Hurried footsteps rushed down the stairs; it was Mason and Caelum. They had left for some minutes, knowing how dangerous it was for them to be near the beast. Usually, they wouldn't be back until hours later, but they heard the screams, the chains rattling, and knew instantly that something was wrong.

They burst into the place, holding their weapons and ready to attack the beast if needed, following Thorne's instructions. But they hadn't expected this.

Thorne was back to his human self, his chin dripping with blood that wasn't his.

Caelum looked down, and his breath hitched. Adina lay sprawled at his feet, her neck torn open, her body limp, pale, stained red.

His gut twisted. "What have you done?" he choked out, his voice hoarse.

Thorne didn't look at him. He knelt slowly, his hands shaking as he scooped Adina's body into his arms.

"Get Thessara," he rasped. "NOW!"

———-

Adina lay on the bed, her breathing shallow, barely there. She looked like death had already brushed its fingers along her skin.

Thorne stood at the foot of the bed, unmoving. Mason hovered near the door, tense. Caelum stood next to him, watching.

The door flew open, and Thessara walked into the room, her gray-streaked hair pulled back in a tight bun, her eyes sharp. Her robes were already stained from whatever spell-work she'd been doing before she was summoned.

"Summoning me like that. What could ever be so urg—" the words died in her throat, and she stopped cold as she laid eyes on the girl.

Her eyes flicked from Adina's bloodied neck to the tension brimming in Thorne's frame. Her mouth tightened.

"What have you done?" she asked, her voice low and sharp.

Thorne didn't respond.

He couldn't.

Thessara exhaled tightly, then moved, wasting no time. She murmured under her breath, soft syllables in an old tongue she knew.

From her satchel, she pulled out bundles of dried herbs, blood moss, shadowroot, a vial of moon-salted water, and a pinch of wolfsbane.

She worked quickly and efficiently. The girl didn't have much time left. She mixed all she'd brought together, closing her eyes and began to chant.

It went on for ten minutes, and still, when she opened her eyes, the wound was still there, seeping blood, wide and angry as ever.

Thessara's chant broke off. Her hands slowed. Her brows drew together. It wasn't enough.

Mason stepped forward, his voice hushed. "Is it… not working?"

She didn't answer him. Instead, her sharp eyes snapped to Thorne. "You bit her," she said flatly. "In your cursed form. What were you thinking?"

Silence filled the room.

Thorne's jaw clenched. "I didn't mean to—"

"Intent doesn't matter," she snapped. "The gods see no difference. You marked her as yours with the blood of a monster. That's why her body isn't healing."

Caelum stiffened near the doorway. "Then what do we do? What can fix it?"

Thessara was quiet for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, softly— "Only her fated can heal her now."

"Her fated? Who is he? Where do we find him? Is he close by because she might not survive this if he isn't?" Mason rushed out, his mind running a mile a second.

Thessara turned, meeting Thorne's eyes. "You already have. He's standing right there. He marked her. Claimed her under the full moon. The bond is sealed. She's caught between life and death, and only the full consummation of that bond can bring her back. You must share the night. Let her feel you, connect with you. Only then will your strength feed hers."

Thorne's jaw tensed, but he still didn't speak.

Caelum stepped forward, angry. "You can't be serious. She's injured. Vulnerable. He nearly killed her—he can't just…"

Thessara snapped. "Then perhaps he should have thought of that before mauling her to the brink of death!"

Caelum fell silent, his jaw tight, his fists clenched at his sides.

No one moved.

Thorne stepped forward at last. He stopped at the edge of the bed, towering above her fragile form.

"Then tell me what I have to do," he said quietly.

Thessara's gaze softened, just slightly. She reached into her satchel again and drew a dagger. "First, your blood," she said. "She was marked by your beast. Now she needs your offering as a mate."

Without hesitation, Thorne took the blade and dragged it across his palm. The scent of his blood filled the room.

Thessara brought forth a small bowl laced with runes and held it under his hand. Blood pooled into the center, mixing with the remnants of the herbs.

"This will keep her tethered while the bond works," she explained. She turned to Caelum and Mason, her eyes hard. "Leave us."

Caelum hesitated. "Thessara—"

"Leave."

They exchanged a look but obeyed. Now it was just Thorne, Thessara, and Adina.

Thorne looked down at her, at the blood on her throat. His voice came rough, nearly broken. "Will she know?"

Thessara looked up from the bowl. "No. Her spirit is half-shadowed now. But if you bond her fully, she will live."

"And if I don't?"

"She dies before sunrise."

His hands curled at his sides. He didn't respond to her. He almost killed her.

"You didn't choose this, I know," she said gently, for the first time tonight. "But the gods did. And so did your beast. You've marked her. She is yours now. She will feel your touch, even in this state. It will heal her. Don't let what happened in the past limit you."

He stared at Adina for a long moment. Oh, how hard he'd fought against the bond only for this to happen.

Thorne reached out, brushing his knuckles along her cheek. She didn't stir. But the bond in his chest ached.

"Leave us," he said.

Thessara nodded once, without argument. She gathered her tools and disappeared into the hall.

Thorne stood over the bed for another long minute. Then he sat beside her.

"I'm sorry, Roseanne," he whispered.