Joel
"Casper! Casper!" I shook his shoulders but there was no response.
I moved to lie him down, then noticed something wet and sticky on my hand. I brought it up to my face and stared in shock at the red liquid that was dripping down my palm.
"Shit," I said, pulling him forward so I could see his back, "it's everywhere!"
More footsteps approached, but I didn't turn round to look. I couldn't take my eyes off my beautiful Casper, the life slowly draining out of him.
"What's going on?" I heard Cole ask from behind me.
Suddenly Sebastian was in front of me, almost pushing me out of the way to get to Casper.
"Quick, we need to stop the bleeding," he said, pulling off his jacket and pressing it onto Casper's back.
"It's too late," I whispered, as I felt my chest squeeze tighter.
"Come on, it's not too late," Sebastian said again, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.
I stood up and began to walk away. I couldn't watch. After missing him for the best part of two years, I couldn't watch him be taken from me again.
"WAIT!" shouted Cole.
I ignored him and carried on walking.
"Wait!" he said again, but this time he ran in front of me, making me stop and look at him.
"Have you touched him?"
"What?" I asked, looking at my hands that were covered in blood.
"I mean, have you touched him, as in skin on skin," Cole explained.
"No, why?" I asked, tipping my head to one side in confusion.
"Just do it," he said, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me back towards Casper.
I stood looking down at Casper once more.
Sebastian had placed him on his front, more or less in the the recovery position, while he attended to the wound on his back.
Casper's face looked pale, like there was no life left in him.
Even now he was beautiful.
I crouched down on the ground, then gently placed my hand on his cheek.
I expected it to feel cold, but it didn't.
A warm pulse radiated from his cheek and through my arm, all the way into my chest. It squeezed my heart like a hug, then I felt it flow back down my arm and into Casper.
My other hand reached out and combed through his hair, my fingers tingling every time they brushed his scalp.
The emotion I felt was overwhelming. It was like a tidal wave of love for this person before me just invaded all my senses. I wanted nothing more than to scoop him up in my arms, bury my face in his hair and drink up his scent.
He was mine.
He was my mate.
And I loved him with every fibre of my being.
"It's working! The bleeding has stopped!" Sebastian said, and I watched as he pulled his jacket away to reveal wounds that were already beginning to heal.
"Oh thank god!" I said, gently turning Casper over, then resting his head in my lap.
I looked up to see Cole beaming down at me.
"I knew it," he said, "you're mates aren't you? I knew all along that you two were mates."
"How did you know that?" I asked still feeling incredibly fuzzy.
"Because of this," he said, picking something up off the ground next to us, and handing it to me.
It was a tiger pin. It was that tiger pin!
I looked at Cole in confusion.
"You were always his cub," he said.
I let out a puff of laughter as I wrapped my hand round the pin.
I had no idea how Cole knew about that, but right now I didn't care. Right now all I wanted to do was stare at my mate, and stroke his hair, and take care of him for the rest of my life.
He was my life now.
And hopefully, when he woke up, I would be his too.