Chapter 69 I’ll Stay

Presidential Suite

Eira lay on the bed, wrapped in a robe and a thick blanket. Natalie had taken off her wet coat and shoes, but her clothes were still damp.

Without the cold water, the heat inside her came roaring back.

She twisted under the blanket and clawed at her collar.

"Easy."

Alpha Killian caught her wrists before she could hurt herself.

Eira looked up at him. Her eyes were unfocused, and her breathing came in short, uneven bursts.

She fought him again.

Alpha Killian used his tie to bind her wrists loosely together.

"Tell Wood to step on it."

"He’s on his way up," Natalie said.

Eira pulled against the tie and let out a weak sound. Alpha Killian leaned closer to check the knot, and her warm breath brushed his face.

Her scent hit him a second later.

His wolf surged forward.

Alpha Killian backed away at once.

"Natalie, stay with her."

He stepped onto the balcony and let the cold air clear his head. His clothes were still soaked, but he barely noticed.

All he could think about was Eira lying in that bathtub, seconds from drowning.

The doorbell rang.

Dr. Barry Wood stood outside with his medical bag.

"You look like hell," Barry said.

"It’s not me. Get inside."

Barry entered the bedroom and stopped when he saw Eira.

Then he noticed Alpha Killian’s red tie around her wrists.

"I’m guessing there’s an explanation."

"She was scratching herself," Alpha Killian said. "Help her."

Barry got to work.

He checked her pulse and pupils, then drew a blood sample. His expression quickly turned serious.

"She was drugged. Her heart rate is way too high."

"Can you treat it?" Alpha Killian asked.

"Not until I know what she took. If I give her the wrong medication, I could make it worse."

Natalie frowned. "Can’t her wolf burn it out?"

"She doesn’t have one," Alpha Killian said.

Barry looked up sharply. "She’s wolf-less?"

"Yes."

"That’s a problem. A werewolf’s system can regulate most human drugs. Hers can’t."

Eira struggled again. Her pulse climbed on the monitor.

"What about another cold bath?" Natalie asked.

"No chance," Barry said. "Her body temperature is already too low. Ice water could put her into shock."

Alpha Killian’s patience snapped.

"Then give me an option that actually helps."

Barry thought for a moment.

"My grandmother may recognize the reaction. She’s a licensed acupuncturist and one of the oldest healers in the pack. She’s handled cases like this before."

"Call her."

"She doesn’t make house calls anymore."

"Then we’ll go to her."

Barry nodded. "Her clinic is twenty minutes away."

"Tell her we’ll be there in ten."

Alpha Killian returned to the bed and untied Eira’s wrists. He wrapped the blanket securely around her and lifted her into his arms.

She grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Don’t," she whispered. "Please don’t leave me."

Alpha Killian went still.

"I’m not going anywhere."

Barry stared at him.

"So this is Miss Crawford."

"Don’t even go there," Alpha Killian warned.

Barry raised both hands. "Didn’t say a word."

Natalie quickly texted Miles.

We’re taking Eira to Dr. Wood’s family clinic. Keep Isabella in the lobby and do not share our location.

They headed for the private elevator.

As the doors closed, Sebastian, Serena, and Isabella stepped into another elevator across the lobby.

One car went down while the other went up.

They missed each other by seconds.

---

Even wrapped up like a burrito, Eira would not stay still.

She shifted restlessly in Alpha Killian’s arms, weak sounds slipping from her lips.

Each movement made the blanket slide against his chest, bringing her soft curves closer despite his effort to keep a safe distance.

"Easy," Alpha Killian murmured. His voice came out lower and rougher than he intended.

He touched her cheek, hoping to calm her.

The second her hot skin met his palm, heat shot up his arm.

She turned instinctively into his touch, rubbing her flushed cheek against his hand as if searching for relief. Her lips brushed the base of his thumb, warm and slightly parted.

His wolf stirred.

Alpha Killian pulled his hand back and tightened his grip on the blanket instead.

His fingers dug into the thick fabric. It was the only thing between his hands and her heated skin, and suddenly it did not feel thick enough.

Eira opened her eyes. Her gaze was hazy, but it locked on him.

Her lashes fluttered. Then her eyes dropped slowly to his mouth.

For a moment, Alpha Killian forgot to breathe.

Every instinct demanded that he pull her closer, shield her with his body, and soothe the ache twisting through her.

He shut those instincts down hard.

Then she struggled again, and he caught her before she could slide from his lap.

"Hold still," he said through clenched teeth. "We’re almost there."

Eira made a small sound and pressed closer. Her breath slipped beneath the open collar of his shirt, hot against his throat.

Alpha Killian’s jaw tightened.

"You smell good," she whispered.

The words were slurred and barely clear, but he heard every syllable.

His entire body went rigid.

Natalie sat beside him, pretending not to notice how stiff his entire body had become.

In the passenger seat, Barry glanced at the rearview mirror.

Alpha Killian was holding Eira as if she might break. He did not dare pull her closer, but he would not loosen his grip either.

Barry’s mouth twitched.

Alpha Killian caught his eye in the mirror.

"Something funny?"

"Nope."

"Then face forward."

Barry wisely looked away and called his grandmother.

--

Twenty minutes later, they reached the Wood family clinic.

Mrs. Wood was waiting in a private treatment room. She was one of the Sterling Pack’s oldest healers and a licensed acupuncturist who had spent decades treating wolves whose bodies reacted badly to human medicine.

A deep wooden soaking tub stood in the center of the room. Steam rose from water scented with medicinal herbs.

She took one look at Eira.

"Put her on the table first."

Alpha Killian carried Eira inside and gently set her down.

Mrs. Wood checked Eira’s pulse, lifted one eyelid, and smelled her breath.

"Strong stimulant mixed with something meant to lower her judgment," she said. "Her body is fighting it, but without a wolf, she has no way to control the reaction."

"Can you help her?" Alpha Killian asked.

"I can bring down her heart rate and help her system clear the drug."

She opened a leather case filled with sterile needles, then nodded toward the door.

"Barry, wait outside."

Barry blinked. "You don’t need me?"

"I need someone she trusts and someone strong enough to keep her from slipping under the water."

Natalie stepped forward. "I can stay."

The older woman looked at Eira, who was still clutching Alpha Killian’s shirt.

"She isn’t holding on to you."

Natalie followed her gaze.

Eira’s fingers were locked around the front of Alpha Killian’s shirt, even in her dazed state.

Alpha Killian nodded once.

"I’ll stay."