The heat was scorching. The flames were far away, but from her position Layan could sense the power coming out of them and from the small, slender body of the she-wolf she had so far underestimated. Priscilla, after all had inherited both their bloods and the strength of all the alphas and lived up to her recognition.
The scene unfolding in front of everyone was unprecedented and happening so fast yet so slow. Layan's heart was pounding. He felt the temporal bond on the wavering she-wolf. As if there was something that was forcing it to break and that made his fangs come out. No one could break that bond. Only he could.
But that wasn't the most important thing now. The wolf inside the fire halo growled and tried aggressively to cross the flames until suddenly his body stopped dead in its tracks. His eyes closed and he fell sideways with a dry sound. As if he had lost consciousness or worse.
The alpha stood up as he noticed the flames descending around the aggressor leaving no evidence of them. The animal had not been touched by them so it was uninjured, but he had to move fast. As the wolf itself had vanished, so had the flames and Priscilla's body was seen falling to the side with her eyes closed.
Layan held her in his arms unable to comprehend what had happened. Her skin was hot, to the point of almost burning and she was covered in sweat. The wolf shook her calling out to her but received no response from her,
-Kei shouted to the beta who was recovering from the scene and ran to him.
-Do you want me to take care of the princess?
Layan pulled her to him possessively. After feeling his bond being formed by something or someone he was very emotionally unstable and this time he was aware.
-Bind the body, and that wolf. If he is alive, lock him up and interrogate him. Get everyone back to their homes until further notice. I don't want another attack. Have the guards do their routines in two. Anything they say, let them know.
He got up with Priscilla in his arms. They all wondered what had happened but dared not speak or ask him. Of one thing they were sure. The she-wolf was someone to keep her distance from if Layan was attacked.
The wolf took her straight to her room and quickly turned on the shower faucet and jumped in with Priscilla letting the cold water run down her body which was hanging on by the waist. The she-wolf was burning but it didn't seem to be a fever. It must have been because she had used the fire power contained in her body. When he had used the ice one he had been freezing. He would have to forbid her to use them. They could kill her, she didn't realize.
-Priscilla,- he called to her, brushing her hair from her face. He had no answer, her breathing was slow.
Layan clicked his tongue and hugged her closer to him. Something uncomfortable stirred inside him and he ran his fingers over the bite on her neck. He felt the unevenness of the skin left by her fangs. It was still there.
He didn't know why but he felt relief.
Once Priscilla's body began to cool he pulled her off, undressed her and gently dried her. If he wasn't so preoccupied he wouldn't mind appreciating their delicate curves but his mind wasn't livid at the moment. Priscilla would not wake up.
He laid her on the bed and examined her pulse. It was there, steady, her breathing had stabilized but for some reason something was missing. She didn't feel the wild instinct that every wolf felt. The connection through the bond was weak, much weaker than before. As if it was weakening all the time.
He was alarmed. He was so used after all these years to having the feeling that he wasn't completely free that now that it was fading and without him being the one to remove it, he was getting impatient.
-Priscila-- he called to her again and lifted her slightly by the back of the neck. Again there was no response. He lowered his head and sought her lips. If her body was wounded perhaps in that way he could heal her.
With his hand he forced her chin to open her mouth and tangled their tongues together allowing their saliva to merge. He focused all his power on her fluid having as many healing agents as possible. He didn't know what havoc his power might have wreaked on her body.
But still Priscilla did not awaken when he broke away and wiped her wet lips. She began to worry alarmingly. The door was knocked. Layan allowed Kei who had a somber face to pass through.
-How is she?- the beta noticed Layan's expression as he leaned over the she-wolf on the bed.
-She's not awake. I don't know why,- his voice came out low.
The beta walked over and looked at Priscilla, she looked like she was sleeping. She even had a good fur color.
-What if he let her rest alpha? She might be tired.
Layan glared at him.
-I can't feel her Kei. Our link is barely present.
The beta's eyes widened.
-So?
-Then nothing. Call the pack doctor. I can heal wounds but not work miracles-he got up and started pacing the room back and forth. He looked like a caged tiger.
-Alpha, calm down, it may not be that serious.
Layan wasn't so sure. Priscilla's life could be in danger and he was not able to do anything. First the death of that wolf, then the other one that attacked him and finally this. If he had been more attentive the she-wolf would not have had to use her power and not be in that bed.
Two days. Two days passed and Priscilla still hadn't woken up. Layan was getting on her nerves. The doctor didn't find anything either and by the evening of the third day the she-wolf's breathing was getting heavier and heavier, barely an audible trickle.
Layan wanted to break the bond but when reality hit him and he noticed that yes, the bond would be broken but a tormenting emptiness would remain, and without someone like Priscilla's hard head he couldn't help but despair. No, he didn't want that. His feral part clawed inside him for coming out and killing himself if he allowed that.
Being with Priscilla by his side wasn't easy, but every fiber in his body dictated that if he let her go it would all come crashing down. And he knew he couldn't lie to himself. The she-wolf was different from everything else but he never found it unpleasant to wake up with her snuggled to his arm, nor to watch her training from the window, him always pulling out his fangs when Kei went off his hand, nor when he had to lick some of her wounds after training. And even less when he kissed her.
When he kissed her, she lost total control of him. His world was summed up only to his desire, to his instinct, to the wildest part of him and that meant one thing. She was a wolf, she was made to drive him crazy. Made for him.
For that reason, he couldn't let her die. Let their bond be broken.
He promised himself that night, with Priscilla in his arms as he held her tightly and bit the mark again reinforcing the fading bond, that when she came to, he would complete it.
He would no longer lie to himself. He would not be a coward.
It was as Priscilla had said. That alone was fate. And he would no longer run against it.
...
Priscilla stirred slightly. Her mind flashed Liam's words over and over again and it made her shudder unpleasantly. He was close, closer than she had imagined. He had told her that she knew where he was, but at this point Priscilla really didn't know. She had two people in mind, though now she wasn't quite sure.
And worst of all, Liam was stronger than she was. Much stronger. He had gotten into her head, breaking all barriers, not even her mother was able to get into her subconscious. That was a power she had and now Liam.
She felt powerless, helpless, not ten strong as she thought. Maybe Layan was right. She was just a puppy. But that didn't mean she was going to back down. There were things that took priority, and one of them didn't include him. If she bonded with Layan through her bond she could endanger him therefore.
It was time to stop pursuing him, at least for the time being.
He wouldn't force it anymore, after all, he was the first one who didn't want to complete it. Well... he would please him, he would let him off the hook because seeing how things were turning out, he would have to apologize to everyone and especially to his father. Because he might not survive.
He opened his eyes slowly. There was darkness everywhere, barely any moonlight filtering through the window. She was lying in a place she knew, Layan's scent was strong on her. She felt against her bare skin the soft fur of the huge wolf lying next to her and turned to run an arm over her burying her fingers in the wolf's fur.
He looked like he was sleeping. Priscilla smiled and stroked him gently. It felt good. Layan's animal form was beautiful and majestic, big and strong like a full alpha, the expanse of his body was almost the length of her from snout to tail, but she didn't feel threatened.
Her fingers brushed his ear as Layan's golden eye popped open and he lifted his head.
-Are you all right?- there seemed to be relief in his voice.
Her nose sniffed the side of Priscilla's neck as if searching for his mark and was gratified when his scent was present in that area, strong. Then he licked her cheek to linger immersed in Priscilla's silver eyes.
What he didn't expect was that they would suddenly fill with tears and the she-wolf would burst into a sob and cuddle up to him, hiding her face in his fur.