Page 32 of These Dangerous Fates

When we’re sure the mage is no longer a threat, we pad to Ellis. She’s laying too still on the ground and we have a moment of fear thinking we’re too late. We hold our breath as we lower our muzzle to her chest. The wet rasp of her uneven breaths sends relief crashing into us so fiercely it causes my wolf to step back. I take advantage of him being thrown off balance and I push forward, shifting to my human form.

I crouch in front of her and hesitate before touching her, afraid I’ll do even more damage. She’s unconscious, her body bloody and bruised with her limbs lying at unnatural angles where her bones have been broken. The uneven breaths making her chest rise and fall are wet and labored. It sends my wolf howling inside me.

“Fuck. Ellis, I’m here,” I say shakily. “I’m so sorry, but I’m here now. Please, kitten. Please be okay,” I beg.

Something in my chest physically hurts. Seeing her injured, broken, and in pain is tearing me in two. It’s hard to breathe, and I want nothing more than to curl up with Ellis and let her know she’s not alone. My wolf paces inside me, his anxious energy feeding into my own. I’ve never felt like this before.

I reach for my phone in my back pocket, only to realize I shifted and lost my clothes, so I have no way of reaching Cade or Kai. Fuck. Cade. I hope he’s okay, but there is nothing I can do about that now. Refocusing my mind, I know I need to get Ellis to safety. My hands hover over her, hesitating before I touch her. I don’t want to move her, but I don’t have a choice. Looking around to get my bearings, I make a plan in my head.

As gently as I can, I slide my arms under her and lift her to my chest. Even as gentle as I am, she still groans, and it breaks my heart. “I’m so sorry, kitten,” I mutter. “I need to get you to safety. It’s going to be alright. I promise.”

I silently curse myself for making that promise. We promised her she would be okay today, and look what happened. Moving as quickly as I can without jostling her too much, I make my way through the back alleys of the city, keeping to the shadows and using my wolf to keep alert for danger.

The place I’m heading to is a secret apartment the guys and I have in case of emergencies. It’s on the top floor of a corner building in the most derelict area of the city. It’s run down and gross, but it’s not meant for comfort. Until we can safely move Ellis back to Kai’s place after this first challenge, it will have to do.

I make it to the building, but wait in the shadows for a moment, letting my wolf get a read on what’s happening around us. When he determines it’s safe, I quickly duck through the half-rotted door that opens up to a set of equally-rotted stairs. They groan ominously under mine and Ellis’s combined weight, but I make it up the five stories without falling through.

As soon as I’m through the door to our apartment, I make sure it’s locked behind me. The one bedroom contains a full sized bed with clean sheets pushed against a wall. The place is sparsely furnished, with only the necessities stocked in case of emergency—medical supplies, non-perishable foods, weapons, water, and a few pieces of clothing.

I gently lay Ellis on the bed, wincing as she groans again. She hasn’t regained consciousness and I’m at a loss for what to do. The worst of her injuries are internal and without Cade, I can’t heal them.

“I’m sorry, kitten. I have to take your clothes off.” I tell her, even though she can’t hear me or respond.

There are multiple scrapes and cuts on her body, which I can take care of with our medical supplies, but I want to make sure there are no other major wounds. I get her jacket and tank top off, and the amount of bruising on her torso makes me think she must have some broken ribs, which would explain her shallow and labored breathing.

I unzip the boots I bought her when I left Kai’s for a few hours because it was too hard to be near her. The constant fight with my wolf, the incessant need to be in her orbit, and the desire that only grows with each passing day. It’s all so exhausting. I saw the boots in the shop window, and I knew they were exactly what she would need during this ridiculous challenge, and I couldn’t stop myself from buying them.

When I get to her leggings, I find a pocket. Stupid idiot! Of course, Cade insisted on giving her a burner phone. In my fear and anxiety, I didn’t even think to check her for one. I thank the fucker and take it out, dialing his number while I pull off her leggings.

He doesn’t answer, and I try not to draw conclusions that will only make me worry more. I pull a sheet over Ellis and head to the bathroom to get our medical supplies. When I return to the room, the sight of Ellis lying motionless on the bed causes my heart to skip a beat. She looks so small and fragile. And we failed her.

I take a quick inventory of her cuts, making my wolf growl with each one I find. The sound echoes through the small apartment. I’ve made it through about half of her injuries when the burner phone rings. I lunge for it.

“Hello?”

“Sterling, thank fuck.” Cade says breathlessly. “Where are you?” A harsh cough comes through the speaker.

“I’m at our emergency apartment. I need you here, now. Ellis is hurt.”

“How bad?” He coughs again.

“She’s not conscious. A lot of broken bones.” I run my hand through my hair, wincing as it gets caught in the tangled strands. “I don’t know what else. It was a mage.”

“Motherfucker,” he curses. Shouting coming from the background makes Cade let out a string of curses Kai would be proud of. “I’ll get there as soon as I can shake these bastards from my tail. Have you heard from Kai?”

“No,” I sit on the edge of the bed and brush a curl from Ellis’s forehead. “Shit, Cade. She’s burning up.”

“Son of a bitch. I’m trying, Sterling.”

He hangs up, and I sigh. I get a cool, wet washcloth from the bathroom and place it on Ellis’s forehead. There isn’t much I can do besides continue treating her outside injuries. When I’m done, I pull on a pair of sweatpants and sit on the bed next to her.

“I’m right here, kitten,” I say softly. “Cade is on his way. He’ll get you all fixed up.”

I try not to lose myself to my thoughts. There’s nothing positive floating through my head at the moment, and it would only bring more fear and uncertainty. I let my wolf closer to the surface to monitor our surroundings, and I try to call Kai, but he doesn’t answer. I assume it will be another thirty minutes or so until he finishes the race, so I leave him a brief message telling him we’re at the apartment, but nothing else.

After what feels like hours, someone knocks on the door hard enough to rattle the entire apartment. “Open up, it’s me.”

I hurry to the door and let Cade in. “Fuck, brother. What happened to you?” I ask.

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