Chapter 21: A Choice of Blood (Owen's POV)

I paced back and forth, my mind running in circles. The cold, sterile scent of the clinic mingled with the sharp tang of anxiety in the air. Every minute felt like an eternity. Cole had been silent ever since we rushed Sabine in here, his usual confidence replaced by a quiet, heavy tension.

I could barely stomach the thought of her—my mate—hurt, unconscious, lying there in that operating room. I felt like I was going to lose my mind. I kept replaying the moment in my head when Cole found her after the rogue wolf attacked. I should have been there. I should've sensed something before it happened. But I hadn't. And now, she was fighting for her life.

I clenched my fists, trying to push back the storm of guilt that threatened to drown me. Cole had been with her in the woods when the rogue attacked. He'd gotten to her first, but the damage had already been done. I could only imagine how he must feel, knowing Sabine was hurt so badly, and I hated that I wasn't there to protect her. To be the one to help.

Beside me, Cole was unusually still. His jaw was clenched, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his expression tight with frustration. I could feel the unease radiating off him. He didn't show it outwardly, but his worry was palpable.

"How's she?" I asked, unable to keep the urgency out of my voice.

Cole didn't answer right away. He just stared at the door to the operating room, his eyes shadowed with concern. "She's still in there," he finally said. "They're doing everything they can. The rogue was infected, Owen. With something... bad. We couldn't stop it. I should have gotten to her faster."

"You couldn't have known," I replied, trying to reassure him, though the guilt was just as heavy on my shoulders.

But Cole didn't seem to hear me. His gaze remained fixed on the door. "I just want her out of there," he murmured, almost to himself.

My wolf—Fraser—had been growling low in the back of my mind, unsettled and restless. He didn't like this. Didn't like the idea of someone touching what was ours, of our mate being hurt so badly. I couldn't stand it, either.

Just as I was about to speak again, the door to the operating room opened, and the doctor stepped out. She was a tall woman, her face pale and worn, her brow furrowed with concern.

"How is she?" Cole asked before I could.

The doctor took a deep breath. "The situation is worse than we thought," she said, her tone somber. "Sabine's injuries are severe. She's lost a lot of blood. But the real issue is that the rogue who attacked her... was infected."

Infected. I felt my chest tighten, and my stomach dropped. "With what?" I asked, unable to keep the tremor from my voice.

"A virus," the doctor replied grimly. "It's not something we've seen in this region before. It's aggressive, and it's spreading in her bloodstream." She paused, looking between us. "The only way to save her is to cleanse the blood, but that's risky. We can't do it with standard procedures."

"What do we do then?" Cole's voice was low, but I could hear the raw desperation in it.

The doctor glanced at us, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "There's an alternative, but it's dangerous as well. It requires the mate bond to be fully activated. You'll both have to mark her. With your bite. It'll cleanse her blood, and it's the only way to purify her before the virus spreads any further."

My heart thundered in my chest. Mark her. It sounded so simple in words, but it wasn't. Not like this.

"And if we don't?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"She won't survive the virus. The blood loss... She won't last another few hours without something being done."

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. The thought of Sabine not making it... I couldn't bear it. But this, marking her, was a huge decision. It wasn't just about saving her life. It was about sealing our bond forever. And it had to be done right.

I turned to Cole, my gaze meeting his, my heart racing. He didn't hesitate.

"We do it," he said, his voice steady, though I could hear the urgency beneath it. "We save her."

I nodded, my mind already made up. This was the only choice. And Sabine—our mate—deserved this chance.

The doctor didn't waste any more time. She led us into the room where Sabine lay unconscious, pale and fragile, hooked up to machines that beeped steadily, marking the passage of time. I could barely stomach looking at her like this. But she was still breathing. And that's all that mattered.

I stepped closer, my heart aching with the need to hold her, to protect her, to make her safe again.

Cole moved to the other side of the bed, his expression intense. We both stood over her, our hearts in sync with the urgency we both felt. The room was silent except for the faint beeping of the monitors.

I reached out, taking her left hand in mine, my thumb brushing over her skin, feeling the faint pulse beneath. "You're going to be okay," I whispered to her, even though she couldn't hear me. "I'll never let anything happen to you. You're mine."

Cole's voice cut through the air. "I'll take the right arm. You do the left."

I nodded, stepping back slightly to let Cole move into position. My wolf, Fraser, was growling inside me, but I kept my focus on Sabine. This wasn't just about us. This was about her survival.

Cole bit into her right arm, the sound of his teeth sinking into her flesh echoing in the room. I did the same on the left, my own fangs sinking into her skin, the familiar, primal satisfaction mingling with the urgency that filled the air.

As we marked her, I could feel the bond between us solidifying. The world seemed to narrow down to just the three of us. There was no more room for anything else—only the pulsing connection of our souls, the bond that would carry us through this and whatever came next.

For a moment, I was lost in the feeling of it, the world outside fading away as I focused on the woman who had become my everything.

When we finally pulled back, both of us panting slightly, the air in the room felt heavier, charged with the energy of the bond we'd just completed.

Sabine's body twitched slightly, and the color seemed to return to her cheeks. Her breathing, which had been shallow, became more steady.

I felt the bond deep in my chest. She was ours. She was alive.

"Is she—" I started, but the doctor nodded before I could finish.

"She's stabilizing. The bond has worked. The virus is no longer in her bloodstream."

Cole exhaled, his eyes finally softening. "Thank the moon."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I was too busy focusing on the warmth flooding through me. The bond was complete. She was ours. And nothing would take her from us.

HOPE YOU LIKED IT!

Let me know your thoughts—what do you think happens next? Share your ideas, and don't forget to vote if you'd like to see more of this story. Your feedback means everything to me!Thank you for reading, and I can't wait to hear from you!