The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Stabbed, Branded, and Betrayed

Serena yanked the dagger from her lung with a broken gasp. Gold blood splattered the leaves beneath her.

She fell to her knees.

"Run, Serena!" Elara yelled, tears streaking down her face, bronze eyes wide and frantic.

She raised a second dagger, her hand shaking.

But Serena couldn’t have run if she tried. Her body refused to answer.

Elara’s arm jerked upward, the dagger angling toward Serena’s chest again.

"No," she choked, teeth clenched. Her muscles shook violently, as she fought her own hand.

With a broken cry, she plunged the blade into herself instead.

Her bronze eyes snapped back to green.

"Serena," she rasped, collapsing to the ground, "Get away from me or knock me out."

Her body went slack, breath ragged, blood soaking into the forest floor beneath her.

Serena crawled to her and pulled the dagger free. She dragged the blade across her palm, gold blood spilling onto Elara’s wound.

It healed instantly, like it was never there. Something only she and Elara knew her blood would do.

Tears gathered in Elara’s eyes, spilling over as she stared up at Serena.

"Why are you healing me?" she whispered. "I cannot control it."

"Yes, you can," Serena rasped, her voice shredded as she tightened her grip on Elara’s hand.

Serena pressed one hand hard against her abdomen, trying to keep herself upright. Her breaths were shallow, each one scraping through pain.

Elara was burning up. Her jaw was clenched and every muscle locked in resistance. "Always a choice ... Right?"

"Yes, exactly. Always a choice." Serena rasped. "Do you know what happened to you?"

Elara shook her head weakly. "No."

"It’s okay," Serena said. "Hyran will figure it out."

"I am fighting it again," Elara sobbed.

Serena forced a crooked smile through bloodied lips. "Hey. Breathe." She squeezed Elara’s hand. "It’s hard to kill me, believe it or not."

Elara let out a broken laugh, half hysterical, half relieved.

Serena glanced around. "We should move to that cave."

Elara nodded and pushed herself to her feet. She slipped under Serena’s arm to support her. Together, uneven and slow, they made their way toward the rocky outcrop ahead.

By the time they made it inside the cave, Serena’s vision began to blur.

"Elara," she gasped, forcing herself to focus through the agony, "can you try to heal me? I know you have only done it once. Will you try?" Her mouth twitched. "Worst case, we look like idiots."

Elara broke down, sobs ripping out of her. "I—"

"Try to heal me," Serena said firmly. "Or run and get help."

"I d-d-don’t think I c-c-can," Elara said, voice wrecked, but her hands moved anyway, pressing over Serena’s core.

Silver light spilled from her palms.

Warmth followed.

The wound closed and blood stopped. The pain receded, leaving behind soreness.

Serena sucked in a careful breath fully for the first time since being stabbed, chest rising without resistance.

She sagged back against the cave wall, eyes closing in relief.

Then, like more could not possibly go wrong, white-hot lances of agony tore through Serena’s forearm.

It was so sudden and vicious that a scream tore free before she could stop it.

Elara clapped a hand over Serena’s mouth a heartbeat too late.

Serena folded forward, panting, a broken sob slipping free before she could stop it.

"What is it?" Elara asked, panic snapping through her voice.

"My arm," Serena forced out, sweat breaking across her skin.

Elara reached for Serena’s sleeve, peeling back the fabric.

"What in the Gods’ names is that?"

Serena looked down.

A coin-sized symbol was searing itself into her forearm. It burned from the inside out, like something alive writing itself. Draken-Vorah script curved around the unmistakable shape of a dragon.

"What the..." Serena stared at the mark.

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