Hope's POV.
Lucian lies crumpled on the forest floor, already back to his human form, blood staining his bare chest and arms, his breaths shallow and ragged. I drop to my knees beside him after retrieving my medical bag. I tare it open with trembling fingers. His skin is slick with sweat and the veins near the gash are already turning black.
"Lucian." I whisper urgently, brushing damp hair from his forehead. His eyes flutter open. Unfocused but aware. "Stay with me. You hear me."
"Hope..." He rasped.
"Don't talk." I order. My fingers smear with his blood as I examine the wound. My stomach drops.
The poison is spreading. Fast. It has already eaten into the tissue around the gash and is blackening his side at an alarming rate. The toxin has entered his bloodstream. There isn't much time
