Blood rushed to my head as I raced to Vincent's side. I stopped short when I got close enough to remember he was still naked. Covering my eyes, I untied my jacket from around my waist and threw it over his lower half.
"Hey, you!" I dropped onto my knees at his hip, placing a hand on his forehead. As I suspected, his forehead was boiling hot. Dammit, of course. I should've trusted my gut when I thought there was something wrong with him. He'd been acting strange ever since yesterday. This guy was un-fucking-believable.
"Vincent! Hey! You're not dead, are you?" There was no response. "Oh no, you're not allowed to die. I'm already in deep shit because of you! Seriously. You can't die on me, okay!?"
"W-why are you . . . so fucking noisy?" He fought to open his eyes. "Relax. . . I'm not dead."
"Well, you don't sound alive!" I scoffed out a laugh.
My fingers rested under his jaw, feeling for his pulse. I then bent forward, propping my ear on his chest. Surprisingly, his pulse wasn't as weak as I thought it would be. Still, it was fading as though he was on the verge of losing consciousness. He was still bleeding out too. The metallic odor of the bloody fumes was messing with my nose. I hated this new heightened sense of smell.
"You're overexaggerating, Genesis. I'm okay. I-I . . . I just need to get to Mariah. We need to go." He tried to sit up but I pressed my hand into the wound on his side. "Ow, what the fu—!?" he shouted, then coughed.
"Overexaggerating my ass!" I scowled. "Stop moving. Seriously. You're severely injured!"
He growled in annoyance. "I'll start healing soon. The healing process is faster for us."
"Healing? I don't think you understand the condition you're in. Even if you've already started healing, you'll bleed to death before you make it back to Calamitous! You need to at least let me clean the wound first and patch it up until we get back. I can help you!"
"I said I'm fine," he hissed.
I didn't miss the flicker of gold in his eyes, flashing at me, as his jaw clenched tight together. He tried to lift himself up again but I grabbed the nearest thin stick on the ground, jabbing him in his open flesh wound. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He dry-heaved and crouched over, groaning. I then narrowed my own eyes and snarled. The noise surprised both of us.
I could tell because his eyes went back to their original color. That's when I felt the two sharp canine teeth poking out of my gums. He glanced between my mouth and my eyes. Were my eyes glowing yellow? They must have been because he backed down. Smart man. He could have continued to throw a fit, used his alpha aura to intimidate me, fight back, did whatever the fuck he wanted—but he wouldn't have gotten much done against me in his weak state.
I took that as my chance to pin his arms on either side of his head. He stared at me like I'd lost my mind. His mouth was parted, his cheeks flushed with an expression I couldn't tell was due to his pain or something else. I tried not to focus on his body but his face.
"Listen, I tried to be nice. But your stubborn ass leaves me no choice. I refuse to go down for another death. You're accepting my help whether you like it or not," I gritted out.
He remained quiet. I watched him close his eyes and take a deep breath. I'd observed him enough to know he was calming himself. He then exhaled and looked at me. I should've known Claudia wasn't joking when she said most wolves like Vincent were short-tempered.
"Good. I'm assuming your silence means you're going to cooperate." I sighed, shaking my head at him. "Vincent, you have a fever."
"Do I?" His eyes fluttered closed again. His breathing was lagging. I could see his chest rising in an attempt to breathe at an even pace and stay awake.
"Yes! I can't believe you've had a fever all this time and you didn't tell anyone. That's probably how that Erebus wolf got the upper-hand on you. What do you think, you're invincible!?" I threw my hands in the air and frowned.
This man's cluelessness was going to be the death of me. I had never wanted to strangle anyone as much as I wanted to strangle him at this moment. I rolled my eyes and flicked his forehead. That earned me another growl. But I didn't care.
His eyes shot back open. "It doesn't matter if I get sick. I can't afford to rest. As alpha, my duty is to my people. Their health comes before mine."
"Alpha this, alpha that. Blah, blah, blah. With that mentality, you'll die before you can help your people." I laughed dryly. "Poor health won't make you strong enough to protect them. You still need to look after yourself too. Self-care. You should try it."
He didn't respond.
I sighed again, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Listen, just don't move. I'll be back."
"Wait! Genesis, w-where are you going?"
"Didn't I just say don't move!? I'm going to grab you something to wear." I stopped when I noticed the look he was giving me. "What? You can't expect me to walk around with you like that, right? I know you shifters are used to being naked but you can't walk around showing your anatomy to humans. Your dick is hanging out!"
He choked on his spit at my crass language. I watched him cough a few times before he could find his voice again. "I know, I know. T-that's not what I was. . . Just go. My cloak is in the second row of my car. Retrieve it and come back. The car is unlocked. The keys are inside."
"Hmm, I'm not hearing that magic word I should be hearing."
". . .Please." He sighed through gritted teeth. I nodded in content. After limping through the woods to his car, I used his scent to track down his body again. He was laid in the same spot, stretched out, eyes closed. His dark green cloak was in my hands.
"Shit," I whispered. His skin was less warm than it was before. Everywhere except his forehead, still. "Vincent?" I tapped his shoulder. He didn't move.
"Okay, okay. Come on. Let's get you out of here." I helped him to his feet and shuddered when his chest rubbed against my face.
This was so weird. It was the closest I had ever gotten to the opposite sex in an intimate way, like this. Though, this wasn't anywhere near intimate. But skin to skin contact wasn't my forte. I tried my best not to peek at him while wrapping the cloak around his shoulders. Making sure our skin didn't rub against each other again was complicated too.
"I c-can do it . . . m-myself!" he protested.
"Shut up and just let me help, would you?" I snapped. He was quiet after that.
The walk back to the car was harder than I imagined it'd be. He couldn't walk on his own. Between his ongoing fever and the claw marks sweating blood, he was leaning on my shoulder for support. I could barely hold his weight up with the stinging sensation rushing through my thigh. Hell, I'd been so focused on Vincent, I forgot about my own wound.
His bare feet stumbled one after the other until the car finally came into sight. I pried the passenger side of the car door open and helped him into the seat, where he plopped back against the fabric.
"Don't pass out, okay? Please don't pass out." I hurried around the front of the car, jumping into the driver's seat. When I was in, I rummaged through his compartments for the car keys.
"D-do you . . . do you even . . . have a l-license to drive?" His words were slurring. I cringed. There were more gaps in between his sentences as he breathed. Dammit, so much for hoping he wouldn't pass out.
A nervous chuckle left me as I slipped his keys into the ignition. "Um, about that. . ."
"Genesis. . ." He frowned and turned his head, looking at me through hooded eyes.
"I was supposed to get my driver's permit this year but, uh, life happened. So, you know. . . But, don't worry! I know how to drive! My dad taught me. You're in good hands."
His widened eyes told me enough. He opened his mouth to retort but I was already stepping on the gas. I could see his fist clutching onto the headpiece of his seat. He used his other hand to grasp his wounded side. I could feel the pain in his moan as it crawled out of him.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
The rest of the ride into town was silent. We'd passed through familiar neighborhoods. Some that I used to walk by on my way home. Others I used to pass through on my way to work or to the café. Vincent shifted every few minutes. There was a permanent frown on his forehead. I didn't comment on how visibly uncomfortable he was.
We were soon nearing CVS. As much time as we spent out here all morning, it had to be open by now. When I saw CVS' massive sign coming into view, I turned into the parking lot. I pressed on the brakes and removed his keys, cracking the door open before pausing.
"Crap, I can't go in there like this." I huffed, glancing down at my blood smeared thigh.
"There's a shirt somewhere back there. Wrap it around your leg," Vincent said, quietly.
"Okay." I nodded.
It hadn't taken long for me to find the shirt. I did what he said and climbed out of the car.
"Wait, do you have money?" I said.
"Money?" He squinted.
"Yeah, I don't have any . . . remember?" My eyes shifted to the side, eyeing the wallet sticking out of his cup holder. He followed my eyes to the small black object.
"Take it and buy what you need. Only what you need."
"Yeah, yeah. I got it," I said, waving him off.
I grabbed a small cart upon entry into the store. The cashiers paid me no mind. And I was thankful for that. I'd gone down a total of seven aisles, attempting to find everything I was looking for. It wasn't until I reached a specific aisle, that my stomach grumbled. Not in the hungry, food-craving way. But in the annoying, pestering, cramping way.
"Oh, crap. My period. . ." I gasped.
All I could do was stare at the rack of pads mocking me. It was coming soon. I just knew it. Just because I'd adapted to a new set of genes, didn't mean my menstrual would go away, right? I sort of wished it did. But I knew that was hopeful thinking. I guess it wouldn't hurt to buy a pack. It was to be on the safe side. Yeah, the safe side.
I sighed and tossed a pack of Maxi pads into the cart. I was in and out. By the time I had bought everything and stumbled my way back to the car, Vincent was hunched over in the passenger seat. I dropped the plastic bags in the second row and hopped back into the driver's seat. There was no way I could fix him in the middle of the CVS parking lot. I needed a less exclusive area. And I had the perfect option.
"We stopped again. . . Where are we?" Vincent lifted his head, gazing around at the empty area. It was void of any buildings, any trees, and any houses. Nothing but an open, vacant space in front of a field surrounded by tall metal chain-link fences.
"We're in a parking area. This lot isn't often used anymore. Only when people decide to play in this field. It's safe for me to treat you here."
"Hmm." He made a noise.
I nodded and reached into the second row for the bags. "I don't have plans on fleeing if that's what you think. I would have left you for dead back there if that were the case. But like I said, I'm not going down for anyone else's death. I'm trying to clear my name, not taint it more."
He stayed quiet, observing my every move.
"I got a few bottles of cold water. Here, drink one. You need to stay hydrated and you need to take these Tylenol pills. Make sure you read for the proper dosage before you just pop some in your mouth." I passed him the bottle of pills alongside a bottle of water.
He grasped them with one hand and tried his best to sit up. I perched myself on my knees in the seat cushion, leaning over him to push his seat as far back as it could go.
"What is that for?" he questioned the yellow cloth in my hands.
"A cold compress for your forehead to keep the fever at bay. You're still burning up. You need to stay cool." I opened my side of the car and leaned outside. After pouring another bottle of water all over the cloth, I folded it and placed it on his forehead. He winced at first but relaxed.
"You know a lot about this stuff. . ." he muttered.
"My mother used to always do this for me whenever I got sick." I grabbed a pack of gauze pads from the bag, tore them open, and grabbed a bottle of peroxide. Then, I leaned outside the car again, pouring some of it on one of the gauze pads.
"Must have been nice," he said. I thought I had misheard him. But I didn't question it. He lifted the Tylenol bottle to his face, rotating it around. I squinted at the words he was reading. It all clicked when I noticed the accent marks on some of the words.
My eyes widened. "Wait, that's not English. Shit, I bought the wrong bottle! Those instructions are all in Spanish—"
"I can read it," he cut me off.
"You can read it?" One of my eyebrows lifted.
"Yes. . . My mother didn't know English very well. Spanish was her first language. . . S-she spoke to me using Spanish a lot when I was younger. I can't speak it as well as she could . . . but I know the basics and how to read it."
I paused, observing him. "Oh. . . Well, um, this might sting a little." I opened the upper half of his cloak. I ignored the heat and sweat glistening off his body. When I rubbed the gauze pad along his skin, he flinched and gritted his teeth.
"F-fucking hell!" he spat. I winced when he bit the top of his knuckles and closed his eyes. A loud growl snapped from in between his jaws.
"At least the blood is coming off." I threw the gauze pad to the side then stopped.
For the first time, I was noticing other marks across his skin. What the hell? Those couldn't have come from what transpired today. They were older, faint, faded scars decorating the edge of his sides, continuing around his back. Some of them looked like burn marks while others looked like thin cuts. I would have thought most of them were claw marks—not from other wolves—but from sexual intercourse if I hadn't known any better.
But I did know better. I knew the difference between scars of pain and pleasure.
I gulped and pushed the feeling in my stomach down, forcing my eyes away. When he opened his eyes again, he looked down at me. "You know, you got hurt too. . ." He gestured to my thigh.
"It's okay, I'll take care of that when I'm done with you."
"It's still bleeding out," he mumbled.
"That's fine." I shrugged. "Don't worry about me."
"I'm not worried"—his eyes dropped to his lap and his jaw ticked slightly—"I was just pointing it out. . ." I didn't bother commenting. Instead, I rolled my eyes and scoffed.
"What are those?" He changed the subject. His eyebrows furrowed at the large dark blue packages sticking out from one of the bags. Oh, I'd forgotten those were there.
"Oh, um, I needed some pads. . ."
"Pads?" He hadn't understood what I was talking about until he got a better look at the bag. "Oh. . . You could've told one of us. Mariah would have lent you some."
"That's okay. I'd rather have my own." I shrugged.
He nodded but didn't say another word. We were then grazed with silence. I continued to clean his wound. Using gauze pad after gauze pad, I dabbed each claw mark until his skin was clear of any blood—dried and fresh. He avoided eye contact with me the entire time. But I could feel his eyes lurking over me when I wasn't looking. He acted like he wasn't paying me any mind though. Eventually, it got to a point where I couldn't take the sly glances anymore.
I cleared my throat. "You would have seriously rather died than let a human help you, huh." I raised an eyebrow at him. He just shrugged.
"I guess I should have expected no less from a guy who made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me on the first day we met." I finished with the gauze pads and began wrapping the gauze dressing around his torso. "Oh well, whatever. I guess it can't be helped. . . I take it you're not used to people taking care of you."
"I wouldn't go as far as to say that," was his straight-forward response.
I rolled my shoulders back, watching him intensely. Honestly, I was surprised he hadn't ended the conversation already. Usually, he snapped and chose not to tell me anything more. Perhaps because he had no choice but to hear me run my mouth, he wasn't doing that this time.
"Well, for someone who likes to shit on human morals and goes on and on about wolves protecting their own, you act like you've never been cared for." I tightened the gauze dressing so it was squeezing him more.
"Fuck! God d-damnit, Genesis," he hissed.
"Oops, too rough? Sorry, I'm still getting used to my strength. I'll try to be gentler . . ."
He glared at me but sighed and let it go. "I said most wolves were brought up that way. I never said we were all perfect."
"Oh?" When I was done, I leaned back in my seat. Was he going to continue? Had I pushed my luck too far? He was always careful with the things he shared.
This had been the most I'd gotten out of him since I'd stepped foot onto Calamitous grounds. Outside of the pack, he was still brooding, distant, and cold, but not too uptight. Challenging him when he least expected it seemed to be working in my favor. I almost wondered how much longer this tactic would work for me.
Vincent's Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. He swallowed a load of saliva. I could tell he was struggling to keep it down. Even so, he gathered as many words as he could. I sat there patiently, waiting. He seemed to have been going off on a tangent without realizing it.
"M-my brother and I's mom spent most of her time taking care of us . . . while our father stayed out to take care of pack business. And though she tried her best to treat us both equally, Amaury was still always her first priority."
"Why do you think that?" I hummed.
"I don't t-think that." He laughed, dryly. "I know that. . . I d-don't belong to Amaruq and Teresa. . . T-the last time I saw my birth mother . . . was when I was seven-years-old," he stated, bluntly. I tensed and stopped.
My mind was pedaling faster. That guy's words from the ceremony dawned on me. They made more sense now, when he called Vincent a stray and claimed he didn't belong.
"You're ado—Vincent? Hey? Vincent?" I inhaled a strangled breath of air as I took in his frame beside me. He was slumped back in the seat, head tilted to the side. I placed my fingers under his jaw, checking for his pulse again. It was still there. He'd finally passed out.
He probably wouldn't have answered my question anyways.
I sighed and fixed his cloak back over his chest, then proceeded to clear the space out. As I moved around, my eyes fell on my own wound. I ran my fingers across it. It was a light brush that sent tingles up my leg.
All I could think about was the Erebus wolf that did this to me. It wasn't normal. And it found us near the same place I crossed paths with Amaury. There was something going on deeper in the woods. Not just in these parts, but closing in on Vincent and his pack's territory too. The starting point was near and it was frightening.