Page 26 of Fated In Winter

“Romy,” I growled again, but Darren twisted, digging his fangs into my side. Blood spurted, dribbling from my mouth, and I pushed at the rogue wolf, knowing that it might be too late. Knowing that I might not be able to save him. Or myself.

Romy let out a howl and jumped on top of us, wrapping her arms around Darren’s throat. She shoved him off me as blood pooled, crimson in the whiteness of the snow, and we all fell to the ground, Romy holding the wolf towards her, as I crawled through the broken shards of pain that escaped over my side, and I held Darren down with her, keeping his jaws away from Romy’s slender throat.

“I’m fine,” she whispered, as we pinned Darren to the ground. He wiggled, thrashed, and I looked into her eyes, and then both of us looked down into Darren’s. The gold shone brightly before it began to dim, not with death but with sanity.

My own wolf let out a howl, and even as the blood poured from my side, I held on to my mate and to Darren and let out a shaky breath.

“He’ll be okay,” she whispered, and I had to hope that that was the truth.

I leaned forward, kissed her hard on the mouth, and she raised a brow. “Is this really the time?”

“You almost died.”

“You’re the one currently bleeding out. So save me from that excuse.”

She growled at me, and I couldn’t help the grin.

The snow began to fall harder as I shivered and held Darren down along with my mate. When the others came through the trees, all on alert, with our Healer at their side, I let out a breath. The Redwoods must have been on Patrol near the Talon border and I would forever be grateful.

“I’m here,” Mark said, a coat over his shoulders.

“Good, help my mate.”

“I’m fine. Help your Packmate and Darren because my mate is the one bleeding.”

“I’ve got it,” Mark said as he came to my side.

Gina was there, taking Darren into her arms as Kade came through, his body sweat-slick from the run.

“Gideon’s on his way. Are you okay?

“I’ll be fine.”

“If someone could help him stop bleeding, that would be great,” Romy said, glaring at me.

I smiled wide and looked at my mate. “My mate is worried about me.”

“Stop with the bragging,” Kade said as he checked out my wound. “Your parents are going to kill me.”

“Maybe, but I think my mate will be the one that does it first if I don’t get better.”

“Your mate,” Kade whispered and shook his head. “Darren will be okay. I feel him along the bonds.” He whispered the words, and I knew they were for me. Because I had been so afraid of going rogue, but Darren will be fine, hopefully. Somehow. He would be okay.

And I would be too.

I couldn’t go rogue. Not like Darren had. But there was hope for Darren. That meant there would be hope for me.

Because I didn’t want to disappoint Romy, not after all she had been through. I couldn’t hurt her, and therefore I had to stay whole. I had to stay sane.

Darren had a family who loved and relied on him and yet he’d gone rogue. There were stressors that could have turned him, and yet it felt as if something else was going on.

Something we didn’t know as a Pack, but would have to unravel. Something was creating rogues, or at least allowing them to come to fruition. That meant our Pack as well as the Talons needed to ensure that we didn’t lose anyone else.

I had to hope we would find a way. After all, my twin was working on the problem as we spoke. And I would do all that I could to help her because I needed to stay sane. I needed to be there for my mate.

And as Darren turned back to human and whimpered in Kade’s arms, I knew that we all needed to find a way.

Something was coming. We all knew that. We just couldn’t be too late.

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