Ninety
*Rafe*
Sersia began chanting in a language that sounded ancient and powerful. The air around us seemed to shift and crackle with energy as she drew symbols and runes into the air with her hands. Sersia’s chanting grew louder and more intense, her hands moving in intricate patterns as the magic flowed through her and into Freya.
Beside me, I could see the fear in Connor’s eyes, but he stayed still, trusting me to protect Freya.
And then it was my turn. Sersia turned to face me, her voice booming as she spoke the words of the ritual. I bared my teeth and prepared to bite into Freya’s neck, knowing that this was the only way to save her.
I leaned down, my heart pounding in my chest as I brought my mouth to Freya’s wrist. Her skin was cool and clammy beneath my lips, and I could feel the faint thrumming of her pulse, slow and weak. I hesitated for a moment, my fangs grazing her flesh, before I closed my eyes and bit down.
The moment my teeth pierced her skin, a burst of energy exploded from Freya’s body, slamming into me with the force of a speeding train. I screamed in agony, every nerve ending in my body igniting with white-hot pain. It felt as though I was being ripped apart from the inside out, my very essence shredded by the power coursing through me. “What the fuck!!!” I yelled.
Distantly, I heard Connor cry out, his voice laced with panic. “Rafe!” he shouted, and I could hear him moving towards me, his footsteps heavy on the wooden floor.
But Sersia was faster. “No!” she snapped, her voice sharp as a whip. “Do not touch him, or you will kill them both.”
Through the haze of pain, I could sense Connor’s hesitation, his desire to help warring with his trust in the witch’s words. But he stayed where he was, watching helplessly as I writhed in agony, Freya’s power tearing through me like a wildfire.
I could feel it now, the poison in her blood, thick and cloying on my tongue. It burned like acid as I swallowed it down, my throat raw and blistered. But I didn’t stop, I couldn’t stop. I had to take it all, every last drop, or Freya would die.
“You must finish what you started,” Sersia said, her voice cutting through the chaos in my mind. “If you stop now, if anyone interrupts the process, both of you will perish.”
With renewed determination, I sank my fangs into Freya’s wrists and let the magic flow through me. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before – a combination of ecstasy and agony that left me gasping for air as it coursed through every inch of my body.
The pain added as I continued to suck the substance out of her. It was like I was addicted to it yet the pain was unbearable. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to keep going even as the pain threatened to consume me. I thought of Freya, of her smile and her strength, of the way she made me want to be a better man. I would endure this for her, I would endure anything for her.
So I drank, and I suffered, and I prayed to the moon goddess that it would be enough to save the woman I loved.
I tried to control the pain as I held on to Freya’s hands, my claws digging into her soft skin. The witch’s power was like a living thing, clawing at my insides, trying to tear me apart from the inside out.
“Why is her power attacking me?” I asked through gritted teeth, my voice raw and hoarse.
Sersia’s glowing grey eyes met mine, ancient and knowing. “Freya has the rarest traits of the most powerful witch,” she said. “Her power is reacting to the substance she consumed, causing it to lash out at you.”
I couldn’t help but marvel at the strength of Freya’s magic, even as it threatened to destroy me. She was truly special, a diamond in the rough, and I knew I would do anything to protect her.
“You must endure the pain,” Sersia continued, her voice firm. “And hope that it will work.”
I nodded, my jaw clenched tight. I would endure anything for Freya, even if it meant my own life.
I stared down at her beautiful face, her eyes still closed, her skin pale and lifeless. It was now or never. I had to save the love of my life, the woman who had brought happiness and purpose back into my world.
Memories flashed through my mind, moments of laughter and joy, of stolen kisses and whispered promises. Freya had changed everything for me, had given me a reason to fight, to be better than I was.
I would not mind dying for her.
I turned to Connor, my beta, my brother in arms. His face was etched with worry, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He knew, as well as I did, the risks I was taking.
“If something happens to me,” I said, my voice steady despite the pain. “Take care of her.”
Connor nodded, his expression grim but respectful. “I will, Alpha. I swear it.”
I smiled at him, a final farewell, before turning back to Freya. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come.
And then, with a silent prayer to the moon goddess, I lowered my head to her wrist again, ready to do what needed to be done.
I placed my teeth on her wrist, my fangs sinking into her soft flesh. The moment I broke into skin again, a new explosion of agony erupted through my body. It felt like every nerve ending was on fire, like molten lava was coursing through my veins.
I screamed, unable to hold back the raw, primal sound of pure torment. But even as the pain threatened to consume me, to drag me under into an abyss of suffering, I held on. I had to keep going, had to suck out the poison that was killing my mate.
So I drank, pulling the toxic blood into my mouth, feeling it sear my throat like acid. My skin began to blister and burn, my flesh charring and peeling away. But still, I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop, not until every last drop of poison was gone.
Dimly, I was aware of Connor and Sersia watching, their faces twisted with horror and fear. But I barely registered their presence, my entire world narrowed down to the excruciating task at hand.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, when the darkness began to creep in at the edges of my vision, I felt it. A faint flutter beneath my lips, a weak but steady pulse.
I released Freya’s wrist, my head spinning, my body shaking uncontrollably. And then, like a miracle, her eyes fluttered open. Those beautiful, piercing brown eyes that I had feared I would never see again.
She gasped, her back arching off the bed as she sucked in a deep, ragged breath. And then she was coughing, expelling the last remnants of the poison from her lungs.
“Rafe,” she whispered as she faced me, her voice hoarse and weak. “You… you saved me.”
I couldn’t speak, couldn’t find the words to express the overwhelming relief and love that flooded through me. So I simply gathered her into my arms, holding her close as tears streamed down my face.
She was alive. My Freya, my heart, my everything. And no matter what came next, no matter what challenges we faced, I knew that we would face them together.
Always.
****