Page 30 of Link with Me
The Hillside wolves fanned out, circling them, their movements predatory and calculated. Lena’s heart hammered against her ribs, fear and adrenaline surging through her veins. Alex in his wolf form was raw power.
With a roar that shook the very earth, the Hillside wolves lunged, their jaws snapping, claws tearing at the air. Alex met them head-on, his massive form barreling into the attackers with the force of a freight train. Fur flew and blood sprayed as he tore into them, his movements a blur of savage grace and deadly precision.
Lena pressed herself against a tree, her eyes wide with horror as she watched the battle unfold. She had never witnessed such raw, primal violence before, and the sight of it left her trembling, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps.
Suddenly, a flash of movement caught her eye, and she turned to see a wolf break away from the fray, its eyes locked on her, fangs gleaming in the dappled sunlight. Lena’s scream caught in her throat as the beast lunged, its claws raking across her abdomen in a blaze of white-hot agony.
Pain exploded through her body as she fell to the ground, her hands clutching at her stomach, hot blood seeping between her fingers. Through the haze of pain, she heard Alex’s roar of fury and saw him redouble his efforts, tearing into the attacking wolves with a savagery that bordered on madness. Alex killed two of the attackers.
The world began to fade around the edges, the sounds of the battle growing muffled and distant. Lena’s vision swam, darkness creeping in from the corners of her eyes. She felt herself slipping away, her life force draining out of her with every passing second.
And then Alex was there, his human form crouching over her, his hands pressing desperately against her wounds. “Lena, baby, stay with me,” he pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion. “I’m going to get you some help.”
Lena tried to speak, but her tongue felt heavy and useless. She could only stare up at him, her eyes filled with a wordless apology, a silent good-bye.
Alex’s face hardened with determination. “You’re going to be fine.”
He scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest as he ran, his supernatural speed carrying them through the forest in a blur of motion. Lena’s head lolled against his shoulder, her consciousness fading in and out like a flickering candle flame.
They burst into the pack’s clinic, Alex’s voice raw with desperation as he shouted for help. Doctors rushed forward. Lena blinked and saw a woman, her face grave as she took in Lena’s injuries. “Bring her inside, quickly,” she ordered, her tone brooking no argument.
The next few hours passed in a haze of pain and delirium. Lena drifted in and out of consciousness, her mind filled with fragmented images and sensations - the sting of a needle, the pressure of bandages against her skin, the murmur of voices above her. Through it all, Alex remained by her side, his hand gripping hers like a lifeline, his voice a constant anchor in the darkness.
“Stay with me, Lena,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her forehead. “I need you. I can’t do this without you.”
Lena clung to his words, using them as a beacon to guide her back from the brink. She focused on the warmth of his touch, the steady beat of his heart against her cheek, and slowly, painfully, she began to surface from the depths of unconsciousness.
When she finally opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Alex’s face, etched with worry and exhaustion, but suffused with a love so profound, it took her breath away. “Hey,” she croaked, her voice hoarse and weak.
“Hey, yourself,” he replied, a relieved smile breaking across his face like the dawn. “You scared the hell out of me, you know that?”
Lena managed a weak chuckle, wincing as the movement pulled at her stitches. “Sorry about that,” she murmured. “Guess I ruined our morning run, huh?”
Alex shook his head. “I don’t care about the run,” he said fiercely. “I care about you. When I saw you lying there, bleeding out... I thought I’d lost you, Lena. I can’t lose you. I won’t.”
Lena reached up, cupping his cheek with her hand. “You saved me,” she whispered. “You brought me back. You’ll always bring me back, Alex.”
He leaned into her touch, his eyes closing briefly as he savored the feel of her skin against his. “I love you,” he said, his voice raw with emotion. “I love you so much it hurts.”
“I love you too,” Lena replied, tears spilling down her cheeks. She’d never felt so connected to someone before. So wanted. So cherished. “More than anything.”
Lena woke to Alex being gone for the first time. She lay propped up on the stark white pillows of the clinic bed. Her mother and sister flanked her on either side of the bed, their faces etched with concern punctuated by their attempts at humor to lighten the mood.
“So, darling, was this a... sex injury?” her mother asked with a poorly disguised smirk, raising an eyebrow in mock suspicion. The room filled with the soft beeping of medical equipment seemed to pause, waiting for Lena’s response.
Lena, despite her fatigue, laughed weakly, shaking her head. “Mom, no, definitely not what you’re thinking. I’m not sure, I don’t think this was about territory.”
Tara snorted, leaning closer with a conspiratorial whisper. “Are we talking about bedroom territories or something wilder?”
“No territories of any kind,” Lena insisted, her laughter mingling with the pain of moving too quickly. She winced, bringing a hand to her side.
The laughter faded quickly as her mother’s face clouded with worry. “Lena, darling, maybe this relationship with Alex—it’s too much. I mean, it’s all very exciting, but if you’re getting hurt...”
Lena’s expression softened, and she reached out to take her mother’s hand. “Mom, I love him. And yes, it’s been intense, and a bit scary at times, but I’m not going anywhere. Alex is my future.”
Her sister chimed in, lightening the mood once again. “She’s just sticking around for those name-forgetting orgasms. Right, Lena? That must be it,” Tara teased, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Lena’s cheeks turned a shade of red that rivaled the alert button on her bedside. “Tara! Seriously, it’s not like that. Well, not just that,” she muttered, her words muffled by a pillow she grabbed to hide her face.