The journey back to Crimson Fang territory felt like a lifetime. Kael’s arms trembled as he held Bella close, her body limp against his chest, cold and unresponsive. Every beat of his heart felt as if it were taking him further from hope, and the tightening in his chest, the gnawing fear that Bella was slipping away from him, was almost unbearable. He couldn’t—he wouldn’t—lose her.
“Stay with me, Bella,” Kael whispered through clenched teeth, his voice strained and desperate. He could feel the weight of her body growing heavier in his arms with every step he took, and yet, he pushed forward. His feet moved almost on instinct, his mind locked in a frantic loop of thoughts. He had to get her to safety. He had to get her to the healers. He could feel her weakening with every second that passed. “Please, Bella, don’t do this.”
Misery and Lira followed closely behind, their faces grim as they rushed to keep pace. Their footsteps echoed against the cold ground, but they were silent, no words spoken between them, the heaviness of the situation too great to allow for anything else. They had all fought so hard, bled so much, and now, it seemed like everything was unraveling.
Kael’s heart pounded painfully in his chest, his thoughts scattered and desperate. The battlefield might have been behind them, but the fight felt far from over. He could still feel the traces of Bella’s pain—her suffering—pulsing through the mate bond, and it nearly drove him mad. But there was nothing he could do. Nothing but run. And run he did, not stopping until they reached the safety of the Crimson Fang territory.
As they entered the pack’s healing quarters, the urgency of the situation hit him like a wave. The healers rushed to meet them, their expressions filled with worry. A few of them gasped at the sight of Bella, their eyes flickering between her broken body and Kael’s face, but none of them dared speak the words they were all thinking. They had seen many injuries before, many brutal battles, but none like this. None that looked as if they were beyond saving.
Kael didn’t even register their faces, didn’t acknowledge them as they moved to help. He was only focused on Bella. Only focused on her and the small hope that flickered in the pit of his stomach. She couldn’t be gone. She couldn’t be.
“Don’t leave me, Bella,” Kael whispered, his voice shaking. “I won’t let you go. I promise you. I’ll kill her for this. I swear it on my life.”
His words were frantic, pleading, the desperation he felt leaking through every syllable. His voice was ragged from the exhaustion of the battle, from the weight of carrying Bella through miles of forest, but it was all he had left.
Bella’s lips parted slightly, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Kael held her hand tightly, not wanting to let go, not wanting to lose the tenuous connection they had. He could barely hear the voices of the healers around him—he barely noticed the soft chants and the magical incantations they muttered in an attempt to stabilize her. All he could hear was the pounding of his own heart and the faint, fragile sound of Bella’s labored breaths.
“You’re going to make it,” he said, more to himself than to her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Not now. Not after everything we’ve been through.”
His words were a promise, though his mind screamed that he wasn’t certain. He couldn’t stop the panic, couldn’t quiet the fear that gripped him, but he had to try. He had to hold on to hope, even when it felt like it was slipping through his fingers.
The healers worked around them, their hands swift and practiced as they checked Bella’s vitals, placed healing salves on her injuries, and worked to stabilize her. But as they continued their efforts, Kael’s heart sank deeper. She wasn’t responding to their magic. She wasn’t waking up. Her body was growing colder by the minute, and he could feel the energy draining from her. Her wolf, that incredible force that could have healed her, was nowhere to be found. It was as if Esmera’s dark magic had suppressed it completely, leaving her vulnerable. Helpless.
Kael’s breathing grew ragged. He couldn’t focus on anything else. “Bella,” he murmured softly, his voice thick with anguish. “Please, don’t leave me. I need you. I love you.”
His eyes never left her face. He couldn’t look away. Couldn’t tear his gaze from the woman he loved—no, the woman he needed, the woman who had been his everything since the moment they met. But now, all he had left was a broken, bloodied version of her, and it hurt more than anything he’d ever felt.
For a brief moment, Bella’s eyes fluttered open. Kael’s heart skipped, and he leaned closer, his face filled with hope. Her eyes, though unfocused, were on him. His name escaped her lips, weak and fragile. “Kael… I can’t hold on…”
Kael froze, his entire world crashing down in an instant. He thought he had heard her wrong. He had to have. But when her eyes fluttered closed once more, and her body grew still in his arms, he realized it wasn’t a dream. She wasn’t going to hold on much longer.
“No, Bella,” Kael whispered, his voice hoarse and desperate. “You can’t leave me. I won’t let you go. Please, stay with me.” His hand gently cupped her face, the warmth of his touch the only comfort he could offer. But the tears were already streaming down his face, and his heart was breaking with each passing moment.
But Bella didn’t respond. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and then, without warning, her body went limp in his arms. The last vestiges of life she had in her seemed to slip away, and Kael felt it. He felt her leaving him.
“No…” Kael’s voice broke. “Please, Bella. Don’t do this to me.”
The healers worked faster, their hands moving quickly over her body, trying to bring her back, but Kael knew. He could feel it in his bones. It was too late. She was slipping away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
And then, in the midst of the chaos, Bella’s eyes fluttered open once more. Her gaze locked with his, her voice a whisper of agony as she muttered, “Kael… I can’t hold on…” before slipping into unconsciousness again.