Red Moon Rising(77)

It raised its head and grinned at her. Its teeth were dripping with her blood, and she snarled at it as it dipped its head towards her throat. She felt its teeth pressing against her throat above the collar, her body pinned by its weight, and then suddenly she was free.

She watched dazedly as Kaden, his large hands wrapped around the struggling, snarling Lycan’s neck, pinned the wolf to the ground.

“Bree - the knife!” He shouted as the Lycan began to slip free of his grip.

She staggered forward, tossing the knife at him. He caught it neatly and drove it deep into the eye of the Lycan. The Lycan squealed sharply with pain and collapsed. Kaden pulled the knife free, wiping it clean on his pants, as blood poured from the gaping wound in the Lycan’s face.

Sophia sucked in a gasping, whining breath as Bree dropped to her knees beside her. She made a loud cry of distress at the sight of the gaping, bleeding wound in Sophia’s shoulder, and brushed Sophia’s hair away from her face with trembling hands.

“Calm down Sophia. You’re okay honey. Calm down – just relax.” She pleaded.

Sophia hitched in another breath. The pain from her shoulder was radiating through her entire body, and she could feel the shift happening in reaction to the pain. Her body was swelling, and dimly she was aware of the silver points on the collar pressing against her thickening neck. A growl of pain and fear erupted from her throat as her fingernails lengthened, and hair began to sprout on her face.

“Kaden!” Bree shouted at her brother. “She’s shifting! I can’t stop her!”

Faintly, Sophia could hear Bree shouting but it was meaningless babble. Her eyes glowed bright green, and then Kaden was crouched over her. His face was grim and pale, and he cupped her face roughly.

“SOPHIA!” He roared at her. “Look at me!”

His rough voice demanded obedience, and broke through the haze of pain and the need to shift. She stared up at him as he squeezed her face. “Don’t shift! Do you hear me? Breathe like I am.”

He bent his head until his face was only inches from hers, and took a deep breath through his nose. He blew it out through his mouth, his breath warm and sweet on her face. “Breathe with me Sophia. Do it now.”

She could feel the need to shift fading. It was being replaced by a throbbing pain that made her want to cry and vomit at the same time, but she stared into Kaden’s blue eyes and forced herself to mimic his breathing.

“In through the nose, and out through the mouth.” He murmured to her. She took a deep breath through her nose and blew it out harshly, and he smiled at her.

“Good girl. Do it again.”

Bree looked around frantically. Draken and Terrence were bounding through the trees, and James and Nicholas were hot on their heels.

“James!” She screamed and the red wolf stopped and looked back at her. “Sophia needs you!” She shouted.

He barked twice and Nicholas whined in reply. He barked again before turning back towards Bree and with one last look into the trees, Nicholas followed him back to the clearing.

Tristan was suddenly beside them, and he dropped to his knees beside Sophia. “Sophia, my sweet baby – you’re going to be just fine.” He whispered. His face was pale, and his hands were trembling as he reached out and took her hand.

Kaden, still straddling Sophia’s body and cupping her face, spoke softly. “Bree, the key to the collar is in a brown leather bag. Find it.”

Bree nodded and staggered away. Kaden smiled at Sophia. “Keep breathing Sophia. In and out. Nice and slow.”

She stared up at him, her eyes dark with pain, as her father squeezed her hand. “James is coming, my sweet Sophia.” He whispered.

There was an angry shout and Kaden was dragged off of Sophia. Nicholas pinned him to the ground, his hands around his throat, and stared grimly at him. “Get off my sister!”

“I’m trying to help her you stupid dog!” Kaden hissed.

“Nicky, stop!” Bree was back and she pushed at Nicky’s shoulder. “He was helping her. Get off of him!”

Nicky squeezed his throat and then pushed away from him, kicking him harshly in the ribs as he strode back towards his sister. Tristan and Marshall were pulling her into a sitting position, and she cried out as James sat down behind her and crowded up against her back.

Kaden sucked in his breath at the sight of the wound on her shoulder. It was worse than he thought. He could see torn muscle and nerves in the gaping wound, and blood was soaking into her shirt and pants.

The Lycan was dying. The others might be pretending she would be fine, but they were hours from their home. The wound was too large to bandage, and not even her Lycan healing powers could stop her from bleeding to death. She would not survive the trip back. Sophia had risked her life to save his sister, and there was a strange twisting in his gut at the thought of her death.