Page 63 of Cursed Wolf

“I know,” I told him as I stroked his muzzle. “It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay.”

I was in shock, feeling a weird separation from my body. The wounds were deep and without immediate surgery, probably fatal. Plus, that demon was probably standing right behind me, getting a kick out of watching this heartbreaking moment.

My mate was dying, and what else could I do but stay with him and hold him?

Tryn let out a pained, wheezing huff of breath. Then, with what had to be a miraculous feat of strength, he started shifting into his human form.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to do that,” I said.

But he’d already seen it through, and I was now staring at the ashen face of the man I’d fallen in love with.

“Emma…line,” he whispered, pain lancing his words. “Run…you have to…run.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

I checked his abdomen to see if the shift had affected his wounds at all. They were still bleeding at the same rate, if not worse than before. I folded my jacket over to apply more pressure and added the weight of his good hand to mine. If we slowed the bleeding enough, maybe that would allow enough time for help to come.

“Derric…the pack…” A grimace twisted up Tryn’s features. “The pack will…take care of you…”

“You’re going to take care of me,” I corrected. “Because you’re going to heal. And I’m going to take care of you. We look after each other because we’re mates, right?” I leaned down and pressed my forehead to his, not knowing how or why it felt so natural to say mates. “That’s what we do, put each other first, don’t we?”

An exhausted, pained smile pulled at Tryn’s lips. “Yes…always.”

“So you’re going to keep pressure over these holes in your stomach until I can fix you, okay?” I stroked his cheek, staring intently at his unfocused eyes and paling skin. “And you’re going to stay awake. Stay with me, Tryn.”

He was looking worse by the minute and still continued doing his best to stay strong. Stubbornly, he opened his mouth to speak again. “Run,” he croaked. “He’ll…kill you.”

“Well, I don’t want a life without you.” Tears fell freely, tracking through the blood covering his skin. “So I’m staying with you. My mate.”

Everything clicked into place in that moment. All that I had been searching for, waiting for, was right here. The unconditional acceptance, love, and fulfillment that I’d been seeking was with him. A biker werewolf from a hidden world full of magic and monsters was the last thing I’d expected to make my life make sense, but that was exactly what Tryn did. He was my soft place to land, my home, and the source of all the love I’d been craving. I crashed into him, literally, right when I needed him. I was just too blind to see it right away.

I’d been too blind, too skeptical, too cautious the whole time we were together. I’d seen the truth too late, and now he was bleeding out on the forest floor.

“I’m so sorry,” I sobbed, leaning over him.

“No…don’t…” he groaned.

I thought he was telling me not to apologize until I heard boots crunching over dead leaves. My whole body froze as I felt the oppressive force of that monster looming over me.

“This is all very touching,” the creature said. “But once again, I’m bored and I’d like to spend my night doing other things. Sorry, little human. It’s nothing personal?—”

I whipped around to face him, and whatever he saw in my face abruptly made him stop talking. I wasn’t sure how my face looked, but I felt different. Something inside me was changing, breaking free past a barrier I didn’t know existed until now.

The voice that I’d heard inside my head for weeks now used my mouth to speak. “You’ve made an attempt on my mate’s life. You will answer for this, vampire.”

Vampire? Okay, I guess that made sense.

Said vampire’s brows furrowed like he was confused. “I thought you were human.”

“I am.”

But I’m also a wolf.

The last of the barrier fell away, and the presence that had been awake and prowling inside me burst forth.

My wolf erupted from her hidden, dormant state like she’d been shot out of a cannon. The shift took over me so quickly, I was barely aware that it had happened. The wolf had full control, and I was happy to give it to her.

My beast was awake, free, and out for vengeance.

---