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Gahn Errok looked so pissed that I was sure he would have jumped up in protest if not for his injury. I’d stopped him from pushing the arrow all the way out of his chest. My eyes fell to the bloodied staff poking out his front.
“Violence? You have left me with no choice but violence,” Errok panted. His breath caught, and he groaned, slumping forward until his hands were planted on the ground.
“You’re not thinking straight right now,” I said, panic starting to set in once more. Based on the fact that he was conscious and breathing, I didn’t think the arrow had pierced his heart or a lung. But an arrow through the chest was no mild injury.Who knows how much he’s bleeding internally right now...
“Gahn Thaleo!” I cried, twisting to look at him. “We need a healer!”
Gahn Thaleo didn’t move.
“Please!” I said, rising to my feet. Gahn Errok was phenomenally lucky that he hadn’t just died. I didn’t want to lose that luck now.
“That is not the way of the taklok,” Thaleo said, his gaze cold. “Gahn Errok came here and challenged me. He knew the risks.”
“But that’s not fair!” I said, feeling tears bite at the back of my throat. “The only reason you hit him is because I distracted him! If I hadn’t called out to him, he probably would have won. And you know it!”
Not that I had wanted that to be the outcome, either. I hadn’t wanted to see Gahn Thaleo hurt. But my words were true, and he knew it. The scarred side of his face twitched.
“Gahn Errok has caused much havoc for our people,” Thaleo growled. “I will not subject one of my healers to caring for such an unworthy warrior. I will grant you access to our stores of Vrika’s blood. But that is all.” His voice got lower, harder, if that were even possible. “I am committed to the alliance with you. But if you want him healed, you’ll do it yourself.”
I pursed my lips, then finally nodded. I didn’t love that we were now responsible for what could be an extremely complicated injury, but it was better than nothing. I knew Gahn Thaleo was already forgoing tradition and his own hatred to allow us that much. I wouldn’t get anywhere pushing that proud mountain Gahn further than he’d already bent.
“We have to get him inside,” I said hurriedly to Valeria. I crouched down, slinging one of Gahn Errok’s heavy arms around my shoulders.
“That won’t work. He’s too big. Grim, get over here to carry him!” Valeria called. Grim was at her side in an instant, his claws reaching for Gahn Errok’s slumped form.
“I am not a cub, nor a sick old man. I can walk with my own power,” Gahn Errok snapped, fangs flashing.
Valeria rolled her eyes.
“Just be ready to catch him when he falls over,” she said quietly to her mate.
Gahn Errok slid his arm off of me. I stood, planting my hands on my hips, wanting to grab him by the shoulders and shake him as hard as I could. He was wasting precious time and energy with this stupid display of pride!
“You may not be a cub or an old man, but you are seriously injured!” I reminded him as he got, very slowly and laboriously, to his feet.
Remarkably, he was able to stand on his own, just as he’d claimed. His bow was still held fast in his hand despite his fall. He slung it across his body and then he pressed his fingers to the bloody flesh around the arrow’s shaft.
“This is not the worst injury I have suffered in recent days,” he grunted.
Why do I feel like that remark was specifically aimed at me?
“Ah, yes,” I said with a roll of my eyes, “because romantic rejection isdefinitelyas bad as dying of blood loss from an arrow wound. Christ, you’re so dramatic! Can we just get inside and get you healed already?!”
He didn’t move. His sight stars pulsed weakly as his expression turned from one of ferocious determination to one of grimly restrained rage.
“If you believe that this injury is worse than the loss of your love,” he rasped slowly, every clipped word precisely chosen and aimed, like a weapon, “then you knownothingof the mate bond. You knownothingof need.” He straightened to his full height, despite the obvious pain it caused, and added with damning finality, “And you knownothing of me.”
With that, he began to walk, slowly but determinedly, across the stone circle and into the mountain of his oldest enemy.
