Mae POV
Pain shoots through my arm, making me jolt awake. I sit up in the bed, and I am drenched in sweat. I look over at Kieran, and his eyes are glowing in the dark like a wild animal. He is watching me silently.
I open my mouth to speak to him, but no sounds come out. Tapping my throat, I try to let Kieran know that I am unable to talk.
Kieran rests his hand on my forehead and growls. "You are burning up."
He grabs ahold of my arm and sniffs my wound. His nose wrinkles, and he fights back a gag. Kieran begins to pull on the gauze, unwrapping it from my arm. As he does, the smell of rotting flesh fills the room.
Kieran flicks on the light, and I try not to look down at my arm. Eventually, my curiosity gets the better of me. I glaze down at my arm and gasp. My fingers are swollen and beginning to lose color. The blood circulation to my hand is failing.
I try to flex my fingers, but I am unable to move them. My eyes dart to Kieran's, and his are filled with panic.
"I thought we would have more time for this decision," he says quietly.
I know what he is talking about, but I am not sure that I am ready. I try to back away from him on the bed, but as soon as I move, a headache pierces my brain. I still try to get to my feet. When my feet hit the floor, I begin to sway from side to side.
Kieran jumps from the bed and catches me before I hit the ground. He slowly lowers me to the ground and cradles me in his lap.
"If I don't mark you, you will die," Kieran whispers into my hair.
He isn't wrong. All my years in nursing have shown me what lies ahead if my arm doesn't get better. The infection will spread, continuing to cut off circulation. I could end up losing my arm to gangrene, or I could die if the infection makes it into my bloodstream. However, I am unsure if I am ready to be marked by Kieran.
My eyelids start to feel heavy, and I struggle to keep them open. Kieran taps me lightly on the cheeks.
"Mae," he whimpers. "Stay with me."
My eyes flutter open, and I try to smile at him, but the side of my face feels like it is drooping. I try to open my eyes, but I am unable to.
Kieran is still tapping on my cheeks, asking for permission to mark me. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot respond.
"I am sorry," Kieran says as he pushes my hair off my neck.
I can feel his breath on my neck. I try to brace myself for the bite, but my body is limp in his arms. Kieran's canines press up against my skin, and he bites down.
My mouth opens to scream, but still, no noise leaves my lips. His teeth sink deeper into my flesh until I feel them pierce the muscle. Soon, he pulls his canines from my neck and swipes his tongue over the wound.
He pulls me close to his chest, and we both wait. Kieran rocks back and forth with me in his arms. He whispers a weird prayer into my hair.
"Please save her," he prays to his Moon Goddess.
Slowly, my fingers begin to twitch, and the pain in my arm begins to subside. The sweat on my body begins to make me shiver. My teeth begin to chatter, and I am unable to make them stop. Kieran pulls me closer to his chest, trying to keep me warm.
"Kieran," I whimper hoarsely.
Kieran pulls my head away from his chest and looks into my eyes. He holds me by the side of my face and places a kiss on the tip of my nose.
I am still shivering. My clothes are soaked with sweat, and it is making it impossible for me to stay warm.
Kieran stands with me in his arms and rushes me into the bathroom. He places me on the sink and turns on the hot water in the shower. He begins to strip my clothes from my body. As soon as I am naked, Kieran rushes me into the water.
He stands in the water with me in his arms. His clothes are getting soaked, but he doesn't seem to care. The hot water beats down on my body, and eventually, I stop shivering.
I look down at my arm and I cannot believe what I am seeing. The color has come back into my fingers, and I can wiggle them easily. Further up my arm, the redness is starting to dissipate. But the weirdest thing is watching the muscles and skin on my arm begin to knit itself back together.
"It's like magic," I whisper so low that I don't think Kieran can hear it.
But Kieran laughs loudly. I look up at him, and he is smiling at me.
"How are you feeling?" He asks as he unwraps his arms from around me.
I watch as he strips his clothes off his body and stands in front of me naked.
"I definitely don't feel like I was on the brink of death," I say as I run my hands up and down his bare chest.
"You scared me," Kieran admits. "Don't do that again."
I reach my hand up and touch the mark on my neck. It tingles under my fingertips. Kieran brushes my wet hair off my neck and inspects his mark.
I suddenly wish I could see it. "What does it look like?"
"It is hard to tell," Kieran says as he cocks his head to the side. "It isn't finished."
"What do you mean?"
"It won't be complete until you mark me too," Kieran tells me.
"I can't mark you," I remind him sadly. "I am not a werewolf."
"Let's not think about that right now," Kieran tells me.
He pulls me close, and our bodies collide. The tingles from the bond between us are much stronger now that he has marked me. The sparks seem to have a direct line to my core, and I begin to rub my thighs together.
Kieran sniffs the air, and I know he can smell my arousal. His hand slips down my stomach and cups my pussy.
"Now let me show you how you were supposed to be marked," he growls next to my ear.