Lycan's Fiery Mate

|| Chapter 4 ||

The glow in his eyes disappears soon like it wasn't there before. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me again due to exhaustion, and it makes me feel guilty for thinking he could be that lycan, but I am sure he can't possibly follow me here to get his revenge for everything Luciana and Quentin did to him and his kingdom. I shouldn't be held accountable for it, but didn't I do the same to my brother too? Not that it is entirely correct, but I have built that image of myself, and everyone has started believing the lies too.

The vampires outside are trying their hardest to break the barrier, but they can't, so we are safe now. But his condition. . .it doesn't look good to me. He needs special attention and treatment immediately, or else all the risks I take to save him will turn meaningless.

Before I say something, the hunch beat me to it.

"Here I am. . ." He is clutching his abdomen and breathing heavily as the rainwater touches the wounds; it makes him look even more pitiful with a clenched jaw and pale face. "And you are thinking about your clothes?" His eyes hold accusation for me as he seethes through his pain, "Do you think anyone here will give a two cents even if you run around in your birthday suit?"

I blink at him hard, twice.

It takes a moment for me to realize why he says that. Forgetting about the condition of that man beside me, I whine about my ruined clothes sounds awful indeed, and I feel sorry for that, too, but that doesn't give him the right to taunt me. The hell with me! Humph! If anything, he should feel grateful to me and politely ask for my assistance to stop his bleeding, not the other way around.

"No one will give a two-s**t. . .indeed." I pout and lower my gaze like I am very embarrassed with myself. From the corner of my eyes, I notice that the corner of his mouth pulls up in a smile which fades soon after I say, " -just like you who will get away after getting free hospitality from me tonight. Right?"

With that, I stand up after taking the pleasure of his mortified look.

I know I will have enough chances to embarrass him, but it is just not the right time to let my vengeful mind take control.

"I...I will pay you back."

He says through his teeth, pressing his hand over his abdomen even tighter. I can see the water beneath him turning red slowly.

"With the war going outside this barrier with no food, no medical supplies available around this in about fifty-kilometer reach, do you believe you can manage to survive yourself once I kick you out of this place?" I smile at him ruefully and take his appearance for a while. "I have issues, earl. So, I sincerely hope you will mind your word next time because that would be the last straw."

He looks visibly startled by my harsh remark that I ignore and swallow a snort.

I won't be surprised if he pulls an act now and faints on me, as they all do to make me feel pity for them and get everything for free. I have no problem sharing what I have, but they will all face my wrath, whoever dares to play with my emotions.

Moving closer, I bend down and circle my hand around his waist to help him stand on his feet. He is too heavy for me. I might have told him to follow me inside the building, but he looks like he is barely holding his own. I start sweating heavily from the weight of his muscled body leaning on me and feel strangled, too, the way he has his good arm wrapped around my neck for goddam support.

I don't want to let that thought come to my mind again, yet I can't help but feel like he wants to kill me. He does have a reason, though, for keeping him waiting to see his fight for life against vampires and then decide if he is worth taking a risk for, but I won't go easy on him if he wants to get back to me. He isn't in any position to do so as control is in my hands now, and so is. . .his life.

I have to make him lay on the ground at a fair distance from the main door before I run back to close the door tight and again cast a protection spell, not wanting to take any risk with the bleeding hunch. I can even smell a witch's blood from his flesh, which makes me wonder what kind he is because judging by his build and body texture, he has to be a shapeshifter or some hybrid---who knows?

Instead of going to him, I quickly go to that cabin I choose to spend my night and then return with a candle, my flux, towel, water, and other essential things I have in my duffle. The man is no longer lying on the floor but sitting with his back leaning into the wall behind him. Sensing my presence, he looks up, and his dark irises burn as they fall on the red flame of my candle in my hand.

"W-what are you doing?" His voice shakes in alertness, eyeing everything I begin to put one after another before him.

I stay quiet and observe his look as I pour water into my empty noodle bucket before heating it slightly with my burning sword and then shoving it back into the stripe of the leather belt I wear around my waistband. Grabbing my scissor out of my duffle, I drop that inside the bucket and tell him, "Take off your clothes, or do you want me to help with that, too?"

"You do it," He sputters and gives me the answer I have expected from him.

"Good," I sit on one knee, "You better don't blame me that I have taken advantage of you in your delicate state. I won't accept that."

I carefully strip his clothes off him and can't be happier to see any bite marks or venomous blood of vampires on his skin or anywhere near the bullet hole in his stomach and his right shoulder. I can't tell if it is the blood loss or the drug in that tranq making him dizzy, but whatever it is, he needs to stay conscious. Those bloody dark hunters! Do they seriously need to shoot and drug him?

He gasps out when I take his hand in mine. The contact with our skin as though burning his skin is weird because I feel the same, too. A groan escapes his lips as I press my hand on his forehead.

With his droopy eyes on me, I can't tell if he feels uncomfortable with my touch on him. Then again, I have a pressing matter in my hand, and it won't help when he has a high fever, too high, that even makes my skin crawl in dread. Damn it! What have I done?

Suppressing my concern, I wash his left hand and shove my steel flux. "Hold this tight." He will break it, but that's fine. It is better than having him dislocate my shoulder if I let him hold me as his support. "Take a sip of the content it has here. Come on, hurry up."

He eyes me first and then takes that flux close to his nose. His nose scrunches as disgust flashes on his face. "I don't drink wine."

"It's herbal water." Before he objects, I explain to him, "It may not have the power to heal you fast, but enough to help you to fight your dizziness and pain. Trust me, earl, you need it more now. I am going to treat you like a human. So, please cooperate with me."

"I am not earl, bruja." He grits out, glaring down at me, which has me freezing in my place. " I told you that I would pay you back. Why don't you use your power and heal me? We don't need local anesthesia. I do. . .do not think I can handle this."

I try not to make eye contact with anyone when this kind of question others throw at my face. The back of my eyes burns whenever I remember what I force myself to forget years back when Blake's father's health deteriorated. An incident that still haunts me.

"Sorry, but I think you have some misconception about me," I tell him calmly before turning to grab the scissor from the bucket.

"Who are you fooling, lady? Even your touch ignites the steel of your sword, and you tell me what I think about you is wrong?"

He looks pissed, eyes burning with fury and the immense pain he is feeling right now. It has to be a miracle that gives him the strength to talk like that, so I do not mind stopping him and urging him to let out the frustration that he is holding in him.

"A lowly omega can cast a protection spell to protect children under her care. I witnessed that, you know." Turning my attention back to him, I look at his stomach instead of his face, as I don't want him to catch me through my act. "Besides, I don't think it is even that hard to learn magic. You. . .you even have your smell masked, don't you?" I feel him stiffen, which I again ignore and focus on removing the bullets from his skin. "It's okay if you don't want to answer, but please drink the water I give you, earl."

It was something I was passionate about, curing people. But now, using my magic to heal someone terrifies me to some extent that I even fear taking a step into the infirmary and hospitals in my coven. I know Kikira has a life, too, that I shouldn't be pushing all of my responsibilities on her, but I am scared. I don't want anyone to die because of me or even fall sick.

The man listens to me this time. . .of course, after seeing me holding a wine flux in my hand, ready to pour the drink on his wound.

"Gross! Too f*****g bitter!" His expression turns comical, but my one threatening glare works, and I smile when I see him swallow the herbal water from the flux he has in his hand. Thank god he doesn't spit the leaves out of his mouth, and I am sure he will feel better even before I get my job done tending his other wounds on his neck and face. He rasps out, "What kind of leaves are these?"

"A kind that makes one feel high?" I say monotonically, annoyed. To avoid talking, I left home on the last day and here this man...,

Shaking my head, as I am about to apply stitches on his shoulder, he suddenly moves away from me. "Dare you to drug me, lady?"

And this pisses me off for the worse. Glaring at the man, I sneer, "Get your tight arse back here. . .before I lose my mind, omega."

"You- " He looks speechless and angry. No one would have ever insulted him this way I did to him. "You know what? You should leave it here. I will manage." He hisses at me. "Now go. No need to come close to me."

"Do you want me to shove these back on your wound then?" I show him the bullets in my hand, glaring the dagger at him with my eyes. "Frankly, I won't mind insulting you as you, my dear, look even more pathetic than a damsel in distress right now."

"Don't try to change the topic, doctor!" His nostrils flare in rage. "I might be wrong to judge you as a bruja, but you can't blame me! You can't blame someone who is struggling hard to survive this war so that he can go back to his sister! His only family!"

"Do you want me to take pity on you then?"

"You should!" He sneers, showing off his pearly teeth, and leaves me completely speechless when he says, "This district is mine, this land is mine, and even this damn warehouse is mine, but I have to wait for you to grant me permission to step in my place?"