Chapter 81 A hurt wolf
Chapter 81 A hurt wolf
“Fuck!” Rhea cursed, bending low to dodge the bullet.
“Get them out of here now!” She yelled at Lucien, pulling out her own gun and firing back at the bloody red–eyed man. He immediately dove behind the nearest pillar, blocking Rhea’s view.
“Now, Luna.” With Aria unconscious in his arms, Lucien gestured, but just as Leia took a step, a gunshot rang out near her, ripping a scream from her throat.
“Oops, missed,” the bloody red–eyed man said, raising his hand, ready to pull the trigger, when a sharp cry tore from his lips, drawing everyone’s attention.
Rhea’s brows knit as she saw the man clutching his right leg, blood gushing from the wound. Looking up, a victorious smirk spread across her lips when she met a familiar gaze.
“Am I late?” He asked, causing Leia to freeze, unable to believe the voice she had just heard.
“Well, the party’s far from over,” Rhea said with a smile, relief flooding her as she saw him.
Slowly, Leia lifted her head, exhaling deeply as her eyes met his. Tears threatened to spill as she battled both joy and sorrow. She was overwhelmed by the relief of seeing him alive, though he was far from whole. He was shirtless, deep cuts marking his chest, his hair disheveled, his face smeared with dust and blood. A large wound rested at his side, one that didn’t seem to be healing. Poison? she wondered. But poison wasn’t supposed to work on him. She lifted her gaze back to his face and swallowed hard when his eyes took her in.
They stared at each other in silence, longing heavy between them, their emotions loud though not a word was spoken. Leia wanted to run to him, to tell him how much she had missed him and how grateful she was that he was alive. She wanted to stay wrapped in his arms until the world faded away.
Averting his gaze first, Casimir ordered, “My men have cleared the path. Get Luna to safety.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Lucien replied, grabbing Leia’s wrist and leading them away.
Leia’s lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. Her eyes stayed on him as she was pulled along, torn between leaving him again or staying behind.
“What about the bomb?” Rhea asked as they vanished from sight.
“It’s too late to deactivate it, but there is a way to survive,” Casimir said, and Rhea nodded, ready to follow his lead.
“We are saving him too. I won’t let him die easily,” Casimir added, his gaze dropping to the bloody red–eyed man.
“You can’t outsmart a bomb.” The man mocked, groaning in pain.
“We don’t need to, we just need time.” Rhea answered.
Poww
…
“Will they be fine? The bomb is about to go off,” Leia asked anxiously as they reached the left quarters.
“He will be fine. I need to get you to safety first,” Lucien replied, but Leia pulled free from his grip.
She began, “You can leave us and go back to…” but before she could finish, the bomb detonated, engulfing the entire right quarters in a violent explosion.
The blast threw them forward, the force slamming Leia into the wall as debris rained down around them. Her ears rang violently, the world reduced to fire, dust, and chaos.
“Casimir!” She screamed, her voice cracking as she struggled to steady herself.
Smoke filled the corridor, thick and suffocating, as alarms wailed in the distance.
“Ahhhh!” Leia screamed again as she bent forward, her chest heaving.
When the noise finally died down, she straightened slowly and stared at the collapsed quarters, her legs carrying her closer to the ruins.
“No… Casimir,” she muttered, her mouth parting as she took another step forward.
“Luna, no!” Lucien shouted, dropping Aria gently against the wall before rushing to Leia.
“He’s still in there. You need to save him,” she said absentmindedly, her eyes fixed on the wreckage. Lucien could only stare at her, unsure of what to say to ease her panic.
Even he was beginning to worry that Casimir might not have made it but they had been through too much together. A bomb wouldn’t take his life so easily.
“You need to leave, for the sake of your best friend. She needs urgent care,” Lucien urged, and it was only then Leia snapped out of her daze, turning to Aria, torn between waiting for Casimir and getting her friend medical help.
“Beta,” someone called, and several men appeared behind them.
“Get Luna and Lady Aria to safety. Bring the doctor immediately,” Lucien ordered.
“Yes, Beta,” they chorused.
“You have to leave now. I will find Alpha,” Lucien assured, and Leia met his gaze, feeling a small sense of comfort as she nodded.
Casting one last glance at the ruins, she braced herself and turned away.
“Some of you, follow me,” Lucien ordered.
With Aria carried by one of the men, they led Leia away.
…
“Luna, your best friend will not die. She is a strong she-wolf,” the doctor said as he treated Aria.
“Then why did she faint from the impact? And why was her pulse so weak?” Leia asked, her eyes darting between Aria and the doctor.
“She was already weak before the impact. Glass wouldn’t kill a werewolf. Was she tortured before? Her wolf should have protected her from the collision, but I can barely feel it. It’s as though her wolf is hiding,” the doctor explained.
“Yes. She’s had a rough past,” Leia revealed quietly, lowering her gaze with a sigh.
“Ah, I see. A hurt wolf. She needs protection now more than ever,” the doctor said.
“A hurt wolf?” Leia repeated. “Could that also be the reason someone’s wolf refuses to surface?” She asked, curious about her own situation.
The doctor chuckled softly. “No, Luna. A hurt wolf is different from an absent wolf. A hurt wolf has surfaced but cannot perform its duties due to pain or past trauma, like your friend’s. A wolf that refuses to surface usually hasn’t found a reason yet. Most are born to merge easily with their wolf, while others need a trigger which could be training, mating, or a life-and-death situation,” he explained.
“Mating?” Leia echoed. “Does it have to be with your fated mate?”
“Yes, Luna. Only your destined one can help your wolf break free,” the doctor replied.
“Figures,” she murmured under her breath.
“Alpha is back!”