Chapter 45 I Need Food
Fennigan was there instantly, scooping her up into his arms before she could hit the porch floor. She was limp against him, her skin cooling rapidly as the fever of the magic broke.
"I've got you," he promised, holding her tight against his chest.
He carried her through the silent, awestruck crowd of wolves. No one spoke.
They simply parted, lowering their heads in a mixture of submission and reverence as their Alpha carried his mate inside.
He brought her up to the her bedroom, laying her gently on sheets. The glowing flowers on the bed dimmed to a soft, pulse, sensing her need for deep, restorative sleep. He pulled the quilt over her, brushing a kiss against her forehead.
"Sleep, Stormy," he whispered. "You're safe."
He left the door cracked just an inch so he could hear her breathing and walked back out into the hallway.
Damon, Elana, and Jax were waiting for him in the upstairs landing. They looked shell-shocked.
"How is she? Is she okay?" Elana asked, her voice trembling.
"She's out cold," Fennigan said, running a hand through his hair. "But her heartbeat is strong. The stones are swirling their calm swirls."
Jax walked over to the window at the end of the hall and looked out at the grounds. "You did see that too right?"
Fennigan just let out a long sigh.
Damon leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. He looked at his son with a serious expression.
"The Moon Goddess spoke through her, Fennigan," his father said heavily. "Do you understand what that means? She isn't just an Elemental. The Council... the other Alphas... they are going to want answers."
"They aren't getting them," Fennigan said, his voice hard. "And they aren't getting near her."
Elana pointed out gently. "People will know something changed."
"Let them know," Fennigan said. He looked back at the bedroom door. "Let them know that Blackwood is closed. Let them know that the Lycan and elemental future is here, and she is sleeping in my bed."
He turned back to his family, his eyes flashing.
"She's protecting the world. Now, we protect her while she recharges. Jax, double the guard on the inside perimeter. Dad, Mom, get the healers to check the wounded."
Fennigan stopped mid-sentence. His head snapped up toward the bedroom door. A jolt went through the bond, sharp and immediate.
"She’s awake."
Before he could move to the door, the handle turned. Leela stepped out into the hallway. She looked pale, her hair tousled from the pillows, and she was swaying slightly, holding onto the doorframe for support.
The four Blackwoods looked up at her in unison.
"Leela!"
Fennigan was at her side in a blur of motion. He didn't ask if she was okay; he just grabbed her hand, wrapping his arm around her waist to take her weight.
"I need..." she rasped, her voice dry. "I need food."
"We know," Fennigan said gently. "Come on."
He led her downstairs, straight to the family’s private dining table near the kitchens. He pulled out her chair, settling her into it.
The kitchen staff seemed to sense the emergency. Within moments, the double doors swung open.
They didn't bring a plate. They brought a feast.
Bowls of rich, dark stewed venison served over steaming mounds of sticky white rice. A whole roasted chicken, seasoned with herbs, the meat so tender it was falling off the bone. Platters of flaky pastries filled with fruit and cream. A carafe of deep red wine.
They placed it all before her.
Leela didn't speak. She didn't wait for a napkin. She picked up a fork and she ate.
It was a frenzy. She consumed the venison, scraping the bowl clean. She tore into the chicken, devouring the protein as if her body was a furnace burning through fuel instantly. She drank the wine like water. She ate the pastries one after another.
Everything that was placed before her, she ate. There was no way a human stomach—or even a wolf stomach—could hold that much mass. It was as if the Elemental Stones were simply vaporizing the food the moment it hit her system, converting matter directly into magic to refill the void she had created.
Just as the four Blackwoods began to worry she might actually burst across the table, Leela finally slowed down.
She swallowed the last bite of a tart, licked a crumb from her thumb, and sat back with a heavy sigh. The frantic hunger in her eyes faded, replaced by a sleepy satisfaction.
She blinked, looking at the devastation of empty platters and bowls scattered across the wood. She looked up at the four faces staring at her.
"Did I eat all that?" she asked quietly.
Damon let out a short, incredulous laugh, shaking his head.
"Well," the former Alpha said, looking at the kitchen staff who were peeking out from the swinging doors,. "Note to the kitchen: Triple the grocery order."
Fennigan stood up, pulling Leela’s chair back. She wobbled as she stood, her legs still feeling like jelly.
"Okay," Fennigan said, scooping her up into his arms again as easily as if she weighed nothing. "Refuel complete. Now, back to recharge. For real this time."
"I can walk," Leela protested weakly, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I know you can," Fennigan murmured, carrying her toward the stairs. "But you don't have to."
Jax watched them go, picking up a stray grape from the fruit platter and tossing it into his mouth.
"So," Jax said to his parents as Fennigan carried his mate up the stairs. "The Moon Goddess speaks through her. She controls nature. And she eats like a linebacker. Are we sure she isn't actually a goddess?"
Elana looked at the stairs, her expression softening.
"She’s something better, Jax," Elana whispered. "She’s family."
The room was warm, smelling of lavender and the faint, scent of the flowers that were still blooming along the headboard.He laid her down, tucking the quilt around her.
He kicked off his boots and climbed in beside her, pulling her back against his chest. He needed the contact. He needed to feel the physical rise and fall of her breathing to convince his wolf that she was actually here, actually alive.
Leela sighed, wiggling backward until she was flush against him. She reached up, touching the hand he had draped over her waist."Fen?" she whispered into the dark.
"Yeah, Stormy?"
"The people outside... the pack. Did I scare them?"
Fennigan pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.
"You didn't scare them, Leela. You saved them. They aren't scared... they're waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
"For you to wake up and tell them what to do next," Fennigan said softly. "But that is a problem for tomorrow. Tonight? You sleep. And I watch."
Leela closed her eyes. The steady thump-thump of his heart against her back was the only lullaby she needed. Within seconds, her breathing evened out, and she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Fennigan lay awake, watching the moonlight filter through the vines on the window, guarding his miracle