Page 34 of Promise & Artem

“You know that campground?” Adir was whispering and sounded like he was moving quickly, his words coming out harsh as he panted for air.

“The one that the hyenas have? Yeah. What of it?”

“That’s where Artem is.”

“And?”

“And he’s being healed.”

“So he’s awake and shifted into his minotaur? I thought he’d be unconscious longer.”

“No. He was unconscious when they brought him to a cabin. There was a female who I watched through the cabin window and saw her turn into a black wolf. Then she bit Artem and stuck her claws in him. I was watching for a while, and I saw that he had a broken leg and it’s healed already. I don’t understand how the black wolf biting him healed him like that without him shifting into his minotaur.”

Nero’s brows rose. “Are you sure the female turned into a black wolf?”

“Yep. Black but kind of blue? I’ve never seen a wolf with fur that color before.”

There was a creak of a door opening and then the hum of an engine.

“And you’re certain that she bit him?”

“Yep. Do you know what that was about?”

“I do, actually. Get back to the B&B and gather a handful of my best males. I’ve got a new job for you.”

“On it.”

The call ended and Nero settled back in the chair in the dining room. This was an interesting piece of information. He’d heard about apex wolves, but he’d never met one. They were highly coveted by their pack, and revered for their healing abilities, which begged the question of why the female was at the hyena campground.

Except that perhaps she and Artem were mates.

Well, having Artem back as his best fighter was one thing, but having an apex to heal on command? That was something special.

And he definitely had a use for her.

Artem fought shifting for hours. His body was on fire. It literally felt like he was burning from the inside out, as if tiny little bonfires were alight in all his major organs and joints, and his bones had turned to molten lava.

The pain was tremendous, and much more than he’d ever experienced before.

But he vaguely remembered Promise telling him to trust her and not shift.

So he was going to do those two things. Even though he was fairly certain that not shifting was going to kill him. Had he ever wanted to do something so badly? Except for making love to his truemate, he couldn’t think of a single thing he wanted to do more than shift and put an end to the torturous pain.

Promise was lying against him, her soft fur a warm comfort despite the searing pain throughout his entire body. He could actually feel things healing inside him. A rib, a punctured lung, his broken leg.

How had he even survived getting run down like he’d been?

Nero, that fucking asshole, had sent people to incapacitate Artem and send a message that he wasn’t allowed to leave the fighting league. Artem had been willing to walk away and leave Nero to his fights. But now that he’d come after him the way hehad, Artem was going to hurt him, hurt his business, and drive him away from Pennsylvania for good.

He wasn’t sure how, but he’d do it. So that he knew Promise would be safe.

She whined softly and licked his cheek.

He’d kept his eyes closed because his vision was blurred by pain, and it seemed to make things worse if he was looking at anything. But he opened his eyes to see his mate standing over him, her beautiful fur glistening in the overhead light.

“It’s been almost four hours,” his mom said softly from somewhere in the room. “Will you have to bite him again?”

Again?

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