The man moved closer to me and lunged forward to grasp my hand as Lara's eyes widened.
I closed my eyes and gripped the shard of glass tighter when the forest shook at the loud spine-chilling growl that resounded that even halted my movement at how deadly and dangerous it sounded. And the next thing I knew, an ear-shuttering scream followed.
I opened my eyes and when I turned to my left, I spotted a large, black wolf that was twice as big as Lara and his men. Its flawless, pitch-black fur is shiny and mimics the night sky devoid of stars. Its boiling fangs were razor-sharp and exposed. I'm not sure why, but there seems to be a dark and heavy aura of suffocating power and authority around the wolf, which is riveted on me with its searing golden eyes.
My heart fluttered as I held the black wolf's gaze. This wolf.......
I mumbled, "Traian," and a wave of relief swept over me.
I kept staring at the black wolf while a tear trickled down my face. My guess was confirmed by Lara who stuttered while taking a step backward.
"Alpha" she spoke and her voice was trembling. As if she had just awoken from a brief dream, her anxious countenance abruptly changed. She grinned and pointed at me.
She began to say, "I did us a favor, Traian; I will get rid of her and we will lead the pack, both of us—" but the wolf snarled menacingly at her and she paused.
"You're not happy, '' Lara said, shaking her head and shouting, "No! No! You should be happy because I am doing this for you! For us! I even approach these rogues!"
Rogues? If I remembered correctly, rogues are werewolves who have either been expelled from their pack or fled of their own free will. And being a lone wolf for an extended period of time without a pack drives them insane.
And to think Lara approaches them. This woman was insane!
Lara gave a nod to the other wolves that now I know as rouges. The man who was about to approach me earlier had already shifted.
My heart dropped when two rouges charged at me while the other blocked the black wolf, all canines exposed ready to clamp down on my throat or head to rip it off. I swallowed hard and shut my eyes when I heard something being thrown off and the next second, I felt a gush of wind pass close to me before I heard a blood-curdling scream of pure agony. I dared to open my eyes and the scene made me gasp.
The black wolf had the other rouge pinned by its legs while its mouth ripped off the other's throat, causing the blood to seep out. My stomach churned at the sight. The rogue under the black wolf's feet thrashed but it was to no avail. Its wail reverberated across the woods until its head was severed from its body. The black wolf was about to be attacked by the other two.
I said faintly, "Watch out," and then immediately regretted it as blood spurted from my shoulders.
Another pack of wolves appears and surrounds the two remaining rogues, howling, stopping the remaining two from attacking the black wolf.
When they attacked the two outlaws, I had my eyes closed when I heard another agonizing howl. Although they wanted me dead, their anguished wail made my heart ache.
When I opened my eyes, I could make out the body of the black wolf morphing into a human until it was just a few meters away from me. My gaze fell upon his body, from his smooth and lustrous pitch-black hair, his rugged and alluring face, and broad shoulders, to his muscular arms, ripped abdomen, and strong and powerful thighs.
He reached forward to grasp her, but Lara drew back and pressed a blade to her throat.
"I will kill myself rather than you kill me!" Lara shouted viciously.
Traian remained emotionless as he stared at Lara.
"I love you! But you still fucking chose a human over me! A pathetic human! "
Traian roared so loudly that I could feel the hair on my skin stand up. "Stop thinking of yourself as superior to her; she was more deserving than you, not because she was my mate, but because she knew how to listen and actually care about my people."
Lara clenched her teeth as the blade drew blood from her flesh and screamed, "THAT'S NOT TRUE! YOU'RE LYING! I AM MORE WORTHY THAN A HUMAN! I SHOULD BE YOUR LUNA—"
Suddenly grabbing her arm and twisting it, Traian prevented her from finishing her sentence, sending another gruesome howl echoing through the woods. The dagger fell to the ground.
As Traian contained his wrath, the veins in his neck were evident as he clutched Lara's neck.
His voice was ominous as he said, "I warned you that if you ever lay hands on her, your life will be the price."
He wouldn't move, despite Lara's frantic taps on his hand for a breath.
He proclaimed, "What you committed was treason and that was deserving of death," and then ripped out her neck.
As Lara's head broke out of her body, blood spattered all over his torso. Traian turned to face me, the brilliant gold hue of his eyes changing to a brilliant blue.
For the past few days, those blue eyes have brought me such comfort and joy. When he stared at me, his eyes were warm and filled with unspoken feelings. I gazed at him with tears gathering in my eyes.
I have no idea how we got here. How did I get to this point after living here when I've only experienced bliss for the last several days? Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to take this short vacation after all.
My body became numb as black dots danced across my vision. I immediately found it difficult to stay awake as my eyelids seemed heavier.
No, keep your eyes open, Jaidyn. You can do it.....
It was difficult. More black dots formed in my vision and my body urged me to surrender.
In the thrall of the devouring darkness, I give up. Before I lost consciousness, I felt strong arms pick me up off the ground and kiss my forehead.
"I am sorry for being late, love. I'm sorry" said the voice I knew perfectly.
.............
Claire's Pov
As soon as I opened the door of Traian's room, my eyes landed on him who had his head resting on the edge of the bed while his hands were firmly holding the right hand of Jaidyn.
My heart aches for him as my Alpha and friend. It's been two weeks since that incident. Traian killed Lara and all the rogues. The pack has been restless since then because they all are worried for Jaidyn—their Luna. It has also been two weeks since our Luna has been declared in a coma. The doctor allowed us to transfer Jaidyn here to Traian's Castle. He instantly organized his own space to fulfill the doctor's stringent directions.
My eyes diverted to Jaidun who was still unconsciously lying on the bed. Their still apparatus attached to her and she became thinner and the scars of the accident were still fresh. The driver of the rental car she took was able to survive and was focusing on recovery. The costs were something Jaidyn's parents wanted to bear, but Traian handled everything. Jane, Alpha Jaxon, and Jaidyn’s parents stayed here, all wanting to be with her. Even Sally and Kate frequently came by after finishing their job here each day.
I blinked away the tears that were threatening to escape and walked inside the room.
I cleared my throat. "You should eat, Traian. You still haven't eaten anything since yesterday"
Out of all of us, it was Jaidyn's parents and sister but mostly Traian who was devastated the most. He forgot to take care of himself. He declined calls from his company that forced Cayden to take over in the meantime. He didn't leave the house and just stayed here in this room with Jaidyn, holding her hand. He doesn't talk to us often and we often see him in his minibar, drinking alone. There were times I would hear him crying while talking about all the sweet things to Jaidyn or what is happening the whole day. It was heartbreaking.
"Traian" I tried again to call him.
He spoke, still had his head hung low, kissing Jaidyn's hand.
"I was tempted to do it, Claire," he said sorrowfully. Looking at Jaidyn's face.
The raw pain in his voice pained me. I remained silent, waiting for him to voice out his thoughts.
"I badly wanted to mark her, so she woke up and was with me. So I can see her eyes again" his voice broke.
"But you didn't," I said.
"Because she will resent me. She will hate me if I do that. But you know, every day it breaks me to see her like this. And not knowing when she will wake up"
"She will wake up, Traian. Trust her" I said with confidence. It was all we have right now.
Trust that she will wake up.
"That's why I have decided" He laid a kiss on Jaidyn's forehead. "I don't care if she hates or resents me, I will mark her to save her if this continues. I will not let her die or sleep forever like this. I won't"
The determination and conviction in his tone made me smile. His love for her was boundless. Marking Jaidyn will make her a little invisible from other humans. As a mate of a Shifter and a Lycan at that, and with a mark, she will heal faster, will be stronger, and have a longer life than other average humans. Even her stamina will be heightened to accommodate the mating call. Marking her will help her recover quickly. It was all proven by our ancestors who have humans as their mates.
And ever since the incident, it was one of the options all of us were considering.
"That's why you should take care of yourself and face her once she wakes up"
"You're right" He sighed and stood up. With one last kiss on Jaidyn's hand, he started to walk away.
I looked back at him when the door was closed. I strolled toward the chair Traian was sitting in earlier and held Jaidyn's hand, squeezing it lightly. I looked at her face. Her face became thinner but her beauty was still there.
"Wake up for us, Jaidyn. For your family, for your soon-to-be nephew," I felt the tightness in my throat as tears pooled in my eyes. "Wake up for Traian. Please, he needs you. He needs you to live. Please, Jaidyn wake up”