A Kiss For Your Freedom
Chapter 82

We place it on the kitchen table, stretching it out as best we can. He groans in pain every time we touch him, squirming as if we're hurting him more than anything else.

A new howl arises. Dorian tenses, placing his hands on the table. If he leaves, I wouldn't sacrifice the children for Antoine even if he came to help us. They come before him, as sad as that is. "Leave," he manages to say, placing his hand on Dorian. Go save him. Don't worry about me.

He turns to me. We both know what that means. I would be more vulnerable without him, although I certainly don't plan to let that happen. He is about to speak when we both perceive the same message even though the pain arrives at the same time. "Don't come. You have to protect the children."

My heart sinks. I don't want to lose him, I don't want to live without him, anyway, I already know I couldn't. Dorian sighs. Shared between all of us, knowing that children come first. He closes his eyes for a short moment. Tapping the table as a tear rolls down his cheek. We both know that he is essential to us. That it is essential to us. He is the love of our life, the great love of our life, the only one worth sacrificing everything for.

I take a deep breath. I know what I'm about to say is horrible, but the words pass the barrier of my lips knowing what I'm saying.

- Go ahead, sweetheart. Go replace him and bring him back to us. Envy.

- I can't, he says, sighing as his gaze passes over Antoine.

- If you can and you will. Go replace him. We won't be able to live without him, you know that as well as I do. You couldn't stand it and to be honest neither could I. We don't want this life, not a life without him. I will protect the children.

He fixes his gaze on mine as if trying to read something there and finally he nods at me. I lean over Antoine's body before kissing him and he places his forehead against mine.

-I love you my beautiful.

- I love you even more my angel.

He gets up and leaves. We each have our role to play and although it saddens me, his role does not take place here. The door closes and I am left facing this young Wolf, completely foreign to this whole story.

"I'm so sorry," I said softly. You shouldn't have been there. You should have left like you planned.

I lift his t-shirt to see the extent of the damage. His body is completely lacerated, open with long streaks, surely the work of claws. He's losing too much blood. If I don't do anything, he will die before my eyes. I turn to look in the direction of the children's room. - Go protect them, he said before being overcome by a coughing fit. It's too late for me.

More blood seeps out as I turn my attention back to him. He is so young, he has his life ahead of him. Finally, he should have it. He who wanted to start a family. My chest tightens, I'm not a monster, I can't ignore his pain.

- Melissa, how is your brother, I said out loud so she could hear me clearly.

She takes a second to answer but says to me,

- He's calling you but it's okay.

- That's great my darling, you're great. Now listen to me carefully. There will be noise, a lot of noise. Your dads' friend is injured and I have to take care of him. You know the song we sing in the bath, the one we shout at the top of our lungs while having fun. I want you both to sing it, as loud as you can. Make as much noise as you can.

Okay mom, when are you coming back?

- I have to help dad's friend, it's serious. I'll do it as quickly as I can, sweetie, I promise.

I blame myself, she is so small and yet I already give her heavy responsibilities. My anger grows a little more, knowing that I'm putting him through this because of my sister is unforgivable.

- I know it's going to hurt, I said looking at Antoine and I'm almost asking the impossible, but please don't scream.

I leave quickly to get some strong alcohol and some thread and needle. If he survives this, no one will challenge his position as Alpha, I'm sure. I hurry to join him and look more carefully at these wounds.

- The organs don't seem impacted, I said, trying to touch these wounds. But it's deep, really deep.

At the same time, the children's voices are heard. They sing this stupid song that amuses us so much. Scream as loud as they can. Dorian will kill this bounty hunter before he gets here, I know it, I feel his rage, his determination, his anger as he waits for only one thing, to taste his blood.

It's always a little strange to perceive the thoughts of their Wolves but I got used to it, I learned to understand them and even to love them. I open the bottle and take a big swig before handing him the bottle. He does the same and grimaces as the alcohol runs down his throat.

I prepare the needle and place the thread on it. There are at least two layers to stitch up given the depth of the wound. If he wasn't a Wolf, he would already be dead. -Sorry, I said, pouring the bottle onto his wound.

He grits his teeth, he tries. He tries hard not to scream but the alcohol seeps into those flesh and he ends up screaming as I start to push the needle. He clings to the table. The children continue to sing while I try to maintain a connection with Dorian. There are too many things to manage at once. I have trouble concentrating. I take a deep breath, my fingers are already red with his blood. I have to continue, he can't die on our table. No way.

My hand, which was trembling slightly, becomes more secure. I continue. Remaining fixed on this objective. I keep going, piercing this skin again and again. I'm going to have this for a while, a hell of a while. He tenses, screams, writhes beneath me, unable to resist the pain. Melissa shouts a little louder and her brother follows her. She understood, without me even telling her.

Outside, a new scream is heard, it's Jason, I feel it but I can't let my bond devastate me. I can't feel this right now. A long shudder runs through me, there is a slight difference in the intonation of my daughter's voice and a sob in my son's. I have to believe in Dorian, I have to trust him.

Dorian's POV

I knew it, Jason is not the type to wait, he does not sit idly and let his enemy get to him. He set off in pursuit without thinking that he might leave his feathers behind. I can't leave him there. I can't leave him in these hands after I saw what he did to Antoine. This bastard is playing us but I'm going to replace him, I'm going to replace them and he's going to regret taking this mission. He will regret coming to our territory.

I rush through the trees dodging traps without the slightest problem. I know all their positions, Jason always keeps me informed of what he is doing. He's bleeding, he's in pain and I'm taking the full brunt of this wave of pain. My Wolf roared, fiercely. He has just passed the point of no return.

My speed is increasing, nothing will stop me. I'm going to cut him up, tear him into pieces. I groan louder and louder and that feeling comes back to me. That of combat, that of the adrenaline that rises as I tread our land. I have long been a warrior in the service of a single Wolf. I recognize these sensations, all my senses which are on alert while the mind of my Wolf thinks at full speed, analyzes the situation and what we know about him.

He's cunning, that's a fact. He dodged every trap set, but he is also strong, he managed to injure Jason. He has experience, it shows and I should not take him lightly. I move ever faster and rush through the woods. Its smell becomes stronger. I am getting closer. I speed up a little more..

It only takes me a few minutes to get to him. Just a few minutes but against all odds, he is alone and covered in blood. I rush towards him. Almost fearing that it was too late, but as soon as I knelt beside him, he opened his eyes and looked at me. - Go back there. Go save them.

He is weak and losing a lot of blood. If I leave him like this he won't survive long. I close my eyes, focusing on Emma. She takes care of Adrien to my greatest surprise.

"He's not here, do you know what that means?"

"He's coming!"

"That's it. We won't be there in time. Jason is pretty beat up."

"Don't worry. He won't lay a finger on our children."

I lay down on the floor so Jason climbed on my back. We have to replace her but he, like Jason earlier, underestimated who he was dealing with. I trust her, since day one, since that moment she collided with me. She's different and that's what makes me love her so much. I'm going as fast as I can. His body slows me down. We had to make a choice and together, we decided to save him, to do everything so that he would come back to us. Yohan's POV

I've been waiting for the confrontation with Dorian for so long that my whole Wolf is shivering. I want to fight him, kill him with my own paws, under the pressure of my fangs. I have heard so many stories about him, so many accounts praising his cruelty. It is true that he is diminished nevertheless, for the moment, he must just feel helpless.

He threw himself into the Wolf's mouth as one would say. Which is almost ironic. This Jason charged forward, head down and I just had to return blow for blow. After all, he may have been an excellent fighter in the past, but since then he has been idle. He stopped training. He comforted himself in his little tidy life without worrying about the rest of the world. But I'm still in action and I showed him. Whatever the traps, they're not the first I've seen and certainly not the last.

This Jason fell so easily, far from the legend announced, let's hope that Dorian keeps the promises of his name