Chapter 32: Family Ties

**Raegan**

When it finally snapped, the wolves Kai brought started losing. Badly.

In turn, Kai got desperate. I rose to my feet to see him shift and lunge straight for me. Before he could get close though, the King's wolf leapt through the air and slammed into him, brawling with him on the ground quickly thereafter.

The wolves around them broke apart, and I shoved forward, only to get pushed back into my Alpha Bubble of Protection by my brother.

The wolves howled and barked their approval of the one on one fight, and the King snapped at any wolf who tried to interfere.

This was going to be his kill.

Kai's jaws snapped at every bit of flesh they could, leaving bites and blood here and there on my mate's flesh. It coated his fur crimson in some places. But the small attacks Kai dished out only spurred my mate on to fight more aggressively. He sunk his claws into Kai's sides, and kicked him upwards while holding to his shoulders. The move left nasty gashes down Kai's underbelly, to which he yelped, and tore himself from the King's hold. The King jumped to his feet and leapt towards Kai once more, only to be evaded by Kai's smaller but faster wolf.

I gripped my brother's fur, and pulled myself up to look over his back to the fight, getting a better view of it.

The King's hackles were raised as he crouched low to the ground, his tail in the air and his ears flat against his skull. His lips were curled upwards revealing all of his teeth, some of which had fur and blood stuck in between them. I felt my heart race in my chest as Kai took the same position, accepting the challenge. My wolf, on the other hand, howled at the sight of our mate in such a ruthless state.

Kai lunged for the King and just as he did, the wolf with the spell attached to it, lunged from the sidelines and knocked the King onto his back, letting Kai go for the kill.

"Cheater!" I screeched, and hauled myself over Morgan as Kai's jaw started to latch onto The King's throat. Guards started to move forward to subdue the other wolf, one particular large gray wolf holding it back by its scruff.

Kai's canines penetrated the King's skin. I pushed through the wolves that were watching the scene, and let my magic surge forward as my wolf lent me her physical strength.

I was partially shifted by the time I sent the defensive spell Kai's way.

My clawed hands threw the magic at him, and his wolf yelped as he was thrown across the small clearing of wolves that gathered around us.

I growled at him, and rushed forward to stand above the King's body. I had one foot on either side of him, and my hands up towards Kai with my teeth bared at him.

"*Don't you dare touch my mate*," I spat the words at him venomously.

The King's wolf whimpered a little below me, and I looked down at him to see that he'd taken more damage than I originally thought he did.

I frowned, "wolfman," I pouted, my voice cracking a little at the puncture wounds on his neck.

He whimpered and shifted beneath me. I got off of him, and got to my knees to help roll him to his paws.

He didn't make any other sounds of distaste or pain when he rolled and I knew that he was already healing. But I saw the large gash on his side from the wolf that cheap shotted him.

I growled angrily, and spun on Kai's wolf. He was already lowering to the ground as I rose to my feet and stalked forward. The King's wolf whined at me, clearly not liking me going towards a threat. I heard him shuffle to his feet, and turned on him, "stay," I commanded, pointing at him and when he laid back down I turned back towards Kai.

"You bastard!" I shouted at him, and his wolf whimpered at me, his tail tucking in between his legs and his eyes going wide up at me. There was no trace of Kai's human here, just his wolf. His wolf staring up at me like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, "if you're going to fucking fight, fight fair!" I snapped, and crouched down to his level, grabbing his maw in both of my hands roughly, forcing him to meet my gaze, "if you so much as lay a finger on my mate's head again, I will *personally* see to it that each of your fingers is cut off and fed to you."

His wolf whined, and lowered his head in submission.

I dropped his head and rushed back to my mate, I huffed as he tried to stand again, "not a chance, wolfman," I said as I forced him back down. "Shorts? Anyone?" I called out to the guards and wolves around us. There was a scramble, and then Forty shifted back, rushed into the woods, and then returned with a pair of shorts.

He handed them to me gently, and looked down at me warmly. I glared at him, and looked at his naked form. He laughed, and shook his head, but shifted back.

I looked down at the King, "shift back so we can get you home," I whispered as I stroked his head.

He whimpered, and laid his head in my lap. "Please, your Majesty," I said and scratched between his ears.

After raising his head from my lap, he nodded, and started to shift back.

With each bone crack he whined out softly, and then finally he was his human counterpart, hissing in pain on the ground.

I handed him the shorts and started to help him pull them on.

"Cassian!" I called out to the wolves without looking up.

His wolf appeared beside me, and he bowed his head at me.

"Help me get him back," I muttered, and he nodded. He nudged his nose underneath the King's arm, and I lifted it and wrapped it around his neck, much to the King's dismay. He hissed, and I took note of the injuries that he sustained in this little fight.

"Fuck, stop," he grunted as I started to push him up onto Cassian's back.

I nodded, and stopped pushing, but held him in place.

He breathed heavily. "Raegan," he said my name through gritted teeth.

"Yes?" I leaned in closer to him.

"I'm going to shout, and beg you not to move me, but I need you to not listen to me. Can you do that for me?" He looked up at me, his eyes glazed over with the pain he was feeling.

I swallowed, "I don't know." I answered honestly.

"Please," he pleaded with me.

I closed my eyes for a second, then nodded, and waved over Morgan.

Morgan trotted over.

"Can you help me push his weight up?" I asked my brother, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

My brother nodded his big wolf head, and tucked his muzzle underneath my mate's arm and started to push it up.

He glanced at me, and I nodded once, and together we pushed my mate up onto his best friend's back.

He shouted profanities and shook as we hauled him upwards. There were more cuts and gashes on his back than there were on his front and my wolf growled at the sight of them as we threw his leg over Cassian's back so he was straddling him. When he was up, he laid down on Cassian's back and wrapped his arms around Cassian's neck. I nodded at Cassian and he took off toward the palace.

Shawn came over to me, and bent down. I climbed onto her back, and she was off after him.

Howls errupted behind us, and the sound of more paws padding on the floor hit the air quickly thereafter.

I tucked my face into Shawn's gray fur, letting myself feel all of the stress of the events of the day.

What started out as a fun day, with a sparring match and a win, turned into a somber reminder that I had skeletons in my closet that were quickly reviving themselves.

We reached the palace shortly after Cassian and the King did, and I hopped off of Shawn and followed my mate's scent to our floor. When I got off the elevator I heard him shouting out in pain, and I rushed into his room.

The sight before me made me angry beyond words. Two doctors and three nurses were working around him, resetting his bones before they healed improperly, and sewing his wounds attentively.

My wolf didn't like that they were hurting him, and she pushed her anger to the surface. I took in deep breaths, and quickly moved over to the bed where I sat at the foot of it and crawled up to his side. I brushed his hair out of his face, and took his hand into mine. "Shhh, wolfman," I cooed, and brought his hand to my lips before glaring at the doctors, "no painkillers? Nothing?" I snapped.

They muttered apologies, and sent off a nurse quickly.

I kissed his hand again and his fingers tightened around my hands tightly.

"Fuck, it hurts Raegan," he murmured.

"I'm going to kill him," I said as I pressed my forehead against his. "I can't believe he let them jump you."

He hissed as the needle went into his flesh once more and I inhaled deeply, calming my wolf with his scent.

I pressed my palm against his chest to feel his erratic heartbeat underneath my skin. The door swung open, and in stormed Hannah, the nurse hot on her tail.

Hannah stopped beside the bed, and looked at me, "what happened?" She asked, her voice ladden with concern.

"Kai," I gritted out.

Her body went rigid, and her eyes fogged over before she glared at me.

"You let him get away?!" She snapped.

I furrowed my brows, and the King grunted, jerking from the doctor's grasp. The doctor let out a frustrated noise, and I gripped the King's shoulders to try and hold him still while the doctor tried to reset his ribs. He writhed underneath the doctor's touch, and the doctor looked at me expectantly.

"I can't just sit on him to hold him still!" I said, exasperatedly.

He sighed and moved to reset the same rib he was trying to a moment ago, but the King jerked away once more.

I groaned, "your Majesty, stay fucking still," I snapped.

He tensed up, and his jaw clenched while he shook his head, "it fucking hurts!" He gritted out.

I sighed, and pressed my forehead against his, "I am so sorry for this in advance, your Majesty," I whispered to him, and before he could respond or ask me what I was doing, I pressed my lips against his and licked the seam of his lips to ask for access.

His lips parted immediately in a shocked gasp, and I stuck my tongue in his mouth, roaming it freely. I waved my hand at the doctor, telling him to move while I had the King's undevided attention. The King's hands moved to the back of my head and he pulled me closer to deepen the kiss, letting his own tongue dance with mine and explore my mouth.

And then, he screamed against my lips, and I pulled back.