A/N: So sorry it took so long, but here it is! Read and REVIEW!

Chapter Ten:

Morana

The word was foggy. Someone was yelling and there was a sharp pain on my neck that was cutting off the air to my brain. I shifted and the hold tightened too tight, I gasped. People were talking placidly, someone was yelling, and there was a pressure in my mind.

Morana! It was Nicolas, I realized vaguely. I tried to respond, but I was still hazy from the pain medication Thorn had given me. Think, think, think—I begged myself, but I was slow and so tired. My eyes wouldn't open and they just drifted more shut. My lips felt cold.

Someone else was talking, a new voice I knew. Thorn, my mind reminded me, that's Thorn. The pain on my neck heightened as whoever was holding me snaked an arm around my waist. It felt like ants burrowing under my skin where he grazed the bare skin on my stomach, my white t-shirt rode up.

A growl. Another growl. Everyone was growling. Someone was moving me, someone shorter than Nicholas. Someone who wasn't Nicholas. My brain pointed things out to me as they became obvious. We were cold, my wolf yowled, we were too cold. I struggled to breathe through my lungs. The wolf holding me had moved outside and was carrying me through the snow at an inhuman speed. The wind hurt my head and he finally let go of my neck, only to press his lips against mine.

It would have been a chaste kiss if he wasn't squeezing the dear life out of my stomach. I felt woozy from the medication and weak, my eyes still refused to open. Where was Nicholas? My wolf was going insane. He is supposed to save us. He was moving again. Quicker. Faster. I was flying. No seriously, I was flying through the air. A branch caught my skin and dragged, but before it could do anymore damage arms caught me. Familiar arms. Echo.

"Echo?" My voice was garbley and strange, it was hard to speak.

I heard a relieved sigh, "Yeah just me your sister. Thank God that son of a—"

"No swearing," I reminded her numbly. I was still freezing, my bare toes felt so numb I wanted to wiggle them to insure myself that they hadn't fallen off.

She let out a choked laugh, "I know, I know. I swore off swearing. Are you okay, hurting anywhere?

"She wouldn't know," I heard Thorn pant, "she is on a butt load of pain medication." Echo must have given her a look, "What? We all can't run like werewolves you know!" Pause. "Oh, the pain medication thing—well, it made the pain go away right?"

I grunted a yes. Echo shifted me in her arms, "Nick is coming asap. Just has a little…business to take care of with that little crap weenie of a werewolf. I can't believe he made it through your window."

I whimpered, "Nicholas?" I couldn't feel him in my head through the medication. His face swam through my thoughts.

Echo growled to herself, "Is coming Morrie then we're taking you to his place where you can rest until the medication wears off. Wait," she turned abruptly, "the medicine needs to wear off for the whole blood palooza, right Thorn?"

"Yes, which will take her a while I hope," Thorn whispered, "that bruise looks pretty nasty. I might be in college for botany, but I don't have to be a nurse to know that isn't going to heal easily. Mora just got jipped on the healing aspect of shifters, so she heals as slow as a human would, sadly."

I felt him then, Nicholas. "Nicholas?" I whispered as his arms wrapped around me. His forehead touched mine gently and one of his hands brushed the air away from my face.

"Are you hurting, my love?" His voice was rumbly and husky; I wished I could've seen him.

I shook my head and nuzzled closer as he walked, "Just cold, but I'm getting warmer." And I was, my feet were warmer and so was my chest as he lumbered farther into the forest.

"We're almost there little one. He should have suffered more for what he did to you. Attacking me is thing, taking my mate is another. I will never let anything happen to you again," Nicholas held me tighter.

I was too tired to respond. So I spoke through our minds, I know. I love you. I was passed out before he could even return the words. Sleep spread over me like a tidal wave and it wasn't long before I was in that deep part of sleep where darkness cradles you close.

I gasped, my eyes fluttered open and my mouth was agape. Pain cycled through my hip and up my body. Nicholas was there instantly, "I have you, and it's going to be alright. I'm here."

He took me into his arms and kissed my jaw below my earlobe. "You saved me," I whispered, "I was going to be taken by that crazy guy and you saved me."

Nicholas stroked my hair, "Of course I did, I will always save you. You're mine little one and I love you infinitely. I am yours. No one will ever tear us apart." I noticed our new surroundings as the warmth of his love flowed through me abolishing some of the pain away. The bed we were in was huge with long wooden posts and breezy curtains typed back by twines of velvet. A black couch was under a tall window, the grey light blocked by the thick curtains. The vaulted ceilings rose higher giving me the impression of an ancient castle.

I smiled, "Is this your room?"

He shrugged, "Yeah, though I never spend enough time in here always on the go during one full moon to the next. I never stayed in one place. Never knew how to control the hunger. Now that I do, I'll stay here with you."

I blushed a bit, "So technically this is my room too. I would tell you to make room for my stuff, but I really don't have anything. Most of my stuff was left behind when I took Echo away."
"We'll get you some clothes and books, whatever you want really," his eyes were earnest, kind. When I was little I never imagined a happily ever after with my prince. I had always pictured college and learning, thousands of books at my disposal. College was out of the picture, but books?

I patted the bandage on my hip, "I could never ask you to do that. That's a lot of money that you shouldn't have to spend on me."

"Money isn't a problem, do you see this place?" He nodded around us; "My parents gave Thorn and me so much money it's ridiculous. They owned some stocks in the stock exchange and sold them for some ridiculous amount of money. I'm pretty sure they still play the market, just not as much."

I leaned closer; the hum of pain startled me again. Nicholas sat up and leaned in closer, "You're hurting."

"That really wasn't a question Cowboy."

He tilted his head back, "We have to do the blood ceremony so that we are knitted together. You'll heal."

I bit the inside of my cheek, "I don't want to hurt you."

Nicholas leaned in and kissed my temple gently, "It won't hurt me, but it does hurt me when I see you in so much pain when I can do something—anything to fix it. Just bite."

I gulped and leaned in; I had to wrap my arms around his neck. His scent wavered around me as I pressed my nose against him. Carefully I kissed his neck gently then bit him. It was strange and all at once blood filled my mouth and I had to remember to swallow. It didn't taste like blood and it didn't taste good necessarily. I drew back and wiped my mouth with the end of my sleeve. Then I wiped Nicholas's neck gently.

"Are you alright?" My voice was trembley and cautious, expecting him to explode.

He winked at me and kissed my nose, "More than alright," he kissed my cheek, "that was absolutely amazing."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh god."

He chuckled and pulled me closer, "My turn." I shook a little as he swiped my hair to the side and kissed my shoulder and my neck. "I'll be gentle, promise." Nicholas grazed my skin with his teeth then bit. There was a sharp pain, but then it felt good. Like running through the trees free or dancing like you won't stop. It made me feel drunk on his love.

Nicholas pulled away and kissed away the blood. The wound was already healed on him and I could feel my skin closing around my neck. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me.

"That was very nice indeed," I smiled.

He grinned, "I concur," Nicholas closed the gap and placed a firm kiss on my lips. "No more talking." He kissed me, drawing me closer and holding me tight. I wished it could have lasted forever.