I was shot back to reality, the beeping in the room felt overwhelming, the dim light was far too bright, and I reached out for anything to keep me from spinning.
“Mama,” Emmett’s voice sounded far away, and I nodded once closing my eyes, trying to pull myself from the overwhelm.
I blinked back tears for him. I still had a reason, even if it wasn’t for myself.
“Mama, we have to fix Dad,” Emmett said, his voice small but strong.
“Yes, baby, yes we do.” I grabbed his hand and nodded ferociously for him.
I walked towards the bed, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to be with him, but being here showed me just how far he had gone.
It broke me, cleaved me in half seeing him like this.
This room was cold, dark, and nothing like Caspien.
I didn’t want this to be my last memory of him. I didn’t care if it made me weak. I didn’t want this to taint the few memories we had.
Emmett dropped my hand again, and I breathed quickly, not wanting to slip away from the cold, cruel reality for my son’s sake.
Emmett climbed up on the bed, and I reached for him, not sure why. Maybe I didn’t want him to touch Caspiens’ tubes. Maybe I didn’t want Emmett to see his only father figure like this for the last time.
The doctor opened his mouth and then shut it after he saw my face. I didn’t know what he saw on it, though. I didn’t know what I must have looked like. I didn’t care.
I grasped onto the back of Emmett’s shirt.
“Careful,” I croaked.
“He needs help,” Emmett’s small hand came to Caspien’s pale cheek.
I almost lost the rest of myself right there.
“Your pocket,”
I studied Caspiens handsome face, memorizing the planes of his face that I already knew better than my own.
His face was set in a pained look.
My hand reached towards him, brushing his cheek. It was cold, clammy, and sent a shiver through my spine.
There was no response from him, no way to get to him, tell him how much I needed him, how much he changed me, completed me.
“Your phone,” Someone said from far away.
“Hm?”
“Mama,” Emmett smiled, almost laughing, “Your phone.”
“Oh,”
I took my phone out of my pocket and slid it open.
“It affects the blood, stays in it. A pure form of wolfsbane mixed with some poison. It suppresses the wolf completely. They said they usually die in minutes; I’m not sure how long he can hold on, I’m not sure how he did.” A voice so familiar came through the phone, I scrambled to replay his words in my mind.
Who was it? What was he trying to say?
“I’ve notified anyone that might be able to help,” Griffen said.
Griffen.
“The remedy?” I asked, that seemed logical.
“They don’t know. The last one died in a few minutes.”
Thankfully, I didn’t even have time to spark that hope that there was a way out of this.
“Okay,” I managed.
“His blood, it stays in it.” Griffen said, “Willa? Give me to the doctor, anyone, please. Hand me to someone.”
I held out my hand, I don’t know who but someone took the phone.
“Draining, but how much?”
“New blood.”
“Which blood?”
“Witchcraft.”
“No, science.”
I focused on Emmett and Caspien.
I would be here, in this moment, while he was still here.
“You need to move, please.” Someone came up and brushed my arm, making me jolt.
“No,” Emmett buried his head in Caspien’s cold chest, the sound of his protests wrenched through me, “I can help.”
“Emmett, baby,” My voice caught.
D.amnit, I took a breath.
“We need to drain him, replace his blood,” Someone held my arm and helped me stand.
“With what blood?” My browns tugged together. I wouldn’t let myself grasp onto hope even though I so desperately wanted to. “Blood bank, Luna, you just need to relax-“
“Don’t chastise me,” My voice was harder than I remembered, “Give him my blood.”
“We had to process it and test-“
“Give him my blood.” I said again, turning to them. My voice left no room for question. I grasped onto the slight bit of clarity.
“Mine, I am his mate.”
“Okay,” Someone led me to a chair.
There was a prick.
Where was Emmett?
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.