Chapter 51

Without wasting any moment, it lunged, heading right at me.

Scared, I stumbled back but I was too slow.

Rogue to in touching sisters and extended his arm.

It's all happened so far that all I felt was searing pain rippling through my shoulder as its claws connected with my skin.

I screamed, stumbling onto the grass, blood soaking through my dress.

My wolf howled in my head, furious, helpless.

I wanted to fight back but I was too weak to transform and defenseless physically.

“ISLA!”

Kieran’s roar split the air as he went wild, tearing free from the rogue he was currently fighting with. His body blurred as he ran across the distance, his claws flashing as he slammed into the one attacking me. He ripped the wolves off me with savage force, his fury unmatched

But in the chaos, the first rogue surged up again, gasping loudly as he choked on his last breaths. He ensured that he sank his claws into Kieran's side. Kieran jerked, blood spraying as the blow landed deep.

“No!” The cry was wrenched from my throat in horror and shock.

But Kieran didn’t even flinch, jerking backwards.

With a snarl, he tore through both of them, relentless until their bodies lay still on the ground.

Then, silence.

But even that wild burst of energy drained him, coupled with a large gaping wound by his side.

Kieran swayed, blood pouring from the gash along his ribs.

He stayed upright only by sheer force of will, his chest heaving but I could detect pain in his movements by the way he favored his right side.

His eyes, still burning gold, found me.

“Hey, are you hurt?” he demanded, voice rough, broken.

I pressed my trembling hands against my bleeding shoulder, shaking my head furiously. It was just a graze. “It’s nothing. You’re….crap….oh, Kieran-”

While I was rambling, his knees buckled.

I lunged forward, catching him as best as I could, though his weight nearly dragged us both down. I pressed my hands desperately against the wound in his side, but blood seeped hot and fast between my fingers.

I've never quite understood what it meant by having someone's life force in your hands but in this moment, it dawned on me.

The next few minutes were critical because every minute that passed would determine if Kieran would survive this.

Also as I cradled him in my lap, the positions reversed, it tugged on my heartstrings when I noticed how fragile he was.

“Don’t you dare,” I whispered, tears spilling onto my cheeks. “Don’t you dare leave me. Not like this. Not now.”

His eyes fluttered, a ghost of a smile curving his lips. “So you do… still care.”

“Shut up,” I sobbed, pressing harder on his wound as if sheer will could stop the bleeding, screaming for help until my throat burned. “Somebody! Help us!”

The garden answered only with echoes of my voice and the still bodies of the rogues.

And there I was, cradling Kieran’s bloodied form against me, heart hammering, realizing with a sick twist that the thing I feared most wasn’t Tristan’s coldness or my own confusion.

It was losing Kieran.

As much as I denied what he meant to me.

Isla

The garden still reeked of copper and death.

My tea had spilled across the table, a rapidly spreading brown stain, and the bodies of three rogue wolves lay crumpled at my feet.

I knelt near them, holding onto Kieran, blood dripping steadily from the gash at his side, his chest rising and falling as he expelled ragged breaths.

“Someone, please help!” I called out again, not caring that his blood was seeping into my dress as his head lay on my thighs.

I had barely gotten the words out of my mouth before heavy footsteps thundered across the grass.

The guards burst through the hedge, swords drawn, and Tristan was at their lead.

His presence washed into the garden like a storm…. fury radiating off him in sharp waves.

His gaze swept over the scene: the corpses, me cradling Kieran protectively on my thighs, and Kieran himself, bruised and bleeding.

“What the hell happened here?” His voice came out in a low growl, vibrating with an authority that silenced even the guards.

“I was having tea,” I blurted, pressing my hands to Kieran's wound to stem the blood flow. “The rogues came out of nowhere…. Kieran fought them off and saved my life.”

For a second, I thought I saw something flicker in Tristan’s eyes.

But it wasn’t gratitude. It wasn’t even relief. It was distrust….sharp, cutting, and so unlike the man I thought I knew.

“And he just happened to show up the moment you were in danger?”

My brows furrowed as I paused, taking in the hidden meaning in his words. “That's exactly what I said.”

His jaw tightened before he finally said, gesturing to the guards. “Take him to the healer.”

Two guards stepped forward immediately, seizing Kieran by the arms.

He winced, trying to keep his balance, his eyes flashing toward me as if he expected me to intervene.

He's injured, for shits sake! They should be treating him carefully.

“Wait!” I rushed in front of them, my voice rising. “Be careful, he’s injured. You should be treating him properly and thanking him for saving my life, not treating him like a criminal.”

Tristan’s gaze snapped to mine, colder than the autumn wind. “I said take him. And don’t let him out of your sight.”

The words stung more than any blade.

He completely disregarded everything I said.

I stared at him, my chest burning as I watched the guards drag Kieran away. “Tristan, are you even listening to me? I said he protected me….he fought for me.”

“And yet, you don't realize that three dead rogue wolves are lying on the lawn! He just showed up right on time to ‘defend’ you from them. Forgive me if I don't believe you or him.” he said flatly.

He didn’t yell.

He didn’t need to. His calm dismissal cut deeper than if he’d shouted.

I reached for his arm, desperate to break through to him before he could shut me out. I don't care about his speculations right now; all I want is for Kieran to receive the treatment he deserves. “Tristan please, he’s bleeding-”

But Tristan stepped back, his expression shuttering.

He turned on his heel and strode away, his cloak flowing behind him, leaving me there in the bloodstained garden as though my words had meant nothing.

He followed the guards as they dragged Kieran off without looking at me, and soon after, another set of guards rushed in.

By the time I managed to escape the cluster of guards fussing over the garden and the bodies, hours had passed.