He placed his bleeding wrist against her mouth, pressing it firmly, Fiona’s hand massaging Kirsty’s throat to help her swallow his Alpha blood. Then he did what he’d been desperate to do since he’d first set eyes on his feisty red-headed beauty: he sank his teeth into her shoulder, drinking one, two mouthfuls of her crimson nectar, and made her his.
His heart both soaring and sinking at the same time. The feeling disorienting in the extreme. In normal circumstances, they would be sealing their bond by making love for hours, days even. Relishing in their love for each other and he would be cherishing her body, mind and soul. Instead, he was bonding with her to force his Alpha power inside his gravely wounded love, hoping and praying it was in time to save her.
Seconds ticked by slowly before he felt the first tendrils of their bond taking hold. The feeling so exquisite he couldn’t help the smile that tugged his lips up. Kade lifted his head, kissing the side of her bloodstained lips, feeling their mating link grow stronger.
But would it be strong enough to help? Would he be powerful enough to save her? Kade wasn’t sure this had ever been attempted before. Forcing a bond in these circumstances wasn’t something he’d heard about, but it was the only option open to him. Kirsty would never survive the journey to the nearest human hospital. She’d be dead five minutes into the journey. No, this was her one, and only, shot at survival. But, had he made it in time to save her?
He didn’t even want to think what she’d say about it if she did survive. Bonding someone without their agreement was taboo within the Shifter community and he had no illusion that his fiery red-head would have some choice words for him. Fact was, he prayed she did. He wanted her to rant and rave at him, tell him he had had no right to do such a thing without her permission.
Shoot, he would take all she had to throw at him, and more, without uttering a word, because that would mean he would get the one thing in the universe he so dearly desired: her survival.
He settled more comfortably on the bed next to her, cradling her against him as he sent every remaining ounce of his power through their fledgling link. Kade barely heard Fiona’s plea as she urged him to be careful, that he was weakened by his own wounds. None of that mattered if his mate succumbed to her own injury: he’d rather die with her than survive without.
Kade’s eyes grew heavy, his lids drooping to close; the last sight he savored was his mate by his side.
Soft lips caressed his, pulling Kade from a deep sleep. “That feels good.”
“Yes, it does.”
Kirsty’s playful voice jolted him awake, his eyes popping open to find her next to him.
“Kirsty—” He reached out, pulling her tight against him, his hands running over her to check that her body was whole again. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she replied, her fingers pressing on her mating mark. “Apart from this huge hickey I’ve got on me. Care to enlighten me on this?”
Kade’s heart thudded against his ribs wildly. This was it. The moment he would have to explain his actions. “I need you to stay calm. I’m sorry, I had no choice . . .”
Kirsty’s face crumpled as she started to giggle, Kade looking at her as if she were mad. “What’s so funny?”
“Your face,” she managed to gasp out.
He didn’t agree with her levity. This was a serious conversation they needed to have. He was dreading it but she continued to laugh for another minute or so before reaching up to grab his hair, tugging him down to kiss him quickly.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
“What are you havering about?”
“I know what happened,” she confessed. “I know everything. I healed faster than you, because, Kade MacKenzie, you daft lump, you used all your power to sort me out and ended up unconscious and near death yourself. I was beside myself with worry and it was only because of Fiona and your stubborn self that you survived at all. These past few days I managed to get out of her what happened. It seems I have some of your Alpha power now and when I told her, now wait, that’s wrong. I lost my temper and I ordered her to tell me what happened, she did that lowering her eyes thing and said, wait for it, ‘Certainly, Alpha,’ then told me everything.”
“You know?” Kade asked, bracing himself for the tirade he knew would soon follow.
“I do.” Kirsty nodded. “What were you thinking? You could’ve died, Kade!”
“It was the only thing left to do. You were mortally wounded. And while we’re on the whole point of what were you thinking. What the hell were you thinking? Coming out into the fight? You’re human and you put yourself into a battle of Wolves. That was suicide. I almost lost my sanity when I saw you the first time, and then when I saw you on the ground with that rogue on top of you. Damn it, Kirsty, I swear my heart almost exploded in my chest.”
“Ditto.” Kirsty raised her eyebrow. “I’ll never just sit by and let you tackle things alone, Kade. I’m not that woman. Never was and never will be. So you better just suck it up, big guy.”
Kade couldn’t ignore the defiant jut of his mate’s chin, or the glint in her emerald eyes as she glared at him. She’d never looked more beautiful. “Duly noted. Now, would you like to catch me up? Are you fully healed? How long have I been laid up? Have the rogues been taken care of? How many did we lose? But more importantly, how do you feel about being my mate?”
He waited with bated breath on her answers, of course he needed information on them all, but he
