Saving him
1415 Words
I stepped into the hallway, the air cool and sharp against my flushed skin. Every nerve in my body was on edge, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a stone.
Why do you care? I wondered the question gnawing at me, echoing in the back of my mind. I didn’t have an answer, not one that made sense.
He needs time, I told myself, though the thought felt hollow. Time wouldn’t mend a broken soul—not without something, or someone, to anchor it.
I paused outside his door for just a minute , glancing toward the closed door. The bond between us tugged faintly, like a thread caught on the edge of a knife. It was fragile, strained, but still there. Still alive.
With a heavy sigh, I turned away, and made my way towards the kitchen I felt patched. Each step felt heavier than the last, as though the weight of his pain clung to me, dragging me down.
"Why did I want to help save him." That mockery voice rang at the back of my mind once more making me pause momentarily.
“Because he’s ours,” I whispered, the admission surprising even me. At this thought my hands clenched tightly around the counter and I braced myself.
"That can't be it's to syoon. The bond can't have already been activated this fast. It can't be." I chastised myself, thinking back to all the plans I had for the future. No this was all wrong.
I didn't want to be tied down now, not when...No.
My fist clenched tighter and I let myself breath in and out allowing the tension that was brewing within me leave me.
After I'd managed to calm myself down and shut all thoughts I made my way around the kitchen fetching a glass and pouring myself some water.
Drinking it helped but I still felt a stillness within me that was suffocating.
After a moment with my thoughts I made my way back to my brother's room bypassing my room where the stranger lay.
I pushed the door and walked inside a silence that was too quiet, too empty, welcomed me and for the first time, it felt wrong to be alone.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, running a hand through my hair. My thoughts churned, a storm of doubts and unanswered questions.
What did he mean by "he’s gone"?
The words replayed in my mind, each repetition pulling at a thread of unease. The way he’d said it—broken, hollow—made it clear he wasn’t talking about a simple loss. He’d lost something fundamental, something tied to who he was. His wolf. Doug.
But how could that be possible?
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up sharply, my pulse quickening.
“Come in,” I called, trying to keep my voice steady.
The door creaked open, and Ashton accompanied by Mara, one of the healers, stepped inside.
His brow was furrowed and concern etched into his features.
“How is he?” Mara asked, closing the door behind her.
I exhaled slowly, shaking my head. “He’s…awake. But he’s not okay.”
Mara’s expression tightened. “I figured as much. We’ve never seen anything like this before—his wolf’s energy is completely suppressed. Almost like it’s been severed.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. “Severed? How is that even possible?”
“We don’t know,” she admitted, crossing her arms. “But if he doesn’t reconnect with his wolf soon, his condition could worsen. Wolves without their other halves…well, you know what happens.”
I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. I didn’t need her to say it. A wolf without their counterpart couldn’t survive for long. The bond between man and wolf was essential—it wasn’t just a part of us; it was us.
“What can we do?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Mara hesitated, her gaze flicking toward the window. “The bond between mates is powerful,” she said carefully. “If he still has a chance to reconnect with his wolf, it might be through you.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut and I threw an accusatory look at Ashton. He wasn't supposed to blabber that particular detail.
If by chance heavens forbid dad found out I'd be a dead man, woman I suppose if we wanted to be factual. I'd deal with him later on for now my concentration flickered back to what Mara had said.
“Through me? How?”
“I don’t know the specifics,” she admitted. “But if your bond is intact, even if it’s weak, you might be able to reach him in a way no one else can.”
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. The mate bond. It was there, humming faintly between us, but it felt fragile, as though one wrong move could shatter it entirely.
“And if I can’t?” I asked, my voice cracking.
Ashton glared but I looked away from him.
Mara didn’t answer right away. When she did, her tone was grim. “Then we’ll have to prepare for the worst.”
She supplied and after a few more exchanged words she made her way out and went I guess to check on the stranger.
Ashton on the other hand moved to sit by the hammock not paying me mind.
I knew what he was doing he was broading but I didn't want to deal with him being accusatory and judgemental right now so I kept quiet and let my thoughts wander.
Mara's words lingered long after she left, heavy and oppressive like storm clouds gathering overhead. I sat there for what felt like hours, staring at the floor, before I finally pushed myself to my feet.
The thought of losing him—this man I barely knew but couldn’t help feeling tied to—was unbearable. I didn’t understand it, but the mate bond didn’t care about logic. It demanded connection, unity.
But I wasn't ready to not give up on him. Not yet. Not when I knew what fate awaited me and him.
He didn't need such kind of a future nor did I want my present tied down.
I found myself back at his door before I even realized I’d moved. My hand hovered over the handle for a moment before I pushed it open. The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of moonlight streaming through the window.
He was sitting up, his back against the headboard, staring blankly ahead. The IV fluids had been reconnected, but his expression was as hollow as before.
“I thought I told you to leave,” he said without looking at me.
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. “And I thought I told you I’m not going anywhere.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. I moved closer, pulling a chair to the side of the bed and sitting down. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Unsure of where to start, I decided to rip the band aid off and figure out where his mind was at in general.
“I know you feel lost right now. I know it feels like everything’s been taken from you. But you’re still here. You’re still fighting.”
He let out a bitter laugh, the sound sharp and cutting. “Fighting for what? There’s nothing left.”
“That’s not true,” I said firmly. “You’re not nothing. And you’re not alone.”
His green eyes finally met mine, but they held nothing but a hollowness that screamed dead and it scared me for a moment.
“Let me help you,” I blabbered shocking even myself in the process.
“Whatever it takes, we’ll figure this out. Together.” I whispered unsure what I was subjecting myself to.
Was I really ready for this, no I wasn't. did I want this f**k I had no idea. but that felt like the right thing to say.
For the first time, he didn’t argue. He didn’t look away but I could tell he wasn't really looking at me.
A silence followed that unnerved me and I decided to leave him be. let him ponder on my words and I needed to go sort out my emotions.
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- Writer
