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A shadow appeared on her shoulder then bloomed into a dark bruise. I growled, the vicious sound bouncing off the walls around me. Fuck this. I wasn’t going to stand here and watch while someone hurt her, wherever the fuck she was.

I searched her body frantically for more signs of damage—

A drop of blood appeared at the side of her throat, then trailed down. Suddenly it was an inch long, and I snatched her up, shaking the fuck out of her. “Willow,” I roared. “Dove, wake up.”

The slice in her skin had stopped, not going any farther, thank fuck.

I held her to me tight, too tight, but I couldn’t help it. She blinked, but she didn’t see me, her gaze lost, fuck, even the green of her eyes was dimmer. She was still lost in the shadows of her mind. In whatever Hell she’d just been in. Her body shook, and the tears were renewed, falling silently down her face.

“Dove,” I choked out and pressed my forehead to hers. “Fight it. Fucking fight it, Willow.” She stared blindly up at me, still lost somewhere I couldn’t go. The feeling in my chest grew wider, bigger. I didn’t know what it was, but it hurt. The pain was nothing like I’d experienced before. “Willow?”

She didn’t respond. What the fuck should I do?

My gaze flew over her, searching the blank expression on her face, calling her name, shaking her, trying to wake her. Still nothing.

It was probably fucking stupid, but one thing kept entering my mind. My dove liked when I kissed her, it made her happy. It was all I had, all I could do, so I kissed her softly, lingering there. “Come back to me, precious one,” I said against her lips, then repeated it in my own language.

I’d never called anyone that in my life—I’d never even thought the words until her—but that’s what she was, she was my dove, my precious mate, and I refused to let her go.

She jolted in my arms and gasped.

Her gaze cleared and flew around the room, then came back to me, and before I could open my mouth to speak, her arms were around my neck, and she was holding on tight, sobbing against my chest.

I held her, trying to get my shit together.

“You’re back. You’re back, dove. I’ve got you.”

She lifted her head. “There were three of them…and…oh goddess, they killed my family. They’re going to kill them, Warrick, all of them.”

Fuck. “Did you see who it was?”

She shook her head. “They wore cloaks. I couldn’t see their faces. It was…it was so real, I forgot everything else.” She gripped my shirt. “They killed my family, they killed you, they killed all of you, everyone I love, and I was so broken that I-I gave up. I sat there when they came for me, and I just gave up.” Her eyes filled with terror. “He was there, Warrick…Azel. He was there.”

Jesus. I cupped the back of her head and pressed my nose to the top of her head, breathing her in. I’d almost lost her. I’d almost fucking lost her again.

I wanted her the fuck out of here, now. So snatching up her bag, I carried her out of the cavern. She was naked still and it was cold, but I had to get her out of this fucking cave first, away from the evil here, the beings who could have taken her away from me.

I strode out into the darkening forest, and only when that feeling of dread dimmed did I stop, lower her to her feet, and help her dress. I got her underwear and jeans on but paused before I pulled her top over her head. The sight of that cut on her neck, the one on her forearm, had my fucking hackles lifting.

I wanted them gone. I needed them gone. Lifting her arm, I dragged my tongue along her forearm, ignoring her little cry of surprise. I looked at her as I did it again, making sure I wasn’t hurting her. She watched me wide-eyed but didn’t try to pull away.

“Okay?” I asked as I watched, not about to stop until the healing started.

“You don’t need to do that,” she said.

I glanced up at her again. “Don’t fucking like seeing you bleed, dove. If I can take away your pain, I’m sure as fuck going to do it.” She stilled as I slid my hand up between her shoulder blades and cupped the back of her head, then gently angled it to the side, asking without words if I could do the same to her throat.

She gave me a little nod.

I hooked my other arm around her waist as I leaned in, dragging in a lungful of her scent mixed with her blood, and I swiped my tongue over that slice to the side of her throat, just below her jawline. The combination had the animal in me roaring for revenge, for death. I wanted to tear apart whoever had hurt her, and the fact I couldn’t, that I didn’t know who it was, was fucking with my head.

I licked her again, and she shivered. “Okay?” I repeated against her damp skin.

“Yes.”

I couldn’t stop myself from licking her one last time, from wrapping my lips around the short slice and sucking gently. She made a soft little moan, her fingers digging into my shoulders, and I forced myself to lift my head. And when I was sure the healing had begun there as well, I finished dressing her.

She protested when I scooped her back up, and I ignored it, carrying her out of the fucking woods.