Page 76 of Banished Mates
“Place her flat on the surface.”
I hunched to place her on the cold ground and did as I was told. Camden disappeared and came back, gripping an armful of blankets. We pushed them against her body.
“It’s not looking good,” she said, not looking up as she ran her hands over her. Rowan trembled and swayed. His sides moved harshly. He leaned into my side heavily and whined.
Camden lunged forward and gripped her around the neck.
“Save her,” he spat, teeth flashing.
“S-she’s holding on, but it’s not enough. I think the knife punctured something vital.” My mind rushed. I couldn’t think of anything. If she was gone, I was done. I would follow her to the afterlife.
“Don’t remove the knife!” Her shout stopped Camden’s reach. “She’ll bleed out faster.”
“There has to be something we can do,” he snarled.
“A mate bond might force her to fight,” a male voice intoned nearby. His voice was rough and grainy. “Camden, complete your bond with her.” It was the male that smelled like my mate.
“I don’t know much about Omegas’ mate bonds, but if you have any chance at all of getting her to fight through this, I’d say that’s your best bet.” The woman’s grim words weighed down my shoulders. I should have convinced her to accept my claim. Tears stung my eyes. “We need to wake her up to get her consent for it to grasp, otherwise you’ll just damage her more.”
“My mate.” Rowan shifted into his wolfman form, leaning heavier into me. His clawed hand hovered over her lower half. My gaze dropped to her bare thigh. Beneath the rivulets of blood were teeth markings scarred into her flesh. Willow’s brows furrowed at Rowan’s touch.
Rowan claimed her? Jealousy tightened my throat, but I shoved it away. It was what held her to me. That was why she reacted the way she did. He was tied to her.
He licked her cheek and whined in her ear. A soft purr thrummed through the room, making her lashes flutter.
“Mate,” Rowan growled. The corner of her lips tipped down slightly.
Camden leaned near her ear. “Love, accept me.” Her cheek twitched. “Willow.” Her lashes twitched on her cheeks.
Camden lifted her wrist to his lips.
I lowered to press my muzzle into the side of her face and then gripped her other wrist. Her shoulders relaxed and a slight smile twitched on her mouth.
I sank my teeth into the tender flesh.
Her only reaction was hissing out a breath between her teeth.
Her blood spread on my tongue and I lapped the punctures.
She exhaled and slipped back into sleep as a warmth bled into me. The sensation of fullness, completeness. Her honey scent filling me and wrapping around me.
“Should we remove the knife?” Camden asked gruffly. We knew the risks of completing the mating bond, but it was the only thing keeping her with us. The only chance. Our sheer will pouring into her would help her fight and hold on. If she felt us with her… our bond, then she’d fight. And if she chose not to, then she was taking all of us with her. I nodded tightly and wrapped my hand around the sleek silver handle. I exhaled with a shudder and yanked it out. Willow whimpered, scrunching her face tightly.
Rowan whined and I bit back my sounds of pain as Camden murmured near her ear. I tossed the knife aside and caught the rag the woman tossed at me and pressed it to the leaking wound.
“I want her more comfortable,” I said to Camden who was in the middle of caressing his mark on her arm. He nodded, and I gently scooped her up, following him to a nearby bedroom.
I settled her on the bed, gently lifting her arms flat beside her and setting the blanket over her, tucking the edges under her legs. Dropping down next to her, I kept the pressure on her wound, keeping as close to her as I could without hurting her.
The door opened and the man smelling like my mate limped inside. He sucked in a breath.
I scented the familial tie between them. They had a similar sweetness to their scent. She never told us about her family other than brief mentions, but Camden filled us in on the plane ride here. I’d taken advantage of the slew of information he’d built up on her. I wanted to know everything.
I’d also gotten him to give me the resources he’d used to learn American Sign Language, but I might not be able to ever show her.
My heart squeezed.
“Camden. The pack Alpha’s dead. We’re going to need to deal with it.”
