CATRINA

Tears stream down my face when I reach Connor, taking his weight on me. We both go down, me landing on my ass, sitting with Connor's upper body leaning on me. I roam my hands along with the dagger that's embedded into his chest, not knowing how to remove it. My mind's all closed up, panic at the foremost as I think of a way to bring back my mate.

"Wait, let me do it," someone says and I look up through my tears. It's the new girl. She's looking down at me, her silver eyes shining in pity before her gaze shifts on Connor's unconscious body. He's breathing but his breaths are very shallow which scare me.

The female bends over my mate, and pulls the knife by its hilt, causing blood to spurt out of his wound. I cry out as his wound keeps bleeding and going a bit black on the sides, scaring me more.

"What's happening? Connor!" I weep, not bothering to wipe my tears only holding on to Connor, trying to hold the wound with my hands, not really knowing what to do.

"Catrina. Let me carry him to the infirmary."

I don't know who says it but I feel a hand on my shoulders trying to pull me out of my panic-ridden thoughts. I look up at Sierra and shake my head, not letting my hold on Connor go.

Sierra nods her head as if indulging me and pulls my hand from Connor's chest, slowing and then murmurs, "yes, Catrina, slowly let go."

"No, no," I cry, scared that if I let go, his life would slip from my fingers. Sierra shakes her head, her eyes wide and fearful as she tries to console me, lifting my hands from Connor's body.

"Listen to me, Catrina," she says cupping my cheeks. "Calum is here. He'll teleport to the infirmary with Connor. Yes?" she says, nodding her head all the while trying to explain to me but I am so forgone in my panic that I don't realise what she's saying.

"No. Connor." I cry uncontrollably when all of a sudden, his weight is lifted off me and I feel a cool breeze around me.

"Yes, baby. Connor will be fine. Let's go to the infirmary? I'm here with you," she coos at me as if I am a child, rubbing my cheeks and shoulders, shaking me a bit so that I become alert once again.

"Connor, take me to Connor, now," I shout. My mind a jumbled mess, making Sierra wince but she doesn't react otherwise, pulling me up. My legs are trembling as I stand, all the energy-draining from me and I feel Sierra pulling me close, making me lean on her.

"Shh, baby. Nothing will happen. Connor will be fine. Elder Fridolf is already operating on him. Calum linked me just now," she whispers and that's when the dam breaks, and I weep, hiccupping and sobbing all the same time, my breath getting choked up at the thought Connor.

I want the mind-link with him. I want to know if he's fine. I want him back.

"Dominic, pick her up. She's losing it," Sierra orders and even when I know that she's speaking about me, I don't pay attention to them.

Stinging needles poke into my skin when Dominic picks me up but I just weep, curling into myself in my godfather's arms as the cool wind rushes around me, making me shiver in fear and cold. I close my eyes, the image of Connor's lifeless... no, unconscious body fall in my arms flashes in my brain.

I refuse to believe that he's dead. He can't be. I won't let him leave me again!

Dominic makes me sit in a chair, literally pushing me into it and then covers my body with a blanket.

I feel cold, freezing cold.

Pulling the blanket closer, I pull my legs up and clutch onto my knees with the ends of the blanket in my fingers, curling into myself as I continue weeping at the sense of loss that I feel.

"Catrina."

I don't lookup. I can't bear to look at anyone not when I won't see Connor in them. He's not here. He's inside that room with Elder Fridolf treating him while I am made to sit here, to wait, all alone without any hope.

"Catrina."

I don't look up, not even when the voice beckons me to lift my head.

"Sestra."

This time I release a sob and throw myself at Cayden, ignoring the pain that sends shards of pain rolling through my body at the contact. He flinches and that's when I realise that he's hurt too. When I go to check, he shakes his head and pulls me on his lap, covering my body with the blanket to lessen the pain that I feel.

"Malyshka, he'll be fine."

The sound of my mother soothes me and I look up from Cayden's chest to see her sitting beside me, her trembling hands roaming over my head. Her eyes portray the hurt, the pain that I am feeling, once again forcing me to realise that she's been through almost all these fearful incidents that I'm going through now.

I nod at her even when I don't believe it while my brother holds me and my mom caresses my hair, pushing it away from my face. Cayden holds my head still on his chest while I weep for my mate, for all the stupid things that I said to him.

For pushing him away.

Cayden rocks me back and forth, all the while murmuring in my ear that all will be fine, that my Connor will be fine but I can't believe him. I can't, not until I see for myself.

Hours pass by and my sobs quieten, my eyes go dry but the pain that I feel in my chest doesn't lessen even one bit. I become numb to all the pain as my brain shuts down, waiting for this ordeal to be over.

I shift from Cayden's lap, making him loosen his hold on me. He kisses me on the head once before releasing me and letting me settle beside him on the bench.

"Here, drink this."

I look up at Sierra who holds a glass of water for me. I sniffle a bit and then take the glass from her hands but it trembles in mine so she supports my hands and pushes the glass to my lips, making me sip on the warm water. I drink half of it before shaking my head.

Sierra nods and then puts the glass on the table, forcing me to look up and around, to take in my surroundings.

It's the infirmary, and I am in Elder Fridolf's room, with him and my mate in the operating room. The thought once again has me crying but no tears come, which make me hiccup in panic.

"Catrina, he'll be fine. Elder Fridolf is cleaning his wounds. There was wolfsbane on the knife because of which he lost his consciousness. Otherwise, he'll be fine in a week," whispers Sierra and settles in a chair in front of me.

I nod at her, understanding that she wants to console me, to let me know that he'll be fine but my heart just doesn't agree. I'll believe only when I see him for myself.

"When can I see him?" I croak, my throat is raw from all the crying. Sierra looks at me with sympathy in her eyes, and something else which I can't put my finger on but I just ignore it.

Suddenly, the door bangs open, and almost comes out of its hinges when Fenris, Calum and Dominic make their way inside the room, Nora and Alcina following them. I hadn't realized that they weren't in the room before.

Fenris makes his way directly towards where I am sitting and drops down on his knees in front of me, his blue eyes now looking more like cobalt. He looks sad and guilty.

"I am so sorry, sestra. I lost my focus for a second because of which Connor had to step in to save me," he explains and I nod my head, knowing that it's not his fault. It all just happened too fast, within the blink of an eye.

"Don't be sorry," I whisper, unable to process any words.

"I am in constant contact with Elder Fridolf. He's inside and he's alive. Okay?" he whispers now looking anxious as he looks at my mom for help perhaps. My mom doesn't speak but she just caresses Fenris's head once before turning to me and squeezing my hand.

"I know, I just... I want to see him," I whisper and pull the blanket closer, feeling cold once again.

Fenris nods his head and then gets up to start pacing in front of me. He then pauses and comes back towards me, placing a hand on my head and ruffling my head.

"I won't let his sacrifice go to vain, sestra," he whispers, trying to console me. I can only nod, knowing that he won't.

"Yes. He already tortured the hell out of that witch, Helena," whispers Dominic, while staring at me. He looks pale, ghostly but I ignore him. Maybe if he had stepped in and used his speed, Connor wouldn't have been fighting with death in that room.

I shake my head, fidgeting with my fingers and let my brain shut down instead of thinking stupid what-ifs.

The door once again opens and this time, Aurora walks in frantically looking around and then her gaze settles on me, while her eyes overflow with tears. There are people following behind her but I continue to stare at Aurora, my eyes dry but the pain in my heart matching to that of hers.

She makes her way to me and Sierra gets up to hug her while my mom gets up squeezing Aurora's hands before allowing Connor's mom to settle beside me. I look at her, numbly not really knowing how to console her. I am scared too, just as much as her.

But she can mind link with her son, whereas I can't. If he's doing better inside that room, she'll come to know about it first and I'll have to wait for one of these people to inform me about my mate's health.

How pathetic!

A whimper is heard inside the room and I belatedly realise that it's from me when Cayden pets my head as if to soothe me. I shrug off his hand on my head, feeling ashamed of myself suddenly.

"Beta Cayden, let me treat you. Your wound needs to be treated before it heals and causes an internal infection."

I look up to see a woman, probably the same age as Aurora watching Cayden and waiting for him to follow her.

Looking back at Cayden, only now taking in the wound on his shoulder, I frown at him. "Go," I whisper, my voice sounding scratchy even to my own ears.

Only when I say that, does Cayden get up from his seat and follows the woman.

Are all brothers like Fenris and Cayden? The amount of love and care these people show to each other; I have never seen in my human family.

They walk to the other side of the room where the woman starts cleaning his wound, making Cayden wince.

"Slow, Luna Valentina. It hurts like a bitch," he growls making the woman flick at his head in reprimand and then gets back to work.

I bow my head and rest it on my knees, waiting for the Elder to come out and tell me that he's fine. We have come a long way, I realise. All our memories flash by in front of my eyes as I remember the first time, how I met him, how I ran into him. Exchanging numbers, going on our first date, letting him take me for the first time, then when I saw him after seven years in the hospital.

Him ignoring me, then coming back to me, pulling me into the storage room. The coffee date and then the dinner, the kiss and then meeting his wolf.

I don't know how many hours pass by, with me reminiscing our memories, holding onto them while I wait for him to heal.

The doors of the operation room open and I whip my head to look at the man walking out. He looks tired as if he's going to fall which is understood by others also, I think when Calum puts a chair in front of the elder, making him sit in it before he speaks.

"Fenris. Call Fenris," he says and I freeze, immediately expecting the worst. Clutching onto the blanket as if my life depends on it, I sit up straighter, waiting for the elder to tell us about Connor.

I don't know what caught his eyes, but the elder suddenly looks at me and then smiles at me reassuringly. "He is fine. Your mate will be fine in the next 24 hours," he says, and I let out a breath, not realising that I wasn't breathing for a second there.

The relief that I feel coursing through my body at the news has me leaning back against the chair and I close my eyes, the tears squeezing out at the relief that I feel.

Thank God, he's fine!

"I want to see him," I whisper, unfolding my legs to get up from my seat but the elder shakes his head making my lips tremble in loneliness.

"He's sleeping. The moment he wakes up, he'll be calling you, I am sure of it," he says making me smile, and others chuckle at the elder's attempt to lighten the mood. I smile through my tears and nod at the elder.

"Okay. Thank you," I whisper before settling back on the chair and looking at Aurora once who's also smiling through her tears. She leans forward towards me and kisses my head then on both of my cheeks, before sitting back in her seat, holding onto my hand.

I squeeze her hand, reassuring her and seeking comfort from her hold at the same time.

Fenris walks into the room, his black eyes looking at everyone in the room while the air turns a bit uncomfortable inside the room. I hadn't even realised that he was gone. He takes a deep breath and then closes his eyes for a second before opening them again, this time to show his blue eyes, sparkling in anger.

I shiver in fear, not wanting to be on the receiving end of that anger, ever. He senses my emotions, probably, because he looks at me with a frown on his face and then looks back at the elder who waves him over.

Smiling at me tentatively, which I return with my own hesitant one, he walks over to the elder. "How is he?"

"It was bad. I almost lost him. The dagger had a huge dose of wolfsbane on it, which pierced his chest, almost poking into his lungs. We are very lucky to have the moonflower with us. I cleaned the wound with it, but he lost a lot of blood. I've patched him up. We need a blood donor with A positive blood group. Otherwise, he's healing," whispers the elder.

I frown at his description of the surgery. He needs blood but our blood groups don't match. Before my mind starts panicking about it, someone speaks, startling me out of my thoughts.

"Mine and Connor's blood groups match. I can give my blood," says a girl with ash-blond hair and similar-looking green eyes, standing beside a huge muscular man who has his hand wrapped around the girl's waist.

She senses my stare on her probably because she smiles at me hesitantly and then walks over towards me with the guy trailing behind her.

"I am Tatiana Farkas, Connor's sister and he's my mate, Zion Farkas," she introduces herself and her mate, pointing at the guy behind her who nods at me with a piercing stare. I turn back at Tatiana and smile at her however I am sure it comes out as a grimace.

"I am Catrina St. Cl... Vlček," I whisper not sure how else to introduce myself. Who am I? A dormant. I suddenly feel very insecure about these people accepting me. I watch the girl instead, hoping to conceal the emotions from popping on my face and take in her features.

With high cheekbones and a slender yet curvy body, she looks like a model. The ash-blond hair and those bright green eyes, painfully similar to that of Connor's make her look exotic and I feel a wave of awkwardness flow through me.

The girl smiles at me, widely, unaware of my inner turmoil and nods her head. "I know, Sierra here doesn't stop speaking about you. It's a pleasure to meet you but I wish we were meeting under better circumstances," she says and smiles at me which I reciprocate with a hesitant one while looking back towards Sierra who grins.

Ibreathe in a sigh of relief when Tatiana moves to hug her mother and then backtowards elder Fridolf who tells her to wait behind for her blood donation whileI pray for Connor to wake up, sooner rather than later, so that I can apologiseto him.   

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Thank you for reading!

Sorry for the delay in updating. Do let me know your views about it. 

I've written this chapter with Cayden in mind particularly. Just wanted to portray the brother-sister relationship. So, please let me know how you feel about it. 

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