Coveted (30 page)

 Chapter Thirty-one

T
he last time Aiden had
been this nervous was while waiting for his first shift. When he was going to
learn if he’d be able to shift at all. Only this was much worse. Now that he
made his decision, restless energy jittered through him.

He finished his hasty
shower, shaved and nicked himself in the process while trying to watch Shayla in
the mirror instead of the blade.

Cam had stayed to
stand guard over Shayla. If anything went wrong, he was a strong enough alpha
that he could feed her energy long enough for Aiden reach her side.

Aiden struggled to pull
his shirt over his head, the T-shirt feeling two sizes too small. When he was
finally covered, he hesitated entering the other room. Not that he’d changed
his mind. No, it was because after today everything would be different.

And that scared the
bejeesus out of him.

He’d never claimed
anyone before, never even crossed his mind after his first failed attempt at
romance. He wanted Shayla so much that being away from her was a physical ache.

A knock on the
bedroom door propelled Aiden into action. He left the bathroom in time to see Duncan
enter with a tray of food.

Aiden didn’t want
either alpha near Shayla. It drove him nuts to know that she would be better
off choosing one of them. They were both better men. He’d always been the
defender. Physical and aggressive.

To him, women were alien
creatures, best to avoid when you encountered them. They loved that romance
shit, and he had no experience to draw from to woo Shayla the way she deserved.

But he could try.

If everything went as
planned, he’d have years to practice.

Not that Shayla seemed
to mind his fumbling attempts. She gave as good as she got in most of their
exchanges, even besting him at times. She was his perfect match. He just had to
prove it to her once she woke.

Aiden ate perfunctorily,
watching for any sign of improvement in Shayla’s condition.

There was none.

All that lovely
vitality was muted, fading as she pulled further and further away.

Neither alpha had
left, loitering around his room, casting glances at him that put him on edge.
He wanted them away from Shayla, hated for them to see her so vulnerable. “Say
it.”

Duncan straightened
and gave him a nod of respect. “I wanted to wish you well. You’re a lucky
bastard.”

For the space of a
second, the shell around the playboy bachelor cracked, revealing such naked
yearning the air pulsed with his pain. Then it was gone. Without another word,
he turned on his heel and left.

Aiden had expected Duncan
to try and talk him out of the bonding. Most wolves craved a mate. The older
they got, the harder it was to contain the wolf. Harder to remain human. He’d
never suspected that the other alphas weren’t faring any better.

All of them were just
going through the motions, barely holding it together for the sake of the pack.

“I envy you. Even
if—” Cam’s jaw tightened, as if he couldn’t force himself to say the words,
“—things don’t go as planned, you found your mate. You got an opportunity that
most of us can only dream about.” Cam didn’t spare him a glance as he stared at
the bed. Aiden wasn’t even sure he saw Shayla. For the first time since they
were children, there was now a tiny spark of hope for their future. With one
last nod, he left, too.

Aiden finished the
tasteless food. He prowled the room, his body twitching with the need to work
off the tension. Helplessness was slowly driving him insane.

He couldn’t fuck this
up.

He glared at the
door, frustration building like an itch under his skin. If the doctor didn’t
get his arse there soon, he’d have him hunted down and dragged there. With
every second that passed, Shayla slipped further beyond his reach. The sense of
time closing in on him spread until his animal pressed his claws into his chest,
urging him to hurry.

Aiden welcomed the
pain. It gave him something to focus on other than the uncertain future. His knuckles
cracked, and the primal urge to mate her swamping his every cell. Against his
will, his teeth lengthened at the thought of giving her the bite that would
mark her as his. Arousal burned through his system until all he could smell was
Shayla.

Even unconscious, she
had the power to lure him closer like a tug of a leash on his soul. He stood
next to the bed, shaking with the restraint to not snatch her up in his arms
and demand that she stay with him by the force of his will alone. He mourned
that she was not awake to experience the thrill of the mating ritual with him,
but part of him was secretly glad not to give her the option. He couldn’t take
the risk that she might not choose him. She’d confessed her love, but never
once asked for more.

The last mating to a
Beloved was centuries ago. Though all wolves were taught the steps in the
mating process, Aiden couldn’t recall a single mated couple who was still alive
to ask for advice.

There remained only a
small window of opportunity to complete the process.

In her deteriorating
condition, there would be no second chances.

Aiden tucked a strand
of hair behind Shayla’s ear, allowing his fingers to trail across the smooth
skin along her jaw.

“I hope you didn’t
start without me.” James hustled into the room with two large medical cases,
his expression harried, his composure a little frayed around the edges.

Aiden jerked back
from Shayla, locking his hands behind his back to keep from touching her again.
“You’re late.”

“One of your men had
an issue with staying alive.” James glanced up from digging through a case of
medical supplies, as if daring Aiden to take issue. “I’m here now. Explain to
me what’s going to happen.”

Aiden wanted to
refuse. It was pack business, not anything they’d ever shared with outsiders.
He unclenched his teeth. He needed the human to ensure that Shayla survived.

“Let me get this out
of the way first. She dies, you die. Do I make myself clear?”

“No need for
threats.” James straightened, his face completely earnest. “I’ll do everything
in my power to protect her.”

Aiden was betting her
life on it.

“This will require a
series of bites, each of which has to be timed exactly, to forge a connection
and not harm the female. The first bite is the least dangerous. It’s a simple bite
bestowed by the wolf, more of a pledge. If the beast accepts her offering, her
blood will help me build a foundation for the connection.”

No connection, no
mate.

It was a failsafe for
the couple. It took total control and commitment to take a mate. The connection
was supported completely on the male side, and prevented wolves not strong
enough from going any further.

James narrowed his
eyes as if sensing there was something not being said. “So there is no danger?”

Aiden pursed his
lips. “The wolf can refuse the woman and it ends there. The decision would be
final. In some cases with young wolves, the taste of blood can trigger
bloodlust in their beast. If they lose control, they could maul or even rip out
the throat of their loved one before their human side can stop them.”

James didn’t reply, but
removed a vial of clear liquid and a needle from his bag. He slowly filled the
syringe and walked toward the bed. It was all Aiden could do not to flash his
teeth and block access to Shayla.

James lifted his
chin, showing not one ounce of fear as he gestured toward the bed. “If you show
any signs of wolfing out, I’ll fill you up with enough drugs to drop you and
disappear with her so completely you’d never find us.”

His wolf threw his
weight against Aiden’s chest, frantic to break free to kill the bastard who’d
threatened to take what was theirs. His senses sharpened until he heard the
staccato pace of the doctors heart, saw the pulse hammer away at the base of
his throat.

It was a physical
effort to pull back his wolf.

To remain human.

It gratified him to
see James’s eyes widen, but the man had the balls not to back down.

“How long before we
know if it works?”

Aiden rubbed his jaw.
“The connection should snap into place within hours. Only once it’s secured can
we proceed to the second bite.” What he didn’t say was that it usually took
place during sex. The desire to consummate the relationship would only increase
as the connection between them strengthened.

“And what does the
second bite do, exactly?”

“Normally, the she
would sample my blood, taking enough to trigger a change in her body and force
her to heal. She already took some of my blood. It’s what kept her alive and
the infection away for three days, but it’s wearing off. We have one advantage.
We know she’s compatible. It will make the exchange easier on her.”

“So she’ll heal like
the other wolves. The change will be on a cellular level.” He spoke more to
himself, then his eyes sharpened on Aiden. “How long?”

“She won’t become a
wolf, but her system undergoes a series of alterations. She’ll become
healthier, stronger and faster, her senses heightened. She’d become more
aggressive and benefit from the same healing abilities; it will just take her a
bit longer.”

It would connect them
on a deeper level as well. Increase the need for them to be near one another.
His blood would combine his life force with hers, granting them a chance to grow
old together.

“The second bite can
take a full day to take effect, or fail if the original connection isn’t strong
enough.” Aiden was confident they wouldn’t have that problem. He’d wanted her,
human and all, since he’d first laid eyes on her. From the way she sought his
touch, leaned into his caress, she wanted him as well.

“So, if the first
stage isn’t strong enough—”

“Most will not finish
the mating process, accepting that they aren’t evenly matched. Others will wait
to see if the bond might grow stronger, though that’s rare. They can try again,
but high levels of our blood can prove toxic.” What he didn’t say was that if the
connection was established but faded, it could be very painful, the failure as
devastating as losing a limb.

“And if this connection
isn’t there and you continue anyway?”

“With so few suitable
females, they are too rare to risk. Pack law won’t allow it. To continue
without the connection is to court death. Mortality rates are nearly a hundred
percent for both parties.”

“If everything
doesn’t go as planned, what are you willing to risk?”

“Everything.”

James gave a grudging
nod of respect. “And the last phase?”

“The third step is
for the Beloved. She must place a drop of blood on the stone. If accepted, her
connection to the rest of the pack will lock into place.” Aiden brushed a hand
against the green stone she wore around her neck. He suspected that was what
has been keeping her alive after his blood had failed to heal her, but for how
much longer? “The necklace is proof that she’s already past that stage.”

Aiden dropped his
hand and lifted his head, allowing his beast to come forward. “You are not to
interfere unless there is an immediate danger to her. One wrong move could
destroy our only chance. She might not survive long enough to try again. There
will be time between steps for you to check on her. If either one of us is
jarred out of the connection before it can be fully formed, she won’t ever wake.”

“Got it. Anything I
should watch for?”

“If at any time you
see her vitals fall, do what you have to in order to keep her alive.”

James’s expression
turned grim, agreeing that Shayla was their first priority.

Then Aiden dismissed
James from his mind. He sat on the bed, leaned against the headboard, and
gathered Shayla into his arms. Even unconscious, she made his heart race. He
ducked his head and inhaled her scent, relishing the feel of her in his arms.