RETH

Her scream was bloodcurdling. Even the beast's stomach twisted at the sound—and even the beast was smart enough not to roar as he galloped through the trees, closer and closer.

Her scream tore through the forest again, until it seemed to shake the very trees. Then there—a flash of color between the trees.

Reth's beast leaped from silent paws, twenty feet away, and Reth landed in human form on top of the wolf, pulling the blade he carried strapped to his leg from its sheath. His lion could beat her, but was not quick or agile enough against a single wolf. She would get her teeth on Elia's throat before he cut off her air.

But Lucine in wolf-form was massive, and quick.

Before he could bring the knife to bear, she twisted under him, releasing the bloodied Elia and opening her great maw to take Reth without hesitation.

He saw his death coming in those fangs and knew there was only one chance.

The knife was the only way, but that meant filling that mouthful of teeth with something else to give him time to stab.

So as she went for his throat, he raised an arm and blocked, allowing her to take him. He bellowed with pain, but used his good hand to plunge the knife in at the back of her skull.

Her eyes widened, and she shook his arm. He screamed in pain, and grabbed for her, but something cracked on the blade and she shuddered.

Then the light went out of the wolf's eyes.

Lucine's wolf went limp, then suddenly was wolf no more.

As the woman slid to the ground, her eyes wide and unseeing, Reth stumbled back from her, his mangled arm loose at his side, draining blood at an alarming rate, but he wouldn't think about that until he was certain the threat had passed.

He stood for a moment over her body, quivering with fear and pain. Coward that he was. Terrified to turn and look behind his foot where his mate lay on the ground.

Was she still alive?

"Elia?

" he whispered without taking his eyes off of Lucine.

"Oh, Reth,

" she cried.

Thanking the Creator, Reth dropped the knife and let it clatter to the dirt, and turned to take his mate in his arms.

But before he could reach for her, his eyes went wide.

She lay on the ground at his feet, one hand clutched to her shoulder, blood pouring from under her hand. And Reth's blood pattering over her until he wasn't sure what was from her wound, and what was from his.

Her eyes were wide and she trembled visibly.

"Elia, love—

" he groaned.

"Reth! Reth are you… you're bleeding really bad, Reth,

" she gasped. She tried to get up, to push to her feet, but she couldn't get leverage on that side and rolled back down, groaning. Reth took his other hand off his own wound to reach for her, and a groan of protest erupted from his throat as she took her hand down too, just to push herself from the ground and he saw the wound.

"Elia, love, stop moving.

"

"I need to see you. I need to check you. You're bleeding really badly.

"

"Elia, stop!

" he put every ounce of authority and dominance he had into the command and she froze, still on the ground, staring at him. For a split second the only sound was his blood pattering to the dirt then he took the single stumbling step to stand over her.

"Your shoulder…

"

"It hurts, but I'm okay,

" she said through her teeth.

"I'm worried you're going to bleed out, Reth! Please!

"

She couldn't see it, she didn't realize. He didn't want to see it, but his mind was frantically scanning back through what he knew from fights and training, from Aymora, from… but none of the basic battlefield assistance would help him now. She was going to lose that arm if he didn't do something, and fast. She was going to die if he didn't do something faster. But it was too much, too big to staunch with a simple bandage, and in the wrong position for a tourniquet.

Then he met her eyes and hers widened.

"Reth what is it?

"

His horror must have shown because she swallowed and looked like she might be a little bit sick.

"Put your hand back on your wound and press as hard as you can, Elia. And… You must tell me, very quickly, what Aymora told you about the lion's blood and how… what she did…

"

Elia's brow lined.

"She said we shared blood flow. I wasn't awake, Reth, I don't know.

"

"But it was lion's blood, yes?

"

"Yes, but—

"

"Quickly, sit up.

" He reached for the elbow of her good arm and pulled her into a sitting position. Then he gritted his teeth, and prayed like he had never prayed before.

"Now, take your hand off your wound.

"

"What? Why?

"

"Just do it!

"

She did it, groaning as the blood flow increased to the site.

Shoving away the nausea that surged when he realized she must be in shock, not feeling the wound yet. Not realizing… But there was no time. He had minutes at best.

Taking his own mangled arm, he braced it against her shoulder, laying it right in the wound and let go of it with his other hand so the blood flowed freely over hers.

Her head dropped back and she gasped.

"What… what are you… Reth—

"

"You're going to bleed out, Elia. And lose that arm, if we don't do something, right now. I'm praying my blood will heal yours. Hold still and… and pray.

"

"But you—

"

"My life for yours, Elia, I told you.

"

"You can't!

" she sobbed, clutching at his shoulder, fisting his blood-soaked shirt.

"You can't—

"

He turned his head then to meet her eyes, that were beginning to glaze with the pain, and with his good hand, he cupped her face and kissed her.

"I love you, Elia. But there is no other way right now. Now, pray.

"