Guarding Mari by Ella Grey

back in his human form. A quick brush over his forehead burnt her hand. His body fought the silver in his system. He opened his eyes. “This didn’t go how I thought it would.”
    She laughed anxiously, scooping her arms underneath his armpits and pulling him to his feet. “Come on. I need to get you back.” They didn’t have long, but if Ryback thought she’d willingly walk to her death, he didn’t know her at all. If Mari died today, she’d take him with her.
     
     
    Daniel lost track of time, focusing on placing one foot in front of the other. The silver burnt its way through his system. He’d seen the effects of silver on a wolf. Soon he’d slip into a sleep he wouldn’t wake up from, as his insides boiled. Mari had been talking to him but he hadn’t heard any of it. It was like an out of body experience watching her help him to the cabin. She kicked the door open and he fell to the ground.
    She gripped him beneath his arms, and pulled him in the rest of the way, stopping only when they reached the dwindling fire. He opened his eyes and watched as she ran into another room and came back with blankets.
    “Daniel, I need you to talk to me.”
    “I’m sorry; I should never have brought you into this.” Tiredness swept over him, and he closed his eyes again.
    A soft pressure on his face had him turning into the touch. If he died, he was glad they’d had time together. They deserved a lifetime together, a family. Ryback had stolen it all with one bullet. “ No , Daniel. Look at me. Do you think I would have forgiven you if you hadn’t involved me? I need to take the bullet out.” A sharp pain erupted at his shoulder, cutting through the heat of infection. He tried to breathe through it, but it wasn’t easy. A bomb exploded inside of him as she used her fingers to try and retrieve the bullet. “Next time, we need to bring a first aid kit with us.”
    “I don’t plan on getting shot again.” She thought she could save him. Why else would she be working so hard? Daniel coughed, his back left the floor. Mari pushed him back down again.
    “Keep still. You’re lucky the bullet didn’t get caught up in your blood stream. They have a habit of traveling through the body. Weird, but true. Here it is, wedged into bone. I’m sorry, this will hurt.”
    “What, more than it already does—oh, for the love of the Goddess!” A pain unlike anything else he’d suffered tore through him. The fever spiked shredding the darkness settling over him. He collapsed back onto the floor. The thud made stars dance in front of his eyes.
    “Daniel, are you still with me?”
    “Why are you doing this?”
    “You’re not going to bleed out; the bullet wound is already closing up. I need to wrap you in blankets and build up the fire. That should help you sweat the infection out.” She ignored his question, and Daniel didn’t like that. What is she planning?   “I’m hoping, with the bullet out of you, your wolf will take over the healing process. Ryback probably didn’t think I’d risk taking it out. You’ll be okay. You need to rest, let your wolf take over.”
    “You can’t go to him.” She curled up next to him, a comforting presence he desperately needed. “Promise me, you’re not going to go to him.”
    A heavy sigh tore at his heart. He needed to protect her, couldn’t let her just walk away to be killed. “I can’t promise that. I’m sorry, but the last thing I plan on doing is lying to you.” She moved her arm around his waist. “You need to keep warm. I’m going to send out word to the pack, tell them to be careful, but they need to come for you, take you to a hospital. If Ryback thinks I’ve called them for help, he’ll detonate the bombs. So I’ll tell them to wait, about an hour. It should be finished by then.”
    “Damn it, Mari.” He coughed out the words and felt coldness against his cheek, a kiss. “If you think I’ll be all right, then wait for me. Let me come with you.” Darkness