AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The white clothbled dark red like a spilled cask of wine. The violent color spread outward across the fabric, consuming each thread until it was as soiled as we were. Removing it from Byriel's hip, I dipped it back into the bowl of water, before returning it to his wound.
"Don't look so worried, omega," he said. It was clear he was trying to sound stronger than he felt. "I'll heal." He glanced at Joon. "We all will."
I eyed the bite on his hip. The puncture marks had burst open again, exposing red, puffy flesh beneath his dark skin. His dark eyes moved down to the angry mark, and he pressed his lips together, understanding my fear.
A full cycle of the Moon had come and gone since Byriel had received the nasty bite in the cursed lands, and it had yet to heal, repeatedly ripping back open.
He and Joon should both have healed by now. It made no sense.
It was a miracle the stab wound to Joon's chest missed his heart. I was relieved when it started to heal the first few days after Vaesen. But the second we crossed the flat lands and entered the mountains north of the city, both he and Byriel became worse. Their wounds constantly wept blood and burned their bodies up with an unyielding fever.
Joon lost consciousness not long after, and I was terrified that Byriel would soon follow. Lex and I couldn't carry one alpha, let alone two.
"Does it look infected again?" Byriel asked, too tired to angle his head down to properly see.
"No. Not yet," I whispered. The damn thing kept gathering puss and was a chore to clean out. "At least we can end the day with a bit of luck." I forced a smile.
Byriel nodded. He never smiled, but it didn't stop my instinctual need to try to tend to the alpha. My wolf hated the distress and pain of others.
My hand moved over the dark bruise along Byriel's breastbone, adjusting the charm so it was out of the way. It was already a fierce purple, edging closer to black and very puffy. Looking at all the scratches, cuts, and bruises along his arms and legs, I pushed out a heavy sigh.
"I'll be fine," he said again. Our eyes met, and he grimaced. It was as close to a smile as I'd get. "We'll all be fine."
"You already said that," Lex groaned just behind me.
"The truth is worth repeating." Byriel raised a dark brow.
Lex snorted and rolled his eyes, tucking his wounded arm closer to his chest. It wasn't bleeding anymore, and the black skin was now a bright, shiny silver, but the design on his robes had yet to reappear.
I dabbed at Byriel's hip, making sure it was clean. He flinched, and it took everything in me not to cry. I needed help. I wasn't a witch or a healer; Byriel needed someone with the wisdom and greenery to fix him. Both alphas did.
Groaning, I rubbed my eyes hard with the heels of my hands. "Carrying Joon keeps splitting this back open, and I won't be able to fight off infection much longer. I'm amazed it looks as good as it does." I eyed his tight, blotchy skin. "Moving is making both of you worse."
Leaning back, I pressed my hand to Joon's cheek.
He had woken briefly two days ago, long enough to eat a bite or two, then he passed out again. He hadn't moved since. I didn't want to admit the fear that was starting to settle in my gut. Our journey for revenge had fallen into survival, and it looked like none of us were going to make it out.
The cold wind cut through a sizable hole in the worn roof. The slats were cracked and splintered, and I prayed it wouldn’t rain again. However, there were no clouds tonight—just the stars glittering in the velvety black sky. Another small blessing.
Byriel stared at the whole with me. "We can't stay here."
"I agree," Lex said. What was left of our dinner sat not far from him, and he glared at it as if it had offended his creator. "The food here is terrible. Let's find somewhere with a nice hot spring and a sizable menu."
I nodded in agreement. The hannoth's grey-tinged meat tasted tart and sharp, like chewing on dandelion root. It was not the raw, clean taste of a fresh kill. My stomach growled at the memory of a proper feast, and Lex scrunched up his nose at the sound, making me smile.
"I'm sorry I've been too weak to hunt," Byriel said, a twinge of frustration making his features sharp, but it disappeared just as quickly. He swallowed hard and his stoic expression returned.
"You know," Lex said with a teasing lilt to his voice. He leaned forward, still cradling his arm. "If you both would drop the ridiculous attitude about not eating Weres, I could bring you a wonderfully fat meal. I may not hunt feathers or fur, but I could feed both of you quite well if you'd open your minds."
I curled my lip in disgust at the idea of eating my kind and turned back to Byriel, not bothering to respond.
"It's not your fault you haven't been able to shift," I said, resting my hand on his shoulder. He was burning with a fever again. "I'm just thankful your wolf was able to help with those monsters."
I knew of the creatures that roamed these lands, but I still wasn't prepared for how hard it was.
My mind drifted to a few Casin Village wolves I had met once when I was a pup. They looked so fierce and terrifying, covered in thick scars and telling wild tales of the beasts that roamed their lands. Mountain wolves really were something to be feared.
"We should be close to Aberdeen. Three or four days at most,” Byriel said, his eyes on Joon's pale face. “What do you hope to find there?”
