No one is going to touch you
1410 Words
Kalean's POV
---
“Mate.”
The word didn’t come from me. It settled deep in my chest, heavy… real.
I stared at her on the ground, unmoving.
Everything else—the blood, the bodies, the noise—faded out.
“Mate,” Storm repeated, pacing, restless in a way I had never felt from him before.
“I know...,” I muttered, dropping to my knees.
My hand hovered over her face for a second before I touched her.
Her skin didn’t feel right.
I pressed my palm to her forehead and felt the heat immediately.
“Why are you burning up…”
Storm went quiet the moment I touched her.
Completely still.
That alone made my chest tighten.
I shifted, sliding my fingers to her wrist.
Her pulse—
My jaw tightened as I focused on it. It was faint, unsteady.
“She’s not okay.”
That was obvious, but saying it out loud made it real.
“Alpha.”
Jace’s voice came from behind me, closer this time.
I didn’t look back.
“She needs help.”
There was a pause.
Then, careful—measured—
“She’s human.”
“I know what she is.”
My voice came out flat.
Storm stirred faintly.
“She's our mate,” he murmured.
I ignored him for now.
I slipped one arm under her back, the other beneath her legs, lifting her carefully.
Her head dropped against my chest.
She barely weighed anything in my arms.
“Easy…”
I barely realized I said it.
“Alpha—”
“I said she needs help!"
My voice came out far more commanding than I intended.
Jace stepped closer. I could hear it in his breathing now… the hesitation.
“The rogues,” he said, lower, “we’re still clearing the area. But I found one trying to escape.”
That made me stop just for a second.
“Alive?”
“Barely. He’s not talking yet.”
My grip on her tightened slightly.
Storm shifted.
“It's definitely not random,” he said.
“I know.”
I exhaled slowly, then spoke—
“Keep him alive.”
Jace didn’t answer immediately.
“Alpha… if they were targeting the borders, we need to know why before—”
“They weren’t.”
That came out sharper.
I turned slightly, just enough for him to see my face.
“They weren’t targeting the borders.”
His eyes flicked to the girl in my arms.
Then back to me. Realization started to settle.
“…You think they were after her?”
I didn’t respond.
Jace ran a hand over his jaw, tension building.
“That’s worse,” he muttered. “We don’t even know who she is.”
“She’s not the problem right now.”
“She might be,” he pushed. “If rogues are crossing territory lines for a human—”
“She’s not just human.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Silence.
Jace’s brows pulled together.
“What does that mean?”
I looked down at her again.
Her breathing was still uneven, not settling the way it should.
“…I don't know yet."
Jace exhaled slowly.
“This is exactly why this is a problem,” he said. “Unknown. Human. And now possibly a target. The elders are not going to—”
“They don’t need to know.”
That stopped him completely.
“What?”
“They don’t need to know,” I repeated, calmer now. Controlled.
“For now.”
Jace stared at me.
“You’re hiding this?”
“I’m handling it.”
“That’s not the same thing, Kalean.”
My eyes snapped to his.
“Careful.”
He held my gaze.
Not backing down… but not pushing too far either.
“She could put the pack at risk.”
“And letting her die fixes that?”
That hit.
Jace’s jaw tightened.
“That’s not what I said.”
“Then don’t imply it.”
Silence stretched between us.
Storm shifted again, low, watchful.
“You're wasting time you asshole!” he warned.
I felt it too.
Her pulse hadn’t improved. If anything, it was slipping further.
I adjusted my hold on her, turning away.
“Finish here,” I said. “Interrogate the one you caught. I want answers before sunrise.”
“And her?”
I paused for a second.
“No one comes near her.”
My voice dropped.
“Not until I say so.”
Jace studied me longer this time.
Then finally—
“…Understood.”
Good.
I didn’t wait any longer.
---
The distance between the forest and the human residence felt longer than usual.
Or maybe it was the weight of what I carried.
Not heavy in the way battle was heavy… but in a way that settled deeper.
Her heat hadn’t gone down.
It lingered under my skin every time she shifted faintly against me.
Her head rested against me, her breath uneven against my chest.
“Stay with me…”
The words slipped out quietly.
Storm stirred.
“She’s slipping.”
“I know.”
My jaw tightened.
I adjusted her slightly, making sure she was supported.
That’s when I really looked at her.
Not just a glance.
Not just awareness.
I actually looked.
Her face had softened in unconsciousness.
No fear.
No tension.
Just stillness.
Her lashes rested lightly against her skin, her lips parted just enough to let uneven breaths escape.
“You don’t look like trouble…”
I muttered.
“…but you feel like it.”
Storm gave a low sound in agreement.
Not words this time.
Just presence.
---
By the time I reached the house, I wasn’t slowing down anymore.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside, heading straight for the bedroom.
No hesitation.
No second thoughts.
I laid her down carefully on the bed, easing her weight from my arms.
I stepped back for a second.
Just looking at her.
The heat hadn’t left her.
And she still hadn’t woken.
“Damn it…”
I ran a hand through my hair and moved again, heading to the bathroom.
Cold water.
Cloth.
Back to her.
I pressed it gently against her forehead.
Her skin held that same unnatural heat.
This wasn’t normal.
Not even close.
“Fight it,” I said quietly.
“You hear me… fight it.”
Storm stayed close now.
Not pacing.
Not restless.
Just… watching.
Guarding.
I reached for her wrist again.
Her pulse flickered under my fingers.
Still there.
Good.
“Don’t do this…”
The words came out lower this time.
More personal.
“I just found you.”
That was the truth. There was no denial in it.
No hesitation.
Just fear creeping in around the edges.
Not of her.
For her.
I leaned back slightly, eyes still on her face.
“You picked the worst time to show up…”
A breath left me slowly.
“…but I’m not letting you go anywhere.”
Storm shifted, steady this time.
I changed the cloth again, pressing it gently against her skin.
Her scent shifted slightly. Faint, but different.
I stilled.
“…You feel that?”
Storm did.
I knew he did.
But he didn’t say anything.
Just watched.
Same as me.
I exhaled slowly, pushing the thought aside.
Later.
Figure it out later.
Right now—
She needed to wake up.
Minutes passed.
I didn’t move far.
Didn’t leave the room.
Every shift in her breathing pulled my attention back.
Every small change in her pulse kept me grounded right there beside her.
“You’re not dying on me,” I said quietly.
Not a threat.
Not even a command.
Just… something I refused to let happen.
My gaze softened slightly as I looked at her again.
“You don’t even know me yet…”
A faint shake of my head.
“…and somehow you’re already my problem.”
There was no irritation in it.
Just something quieter and heavier.
"Please...... just wake up....."
I leaned forward slightly, resting my forearms on my knees.
“No one’s going to touch you.”
My voice dropped.
“No one’s going to use you… or hunt you… or decide what you are before I do.”
That was the Alpha speaking.
But underneath it—
Something else.
Something softer.
I sat back again, eyes still locked on her.
“Just wake up…”
- Writer
