Aylin clenched her jaw, her body tense from the battle raging inside her. Rationality screamed at her to leave him behind, make the most of the pendant, and flee as soon as possible. She had no reason to drag a half-dead Alpha along with her, no justification to put herself at risk for him.
And yet her wolf snarled in defiance.
'Take him with us.'
Aylin's fingers curled against her palm. Her instincts were failing her. Her rational mind told her to flee, to break this fragile, unspoken bond before it tethered her to something she couldn't afford. However, her wolf, her deepest, most primal self, howled in protest, urging her to stay.
The man's body was feverish, his breathing slow but deep, and his face was buried in the crook of her neck. His weight was heavy against her, and his grip, though weakened, had not loosened. Every inch of her was aware of him, from the way his scent wrapped around her, raw and unfamiliar but strangely soothing, to the way his body trembled with exhaustion, but he refused to let her go.
Her breath caught as she shifted slightly, attempting to move herself away. His fingers flexed immediately, and his grip tightened around her waist.
"Don't," he rasped. His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, but the desperate tone struck her harder than she expected. His fingers twitched again, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let go. "Stay… just a little longer."
Aylin swallowed hard. Her heart was racing too fast, and her mind was fogged with uncertainty. He really needed her.
Or perhaps, more accurately—
He craved her scent.
His nose pressed lightly against her shoulder, above her disheveled hair, and she could feel his slow, steady breaths drawing her in. The realization made her stiffen.
She was calming him.
His fevered mind reached out for her presence like a lifeline, and something in her chest twisted at the thought. He wasn't holding onto her out of malice or dominance. He was clutching her because, in his vulnerable state, she was the only thing keeping him awake.
Aylin bit her lip, her wolf stirring again. 'See? He's different.'
She inhaled sharply, trying to ground herself in the moment. There was no room for hesitation. The intruders might still be nearby. If she was going to act, she needed to do it now.
"Do you have a safe place? People that can help you?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The man exhaled slowly, his fingers flexing against her wrist as if to gain strength. Then he nodded, his nose still pressed against her shoulder. "Why are you asking?" he murmured, his voice rough and strained.
Aylin paused for a moment before answering, her voice soft but firm. "I needed to know if you still had something worth fighting for. If there is any reason to bring you with me."
"Do you think you can carry me until we reach my fortress?" He asked with a tired laugh.
"No, I have my means." She said it short. Her chest tightened, and she gave a harsh response.
"Do you have a name, or should I keep calling you 'man who needs saving'?" Aylin asked lightly, trying to add some levity to the situation, even if only to steady her own nerves.
The man's body stiffened slightly, his fingers flexing against her skin as he gathered his remaining strength. For a long moment, he didn't respond. Aylin could sense his internal conflict, his reluctance to reveal more than was necessary, but she also sensed something else—a vulnerability that made her want to pull him closer, despite her mind's warning to stay guarded.
"Why does it matter?" he rasped after a pause, his voice rough but with a hint of amusement that didn't quite reach his voice. "Names are just things people use to tie you down."
Aylin smirked, though her heart was heavy with the weight of their situation. "I don't need to tie you down. But I need to know who I'm helping." She paused, her voice softening as she said, "I need to know if I am risking my life for someone worth saving."
There was a long period of silence before Alpha exhaled slowly, as if she had accepted the truth of her words. He shifted against her, his nose gently brushing against her shoulder as he sighed.
"Sasha," he murmured, his voice hoarse.
His grip on her wrist tightened briefly, and while he did not say anything, the weight of his silence spoke louder than words.
Aylin's breath caught in her throat when he finally spoke the name, Sasha. The name resonated with her in a way she hadn't expected. Sasha the Tsar. She was familiar with that name; she had heard rumors and whispers about a prince who had fallen from grace, exiled, a rogue leader of men who still followed him despite everything.
"The Tsar?" She asked to make sure that he was really the man she heard stories about.
"The one and only." He paused to inhale more of her scent before continuing. "Or so I heard. Are you afraid of me?" Sasha asked so quietly that Aylin had to strain her ears to understand.
Was she? She was, but because he was a stranger stronger than her, the stories she heard about him could be lies or truths. She did not have much time to dwindle.
"Do you know how to get to your safe place?" She asked, ignoring his question. Sasha won't like his answer anyway.
Aylin waited patiently; it wasn't like she had a way to get out of his embrace. The pendant would teleport anyone who knew how to use it or came into contact with the wielder.
"Yes," he murmured.
Aylin hesitated for only a second before she made her decision. Her grip tightened around the pendant, but she did not activate it just yet. She would bring him to his rogue pack.