Chapter Twenty-Seven

KEYARA

She slowly became aware of a light behind her eyelids as she crept back into consciousness. Everything hurt. Her body felt like it was on fire. Every muscle was tense and cramping.

She could vaguely sense warm hands running up and down her back, a soft melody being hummed in her ear. She tried to move and groaned in pain.

“There you are. You came back to me.”

She heard Ash’s voice, tinged with worry but also relief that she was awake. She wondered how long she had been unconscious. A while, if the stiffness in her body was any indication.

“Am I dead?” she croaked, her voice breaking.

He laughed softly, and she felt herself being pulled closer to him, his arms wrapped around her protectively.

“No, baby, you aren’t dead. Although it was a close call.”

He sounded so sad, and she frowned. She tried to sit up to look at him, but her body was stiff and wouldn’t cooperate. She moaned in pain at the effort, her muscles cramping harder in protest.

“Stay still, Key. You aren’t ready.”

She collapsed back into him, weak from the effort even that small movement had taken.

She spoke with her eyes closed, as she didn’t have the energy to open them.

“We got too far away,” she explained. “It started to affect me. They didn’t know what was wrong with me. They stabbed me and left me behind.” Her voice broke at the memory and a tear rolled down her face.

It still hurt so much, but not where she had been stabbed. She could barely sense that. The pain was everywhere now. “What happened?” she asked.

“I’m so sorry, baby.”

His voice was husky with emotion, and she could sense the sadness through every fiber of his being.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you in time. I had to, I didn’t have a choice,” he choked. “You were dying. I’m so sorry, I had to.”

“You had to what?” she asked, her voice rising in panic. “What did you do to me?”

His outpouring of emotion was frightening her. She was fine, she was alive. Why was he so upset? She couldn’t make sense of his words.

“You were going to die,” he said softly. “I was too late. The only way to save you was to change you.”

“Change me into what?” she murmured, barely hearing her own words. Her strength was fading fast, and she could feel herself being pulled away into sleep once more.

“Into a werewolf.”

She heard his reply, before slipping into darkness.

ASH

“There you are,” he said, overcome with emotion. “You came back to me.”

He held her closer, trying to absorb her pain, cringing as he took it in. His joy was quickly replaced by sadness at what he’d had to do, hoping she could forgive him for it.

Even so, he couldn’t help but laugh when she asked if she were dead. If only she knew the torture he had suffered, waiting for his own answer to that very question.

He braced himself to explain what had happened, barely being able to get through the words.

As he told her what she now was, she slipped away once more into sleep, and he realized he would have to wait even longer to face her judgment.

KEYARA

When she awoke once more, she felt like she was floating. She could see the tops of the trees and the sky moving steadily above her. She turned her head to the side, still barely able to move, her body wracked with pain.

She was on a makeshift stretcher, moving slowly through the woods. The movement made her dizzy, and she closed her eyes once more.

“Ash?” she called, though she could sense he was nearby. Suddenly she stopped moving and was lowered slowly to the ground.

“I’m here, my love,” he replied, just before she felt his hands on her face, caressing her gently.

“I’m taking you back to the encampment,” he explained. “You’re strong enough now. We couldn’t stay in the woods any longer.”

She blinked, her vision slowly coming into focus around the overwhelming pain. She saw his vivid green eyes looking into hers, the worry evident in his intense expression.

As her gaze shifted, traveling over him, she realized somewhat belatedly he was naked.

“Where are your clothes, Ash?” she asked weakly.

He laughed softly, kissing her gently. “I left them in shreds when I phased,” he explained.

“Hmm,” she replied in acknowledgement, too weak for anything more. He moved away, and she felt herself begin to move again.

“I’ve called Luca and some of the warriors back, in case anyone comes searching for Jonas and his men,” Ash explained. “I won’t make the same mistakes again, Keyara, I promise you.”

There it was again—that sadness that was enveloping him, enough to break through her pain through the mate bond.

“What’s wrong, Ash?” she asked, confused. “Why are you sad?”

“Do you remember what I told you?” he asked, his voice heavy. “What I had to do?”

They hit a bump, and she cried out in pain. She could feel his misery deepen at her cry.

She cleared her throat, pushing the pain away. “I remember,” she replied. “You had to save me. So you turned me. That’s what you said.”

“Yes, Key. I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” she asked, confused once more. “You saved me, right?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t explain this to you before,” he said darkly. “I hardly thought it would come up. That we can make werewolves instead of them being born.”

“The act is forbidden,” he continued gravely. “The chances you would survive were very slim, but I had to try. I couldn’t just let you die.” His words cut off suddenly.

She could hear his breathing intensify, his emotion rising.

“I will likely be shunned for it,” he finally said. “The elders will remove me as alpha, and we will be cast out of the pack. I will have nothing to offer you, Keyara,” he finished sadly.