Lucien's POV
Blood.
Too much of it.
It soaked through the linen I pressed against her shoulder, seeping between my fingers no matter how tightly I held on. My hands shook—hands that had cut down a dozen rogues without flinching now trembled because the woman in front of me refused to stay still.
"Scarlett," I growled, low. "Stop moving."
She winced, sucking in a breath, but her chin lifted stubbornly. "Others need it more. You should—"
"No." My voice snapped, harsher than I intended. I forced it lower, steadier, though my chest still heaved. "You're bleeding out in front of me, and you think I'll see to someone else first? Don't test me, Scarlett."
Her eyes softened, not because she yielded, but with a look that tore at me harder than the blood on her skin.
"Lucien," I heard her wh
