TW; fight/blood

As the cry of my soul mate's name left my lips, the arm around my waist tightened. A hand snaked up my middle, fingers securing themselves around the middle of my throat. I startled a gasp, hands rising to pry the fingers from my windpipe.

Asra stood in the doorway, his shoulders broad and chest heaving with every breath. He was nude too, his skin covered in various splashes of blood. Claws extended, canines flashing as he snarled at the male holding me. Blake was stiff, but tried to play off his nerves by laughing cautiously.

"Alpha, what a pleasant surprise." Blake chirped, causing Asra to snap his teeth. "Pray tell, why you felt the need to slaughter my entire force?"

Asra didn't care for his teasing, his black eyes fixed on the hand around my throat. "Release her."

I shuddered as the deep vibrations of his beast wrecked my nerves. Blake had the audacity to laugh, the loud bellows vibrating my back.

"The human?"

No, the alien serpent behind you!

"You had no right to take her." Asra snapped.

"How could I resist? A tempting human, a creature so easily manipulated and controlled." Blake hummed. "She was just teasing me, in her little bikini, all soaking wet. A simple drug was all I needed to grab her from your land."

He squeezed my throat, causing me to gasp in alarm when his claws punctured the skin. I could feel them sink into my flesh, the warmth of my blood dripping and pooling in my collarbone.

Asra's nose twitched, inhaling my scent, before he seemed to freeze. A slow blink, his eyes travelling the length of my body before his head titled. I watched with struggling breath as his tongue darted to wet his lips before a frown curled them distastefully. It reminded me oddly of a reptile, but it only made Blake laugh.

Asra's teeth clashed, anger coating his expression. "You hurt her! You touched what is not yours."

Blake smirked. "Come on Alpha, she is just a human. What else is she good for?"

The next few seconds were a blur. One moment, I was losing precious oxygen as Blake's claws sank into my throat, and the next, I was flying. My head smacked into a nearby cupboard, disorientating me. It was nowhere near as bad as the pulsing in my neck, though. My hands darted up in alarm. The deep wounds from Blake's claws had torn the skin along my neck. Blood coated my palms and my stomach churned with nausea.

I was going to pass out again.

Through bleary, tear-filled eyes, I looked up to find out what had happened. Asra and Blake were scuffling, a mass of muscled limbs and blood blurred together along with the sounds of teeth snapping together. It wasn't long before one was prevalent, and I scurried back when Asra forced the taller male to the ground.

Asra was livid, his entire body shaking with adrenaline, the need to hurt the enemy engrained deep in his soul. He was pure wolfy right now, fur sprouting on his arms as he pinned Blake to the floor. Blake was gasping for air whilst the blood from my neck continued to poor. I coughed, my chest rattling as I hacked up phlegm.

Spitting onto the floor, blood splattered instead of the usual. "Asra..."

I must've not been loud enough because he was still fighting to pin the other alpha down. I whimpered, wheezing for breath as I looked for something to relieve the bleeding. A couple of cupboards down was a tea towel hanging from the handle, and I dragged my weak body to pull it from the door. It went with a clatter, just as Asra growled.

Placing the towel around my throat, I glanced up at the fight.

"Submit to me," Asra snarled.

Blake growled, arms and legs pinned beneath Asra. "Get off me! You have no claim on her!"

Oh god, not the thing to say.

"She is mine!" Asra roared, pushing all of his weight onto Blake's neck.

Blake's eyes widened as he spluttered to speak. "I-I-

"You took what was mine. You hurt what was mine." Asra growled. "Now you will feel what it is like to have your life choices ripped away from you."

"Please..." Blake spluttered.

He was going to kill him.

Despite everything Blake had done, he didn't deserve to die.

Much like Darius. He didn't deserve death. He was a man of cruelty, a man of selfishness.

He deserved to suffer.

"Asra..." I called weakly.

Using my voice caused me to choke again, my chest heaving as I coughed up more blood.

"Asra!" I tried to shout.

Luck must be in my favour because his head snapped up to me. My hand clutched the bloodied towel, the other gripping onto a nearby handle for dear life.

"You can't kill him." I weakly rasped.

"He hurt you." Asra's dark eyes bore into mine.

I winced at the amount of blood on him and the rage in his eyes. I could hear the pain in his voice, the anger he felt from finding out this way.

"It's not the first time in my life." I sighed. "He doesn't deserve to just die."

He growled. "Yes, he does."

"He doesn't." I winced, my head pounding with pain. "Someone like him... does not... deserve a... a quick death."

My head was swimming, my arm falling from the cupboard as my body grew weak. I groaned as I slumped to the floor, blinking past the daze before me.

This wasn't my first time passing out after the trauma. My body and mind rather liked to do that to me. It was frustrating, but I knew I was safe now, because despite everything, I knew Asra would be on the other side.

"Please..." I whispered before I succumbed to the pain.

***

The same dull beeping of a machine met my senses, a wicked sense of déjà vu causing my mind to spiral. My eyes peeled open, eager to find out where I was and what happened.

At least I was alive, I mused.

The room was dull; the curtains drawn and casting shadows over my bed. I took in the sight of drips in my arms and white sheets around my legs, a painful sigh of realisation that I was once again in the hospital. My body was numb, my mind calm despite the raging seas from only hours before.

Or was it days?

It was hard to say.

A movement came from my right and with dull fascination, my eyes lazily moved to my left, only for my breath to hitch and the heart monitor to pick up pace. Asra was studying me, leaned forward eagerly in an armchair. His hair was dishevelled, his body still covered in blood. It was dried and crusted, telling me he hadn't bathed since the fight.

"Asra..." I breathed, my throat sore.

His blue eyes flickered with emotion, lips pulled down into a grimace. "Thirsty?"

My jaw clenched as I remembered the last time they offered me a drink in the hospital; Eve lacing it with a sleeping drug, thanks to the doctor. I shakily nodded my head, though, forcing myself to trust Asra after everything he had done for me.

He had given me a home without fear and rescued me from someone trying to sell me.

I had to give him a small step of faith.

Asra stood, moving to pour me a cup of water from a nearby pitcher. The ice clinked as he lifted it; the water sloshing as he inserted a straw for me to drink from. He moved it to my lips, his two forefingers securing the straw for me to grasp between my lips. They pressed against my mouth as I drank, causing a strange look to pass over his face.

When I pulled away, I thanked him softly. "What happened?"

His jaw clenched as he placed the cup back down. "I didn't kill him."

I nodded, chewing on the inside of my lip. "Okay."

Silence enveloped us, and he shifted in his seat. I watched him curiously. The tension in the air was unmistakable as his hand inched to enclose mine. I took it softly, his large palm covering the entire back of mine.

"How did you find me?" I wondered.

"I tracked Blake's trail. He hid your scents, but I could find him. I knew he took you the moment I felt your alarm through the bond." He explained, staring at our entwined hands. "Then you disappeared. It was all so sudden I thought that..."

I nodded, swallowing down the lump in my throat. He thought Blake killed me.

"He drugged me." I murmured. "He turned my body into a sack of potatoes, and I lost track of time. Next thing I know, I'm being injected again and can barely move and... and... I couldn't do anything."

I felt tears burn in my eyes. The outward confession of my demise caused strange emotions to rise in me. Asra's hand burned my skin. The heat of his body was intense compared to the coolness of my own.

"Did he touch you?"

I swallowed nervously, shaking my head. "I don't know... I was unconscious."

It only made his anger worse. He dropped my hand like I had scolded him and jumped from his seat. I flinched as he tore the sheets from my legs, revealing a terrible hospital gown beneath.

"What are you-

His hands pried my thighs apart and my heart raced as fear entrapped my throat. He paused, his head darting up to find my wide, panicked eyes. His arms and face relaxed, releasing some of the tension from his arms.

"I'm sorry if I startled you." He apologised.

I gulped, sniffing away the burning tears. "What are you doing?"

"I just wish to smell you."

"Smell me?" I gulped.

"I want to know what he did so I can castrate him."

Despite the terrible nerves, I nodded. It was embarrassing, but I knew it would sate his beast for now. His face inched closer, a deep rumble as he inhaled. I flushed with embarrassment as he hovered there a moment longer, my very soul feeling like it was being ripped from my body.

When he moved away, a deep rumble vibrated the bed. I remained still, and his face etched with concern as he gently wrapped me back up in the blankets.

Moving to stand by my head, he was tense. Distracting himself, he checked the monitors above me.

"Does it hurt?"

I shook my head. "Nothing does."

"Good. It shouldn't." He nodded, crossing his arms. "I gave you my blood as soon as Blake was taken care of."

"H-How did you?"

His blue eyes flashed down to me, causing me to swallow at the smoulder hidden beneath them. "He had a medical wing in his little rogue camp. My blood can heal you through a vein for now. When we mate, you can drink it."

I swallowed, nodding once. "I see... And... Blake... is he..."

"He is alive." He grimaced. "Unfortunately. Maybe not for long after..."

Sighing, I muttered a good. "Men like him don't deserve quick deaths."

He cocked his head, sitting back down beside me and taking my hand again. "You said something before you passed out."

"Oh?" I wondered.

His eyes blazed, and I inhaled sharply when his gaze dropped to my throat. "You said it wasn't the first time someone had hurt you. What did you mean?"

Oh shit. Walked myself into that one, didn't I?

How was I meant to get out of this?

Play dead?

Nah, I had a heart monitor on...

Pass out?

That could work?

Or just get up and run away and hope that I don't collapse to the ground?

Like a deer caught in headlights, I stared up at my saviour. Stories and words were on the verge of spilling free but held back by the repercussions of my past trauma.