he was clinging onto the tiny ray of hope. That was all he wante d— a tiny ray of hope that it was going to be okay.
Rose stepped toward him and placed a hand on his cheek. “Then we tell them.”
****
Graham was out with Rocco, heading toward the clubhouse as he’d opted to go with him to break the news. Rose had decided to stay back. She didn’t want to see the pack’s reaction when he told them. She knew it made her a coward, but she just couldn’t handle their judgement right now.
Working her way around the garden, she checked on her brassica plants, to make sure they were doing okay in the plummeting temperatures. She loved gardening, it was a nice way for her to relax, but she tensed up as she sensed someone close. Getting to her feet, she spun around, intent on using the tiny shovel in her hand, only to stop when she caught sight of Draco. He looked slightly crazy, but she knew he was prone to tendencies of crazy.
“Draco,” she said.
“I, uh, I need your help.”
“What?”
He ran fingers through his hair and she saw the blood on his hands. “Draco, is everything okay?”
“Look, I know I’m not known for being the sanest of wolves. Lose a mate prematurely, and trust me, it will do that to you, but I promise I’m not on edge, and I’ve not done anything stupid, at least not yet.”
This had to be the most she had ever heard Draco talk.
“But, it’s … I need you to see it, rather than tell you. You’re safe. I’m not crazy. I’m not going to kill you.”
Rose couldn’t help but look at the blood. “Do I need to bring my cleaning supplies?”
“No, you just need to trust me and come with me. I promise I’m not going to hurt you.”
There was something in his voice that made her believe. Without a second thought, she put her tools down, dusting off the dirt, and then following him out of her home and toward the main forest. She loved living in the cabin at the edge of the forest because she was not close to the pack, while also being very close to the pack. Most pack loved to be close, but Rose liked to be near, not too close. Again, this was one of those elements that made her a little odd. She didn’t need company every second of the day, nor people touching her all the time.
They moved to the opposite end of the forest, and Rose frowned as they came upon a much older cabin. She’d explored the forests for many moons in her time but couldn’t recall ever stumbling across this old cabin. The scent was confusing her.
Draco stopped at the doorway and he spun toward her. “You need to stay calm. Don’t make any sudden movements.”
“What’s going on?”
“No one else knows about her.”
“Her?” Rose didn’t have a clue what she was about to witness, and she didn’t get the chance to ask any more questions as they stepped over the threshold.
Then, she saw her … or it … or possibly a thing. It wasn’t quite human nor wolf, it was like her body was glitching between the two states, and then it was like her body gave out, exhausted. Only, Rose looked toward the woman’s eyes, and they were all wolf as they looked at her.
The woman was beautiful, there was no doubt about it. Also, afraid. The eyes were looking as if she wanted to strike, but that wasn’t all. There was real fear beneath the depths, which she couldn’t hide.
“Draco, she’s infected,” Rose said.
“I know, and she has been for a few months.”
“The club doesn’t know?” Rose asked.
“No, no one but me, Lelah, and now you.”
“Lelah?”
“That’s my name,” Lelah said. “I’m Lelah.”
“She found a stray dog, took him to the vet, and Milton convinced her that all people who got strays needed an injection.”
Rose opened her mouth and then closed it. She didn’t know why she was so shocked by this mad doctor. No, there was no way she was going to give him credit for being a doctor. He was a mad scientist, a crazy person.
She thought about Graham. In a way, it was a similar circumstance.
“A few months?” she asked, looking toward Draco.
She didn’t move a muscle, as she sensed the other woman, in her own way, was stalking her.
“Yes.”
“What about … the transition?” Rose asked.
Draco ran a hand over his face. “Her body has been fighting it, but I took your advice.”
“My advice?”
“The last resort.”
And that was when Rose realized the blood on his fingertips. “You’ve shared blood?”
Draco nodded. “She was going to turn.”
“Did it work?” Rose asked.
“I don’t know. She’s been stable for the last twelve hours. Her wolf hasn’t tried to fight free, but every now and then she seems to glitch. It lasts a few minutes but then fades.”
Rose looked toward the other woman and then stepped closer. She advanced, and the other woman suddenly spun around and went on a low crouch as if she was going to strike.
“I just … I want to check you over,” Rose said.
“Lelah, it’s fine. She’s a good one.”
Lelah let out a growl, but then, just as quickly, she inhaled the air and nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Rose got closer and reached out for the woman, offering her hand, which Lelah took.
Lelah’s hand was clammy and so small, almost fragile. Rose pressed her fingers on the pulse at her neck, and her pulse was going strong. Not too rapid, not too slow, just right.
Bending down, she cupped the woman’s face and stared into her eyes. They were a shocking amber, and Rose sensed the wolf beneath the surface.
“It worked.”
“I don’t know,” Draco said. “I don’t know what to do.”
Rose got to her feet and turned toward him. “We have to tell the others.”
Draco shook his head. “No, they’ll kill her.”
Lelah whimpered.
“You don’t know that,” Rose said, trying to offer the other woman comfort.
“I just did what vampires do.”
“No, that is what vampires in books do. We don’t even know if they exist,” Rose said.
Draco gave her an incredulous look. She got it. She couldn’t dispute the potential for vampires to exist, seeing as they were wolves.
“Look, they’re trying to find a way to save people, Draco. This is not about being right or wrong. This is about saving the lives of others. I know it seems scary, but trust me, I think they are going to want to help, and not hurt her,” Rose said.
She couldn’t help but think about Graham.
Draco sighed and gripped the back of his neck. “I’ll think about it.”
“Draco, please.”
“No, you cannot tell anyone what you saw here,” Draco said. “For her sake and for mine. I have already lost a mate, I don’t want to lose her as well.”
Rose frowned. “Draco?”
“No, I know what the club will do, but I promised I would take care of her, and that is exactly what I am going to do. You don’t get to question that. I shouldn’t have told you in the first place.”
“You used my suggestion, Draco, my idea, and it appears to be working,” Rose said, not wanting to lay claim to something that could also end up going very wrong. This was a huge risk.
“Leave,” Draco said.
Rose stared at him and knew he was going to be difficult. She glanced over at Lelah, and the other woman appeared to be quite sad. Rose patted her head but then left the cabin. It was rundown and the scent of mold was heavy in the air.
Rose stepped outside, moved several feet away, and then she took off. Part of her expected Draco to follow, but he surprised her by letting her leave. Clearly, he was distracted with keeping Lelah alive.
She had every intention of going back home, but as she looked up at the gates of the Poison Wolves MC clubhouse, Rose knew she couldn’t allow Draco to continue caring for Lelah.
If they were not careful, she was going to hurt him, or herself, or break free. Whatever Milton did, they had to contain them.
Rose inhaled, and knew Rocco was here. There was only pack, and she didn’t get any scent of Graham.
She took a deep breath and then moved forward. Enzo was outside, wrapped in a knitted sweater, and he was knitting something else as well. She loved the hat he wore, which had bright colors with a little pompom on top.
“Well, hello there, Rocco’s mate,” he said.
Rose looked at him and she saw Enzo’s smile drop.
“What is it?” he asked. “Is everything okay?”
“Where’s Alpha?” she asked. Rose hated feeling this way, like she was betraying Draco, but they had to know. She couldn’t believe Draco had been hiding this woman for so long. This was bad news.
Enzo got to his feet, putting his knitting down. “Through here.”
Rose followed him, stepping into the warmth of the main clubhouse. She saw Rocco who smiled at her, but she couldn’t smile back.
There was a room full of cheers. Rose knew she should be happy they had accepted her as Rocco’s mate, but it would seem the story of her and Rocco would always be overshadowed by the mess that was going on.
Rocco stepped toward her. Silence fell around them.
“What is it, Rose? What’s going on? What has happened?”
She looked into Rocco’s eyes. Her mate. The last few months, she had hated those eyes, hated looking in his face, but in that moment she didn’t hate him. She needed him. Just by looking into his eyes, she felt grounded, like she could face anything.
“What is it?” he asked again.
“Draco has been taking care of an infected woman in the cabin on the opposite side of the forest. She has been in and out of transition, but he has fed her blood. His blood.”
She told them everything she knew, and she knew Draco was never going to forgive her.
Chapter Twelve
“You’re upset,” Rocco said the following night as he glanced down at a very naked Rose. He’d already made love to her in the hope of distracting her from whatever guilt she was feeling. After she told the club what Draco had done, they had no choice but to see the truth for themselves.
He’d been shocked to see Draco able to handle a human female. Not only had he taken care of her, he also opted to give blood. What was even more surprising was how protective he’d become of her. Even hinting that if they thought to terminate her, he would claim mating status. This was a change for the Draco books.
None of them wanted to kill any humans infected by blood. They truly wanted to find a way to keep them alive. He was offering it himself as a kindness. It wasn’t what he wanted to do. There was no other choice.
“Yeah, did you see the way Draco looked at me?” she asked.
“I know, but there are secrets you can keep within a pack, and secrets that truly need to be told,” he said.
She sighed, sitting up as she ran fingers through her hair. “And yet, I feel like I betrayed his trust.”
“You didn’t.”
Rose snorted. “Come on, Rocco. I totally did. He told me his secret and I went running to the pack leaders.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t know what has happened to me.”
“It’s simple, Rose. You love the pack.”
This made her laugh.
“You can try to hide it any way you want, but we all know you love the pack. You take care of us in your own way by just being there to help when we need it. You clean up the mess, and so what if you don’t join in half the fun or do any of that shit? It’s not about that anyway. We both know that.” He ran his hand down her back, gliding up to cup the back of her neck. “You did what you had to do.”
“I was afraid she would attack him, or something else.” She blew out a breath. “I’ve seen the mess. It’s not pretty.”
Rocco shook his head. “It’s not pretty. It’s worse than any kind of horror movie I’ve ever watched. Not that you would know because you don’t have a television.”
Rose laughed. “That really does surprise you, doesn’t it?” she asked.
“It’s fine. I’m a big boy and I can handle the fact that you don’t want a television.”
“Graham doesn’t seem to mind.”
“Graham loves reading,” Rocco said.
“And you don’t?”
“Well, you see, I don’t mind doing other things with my mate.”
“Your mate?” she asked.
“Yeah, you see, I’ve seen the error of my ways, and I can now see the value of not owning a television.” He leaned in close and brushed his lips across the back of her neck. He heard her soft subtle moan, which was quite intoxicating. He wanted to hear it again.
Sliding his tongue down the curve of her ear, he moved past her lobe and then toward the pulse within her neck. She moaned, and he couldn’t help but glance down to see the fullness of her tit, the peak of her nipple as her arousal began to build. Not only could he see it, he could smell it as well.
His mouth watered, and without even realizing what he was doing, he spun her toward him and pressed her against the bed, already moving between her thighs. They were not open wide enough and he had no choice but to nudge them to fit between.
“Rocco?” she asked.
Taking possession of her mouth, he felt his wolf close. He was hungry and desperate, needing to fill her, to thrust every inch of his hard cock deep within her tight cunt. At the same time, he hungered for a taste of her sweet honey.
Her lips were enough of a distraction for now. With one hand at the back of her neck, pulling her in close to him, the other he slowly caressed down her body, stroking over her full ripe tits, and then sliding down toward her sweet pussy.
The scent of her was driving him wild. It wasn’t long before he had no choice but to break from the kiss so he could travel his lips down and suckle at her sweet tits. First one nipple, and then he tongued between the valley, going across, and then toward her other one, sucking it into his mouth.
He had the oddest sensation that he wanted them to be full of milk. In fact, he suddenly had a very overwhelming desire to have Rose pregnant with his child. She would be completely bound to him, and then it wouldn’t matter what he did in the past.
Rocco couldn’t help but feel guilt over what he had done. There was just no moving past it yet. He needed Rose to forgive him, but he also needed to earn that forgiveness.
For several minutes, he teased each breast, taking one nipple and then the other, going back and forth, loving the sounds that came from her. He certainly loved it when his name spilled from her lips. It was like he’d been waiting all his life to hear that one sound.
He’d never known his name could arouse him so much, but he also knew it was because it came from Rose. This was his woman, his mate, his soul mate, and he had nearly messed it up. He was so thankful that they had somehow been able to come together. The club hadn’t been surprised when he told them the truth.
Wolfe and Boyan had been shocked that he was able to keep his shit together, especially with Graham being so close. Graham had spoken up saying he was no threat to anyone, and of course that immediately started him backpedaling as it made him sound weak.
Rocco didn’t know why but he thought telling the guys would be difficult. It wasn’t. This felt right to him and showed him how much time he’d wasted.
Kissing down her body, he didn’t linger anywhere else, as the scent of her pussy was driving him crazy. He needed to press his face against her core, to bask in her cream, and to lick off every drop. Rocco wanted to hear his name from her lips as she came. He couldn’t get enough of her. He knew this was the way their life was going to be, and he was looking forward to growing old with her and having a family. He never thought he’d be ready for that.
Rocco spread the lips of her pussy open, and his mouth watered for a taste of her cunt. The swollen clit was just begging to be licked and sucked. He needed to taste her. Sliding his tongue across her swollen nub, he couldn’t resist taking it into his mouth and sawing his teeth around the tight bud. He heard her gasps and saw her hands clench into fists, holding onto the sheet beneath her.
He let go of her clit and ran his tongue all the way down her slit, pressing his tongue in and out of her tight cunt. He tasted the two of them together, and he suddenly had an overwhelming need to fuck her so hard, to plunge his cock deep within her tight cunt. First, he was going to make her come.
Fucking her with his tongue, he drew back and went toward her clit, sliding back and forth, making her cry out. When she suddenly reached down and sank her fingers into his hair, he was more than ready for her, especially as she rubbed her tight cunt into his face.
He reached beneath her ass, gripping her as he sucked at her pussy. Her orgasm started to build, and he rode that wave with her, getting higher and higher, until she whimpered his name, and then the moment she went over the edge, he was there, drinking her cream.
His cock was so hard and as he moved up her body, he dried the excess cream from his face. Reaching down between them, he grabbed his cock and lined the tip to her entrance. He stared into her eyes, the sweetest blue he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t believe he’d willingly spent time away from her.
Thrusting in hard and deep, he seated himself to the hilt within her, taking her harder.
They both cried out.
Rocco took hold of her hands, and then, staring into her eyes, drove hard and deep, feeling the orgasm already starting to build. All he could thing about was getting her pregnant, flooding her womb with his cum, and filling her with his baby, making her his for the rest of their lives.
****
“So, you and Rocco, are you like a guaranteed thing?” Graham asked.
Rose glanced over at Graham who’d been peeling potatoes.
“Are all humans gossips?” Rose asked.
Rocco had been called away to do some kind of club thing. She didn’t ask for the details, as his only concern was if she’d be okay taking care of Graham. She adored Graham. He was her true, first, and only friend. Even before Rocco. He was also one of the few people she liked being around.
“We have our moments. Are you telling me wolves are not gossips?” Graham asked.
“I guess we have our moments.”
“Do you think you and Rocco and your mating will be the hot gossip of the season?” he asked.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Probably. It’s the easiest topic for them to talk about.”
“Do you think you’re ever going to tell me what went on with you and Rocco?” Graham asked. “Or better yet, how you could both be part of the same pack and yet avoid one another?”
She held her hands out and spun around. “Look around you. It’s not exactly hard. I’m a recluse.”
“Yeah, you see, I find that strange because I thought all wolves were … I don’t know, friendly, and wanting to be in a group.”
Rose giggled. “So, you think because all wolves are like that, I should be like that? Besides, how many wolves do you know?”
“Not many, just what I’ve seen and heard. Haven’t you noticed they’re all very close with each other? All of you are.”
Rose smiled. “I’m close enough to the pack.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what to say, to be honest. It’s not like it is even complicated. My parents had each other and I guess I had my parents. We just seemed to work, and besides, having parents that cleaned up dead people as well as all other messes, kind of gives you a reputation from the get-go. A lot of people didn’t like me because they thought I was weird.”
“I don’t think you’re weird.”
She laughed. “You don’t really know me.”
“I think I do.” Graham sighed and rubbed his temple.
“Are you okay?” Rose asked.
“Yeah, just a headache I can’t seem to shift. I’ve tried taking painkillers, but that’s not working, and I’ve tried water and food.” He frowned but then looked up and smiled. “And Rocco, did he not like the fact you were different?”
“It’s not that I’m different, well, meh, I guess I am different, because I don’t need to be immersed within the pack. I’m close enough to them, and that is enough for me.” She shrugged. “I think it is because of my parents. They raised me away from the pack, for my own sanity, and in doing so, I’m kind of like a lone wolf. If that makes any sense at all.”
“It does.” He laughed and then started to cough.
Rose heard the hoarseness within his throat. It sounded painful and she watched him, feeling her concern begin to build.
He cleared his throat again, and she watched him as he seemed to go very pale. There was a sudden scent in the air, and Rose didn’t like it. The scent of death.
Graham looked at her with a weak smile, and she ran to him as he suddenly coughed, only this time blood spilled out of his mouth. She caught him as he was about to land on the floor.
“I’ve got you,” she said.
Using all her strength, she was able to carry him to her bedroom, and she had no choice but to straddle his body and press on his shoulders.
Graham was not in there, not in that second. His body was going through hard convulsions as something took over. The scent of death was getting stronger and she tried not to panic. Rose hadn’t been there for this part, she only cleaned up the mess that happened after.
Graham was her friend. She cared about him. It didn’t matter to her that it had only been a short time, that fear clung to her like a second skin. There was no way she could allow him to die.
Graham’s strength took over, and she screamed as he threw her off him. There was no way he could be strong enough to do that. Rose didn’t allow herself to be scared. He made no move to take off, so she reached for him again, pressing her hands onto his shoulders. Each time he shook her off, he seemed to be stronger than the last. If this had been anyone else, she knew she would have been terrified. This wasn’t another wolf. This was Graham. This was her friend, the same guy who thought because his scent was invisible, his farts would be also. It wasn’t true. His overall scent hadn’t been there, but everything else remained.
Scenting him now, she felt a shot of fear down her spine, unlike anything she had ever experienced. She didn’t know what to do, and the panic was setting in thick and fast.
“Graham, it’s okay. Come on, it’s okay. You don’t have to do this. Listen to me.” She tried not to be frantic, but once his scream drowned out her voice, she grabbed his head and forced him to look at her. “I’ve got you. It’s Rose. I’m here. I’m here. Come on, Graham, focus. I know you can do that. Look at me, you do not have to do this.” Then she started to scream. “Graham, listen to me, stop, right now! You do not have to do this!” She began to slowly enunciate her words in the hope he would focus on her and not anything else. It didn’t seem to be working.
She leaned in close, pressing her lips against his ear. “Please, don’t do this. Do not do this. We’ve got you. Remember, we’re your friends.”
And just like that, it was like everything stopped, but Rose held onto him, not wanting to let him go, fearful of what letting him go would mean. She knew this was … delicate.
Pulling back slightly, she stared into his eyes and offered him a smile.
“Rose,” he said.
“I’m here.”
He smiled but it didn’t quite reach his lips. “I’m scared.”
She knew. She saw it in his eyes. “You don’t have to be scared. I’m here.”
“I don’t want to die.”
“You’re not going to die, because I am here.” She nodded her head, trying to keep her tears at bay.
He shook his head.
“No, no, stop, Graham, focus. Look at me. I’m the only person you need to look at. Just me and you. That is all that matters. Me and you.” She struggled to keep smiling, because this wasn’t good at all. “I’m here.”
“Rose?” he asked.
“That’s right, I am here for you, always.”
“I’m going to die.”
He sounded so sure.
“No, you’re not. This is just … it’s nothing, okay. You’re wanting to turn, but that doesn’t have to be the case. You’re here with me. Rocco is going to be here soon.”
“Rose, I can’t stop this. I’m going to die, but I want you to know that Rocco loves you. He loves you so very much,” Graham said.
“Okay, stop, you do not need to do this. Rocco and I will be okay. We’re mates, and the pack already knows, and we’re together, you’re our friend, and you’re going to be here with us.”
He shook his head. “No, this is where I die.”
She was about to dispute him, but then he suddenly tensed and Rose couldn’t believe she screamed. The sound rent the air, sounding as terrified as she felt. Tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks.
Graham’s body began to break right before her eyes, and there was no way to stop it. She saw his arm shatter, twisting at odd angles, and this wasn’t right. This was designed for a wolf’s body, not for a human’s. There was no way he would be able to survive this.
Rose didn’t know what to do, and then she held onto Graham, trying to stop him, although his body broke beneath her. Tilting her head back, she screamed for Rocco, hoping he would be able to hear her distress. Praying he would come to her call.
She knew mates could be powerful and that they should, in theory, be able to hear each other’s call, or at least that was how it was for her parents. They’d been close. She and Rocco didn’t have the greatest start, so she didn’t know how powerful their call was going to be.
All she knew was, she needed her mate now more than ever. Graham was her friend, and she didn’t know how she was going to cope if she wasn’t able to save him.