Chapter Eight
1131 Words
Quinn’s POV
“How the hell did you miss that?” James growled, pacing across the room. “Deadly nightshade? Really? Your Luna—my mate—is lying in that bed dying because of your damn mistake!”
Heat crept up my cheeks as he basically accused me of killing my Luna.
I slammed the cabinet open and turned to glare at him.
“Oh, so we’re blaming me now?” I shot back. “Last time I checked, you’re the one who thought chasing your terrified mate through the middle of the forest at midnight with three other guys was a brilliant idea.”
I rummaged through another cabinet until I found the herbs I needed. As I grabbed a bowl, I caught James stalking toward me out of the corner of my eye.
“Don’t you dare blame me,” he snapped. “Do you think I wanted this to happen? What if that had been your mate? Or one of your babies?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Well unlike you I get the consent of chasing my mate through the woods, and a matter of fact he likes it by the way, and also jokes on you my babies can't even fully run anyways” I smirked.
For a split second, I caught James fighting a smile.
It disappeared just as quickly. And I saw his jaw tightened.
I sighed.
“Sit.”
He frowned.
“What?”
“I said sit.”
To my surprise… He actually listened.
He dropped into the chair beside Lilith’s bed, gently grabbing her hand.
I smiled to myself.
“Lesson number one.” I said placing the herbs in my my bowl before grinding them
He looked up.
“If you’re trying to impress a woman, maybe wine and dine them first before you go chasing after them in the woods.”
I shrugged.
“Flowers are nice too.”
He snorted.
“I’m kidding…” My smile faded. “But seriously, don’t chase frightened women through the woods in the middle of the night.”
A small laugh escaped him despite himself.
After a long silence, he rubbed the back of Lilith’s hand with his thumb.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
I cupped a hand behind my ear.
“Hmm? Didn’t quite catch that.”
He sighed dramatically. “I said… I’m sorry.”
“There we go.” I grinned.
“And if you blame me one more time, I’ll shove one of these herbs up your ass and it won’t be the nice ones. I’ll even pick one of the itchy ones.”
James groaned and rolled his eyes
“You’re impossible.”
“And yet…” I began crushing the herbs into a thick green paste. “I’m still the only healer you’ve got.”
He couldn’t argue with that.
Once the mixture was ready, I gently spread it across Lilith’s injured leg.
“The herbs should help draw out the poison while encouraging the tissue to heal.”
I glanced at the wound.
“I just hope we’re not too late.”
James’s expression immediately darkened.
“‘Hope’?”
His voice cracked.
“You said hope.”
I met his eyes.
“I won’t lie to you.”
His grip tightened around Lilith’s hand.
“I need her.” He swallowed hard. I can’t lose my mate. I just found her.”
I nodded.
“So let’s make sure she heals.”
⸻
Lilith’s POV
A soft groan escaped my lips as consciousness slowly returned.
Everything hurt. My leg throbbed. My head pounded in my ears.
But what I noticed more was a warm tingling sensation spread through my hand.
It was oddly comforting. Making me feel safe
As my vision slowly cleared, I turned my head. A large hand was wrapped gently around mine.
Following the arm upward, I found its owner asleep in a chair beside my bed.
He was tall.
Broad shoulders.
Sun-kissed skin.
Messy black hair fell across his forehead, and dark circles beneath his closed eyes made it obvious he hadn’t slept in days.
Even asleep… He looked like a sculpture made from the hands of an angel
“…Well, look who’s finally awake. You’ve been out for a couple days now”
A woman’s voice startled me.
I quickly looked away from the stranger.
The same white-blonde-haired woman I’d seen before collapsing was standing beside my bed.
“Don’t move, hon,” she said with a chuckle. “Unless you’d like to learn how to walk with one leg.”
Her hands hovered over my injured shin, glowing with a soft violet light.
“W-What are you doing?” I croaked.
My throat felt like sandpaper.
I tried to sit up.
As I attempted to pull my hand free… The sleeping man instinctively tightened his grip. A low growl rumbled from his chest.
I froze.
The woman laughed.
“Relax. He’s harmless… Most of the time.”
She winked.
“You’re still weak. The poison hasn’t completely left your system.”
I blinked.
“Poison?”
She nodded. “Afraid so.”
“W-Who are you And… where am I?”
“You’re safe. You’re in a hospital” She said as she got some water from the water dispenser offering me a foam cup.
“My name’s Quinn by the way. You can think of me as your doctor.”
I eagerly drank the cool water. Wondering how she was able to hear me through my barely audible voice.
Quinn gently placed the back of her hand against my forehead. “Good. Your fever’s finally coming down.”
A small smile crossed her face. “I’d like to keep it that way. You need food. And more sleep.”
She turned toward the door.
“I’ll bring you something light.”
“Wait.”
She stopped.
I glanced down at the sleeping stranger still holding my hand.
“What am I supposed to do about… him?”
Quinn laughed.
“Oh, don’t worry. He’s just a big baby.”
I frowned. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
Her smile softened.
“No. It doesn’t, but that’s a conversation he needs to have with you.”
She opened the door.
“I’ll be back with some food, just focus on resting”
The door quietly closed behind her.
Silence filled the room.
I looked back at the stranger. Wondering who he was and why do I feel so attached to him, why do I feel… safe?
His hand was still wrapped around mine.
Every few seconds, another wave of warmth spread through my arm.
Instead of pulling away… I relaxed.
The strange tingling only grew stronger.
Before I knew it… sleep claimed me once again.
- Writer
