Page 48 of Shifting Fate
Dallon
I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but Arias was dying in my arms and I was helpless to save him. I nodded fiercely at the silvery-haired stranger, then clutched my mate to my chest. My leg was on fire from where the arrow had nicked skin, but Arias? God, he looked like hell.Please don’t let us be too late.
The man took my hand, and suddenly, we were on the front porch of the pack-house, surrounded by nightfall. I gasped and looked around, stunned. “How did you…”
The man’s smile was tired. “I’m a witch,” he said, as if that explained everything. He glanced up at the house, chin-nodding towards the door. “Is this your home? Is there anyone inside who might be able to help? A medic? I can counteract the poison, but I’m no healer.”
I stared down at Arias, whose skin was pale and clammy. His eyes were half-slitted, dazed, and my stomach churned. I bit my lip and nodded. Rory. Rory could help.
Laying Arias down on the cold slats of wood, I slowly rose to my feet. Pain ricocheted down my leg. I hissed and stumbled, catching myself on the front door before ringing the doorbell a couple of times.
It was yanked open moments later and a confused Rhine stood in the doorway. He ran a hand through his hair. “Dallon? I wasn’t expecting you for another hour or—” He froze, his jaw going slack. He took one look at us and cursed. “What happened? Who is this?”
“He’s a witch,” I supplied, unhelpfully. “We need Rory. We were attacked by Dreadhunters, and—” Arias’s body bowed up off the porch, his wounded cry tearing me open inside. “Shit!”
“I need your help,” the witch barked. “We don’t have time for formalities. I need to void the toxins.”
I sank to my knees beside my mate. “Tell me what to do.”
The witch stared at me, his amethyst eyes sharp. “Hold him. This is going to hurt, but it’s important that he remain still.”
Nodding, I pulled Arias into my lap. I wrapped both arms around his torso, tucking him flush against me so he couldn’t flail. With one hand, I pressed his head to my shoulder and turned my face away so he wouldn’t nail me in the jaw when he snapped his head back.
“Ready?”
“Okay,” I whispered. “Do it. Hurry.”
The witch firmly grasped the arrow that was still lodged in Arias’s side and tugged. His skin was blackened around the wound, pus and blood gushing out the moment the arrowhead was removed. Arias whimpered, strangled, and went stiff as a board in my arms.
Covering the festering wound with both hands, the witch closed his eyes and murmured an incantation. His fingertips glowed with light. It spread down his palms and then soaked into Arias’s skin.
Arias jerked, thrashing in my arms, his screams piercing the silence. I gritted my teeth and held fast, praying it would be over soon. I heard the front door clap shut behind me, but God himself could’ve walked out of that house and I wouldn’t have cared. As Arias shrieked, tears blurred my vision.
Finally,finallyhe went limp in my arms. His entire body trembled and his chest still heaved, but he didn’t seem to be in pain anymore. I didn’t let him go. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.
Rory knelt beside us, offering his healing touch without a word. I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt the gentle waves of magic wash over us. It didn’t take long before Arias stopped shivering and the color returned to his face.
“Here. Let me take him, Dal.” Tegan crouched beside me, resting a hand on my arm. Sympathy was etched in the wrinkles of his forehead as he opened his arms to me. Nodding, I shakily handed Arias over to my Alpha. Tegan and Bastien carried him into the house.
The witch gazed at me, an apology in his eyes. “I’m sorry, but I need to do the same to you.”
“Great.” I gulped.
He gently rolled up the leg of my pants. The wound was puffy and red, oozing pus, but it hadn’t turned black like Arias’s. I forced my gaze away as he closed his palms over my calf. Gage knelt behind me. His arms encircled my torso, holding me snug against his broad chest. I took a quivering breath and tried to brace myself for the pain I knew was coming.
“Ready?” the witch asked.
“Yeah. Get it over with,” I whispered, pinching my eyes shut.
Pretty sure I screamed the loudest “Fuck!” ever as the white-hot pain seared my flesh. Light emanated from the witch’s palms, driven deep inside my leg as if attempting to burn the poisons out of my system and god, it hurt like a motherfucker.
When the man finally released me, I whimpered. I hadn’t been around many witches, but his magic? Jesus, it was crazy-strong. I peered down at my leg, which was still seeping but it didn’t look as angry as it had before.
Rory murmured a quick apology before sending little tendrils of his own brand of magic into my body. I relaxed when his cool touch soothed the throbbing burn. He bit his lip and nodded, and when he pulled his hands away, my skin was whole and unharmed once more. It didn’t even ache.
“Wow,” I murmured, dropping my head back against Gage’s shoulder. What a fucking ordeal. “You’re getting good at that, Ror.”
He beamed. “I know.”
