No.
Why would a mate come at a time like this? It just didn’t make any sense. The elders always preached that one’s mate arrives when the time was right but the time wasn’t right at all. My pack was gone and the murderers who had taken them were still running around wild and free. My vengeance had yet to be served.
And yet, this girl, she called to me in a strange sort of way that made me feel like she was speaking to my soul.
“You have to save her, Roman. I think she might be the one.”
Chapter 3: Roman
Landon had spoken the words that had been on my mind since the moment I had heard her cry for help. I couldn’t explain the way she made me feel, other than the fact that there seemed to be some kind of magnetic pull working to bring us together.
But now, it wouldn’t seem to matter because nothing I did was working to bring her back to life. Still, her chest refused to move in that up and down motion called breathing.
“Come on, breathe for me,” I kept whispering, as if that might help the progress. It didn’t.
My arms were becoming jelly-like from all the compressions but I didn’t let that stop me. I wasn’t going to give up on this girl, because, I swear, I could hear the beating of her heart. Or maybe, that was my own. I didn’t know and I didn’t care because something was telling me that one day those heartbeats would be one and the same.
For the millionth time, I pressed my lips to hers. When I thought about kissing my mate for the first time, this wasn’t what I had in mind.
I gave her every last ounce of breath that I had and, still, it wasn’t enough. When I pulled away, I was light-headed.
“Let me help,” said Landon. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
I was just about to guide him through the motions, when her body jerked. A second later, she began to cough and water came flying out of her system. Good. That was exactly what we wanted to happen.
Both Landon and I helped her sit up.
She gasped for air.
“Shh,” I whispered. “Take it slow.” Relief washed over me when she finally opened her eyes and looked up at me. They were a deep shade of green — the same green we used as our pack color.
She blinked and cocked her head to the side. “Who are you?”
“Never mind that,” I said. “Right now, I want to know how you’re feeling. Can you breathe?”
She didn’t answer me. Instead, she turned her head and considered Landon for a moment. I noticed that he became tense, something that only really happened whenever he was nervous. And it wasn’t every day that an Alpha felt that way.
“Um… yeah.” Her voice was as sweet as honey. Even ragged as it was, I yearned to hear more of it and I could tell that Landon felt that way too. Our instincts were in sync. This girl was definitely the one. “But… my leg.”
In my desperate attempt to get her breathing again, I hadn’t even realized that there was a giant gash on her leg.
“We should get her to a hospital,” said Landon.
“No!”
“No?” I repeated, as my brows furrowed in confusion. “You’ll probably need stitches or something.”
“I can’t go to the hospital. I’m having a hard enough time paying the rent. I don’t need another expense heaved onto my plate.”
Now, unlike most shifters, I like to keep myself well-informed on the way of humans. After all, their culture is a rather interesting one. And this concept of struggling with money was not a foreign one but I couldn’t understand why she would forfeit her own well-being to pay rent. Surely, if she just explained the situation to her landlord, he would understand.
“I knew I shouldn’t have come out here. What was I thinking…?” she mumbled to herself, as she attempted to get to her feet.
Landon, however, stopped her by pressing a hand to her shoulder. “At least let us take care of it.”
Before she could even think to respond, Landon had already taken off his shirt.
Her eyes widened and I didn’t know whether it was due to surprise or the sight of Landon’s half-naked body. Probably a combination of the two, if I had to guess.