Chapter 80 Between Life and the Bond
Kier's POV
The penthouse had never felt so quiet.
Even the city below—usually alive with sirens, horns, and noise—seemed muted.
Sable lay motionless in the center of my bed, skin pale against the dark sheets. The steady rhythm of the heart monitor I’d insisted the healer bring was the only sound.
Thump.
Pause.
Thump.
It was weak, but steady. I clung to that sound like a lifeline.
Jaxon stood near the window, arms crossed, eyes flicking between me and the healer. Jenna was pacing near the wall, looking smaller than I’d ever seen her. Her usual sharp confidence had been replaced with something fragile.
The healer—a wiry woman named Lian with silver streaks in her hair—was finishing her assessment. She’d been one of my father’s before I took over, old-world and blunt, the kind who didn’t bother cushioning bad news.
When she finally straightened, I was already on my feet. “Well?”
Her gaze was cool but steady. “She’s alive. That’s the best I can give you right now.”
“That’s not enough,” I said, harsher than I meant to. “You’ve been here an hour. You must have something more than that.”
“She’s not dying,” Lian said evenly. “But she’s not healing either. The wolfsbane in her system is still binding to her cells. Whoever did this to her wasn’t careful. Too much of it, and the body starts to forget what it’s supposed to do.”
Jenna stopped pacing. “Forget?”
“The poison dulls her connection to her wolf,” Lian said. “Without that link, her body loses its instinct to fight.”
Jaxon stepped forward. “Can you help her?”
Lian sighed. “I can try to flush the toxin, but it’s risky. Her vitals are already weak. If I push too hard, I could send her into shock.”
“Do it,” I said immediately.
“I’ll need wolfsbane extract to balance the purge,” she said. “Ironically, a little more of it to undo the rest. And I’ll need quiet. No interruptions.”
“Done.”
She gave me a nod. “You can stay, but stay out of my way.”
Jaxon turned toward me. “You should rest.”
I barked a laugh. “You try sleeping while she’s like this.”
Jenna came closer, her voice soft. “Kier, you’ve been awake for two days. You need to take care of yourself too.”
I looked at her, the exhaustion in her eyes mirroring mine. “She’s not just anyone, Jenna. You understand that, right?”
Jenna swallowed. “I do. She’s family.”
Something in her voice cracked on the word.
Lian began her work again, muttering low incantations under her breath, her hands glowing faintly gold as she pressed them against Sable’s sternum. The faint shimmer of power rippled through the air—pack magic, old and sacred.
I watched every movement, every breath, every flicker of her fingers.
Sable didn’t stir.
Jaxon walked over, lowering his voice. “You think she can feel you?”
“She always could,” I said quietly. “Even when she pretended not to.”
He sighed. “You know this isn’t over when she wakes, right?”
“I know.”
“You’re going to have to tell her about Liora. About everything.”
“I will.”
Jaxon gave me a look that said he didn’t believe me. “Don’t wait too long. She’s been fighting alone for too long already.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
Instead, I turned back to Sable. Her lips were pale, her lashes dark against her skin. The faint bruise on her throat made my blood heat again.
I could still smell Sam’s scent on her. My wolf rumbled low, barely restrained.
Jenna noticed. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
I exhaled, long and rough. “I can’t do this again, Jenna. I can’t lose her twice.”
She hesitated before stepping closer, resting a hand on my arm. “You won’t. She’s too stubborn to die.”
That actually made me huff a small laugh. “That’s true.”
Across the room, Lian muttered something in an older tongue. The glow from her hands intensified, casting gold light across Sable’s face. Sweat broke out across Lian’s brow.
Jaxon straightened. “What’s happening?”
“The toxin’s fighting back,” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s deep in her blood.”
Her hands trembled, and the light flickered. Sable’s body jerked slightly.
“Lian!” I barked.
“I’m fine!” she snapped, focusing harder. “She’s strong—stronger than I expected. Her wolf is trying to resurface, but it’s still barred.”
Jenna’s eyes widened. “Can you help her?”
“I can only open the door,” Lian said. “She has to step through it.”
Sable gasped suddenly, her chest rising sharp and shallow.
I was at her side instantly. “Sable?”
Her lips parted, a faint sound escaping—too soft to make out, but it was something.
Lian pulled back, panting. The glow around her hands dimmed, fading to nothing.
“That’s it for now,” she said, voice rough. “Her wolf is stirring. That’s all I can do tonight.”
“She’s going to wake?” Jaxon asked.
“If she wants to,” Lian said. “You can’t force a wolf back to the surface. They come when they’re ready—or not at all.”
She packed up her bag, wiping her forehead with the back of her sleeve. “If she seizes, call me immediately. Otherwise… let her rest.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Lian paused at the door. “For what it’s worth, Alpha, I’ve seen wolfbane poisoning before. But this…” Her gaze softened. “Whatever’s between you two—it’s keeping her alive.”
When she left, the room fell silent again.
Jenna sat quietly on the couch, staring into her hands. Jaxon lingered near the door, restless.
I stayed by Sable.
Her breathing had evened out now, her heartbeat steady but faint. I brushed my thumb over her hand, tracing the curve of her knuckles.
“You hear that?” I murmured to her. “You’ve got half the damn city moving for you. Jaxon’s losing his mind. Jenna’s ready to fight rogues herself. And me…” I swallowed. “I’m trying not to fall apart.”
Jaxon’s voice was gentle for once. “She’ll wake, Kier. She has to.”
I nodded, but I didn’t believe it yet.
Hours passed. The light outside dimmed into dusk. I stayed where I was, counting each breath she took.
At some point, Jenna brought me coffee. At another, Jaxon left to check in with security. The world kept moving.
But my world stayed right here—at her bedside.
The city lights painted her skin gold and blue. For a heartbeat, I swore I saw her fingers twitch again.
I leaned closer. “Sable?”
Nothing.
But the next heartbeat came stronger.
And then—soft, barely audible—her lips parted.
“Kier…”
It was barely a whisper. But it was enough to shatter the quiet.
My heart stuttered.
I tightened my grip on her hand, my throat rough. “I’m here,” I said. “I never left.”
Her lashes fluttered once.
Then her eyes opened.