Chapter 741

And then I'm screaming and crying aloud as Luca's wolf fades away, as the sense of Luca's physical presence fades from my mind - meaning that he's gone, he's gone -noveldrama

I turn my face into the pillow, sobbing, physically unable to do anything else, the pain wracking through me.

I barely notice the stir at the door as I reach inwardly for my wolf, calling her back, wanting desperately to touch her, to ensure that she's okay. There are muffled curses and then shouts for someone to come -

I don't know how much time passes, but all I can do is concentrate on my poor bleeding wolf, who comes limping back towards me, her motion shaky, her eyes terrified and sad as she finally reaches for me, slipping her snout under my prone hand, wanting to be close but in terrible, terrible pain.

"Holy shit," someone mumbles behind me. "Get the fuck out of here! Right now!"

"Ben?" I whisper, turning my head towards him, recognizing him despite the change to his usual friendly tones.

"Get Jesse and Rafe Sinclair right the fuck now!"

There's a pause.

"I don't give a fuck if you don't know where they are! Find them! NOW!"

A door slams and my eyesight is fuzzy as I try to see - but honestly - I'm so broken -

"Ari?" Ben whispers, coming close.

"Benny," I gasp, turning fully towards him, reaching desperately.

He softly shushes and gathers me up into his arms, pulling me down on the floor to sit naked in his lap, rocking me back and forth. Ben doesn't say anything, doesn't ask me any questions, just rocks me for a long, long time.

As he does, I'm aware of the tension in him, the way he looks over me, the way he gently inspects me to make sure that I'm okay -

“Ari, baby,” he murmurs, “what happened? I'm seeing a little blood here, but —“

He goes still as he tucks my hair back behind my ear, sees the mark that Luca left high on my neck.

"Oh...holy shit..." he murmurs.

“He broke it,” I whisper, still sobbing, pulling myself closer to his chest as Ben reaches for the blanket from the bed and wraps it warm around me. “He broke the bond -"

"He did what?" Ben whispers, appalled.

"He rejected me," I whisper, looking up into Ben's pretty eyes for the first time, my entire body trembling. "Benny - he - he rejected me -"

But then I'm sobbing again, unable to say more.

A long, soft string of curses comes out of Ben's mouth as he continues to hold me tight and rock me gently, trying to give me what comfort he can. But nothing nothing can heal this-

The door slams open and I immediately smell my brother.

"What happened!?" Rafe roars, storming into the room. He reaches for me, ripping me from Ben's arms, lifting me high against his chest.

I sob harder, so grateful that my brother is here, tucking myself against him.

"He fucking rejected her, Rafe," Ben snaps out, getting to his feet. "He marked her and then he rejected her."

"What!?" Rafe gasps, and then he

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turns his shocked eyes to me. But I just shake my head, unable to bear it, my mind and eyesight going. totally fuzzy - even black. “That fucking bastard," he snarls. "I'm going to kill him -"

—

“She's passing out -" Ben gasps, striding forward. "We have to get her —“

I groan, going limp against my brother, my consciousness fading.

Rafe strides for the door with me in his arms, wrapped as best as I can be in the blanket. I barely keep my grip on consciousness enough to notice the scent of embers carried on a winter breeze – pine and cold things - Content belongs

"What?" Jackson gasps, reaching for me.

But my eyes flutter shut, my body going limp, in the same moment that he spins away, retching and vomiting all over the hallway floor.