Filed to story: The Wolf Prince’s Fated Love
So, one more day.
I’d tell them tomorrow, when we were all together.
“Take in a deep breath and reset. I know this is a challenging pose, but hold on to your intention for the practice this morning.” I said the words calmly, in my best yoga-teacher voice, even as it felt like all the blood was rushing to my head.
Other than the occasional grunt or a squeaky yoga mat, it was quiet in the atrium. Somehow in the morning, I could smell the greenery surrounding us. It was like even the air in here was green. When enough time had passed for a few good breaths, I shifted poses.
“Okay, slowly work your way up to standing, stretching your arms high overhead. Feel the stretch all the way through your rib cage, letting yourself expand with energy and light, and exhaling any negativity.” My fingertips were tingling. “And, don’t forget to stretch your fingers too,” I added, trying to wiggle the strange feeling out. But it wouldn’t go away.
“Let’s step forward into warrior…” I froze when I landed in the lunge, a wave of dizziness hitting me out of nowhere.
“Warrior what?” Shay asked, her voice strained as she tried to balance, her arms flapping wildly at her sides. When she finally looked up, she jumped back out of the pose. “Leigh, what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine, I think?”
Bri was at my side in an instant, fingertips on my wrist, checking my pulse. “I need you to sit down, please. Right on your mat. But hang on to us and take it slow.”
“Is her pulse steady? We can have her elevate her legs,” Olivia offered as she stepped behind me and steadied my shoulders as I lowered carefully to the ground.
“It’s a little fast, but not crazy for her activity level,” Brielle said, doctor voice clicking into place.
“Guys, I am fine. I got a little dizzy, NBD.”
“What is NBD?” Olivia asked.
“No big deal,” Shay translated. “But dizzy and yoga don’t exactly go together, Leigh, now, do they?” She pinned me with a look as I got comfortable on my mat.
“I really…” My vision went blurry, and panic sent my heart racing faster. “Guys, something is wrong, I can’t-you’re all blurry?” The black pinpricks at the edges of my vision were mo re worrisome, but I suddenly found that I didn’t have the words.
“Someth…”
“Lay her down!” Brielle snapped, both palms going flat on my cheeks, her cooling energy flooding my system, but I didn’t hear the rest of her words.
The edges of the world went fuzzy and dark, and still, my damn fingers wouldn’t stop tingling.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Gael
Iwas standing by the window in Kane’s office, unease riding me despite the utter lack of anything happening outside. Or inside, for that matter. The women were all having a fitness class, which Leigh assured me was perfectly safe for this stage of her pregnancy.
We were reviewing Lucien’s overview of who he’d reached out to in and around Varga’s pack, who might be willing to talk to the high alpha. So far, he had three very promising people in high enough positions to have intel, and two had agreed to speak to us this afternoon. One was hesitant-which to me said they probably knew something big enough to be dangerous.
“Offer the third man transportation for his entire family. If we need to, we can put them up here or in the village, if he’s afraid of retribution,” I suggested, glancing over at Kane, who nodded his approval, then went stiff.
Lucien didn’t seem to notice, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
“That’s fine, I can call?-“
“Gael!” Shay skidded through the office door at top speed. “We need you in the atrium! Kane, you too. Bri’s trying, but she’s already depleted.”
“Is it Leigh? What’s happening?” I shouted the questions as I darted past Shay, leaving her to follow.
“I don’t know! Leigh said she was dizzy, so we made her sit down, but then she said she couldn’t see us, we were blurry, and then she passed out. Thank the Goddess, Olivia was behind her, because she collapsed and Oli caught her before she could hit her head.”
Collapsed. Dizzy. Passed out.
My wolf was clawing for control-he was faster than I would ever be on two legs; there was no denying that. But the man needed to hold her, and the wolf couldn’t do that. I sprinted down the stairs, nearly crashing into a suit of armor as I made the turn into the knights’ hall.
I followed the path on instinct, the pull to my mate like a fisherman’s hook in my chest, reeling me toward her with painful urgency.
When I slammed open the atrium door so hard the glass rattled inside the frame, I finally saw her and froze. Leigh was pale and listless, lying motionless on a hot pink yoga mat. She had none of her color, none of her glow, and the sight stopped my heart. I couldn’t move until her chest rose, and it was like someone unlocked my muscles.
I crossed the space in a daze and dropped to my knees at her side, not caring about the hard stone floor.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I asked. My voice sounded hoarse and guttural to my own ears, but I could barely restrain my wolf. It was no surprise he was pushing, trying to connect with her so she’d shift, fix whatever this mystery malady was.
“She’s going to be okay,” Olivia murmured, resting a cool hand on my forearm, but I flinched back. My wolf would accept no female’s touch but ours, and Leigh wasn’t capable of that right now. Brielle’s head was bowed, shoulders taut as she leaned over my female, both hands pressed flat to Leigh’s cheeks. Yet still, Leigh lay pale and lifeless.
Terror was a second pulse, burning in my veins. I wanted to shake her, grab her up, and bolt from the danger. But I couldn’t take her away from her own body. I was completely, utterly helpless.
I carefully lifted one of her hands, chafing it between mine. I didn’t want to disturb Brielle, but I had to touch her.
It was the only way I could lend her my strength, and physical touch was powerful for wolves. Maybe my wolf could bolster hers.
Kane slid to the ground behind Brielle, and I watched anxiously as he lifted the hem of her shirt, sliding both hands flat on her back, giving her skin contact. Her shoulders tightened for a second, and then it was as if her entire body relaxed, leaning back into the strength he shared with her. The frown line between her eyebrows eased, and Olivia spoke quietly again.
“Brielle said her blood pressure was low, and she’s working to restore some of her blood volume. She’s stable, but until she wakes up…” Olivia bit her lip.
“What would cause that? Low blood pressure,” I asked, even as I kept my eyes fixed on Leigh’s face, willing her to wake back up.
“Well, pregnancy can cause it. Dehydration, overheating, or overexertion would be the most common.”