AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What if Palmer—” Cassie put a hand over her mouth.
“I’m either the last Greater Alpha or one of the last. He won’t kill me.” And if he did? Isaiah couldn’t let himself care. He couldn’t even care how giving Luca blood violated him. “If I don’t take any of his, it won’t seal.”
“That’s not the point…”
“Then tell me what else I can do, goddamn it, and I will.” Isaiah’s voice sliced the uneasy quiet. “Tell me, anything. Cut out my heart? Slit my throat? For god’s sake, tell me and I will do it right here and now.” Tears flooded Isaiah’s eyes.
The members of his pack lowered their heads.
No, they knew there was no other way, just like Isaiah. “Mary?”
She pushed the port into Isaiah’s arm and attached the IV tubing. Red filled the line, and Jelani closed the valve at the end until he had it attached to the one in Luca’s.
They all watched Luca.
“Bring out a blanket, two blankets. We need to make sure he stays warm.”
Isaiah didn’t bother to look up when the thick quilts arrived.
“We should get you both inside,” Tanner said it close to Isaiah’s ear.
“I don’t want to move him yet.” Isaiah had to know it was working. He had to see the Anubis forced back from Luca, leaving it with Nash, with his own eyes.
A light over the RV door clicked on, casting bluish-white puddles to fuel the shadows.
Snowflakes spun to the ground but melted on contact.
Mary put an arm around Oscar. Cassie leaned against Harvey. Alex put a hand on Jelani’s shoulder, and Jelani covered it with his.
Luca still didn’t move.
Isaiah swallowed around the lump in his throat. This had to work. As a Greater Alpha, his blood was as strong as a healing agent of any Cana and capable of bringing a person back from the worst injuries.
But those were physical, not caused by a connection to an entity in its desperate attempt to claw its way back to the living.
The dark form of the Anubis shrank, leaving behind the man it infected.
“I don’t think it purged,” Harvey said.
Isaiah exhaled relief. “As long as we can keep Nash alive for a little longer, we have time to weaken the tie, so when we kill Nash, it won’t take Luca with him.”
Luca’s breathing deepened.
All around Isaiah, his people held hands and leaned against each other.
“He’s improving,” Jelani felt Luca’s pulse. “His heart rate is climbing.”
“How are you going to keep the Anubis from using him to heal?” Tanner said.
Isaiah pushed Luca’s bangs back. “Do we have any Rakta left?”
“A handful of darts we didn’t use,” Tanner said.
“Put it into a bag of lactated ringers, hook it up to Nash, and restrain him in the horse trailer. As soon as the connection with Luca has weakened enough for him to survive, you can—” Isaiah’s throat threatened to close.
“You don’t have to say it.” Tanner pressed against his back.
Isaiah nodded. “Make sure to take the vials and contain the ichor.”
Mary took his hand.
Cassie smoothed down Isaiah’s hair. “You tried.”
Isaiah inhaled a watery breath.
Others came closer, each touch conveying comfort, silent gratitude, and shared sadness.
At least they would never carry the sin of what Isaiah had done. He would never let them.
