Page 341 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Using all my strength, I rolled onto my back. I instinctively reached for the source of the pain and curled my fingers around the knife lodged deep in my stomach.

Someone screamed Noah’s name. My ears buzzed. I coughed, more like gurgled, as blood bubbled up my throat.

When faced with death, people said their life flashed before their eyes. That didn’t happen for me. Instead, I saw glimpses of Noah, of what we could’ve been. Of the life I could’ve had if I stayed with Joan.

I drifted off in the fantasies. The pain didn’t hurt so much anymore. Someone lifted my head off the ground.

“Mia.”

Noah. His voice sounded all wrong, strangled, a distant echo over crashing waves.

I rolled my head toward the sound. A heavy weight pressed against my lungs making it impossible to breathe let alone move. I wanted to cough again, clear my throat, but lacked the energy to do either.

Something caressed my cheek, but I barely registered the touch.

“Baby, open your eyes.”

Had I closed them? They were too heavy to open. Instead, I smiled. Noah was okay, that was all that mattered. Me on the other hand…

* * *

Noah

Blood. So much fucking blood. Not just on my hands, but everywhere I looked. Fueled on nothing but revenge and a dangerous amount of hatred, I tore that hunter to bits and regretted nothing. I didn’t give a shit about any of it. Spilled blood was the price in war, and we deserved victory. For Joan, and everything she represented.

Now, back in human form, the only blood I cared about was the thick liquid creating a dark stain around the knife lodged in Mia’s stomach. A knife she had so bravely gripped in her hand.

I curled my fingers around the handle about to pull it out.

“Don’t.” Ash snapped, stilling my hand.

Something fractured inside my chest. “I gotta save her.”

“If you remove the knife, she’ll bleed out.”

I didn’t even know how it happened. I remembered shifting in her front yard, Ash in wolf form, injured, the hunter about to kill him. I had flashes of Baker’s wolf on top of Mia threatening to tear out her throat. Her chocked scream as she fought to free herself.

Soon-to-be-dead Baker approached from my side, his steps slow, hesitant. “I didn’t know it was her, Noah. Shit. I’m so sorry. I thought she was with the hunter.”

I didn’t even spare Baker a glance. As it was, red dotted my vision and it took every ounce of strength not to tear him apart like I had the hunter. I’d deal with him after.

Instead, I poured all my concentration into Mia.

I caressed her pale cheek. “C’mon baby, open your eyes.”

Ash crouched beside me, the gash in his side almost completely healed. He inspected the dark red stain expanding around the knife lodged in Mia’s stomach. “Baker, is your healer with you?”

Baker must’ve shaken his head because a second later, Ash cursed.

“Go inside the house, grab towels, blankets, anything you can get your hands on to slow the bleeding.”

Baker didn’t question the instructions, even though Ash wasn’t his Alpha. He bolted toward the house.

Ash moved to lift Mia’s shirt and something inside me snapped. I clenched his wrist, stopping him. An unearthly growl rumbled through the night, coming from my chest.

He met my gaze for a second before shaking his head. “There’s only one way to save her, Noah. She won’t recover from this on her own.”

Deep down, I knew that. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. “I won’t. Not without her consent.”

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