So I don't know if you guys noticed, but there's like a lot of comments on STAWP all of the sudden and I... CAN'T... KEEP... UP!
STAWP was ranked #8 all weekend! Squee!!!!
I've been lurking in the comment section from time to time, but I've been so busy trying to finish this chapter that I haven't replied to anyone! I'm super sorry. Your comments mean the world to me. I love getting to know you guys and I especially love all the theories! No one has come close to figuring it all out (not that I'd tell you if you did--you'll know soon enough), but a lot of people have picked up on bits and pieces. Some are really, really close! And I love, love, LOVE all the wacky theories that have come up--they're so much fun to read!
Dedication goes out to bookcatic because OMG your comment made my day! Thank you so much for saying you'd actually buy this book if it ever got published!!!! ♥ I was like totally freaking out when I saw that and showing people all like "look at my phone OMG someone said they'd buy my book" and then there was a lot of squealing and yelling and more freaking out!
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Logan
I'm sorry. Saffron's voice echoes in my mind and know that she's finally done it. She's managed to link.
What's wrong, Saffie? I call, racing toward her. I can't see her well at this distance. All I can really tell is that she's in wolf form, and I feel a wave of relief. Why are you sorry? Are you hurt?
Saf doesn't reply and I run faster. I pass a tree in the middle of the clearing and spot two wolves next to it, both of their necks torn to shreds. Seeing them like this brings no satisfaction. I need them alive, so I can kill them myself for attacking my family, my pack. I stare venom at the wolf closest to the tree, and then my gaze shifts to the other gray, who looks kind of familiar. There's something about him, something about his scent...
I can't put my finger on it—or paw, as the case may be—and just focus on running toward my mate. When she starts to come into focus, I let out an anguished cry of pain. Her wolf is covered with blood, so much of it that there's a shiny, glistening puddle on the grass surrounding her.
Shift, Saf, I cry. You have to shift so you can heal.
Why hasn't she shifted already? Why is she still in wolf form? When I saw her wolf, I thought that meant she wasn't hurt. If she was, she should have shifted the moment she no longer needed to fight. It's the first thing we learn as pups, that if we're bleeding, we need to shift to close the wound and speed up the healing. That if we're hurt in wolf form, we need to shift so that Doctor Dev can do things like stitch us up or set broken bones.
Zara. Jasper cries.
I've never heard so much anguish in my Beta's voice, not even the time he broke his leg back when we were kids. His scream then hadn't held even a tenth of the pain it does now. My eyes fly to him as he skids to a stop next to Zara's limp, human form and I let out gasp. Her skin is red, coated with blood, and for a minute my steps falter. The bile rises to my throat, unbidden, and I have to fight it back down. How could anyone do this to our Zara?
Jasper licks her face once, twice, and then shifts into human form and falls to his knees. "No, please, Zara, no!"
Nisha, I hear someone cry out over the link.
Joshie? Oh my goddess, Joshie! Someone else screams.
I knew both kids would be here with Saf and Zara—Nicki too—but I can't see any of them from here. All I can do is hope that they're okay as I cover the rest of the distance to my mate.
Saffron! I hardly notice that the rest of my pack is here, led by Father, and that he's shouting orders. I don't even care that he's got the Sprinters, made up of the pack's fastest runners, chasing down the rogues who did this. Or that the Trackers are combing the field, picking up scents and looking for clues that will tell us what happened here. All I can think about is Saffon.
Shift, Saffron, Father shouts, reaching her side a split second before I do. You have to shift.
I skid to a stop next to him. Saffron's eyes are closed. If she passed out as a wolf... I don't even want to think about it.
She's not breathing, Jasper screams over the link. Alpha, Zara's not breathing.
Jasper, I whimper. My heart breaks for him. I want to go to my Beta, but I won't leave my mate, even if it means to being there for him. Not when... I look down at her and whimper again.
I'll go. Father tells me. You focus on getting her to shift.
I nod as he rushes away and look down at my mate. Saffron's chest rises and falls, but her breathing's shallow. She's got at least a dozen wounds, including a gaping one in her side that's gushing blood. I know what I have to do. It's not something I've done often, and definitely not something I've tried with this much blood, but I'd do anything to save Saf.
Please shift, I beg. When she doesn't, I lean in close, open my mouth, and taste my mate's blood.
There's a chemical in our saliva when we're in wolf form, something that kills harmful bacteria and helps blood clot. It's ten times more potent that the saliva of a dog, obviously, and it could make a real difference for Saf. Which is why I try not to gag and lick the gushing wound clean.
Obviously, it doesn't feel the same as biting my mate—as marking her. That's an act of love, of pleasure, while this is an act of healing, and pain. It tastes like my own blood did when I cut my hand on a bristol board last week, salty and metallic against my tongue. Only there is a lot more of it now, and it's hard to get it all.
Shift, Saffie, I remind her with each lick. The bleeding slows slightly, but doesn't stop, and when the wound is as clean as I can get it, I move on. I work on smaller wounds next, helping each one of them close.
When I'm finally done, the only would still bleeding is the large on in her side. It seems to have made a difference though, because my mate's breathing becomes deeper—more rhythmic. I know it's not enough, but I can't do anything more for her as a wolf, so I shift into human form. I don't care if my entire pack sees me in the nude. All I care about is Saffron.
"Shift, Saffron," I shout as I press down on her wound. "Please. It's still bleeding. You need to shift!"
Come on, Zara, Father begs, and I hear the panic in his voice over the link. I can't see what he's doing, but I pray to the Moon Goddess that it works. Zara and I grew up together. We were friends long before she started dating Jasper, and for years after that, too. Now that they're mates, she's more than just pack, just family. She's my Beta, a part of the inner circle of wolves I will depend on to lead my pack. She's also the only girl Jasper has ever loved, and losing her now... the Moon Goddess could never be so cruel.
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Okay, so what did you think? Be honest?
It's still not too late... but... it could be?
Depends on how good the doc is, how bad their injuries are... it could go either way.
♥ Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful comments. They're what inspires me to keep doing this crazy writing thing when I'd rather stay in bed or do whatever it is people do to relax... I can't remember, since I literally write all the time now! ♥
On that note, what do you do for fun? Anyone else write? Read? Play sports? Play a musical instrument? Draw? Spend time with friends? Watch movies? I'd love to hear what you do for fun!
Oh and check out this super awesome fan art cover/banner by floatsus. I think it's like a peace offering so I save some characters or something. What do you guys think?