Page 20 of Captive Omega
“Can we find water anywhere near here?” Luna asked. “I’d like to wash your wounds a bit.”
“I remember a small spring around here, but it’s a little dangerous to approach. It’s more likely to find other rogues or animals near a water source.”
“I know, but we don’t have much choice. We have to do something about your wound, and we have no medicine.”
Feeling helpless, I obeyed. Luna grabbed the remnants of her clothes and helped me stand properly. Together, we made our way out of the cave.
I didn’t realize how ill I truly was until I tried walking on my own and my knees almost gave out. Luna didn’t seem surprised by it, though, and she kept a tight hold on my arm. Through our link, I could almost hear an“I told you so”, but she never actually said it.
If anyone else had witnessed my condition, I would have felt humiliated. I was one of the strongest Firewolves and the potential Alpha of my pack. I should have been better than this. It was ridiculous that a minor scratch against my cheek had affected me so much.
But this was a lesson, too. I’d underestimated the Wolfsbanes, and now I was paying the price for it. I had to get better as soon as possible, because otherwise, I would be useless for Luna. A female like her deserved far better.
The spring was a good distance away from the cave where we’d consummated our bond. By the time we got there, I was sweating buckets and was in more pain than ever. My whole body felt battered and bruised, and several times, I lost my balance and nearly fell over.
If I kept going, it was only because Luna was there. Her fear and determination reminded me of our commitment to one another. We were true mates. I’d sworn to never leave her, and I’d keep my promise.
Gritting my teeth, I tried to seal my pain away, to hide it from her. Luna let out a low, wounded gasp. “Don’t do that. Don’t ever hide from me. I can’t do much, but I can at least share your pain.”
“I don’t want that, Luna. I want to keep you safe. I might have fucked up by allowing myself to get poisoned, but I don’t want you to suffer because of it.”
Luna sighed but didn’t argue with me again. I doubted I could keep our connection shut off, anyway. It was so powerful that when I touched her, I came very close to hearing the thoughts rushing through her head.
“Maybe you should focus on that instead,” Luna offered. “Focus on what I’m thinking and feeling. The rest matters less.”
Mind over matter, huh? It was certainly worth a try, and it was a better option than my choice. I followed Luna’s suggestion and sank into our connection, taking refuge in her genuine feelings for me.
Through it, I found the strength to carry my own weight, enough, at least, that we reached the spring in one piece.
Once we were in front of the water, Luna helped me down. Her face was flushed with effort too, although I knew it wasn’t because she’d had trouble helping me move.
“Let me see what we can do here,” she said, bending over my leg.
Before we’d left the Firewolf settlement, my leg wound had closed, and there was no injury for Luna to find. But the muscle was still damaged, and when she brushed her fingers over the area, I suppressed a hiss of pain.
“It’s badly inflamed,” she mused under her breath. “If we had some remedies, we could speed along your healing, but the way I see it…”
“I know. It will take a while until I’m better.”
“Hopefully, you’re right and the chaos will distract our packs. For the moment, get in the water. It’ll bring down your temperature and clear your head a little.”
“Yes, my mate.”
With some difficulty, I made my way to the stream. It wasn’t deep enough for me to swim in it, but I could sink my leg into it, at least. Luna wet a piece of cloth and used it to wash down the rest of my body.
It wasn’t medicine, but her touch healed me more than any herbal remedies a healer could have provided. Her mere proximity brought me such joy and comfort. The chaos’s power was still buzzing through me, encouraging our connection. My pain lessened, just because she was there.
“Maybe it’s not so bad after all,” Luna said, pressing her lips against my temple. “You were right. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
I opened my mouth to answer, but I didn’t get the chance. A feeling ofwrong-wrong-wrongexploded over me, and the chaos whispered a warning in my ear.Intruder. They’re here. They want to take your mate from you.
Instantly, I was on my feet, ready for combat. “Luna! Hide! They’re coming!”
Luna went white. A litany of panicked thoughts rushed through her head, and into mine.No. This isn’t possible. He can’t fight them, not now. What do I do? I have to do something. I can’t lose him. I can’t.
Two golden wolves emerged from behind some rocky outcroppings. I didn’t recognize them, so I assumed they belonged to the Wolfsbane pack. They looked familiar, although I couldn’t for the life of me remember where I’d seen them before.
Were they scouts? Had we clashed in battle in the past? Maybe. Either way, this wasn’t so bad. They were a little smaller than me, probably on the younger side. If I hadn’t been injured, I could have beaten them without too much of a problem. I might still be able to, and they were a preferable option to fighting my brother again.
