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Behind her, she could hear the other wolves beginning to shift back to their human forms as well. Her enhanced hearing allowed to listen in even though she wasn’t trying to. She heard Luna explaining to Leo that they’d come because she had a feeling her family was in danger. Rafe was thanking Michael for reaching Zoey when he was too far away to get to her in time. Darius was insisting that Nova see a healer about the cut on her forehead and she was reminding him that she would heal just like everyone else.
Only, not everyone here had the ability to heal.
Zander was still human. He couldn’t heal himself. And that was her fault because she hadn’t sealed the bond and given him his own wolf. He hadn’t been able to defend himself and if he didn’t make it through this, she would never forgive herself.
“Maya, honey.” It was her older sister’s sweet voice that drew her up enough for her to realize she was curled over the top of Zander as if she could shield him from all of this. “Maya, we need to see how bad it is.”
Movement on her other side had her flipping around and growling. Michael was there and had just reached for Zander’s unconscious body. She bared her teeth, her wolf seething, but Michael only held his hands up and glanced at his wife.
“Easy now.” Luna knelt beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders, “We only want to help him.”
“I know.” Maya wiped at her cheeks where rivers of tears were still running unchecked, “I know, but I can’t… I can’t let him go.”
“You don’t have to.” Luna soothed at the same time Michael nodded.
“I’ve been there, Maya. When I found Luna in that basement and realized she was injured, I couldn’t let anyone else near her. Not because I didn’t want the healers to help her but because it felt like it was my duty to make it better for her. I know you want to help him but to do that you have to let us move him.”
“I can’t let go.” Maya shook her head. “If I let go I could lose him too.”
“Shhh.” Luna pulled her against her side, hugging her, “Don’t say that. You’re not going to lose him. He’s lost a lot of blood but he’s strong and healthy. He will heal.”
“He’ll heal faster with my touch. I can send my healing energy through the connection, to help him.”
“You need to heal yourself first.” Luna gingerly touched Maya’s arm and she realized only then that she was hurt. Large gashes had flayed her skin open. She’d caught a paw from the bear and she’d been too worried about Zander to notice. Luna frowned, “You’re still bleeding.”
“It’s fine. It’s not life threatening and it will heal on its own. He needs my power more than I do right now.”
“Maya, it’ll scar if you…”
“I don’t give a shit about a scar.” she snapped, a manic laugh working up her throat, “Why would I care about another scar when I have a hundred of them already? Zander doesn’t care about my scars. Neither do I. What I care about is him. Can’t you see that!”
“Okay. Okay.” Luna pulled away slowly, “I understand. I’m just trying to help.”
“Then help me get him home so I can heal him.” Maya sniffed, “Please.”
Luna nodded and moved back to allow Leo to take her spot. The other men had fashioned some sort of stretcher out of some trees and scattered clothing. Maya held onto Zander’s hand and begged him to wake up even as Leo and Darius, Michael and Rafe, all worked to lift him and carry him back towards town.
It would have been easier to stop at Rafe and Zoey’s house. She heard someone mention it but blocked out the conversation and kept walking. Zander was hers. Her mate. Her other half. He was going home with her to rest and heal and she would fight anyone that tried to get in her way.
She had finally accepted that Zander was her mate and she wasn’t going to let him go, not now, not ever.
Chapter Nineteen
Zander stirred from a very nice dream where Maya was naked and wrapped around him to find that it hadn’t been a dream at all. Her warm, soft body was pressed to his side. One of her legs was thrown over his. Her head was on his chest and one of her hands was resting gently on his stomach, which was covered in a large bandage. Zander stared at the ceiling, trying not to move, trying to figure out how they had gotten here when the last thing he remembered was going for a run in the woods and…
“You’re awake.” Maya raised her head, wonder and tears burning bright in her eyes, “Oh my God, you’re finally awake.”
Zander reached for her when she leaned down and kissed him. He could taste the tears that ran down her cheeks and his heart ached at the sight. She peppered kisses across his lips and jaw, over his cheeks, all the time whispering that he was finally awake.
“H-how…” He coughed, sputtered and had to clear his throat, “How long was I out?”
Maya pulled back enough to look at him, her eyes red rimmed and her face tear-stained, “About 36 hours.”
“A day and a half?” He tried to sit up and groaned when she pushed him back down. “What the hell?”
“You were very badly injured. You slipped in and out of consciousness. They thought…” Maya’s voice broke and she shook her head, “They thought you might not pull through but I knew you would. I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”
“Never.” He promised, wiping her cheek when another tear slipped free, “God, Maya. I’m so sorry.”
