His Moon

XV | Blood

Blood is surprisingly sticky. That's the best way Kaia could describe it. Sticky, and warm. Terrifying, too. Of course, that goes without saying. Terrifying beyond measure because all of it, the scarlet that was coating her hands, turning her skin pink, was coming from him. From her wolf. From Kaleb.

Kaia took a deep breath and pressed her hand harder to Kaleb's wound to stop the bleeding; she'd ripped off her sweatshirt and held the thick fabric against the bullet hole. He was unconscious now, so he couldn't feel it. He'd passed out as soon as he'd stopped seizing. "Shit," Kaia hissed, getting the best hold on Kaleb's shirt she could and doing her damnedest to tug him towards the door. She needed to get him to the car.

"Kaia!" She looked up, weak, her hands slick. Kaleb's head fell into her lap, and she cradled it. Cole froze as he took in the scene in front of him, his eyes widening when he saw the blood. It was just...too much of it. Everywhere. It was like all Kaia could see was red. Or maybe there was something wrong with her eyes or her head.

Cole calmly bent down and felt their dad's pulse, immediately rushing to Kaia's side once he had confirmed that their only remaining parent was alive. Kaia felt another rush of hate when she laid her eyes on her unconscious father; he was her blood, and he had ruined Kaleb like this.

"What the hell happened?" Cole asked, taking Kaia's shoulders. His dark brown eyes were full of concern, confusion, and a subtle fury at seeing Kaia crying and shaking like this. He was supposed to protect Kaia; Cole had spent his entire life to keeping her safe like his father had demanded. He wondered how he'd failed so monumentally. To let her see blood...he'd fought hard so that she'd never see anything like this. And yet here she was, covered in it.

"He shot Kaleb," Kaia choked out. She was struck with a new terror when she realized that she couldn't smell Kaleb's smokey scent any longer, only the metallic, terrifying scent of blood.

"What? Why?" Cole asked, then looked down at Kaleb, scanning him as if he could find all the answers on Kaleb's unconscious body.

"Because Kaleb is a wolf," Kaia whimpered, looking down at him. But she knew that wasn't the only reason; her dad had shot Kaleb because Kaleb was going to take Kaia away from him. He'd hurt Kaleb because she was Kaleb's mate. It was so unfair that such a perfect, beautiful thing could be the reason that Kaleb would be injured.

"No, dad wouldn't just..." Cole mumbled, "The Accords." He looked confused like there was a disconnect in his wiring and he didn't know how to fix it.

But Kaia couldn't pay attention to that for now, because Kaleb was even paler than before. Sweat rolled off of him, and his chest heaved. His breathing was labored now, and with each weak effort of his lungs, he lost more strength. Kaia touched his hair, smoothing it out of his face and wiping his sweat away.

Cole stared for a moment. It was a crucial moment because in it he made a choice. Cole saw his sister shaking, crying, and knew that it was because she was losing someone right in front of her eyes. Her brother didn't have a clue who the guy was bleeding out on their wooden floors, but he knew he had to do something. "Come on," Cole said, "Let's get him to a hospital."

Kaia watched as Cole leaned forward and tucked his arm under Kaleb. Kaia hadn't realized how big her brother was, but soon enough Kaleb was hanging limply at Cole's side. Maybe he was so strong because he was a Hunter, too? The thought sprung up in Kaia's mind, but she didn't voice her worries. She didn't understand the dynamic between Hunters and lycanthrope, so for now she would trust her brother. It was all she knew, and the concern in Cole's eyes was enough for now.

Kaia launched to her feet, opening the door for them, "No, he said that we have to get him to his Pack's Mansion."

"Did he deign to tell you why?" Cole asked, annoyed, as he carried Kaleb out the door.