Karn tore through the line of attackers, creating a opening for Aisha. She didn’t hesitate; rembering her promise, she bolted through the gap. The sounds of snarling and clashing echoed behind her, fueling her fear, but she kept her eyes fixed on the distant glow of the restaurant.
She burst through the front doors, her lungs burning and her clothes disheveled. Gasping for air, she gripped the edge of the mahogany reception counter until her knuckles turned white.
"Help! Wolves... They’ve attacked my boyfriend!" she pleaded as her voice almost broke. "Please, you have to help us!"
The receptionist’s eyes widened, but she remained professional, quickly summoning the manager. The mont the manager realized the victim was Karn, Gabriel’s trusted Beta, he didn’t waste a second. He dispatched a specialized security team, well-equipped to handle shifter conflicts.
By the ti the reinforcents reached the forest clearing, the scene was one of absolute carnage. Karn stood in the center of a circle of downed attackers, his breath coming in ragged heaves. He shifted back into his human form, his skin glistening with sweat and the blood.
A gash on his forehead dripped blood over his eye, montarily blinding him. Just as he wiped it away, he heard the frantic rustle of leaves behind him. A mangled, injured wolf made one last lunge at his back.
Karn didn’t even turn fully. With the precision of a seasoned Beta, his hand shot out, grabbing the wolf by the throat. And the next second, he snapped its neck. The beast let out a final whimper before collapsing into the snow.
"Where’s Aisha?" Karn rasped, his eyes cold as he recognized the restaurant security team.
"She’s safe in the lobby, Sir," one of the guards replied, rushing forward to throw a coat over Karn’s shoulders and offer him support.
Karn ignored the stinging pain in his side and the blood obscuring his vision, his only focus being the glass doors of the restaurant. He burst into the lobby just as the local authorities began to arrive outside, their sirens wailing in the distance.
Aisha, who had been pacing in the lobby, froze at the sight of him. Seeing him drenched in blood, she let out a choked sob and ran to him. Her hands hovered over his chest and arms, afraid to touch him and cause more pain.
"What have you done to yourself?" she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears that soon spilled over.
"I’m fine, Aisha. You’re safe," Karn rasped, his voice rough but filled with relief. He tried to stand tall, but a slight stumble betrayed how much the fight had taken out of him.
"We have called the doctor," the manager interrupted, stepping forward with a steadying hand. "He’s only minutes away. Let’s get Karn treated first. We have a private lounge in the back where you won’t be disturbed."
Aisha nodded quickly, wiping the salt and cold from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She tucked herself under Karn’s arm, providing him the support he needed as they moved toward the back of the restaurant. Even as her heart hamred with the trauma of the night, she felt a surge of fierce protectiveness. She wouldn’t leave his side again.
Shortly, the doctor arrived and treated the wounds on Karn’s body while Aisha counted them ntally. Once finished, the doctor gave him a small packet of pills to reduce the pain and assured him nothing major happened.
"These will manage the pain and the inflammation," he explained, snapping his dical bag shut. "Nothing reached the bone or vital organs, but you’ve lost a fair amount of blood. Given your strength, you won’t feel any problem. Still, get yourself checked at the hospital tomorrow for a full scan."
"Sure. Thank you, doctor," Karn said. He offered a weary smile, but his eyes quickly shifted to Aisha. She looked at Aisha, who looked pale and shaken.
The manager stepped into the lounge. "I’ve arranged a driver and a trained bodyguard for the night. They will drop both of you ho. Given who was targeted tonight, I won’t have you leaving in a standard cab."
Karn didn’t argue. He knew that ten wolves didn’t show up in a forest by accident. "Thank you for the quick thinking. We’ll take the escort."
"Let’s go, Aisha," he murmured, his fingers threading through hers. She walked with him silently, her hand trembling slightly in his grip as they moved through the lobby and into the waiting black sedan.
Once they were settled in the back, the bodyguard took the front passenger seat, and the driver looked back for instructions. Karn gave Aisha’s ho address, leaning his head back against the seat with a heavy sigh.
Once they arrived at Aisha’s place, Karn settled the paynt with the driver and followed her up to the apartnt. Aisha punched in her security code with trembling fingers and stepped inside, Karn trailing close behind like a silent shadow.
When she ca to a halt in the center of the living room, Karn stopped too. Aisha turned slowly, her eyes tracing the bandages peeking through his torn shirt one more ti before she threw herself into his arms, hugging him.
Karn nearly let out a whimper as her weight pressed against his fresh stitches, but he caught the sound in his throat, suppressing the pain. He reached up, his hand resting gently on the back of her head, stroking her hair as she buried her face in his chest.
"I’m sorry. This happened because of ," she choked out, her voice muffled by his shirt. "That attack wasn’t an accident, it was intentional. I know it was Eryx. I’m the reason you’re bleeding, Karn. I’m so, so sorry."
She was sobbing now, her shoulders shaking with the weight of her guilt. Karn stayed still for a mont, letting her feel his heartbeat, before he gently gripped her shoulders and pushed her back just far enough to look into her tear-streaked face.
"Aisha, look at ," he said softly.
She slowly lifted her head, feeling the rough warmth of his thumbs as they swept the tears from her cheeks.
"Even if Eryx was behind it, it wasn’t because of you," Karn confessed. "I’m sorry for not telling you earlier, but I ran into him at a bar after he got out on bail. I couldn’t control myself... I hit him, and I hit him badly. I think this was his way of trying to balance the scales. I’m the one who should apologize for bringing this chaos into our first date."
Aisha shook her head, her heart aching at his honesty, and she pulled him into another hug. This ti, however, the pressure was too much. Karn couldn’t stifle the reaction, and a sharp cry of pain escaped his lips. Aisha recoiled instantly, her eyes wide with fresh panic as she stamred out apologies.
"Co, you need to rest," she insisted, taking his hand with the utmost care and guiding him toward the guest room adjacent to hers.
As Karn sank onto the edge of the bed, Aisha moved quickly to fill a glass of water. "Take the dicine the doctor gave you," she commanded gently.
Karn nodded, swallowing the pills and draining the glass. She took it from him, setting it on the nightstand with a quiet click. She looked at the dried blood matting his hair and staining the skin around his bandages.
"I will wipe the stains from your body, if you want," she offered.
Karn arched his brows. "Are you sure about that?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)