Arthur


    My heart stops cold in my chest as Iris copses. Her ss shatters against the floor, sending the greenish liquid of the cocktail spilling across the hardwood.


    It all happens so fast. One moment she''s on her feet, hosting a phenomenal party against all odds, and the next moment she''s down. Her face is turning an rming shade of red, her hands wing at her throat as she struggles for breath.


    And then, just like that, she''s unconscious.


    "Iris!" I''m on my feet in an instant, lunging toward her, bu somehow Caleb is faster.


    He''s at her side before I can take two steps, catching her as she copses to the carpet. I can''t help but notice that it''s almost as if he''s done this before as he lowers her to the floor, one hand carefully supporting her head while the other reaches into his pocket for something.


    "Move back!" he barks at the stunned guests, then pulls out what looks like an EpiPen. Without hesitation, he shoves Iris''s dress up toward her hips and then jams the needle into her thigh.


    gasps,


    The effect is almost immediate. The terrifying blue tinge slowly starts to fade from her lips, and she drawing in a ragged breath. Caleb cradles her head in hisp, murmuring something to her that I can''t quite make out from where I''m standing frozen in shock.


    "Someone call 911," hemands, his eyes still focused on Iris like she''s the most precious thing in the world.


    Hunter is already on his phone, rattling off the address to emergency services. I drop to my knees beside Iris, gripping her cold hands in mine. "Iris," I murmur, even though I know she can''t hear me. "Iris, I''m here."


    The look of anger Caleb gives me isn''t lost on me, but I don''t have time to decipher it right now. For a moment, just a moment, the jealousy and confusion I''ve felt for days now melts away, reced by pure terror for my mate.


    Everyone else stands in stunned silence as we wait for the ambnce, the same questions no doubt running through all of our minds: How did this happen? What is she allergic to? And most importantly, how the hell did Caleb not only know about her allergy, but also just happened to have an EpiPen on hand?


    The paramedics arrive within minutes, their professional calm a stark contrast to the chaos in the apartment. They quickly assess Iris, praising Caleb''s quick action with the epinephrine.


    "You probably saved her life," one of them tells him as they carefully load Iris onto a stretcher. She''s conscious again, but just barely, and I can tell she''s in a lot of pain. I can feel it in my bones, as if I''m experiencing the same pain, and it confuses me.


    Many mates feel ghost pain if their mate is hurt or sick, but it''s not as prominent with human mates. The mate bond shouldn''t be strong enough between wolves and humans for those ancient forces-biological failsafes to ensure that, if one wolf mate got hurt, the other could recognize it and get help in order to keep both alive.


    But Iris is a human. I shouldn''t be able to feel her pain like this. Right?


    Pushing the thought away for now, I move to follow the procession of EMTs and guests out of the apartment. I find parents gathering their coats and car keys in the foyer, looking astonishingly unbothered by the whole


    situation.


    "We''ll leave you to it," my father says stiffly. "Do keep us informed on her condition, Arthur."


    "You''re noting to the hospital?" I ask, incredulous that they''re leaving when their son''s mate and the mother of their precious her is being loaded into a fucking ambnce.


    My mother adjusts her purse strap with a shrug, like I''ve just asked her to apany me to the grocery store. "It seems rather crowded already, and what help could we possibly provide? We would only be in the way."


    They leave without another word, their indifference to Iris''s condition making my blood boil. But I don''t have time to dwell on it-I need to get to the hospital. I need to be by Iris''s side.


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