The earth was still shaking when Aria dropped to her knees beside Killian. Blood pooled under him, too dark against the moonlit ground. Her wolf howled inside her, thrashing, desperate to get closer, to heal him, to do anything that could keep him breathing.
“Stay with me!” she begged, pressing her palms to his chest. Her magic—no, her power—flared without her meaning to. It crackled through her veins like lightning, spilling into him.
Killian’s body arched, his jaw clenched in pain, but his eyes fluttered open just enough for her to see the storm inside them.
“Aria…” His voice was broken, a rasp barely louder than the wind. “Don’t… stop…”
She didn’t. Couldn’t. The bond between them was a living, breathing thing now, pulling her deeper into him. She felt his heart stagger, then find a
