Page 108 of Savage Desire

Horror burns in her eyes, the color draining from her face instantly as she looks down at her blood-stained hand.

What the fuck?

“Lincoln!” Minnie screams as Midnight stumbles, swaying backward as I try to pull her toward me, but I don’t catch her until she’s almost flat out on the floor, and that’s when I see it.

The reason for her gasp.

The reason for her pin-prick pupils.

The reason for the blood.

There’s an arrow piercing her chest.

I cling to her,refusing to let go, even when Wylder insists on carrying her. If I let her out of my sight for one second, I won’t forgive myself. The second I saw it, I called to abort the fucking bargain, and not a single person argued with me. We were out of there quickly and hurrying back to campus as soon as possible. She needs help, and she needs it now.

“Linc, hand her over,” he snaps for the tenth time, and I growl at him.

“Have you told the medical center we’re here?” I reply, ignoring his insistence as I pin her to my chest, an arrow still protruding from her flesh.

She hasn’t said a word, but her eyelids keep flickering, and I can feel her heartbeat. It’s faint, but enough to know she’s still with us. There’s blood everywhere.

Every-fucking-where.

“Asher has,” he grunts, storming ahead a few steps to swing the double doors open.

“Then where the fuck are they?” I shout, barreling down the hallway and past a few students, who side step us before we plow right through them.

“They’re coming,” Minnie insists, a step beside me as we take the left turn through the academy building to approach the medical center. To my relief, she’s right. A nurse and a doctor head toward us with a hospital bed between them. But my relief is short-lived when I realize they want me to hand her over.

“Help her while she’s in my arms,” I bark, but they both shake their heads.

“It’s much safer and it will be a lot faster if you place her on the bed,” the doctor insists, shaking the lapels of her white jacketas she stares me down. I can sense the preparation on her end, like she knows she’s dealing with an asshole and refuses to back down.

“Just do it, Linc,” Minnie pleads, placing her hand on my arm, and I sigh.

Fuck.

“If anything happens to her?—”

“It’s all my fault. I’m familiar with the temper of a wolf and the love for his mate. Don’t worry,” she states with a roll of her eyes as I place her down on the bed as gently as possible.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to correct her, to tell her that Midnight isn’t a wolf, that she’s not my… it doesn’t matter. She just needs to be saved.

“We’re coming in with you,” I declare as they start to cart her into the medical center, my sister and brothers hot on my heels, but the moment we enter into the clinical space, the doctor, nurse, and Midnight disappear, leaving us alone in a white-washed hallway. “Where is she?” I snarl, eyes wild as I glance in every direction, spotting the reception area off to the right. I stride toward the man behind the desk, finger aimed in his direction, and he quickly jumps to his feet, hands raised in surrender.

“They’ll be working on her immediately. It’s standard practice so visitors don’t run the risk of using their magic and being a distraction,” he rambles, his voice trembling a little as Wylder stops beside me. “I can lead you to her room where they will take her when everything is done. Polaris Beauchamp, correct?”

I nod, unable to speak a word, and he steps from behind the desk to lead the way. Minnie grabs hold of my arm, clinging to me, but I can’t bring myself to look at her. If I see her crumble, I won’t stand a chance.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” Asher murmurs, the words more for him than us as a solemn air tightens around us.

The receptionist leads us into a room, waving at the chairs for us to take a seat. “Please, they will have her back with you as soon as possible,” he insists.

“How long will that be?” Wylder bites, hands balled at his sides as he glares at the guy.

“I-I don’t know, it depends on what treatment she requires, but any updates will be given immediately,” he promises, backing out of the room.

“Good, see to it that they are,” I order before he steps out, leaving the five of us to fester in our unspoken pain.

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