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To her.
She gripped his hand hard and planted her free hand on his forehead. She turned his face toward her. His eyes flitted back and forth. Look at me.
Slowly, his eyes focused and settled on hers. Stay with me, Braden. Dammit, you gave me such a hard time in my candle shop, but I’ve gotten used to having you around. I need you to stay. I can’t explain why, but you’re needed here.
His eyes had an otherworldly glow.
She waited.
Talk to me, Braden, from this dark place you’ve gone to. Talk to me. Come back to me. We need you in Five Bridges. You’re one of the honorable few. I know that. I’ve always known it. Lives will be lost because you’re not battling for all of us as you’ve done for the ten years you’ve served on the Border Patrol.
His heart-rate stopped plummeting but it didn’t rise either. It was still too slow. Any good nurse would tell her he was in heart failure.
She stayed with it and reminded him of their shared histories. I know you lost everything when Laura died. I know what that’s like. Veyda killed my Frank the day he was to leave me here forever. We’d said our good-byes. He’d be starting a new life without me. He was moving to Atlanta, on the other side of the country though he promised to visit me once a year.
Veyda killed him, Braden. He was my joy, my life. I know what it is to lose so much and I don’t want to lose you as well. You’re my good friend. You’re important to me.
So, get your ass back here, do you hear me?
For a moment, his eyes grew clear and she felt the faintest pressure as he squeezed her hand.
“Blood pressure’s going up.” The tech called out again.
Maeve choked on a sob. His eyes closed and his body fell limp once more.
“Is he okay?” she asked.
She looked from the tech to Alfonso. Each nodded.
She’d pulled him back.
“What did you do?” Alfonso asked, setting the final stitch.
“I talked to him. Telepathy, I mean.”
“You did good.”
She looked up and down the stitched-up body. He looked like the worst quilt ever made. He was bruised in more places than she could count. He shouldn’t have survived. This was nothing short of a miracle.
“He’ll need at least one more transfusion to put him on a solid path. We’ll find a couple more wolves to donate.”
Again, she felt an odd, unexpected growl form in her throat.
~ ~ ~
As Braden came to full-consciousness, he felt two things. First, he’d never been more comfortable in his life. He was cradled in the softest mattress he’d ever slept on. His wolf liked it.
Second, he had no idea where he was. Of course, he hadn’t opened his eyes. He wasn’t sure he could. He felt exhausted beyond words.
He knew he’d drifted to the shores of death at least once recently. He’d seen Maeve-the-witch a couple of times, which seemed odd. He could also recall a conversation with his deceased wife, Laura.
His beloved wife, his soul-mate, his alpha-mate.
His heart melted all over again with thoughts of her.
She was kindness personified and his pack had loved her. He wasn’t the only one to grieve her death. His entire pack had mourned. Bonfires had been lit in her honor night after night. Howling had filled the air. His wolves had been heartsick.
He’d been inconsolable.
