Ethan

Ethan mercilessly knocked the woman running from him over her body smacking into the nearest tree. He waited a moment to see if she'd move. And when she didn't he walked over and sniffed the body in disgust, it smelled like a human. He hated humans. They were disgusting. He was a bit confused, how it ended up on his territory.

Alpha I've caught the intruder.

Where?

Ethan showed him where he'd found himself and pretty soon, Ethan could hear his alpha coming up behind him.

Elias had been endlessly looking through paperwork. Between the Lunar New Year celebrations and the proposals from other packs with their daughters he'd grown bored. Elias was in no mood for intrusions, so when he started to head toward Ethan he didn't expect what he felt next. His wolf Helios began to pace in his mind. The hairs on Elias' body began to stand and a chill ran down his spine.

Couldn't be?

Now?

Why? Who?

Elias

As Elias got closer he knew that it had to be this woman Ethan found. The scent was within reach now and it filled Elias' nose. It was intoxicating but also slightly disorienting. He wasn't prepared for how his body reacted and Elias stuttered in his steel. Helios jumped out and took over at that point running toward Ethan at great speed. When he arrived he expected to see the woman disarmed.

That was not what he saw.

The woman was laying on her side still plastered to the tree she'd been pushed against. Helios roared and Elias jumped back in control before he could kill Ethan. Ethan knelt down begging Elias' forgiveness silently. Ethan watched his Alpha confused for barely a second before he realized what was happening. Elias walked over to the woman turning her on her side looking her over. He held the reigns of Helios tight as he assessed her and listened to her heartbeat dying. In an instant he scooped the woman in his arms and ran off. Not a word spoken to Ethan. But Ethan knew to follow.

Lilo! I need you!

I'm here Alpha!

Ethan rushed into Lilo's office and laid the woman on the first available gurney. Lilo rubbed her hands together with a light yellow glow coming from her palms as she assessed the fallen woman. Elias held a tight fist to his lips. Lilo sent a wary glance at Elias and at Ethan who held a safe distance from the man.

Lilo

"What's wrong with her?" Elias said in the steadiest voice he could muster.

"Much. She has injuries months old that have yet to heal and injuries years old that healed wrong. I will need at least a month to fix everything if that's what you're asking me." Lilo closed her eyes to connect to the muscle in the biggest wound on her back and tried to mend it. Elias roared and Lilo flinched as he stormed off leaving her with the injured woman and Ethan.

"Where'd she come from?" Ethan asked.

"From what I can see, just outside the territory. Her mind is... fragmented I can't see what I'm looking for. It's like burned pictures. There's holes." Lilo said frowning as she returned to trying to heal the patient. Ethan walked over to Lilo placing a sweet kiss to her temple "What did you do to Elias? He was pissed off, more than usual" she whispered as she worked focused entirely on the girl. She knew if she paused her work and the alpha saw they'd be in trouble.

This woman was important to him.

"I knocked her into a tree. Might've crushed something honestly. I didn't know who she was to him, she smells of human." Lilo shook her head and sighed. That wasn't good.

"This must be his mate... ?" Ethan said nothing only nodded slightly. Lilo fortified her mind and prepared for a long night. Elias would want as much of her healed as she could get done. Ethan turned her to him disregarding the reason she was turned away.

"Do not overwork yourself. You know what happened last time. It's not worth it. If it'll take a month let that happen, I won't lose you even if it is for my brother" he said kissing her softly before he backed out of the room. Ethan knew what Elias felt but he had to understand he felt the same about Lilo. If Elias pretended that it didn't matter to him he was prepared to fight him over it.

Elias sat in his room and office every day after that pacing for hours. Even when he was working in his mind he paced. He'd visit the infirmary constantly waiting for her to wake or stir. Lilo said she woke in small bursts but constantly needed to be put back to sleep. She was too erratic for her current state. Elias had to leash Helios in his mind. He couldn't snap at Lilo she was only doing what was best for her. Despite how badly they wanted to talk to their mate. Elias forgave Ethan for his rash treatment of the girl but they argued again not long after that when Ethan dragged Lilo away from his mate to rest. Once Ethan had been injured terribly by hunters and Lilo spent 3 days straight at his side healing him.

She then had a seizure shortly after.

Ethan would never allow her to do that again. And while Elias was understanding now that he had his own he couldn't breathe with her in that bed. He got 3 hours of sleep before his mind woke him and he went to see her again. It was maddening. And without 24 hour treatment it was taking longer than he would've liked. And true to their word, Lilo supervised by Ethan had mostly healed in 2 and a half weeks. She had weened the woman off the sedative and now Elias just sat by her waiting for her to wake. The color had returned to her cheeks as well as some weight. Lilo added some repair to her metabolism and filled out her out a bit as consolation for not being able to heal her as often as he would've liked. It wasn't great having to wait but he was more than grateful to have his mate in one piece. And healthier than he'd seen her last. There'd never been a time Elias was glad that they picked her up from her homeland in Hawaii.

"I have to warn you. I don't... I don't know what she'll be like once she wakes. Her mind is in pieces, I have no idea how she makes a clear thought let alone engage with someone. Do not startle her, stress will cause the magic to spasm violently. She needs a week for the magic and her body to settle" Elias' concern only doubled upon hearing that. Lilo was a good healer and could fix her body but not her mind. That would take too much out of her. Even a shaman couldn't do that without at least a month in the dormant state.

Ethan had a hard time with Lilo taking the week she normally does let alone a month.

Lilo left Elias to his thoughts and he found himself rubbing his thumb along her wrist. He hated this bonded crap. He was stronger than this but here he was an absolute wreck because this woman he knew little of found herself on his land. As King he couldn't afford to be beside himself the way he was. But there was nothing he could do, the Moon Goddess put them together and determined this be the woman who will keep him up at night. Love him with all of her as he would her. He could feel it already, feel how he was attaching himself to her smell and touch. His thoughts ran so deep and he was so stressed he hadn't noticed the woman freeze under his touch and open her eyes slowly.

It took her only a few moments before she popped up and snatched her wrist from him. He sat still, she looked frightened and similar to how he'd treat a deer he was hunting he didn't want to scare her into running. So he put his hands up and backed away from her despite Helios screaming to hold her.

"It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you" he said his voice barely above a whisper. It was the softest he'd ever spoken to anything. But he knew that's what would soothe her.

The woman's teeth ground together as she assessed her situation. Where was she? The last she remembered was being run down by a shadow and getting in trouble with Pete. Pete? The thought of him had her body shaking in fear something Elias noticed immediately.

Lilo I might need you here

On my way Alpha.

The woman swallowed the lump in her throat and said the only thing she thought would save her.

"I sorry" she said the same volume as he'd spoken.