Page 31 of Rejected Nanny Mate
Like hell she is,I thought, backing up a few paces and leaping the distance again. Gwen was going to let the magic take her, but what kind of Alpha would I have been if I let my Omega be hurt like that? The idea of losing Gwen was the most terrifying thing I'd ever experienced, and it made me stupid. Reckless.
My paws hit the mud on the other side, and I had just enough time to crash my body into hers, pushing her out of the way, before the surge struck.
It hit me hard, like a punch, and I felt the magic rush through me, tearing into me, throwing me hard.
Then, the world went black.
I didn't remember much after that. I remembered the ground, and how cold and wet it was, and a flash of the pain, which was so intense that it made me sick. I thought of Rose, and of my pack, and how if I died, they were doomed.
But the strongest thing that stayed with me, that kept the pain and the fear from overwhelming me, was the memory of Gwen's scent. I held onto it as the world faded. Just before I lost consciousness, I felt the pressure of the surge abate completely. It had spent all its magic hitting me, and Gwen was finally safe.
It was enough, I thought, drifting off.It had to be.
Chapter 12 - Gwen
The magic surge threw Joe at least ten feet, but it was gone before his canine body hit the ground, rolling. I yelped in panic, running to him, forgetting that I had been in grave danger just seconds before. Nothing mattered to me but reaching him.
He'd saved me. Twice. And he could die because of it.
The moment I reached him, I shifted, stumbling to a stop on human feet and falling to my knees in the muck beside him.
“No,” I breathed, running my hands through his pale fur, “No, no, no...”
He was bleeding from his mouth, and there was a huge gash on his side from the impact of the surge. I lowered my ear to his chest and heard the faintest heartbeat. His chest was still rising and falling, but Joe's breaths were quick and thready.
I was a second away from bursting into tears, but I was too afraid to even let the tears fall. If they started, they might never stop.” What do I do?” I whispered, lifting my gaze to the sky, “What in the world do I do?”
I pressed my hands to his wound, trying to stop the slow leak of blood, and it made him groan. Joe opened his forest-green eyes just a sliver and looked at me, letting out a soft whine and trying to press his muzzle against me. But as soon as he opened them, they started to drift shut again, and the panic returned in full force. My chest felt heavy, my heart galloping, but I had to keep myself in the moment. I couldn't have an anxiety attack right there when Joe needed me the most.
I shook his heavy, hairy body. “No! Keep your eyes open! You have to stay awake!”
He whined again and tried to obey, but he was fading. I could see it. The rise and fall of his ribs had gotten weaker, and the bleeding wouldn't stop.
I wasn't sure what happened. All I knew was that one moment, the world was spinning around me, and the next, a bright light surrounded us, and I could feel the warmth of the power filling me, spilling over, pouring out.
Magic,my brain told me, and for a moment, I wondered if it was my own or the power from the surge, but I already had my answer. It felt nothing like the surge magic. Instead, it was clear, pure, and flowing out of me like an open tap. It surrounded Joe and me like a luminescent cloud, and I was taken aback by just how good it felt. How comforting.
The magic came out of me when my greatest desire was to keep Joe alive, so without thinking too hard about it, I tried to gather it and pour it directly into Joe. It wasn't a science, and the first few attempts didn't seem to work, but eventually, I managed to find a rhythm. The blood that had been seeping from his wound slowed and began to heal, and his breathing seemed a little stronger.
I had no idea how long I sat there, pouring the magic into him, but when the power began to wane, the brightness around us dulled and grew thin. A voice startled me, making me jump.
“Holy shit. Boss!”
I turned, still sitting with one hand pressed to Joe's side, and saw a man with dirty blonde hair and a scruffy beard racing toward us. I recognized him immediately as one of the wolves Joe had introduced me to at the pack gathering the other night. Vernon, a mid-level warrior who had seemed kind enough at the time. I'd never been so happy to see someone I barely knew in my entire life.
“Oh, thank God,” I gasped, the magic fading, “Help me get him out of here. He needs a hospital.”
The man knelt beside us, his eyes scanning Joe's form. “Naw. We've got a healer on the pack's payroll. No hospitals.”
“Then help me take him to the healer!”
Vernon looked at me and narrowed his eyes. “You're the nanny, right? The Saltfang girl? Why in the hell are you out here, and what happened to the Alpha?”
“Some magical surge,” I babbled, hating that we were wasting time talking when Joe needed help. The exasperation came through in my tone. “It hit him. Really hard, as you can see.”
Vernon rubbed his chin. “Yeah, that was the thing he'd sent me and a few other wolves out looking for earlier. We didn't find anything, but I guess the two of you did.” He trailed off, eyes narrowing further. “Was it the same magic I just saw you using on him?”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “No. I promise. Now, can we please just focus on getting him somewhere safe?”
