* * *
It had been 2 months since the start of Lachlan’s magic transfusion efforts and a week since any werewolf, including me, had let the monomaniacal witch experiment on them. 700 hours (yes he counted) of effort without the slightest result had worn down the will of the entire Pack who shared out the lab rat duties yet the single mad scientist who worked on them was literally as keen as he was in the first minute. I was wrong, a witches ability to concentrate isn’t frightening, it is infuriating. The only thing worse than a witch as an enemy is a witch as a friend who “if you just give him a chance knows he can do it this time,” DESPITE THE FACT THAT THOUSANDS OF TIMES BEFORE HE COULDN’T! I had stopped changing to four legs, heavy exercising and sparring because every time I dropped my magic in the slightest I would soon feel a touch, hear a groan of effort and look around to see intense concentration on Lachlan’s face as he tried to pump the tiniest bit of magic into me. I had so far barely resisted the urge to smash him but I was shoving him with increasing violence. Our equilibrium position was I stay full of magic and he looks at me with puppy dog eyes.
We were eating in the cafeteria, shunned as usual, when the medical siren wailed. Every wolf immediately got up and rushed to the infirmary.
It was Ethan and Nathan, both in wolf form, both terribly torn up. They had fought each other. FUCK! Wolf tempers are feared for a reason. For consuming werewolf magic a wolf bite is the next best thing to a gutfull of silver buckshot. Blood donation bags were handed out to every Were man, woman and child and we all carefully inserted the 16 gauge needles into our arms, things were so solemn that those who missed the vein multiple times weren’t even ridiculed. Lachlan can’t pump magic into a werewolf but fresh transfused blood can. Slowly.
“Let me through,” demanded Lachlan, “I need to see.” HE WAS PUSHING THROUGH THE AGITATED PACK.
I yelled, “STO—" as 6 foot 6, 270 pound Bruce lifted Lachlan off his feet, screamed, “FUCK OFF WITCH!” into Lachlan’s face and threw him 3 yards backwards, I had never properly appreciated Bruce’s even temper until now, some of the others might have killed Lachlan.
I rushed over to Lachlan and knelt on his chest to keep him down, “Not fucking now,” I growled at him.
“Yes fucking now,” Lachlan intensely demanded, “This is fucking why I’ve been fucking working, of course fucking now.” We glared at each other, he won.
“Look, don’t touch,” I offered him and won the glare off.
I let him up and told everyone to “Make way,” as I led him to the infirmary. I ran into Bruce, who didn’t move and looked up and threatened him, “The Alpha wants to know if Lachlan can pump magic into a wolf to save their life so get out of the fucking way,” It was an empty threat against 270 pounds of muscle but he moved and so did the rest.
In the infirmary Lachlan closely examined Ethan and Nathan while dodging the frantic medics and smiled happily at me. JESUS CHRIST is he trying to get killed.
“The wounds are sucking in the magic from the blood transfusions,” he said with savage delight, “They are exactly what I was looking for,” he growled with triumph. “Can I try?” with eager eyes.
I wished the Alpha were here to decide but it seemed people were accepting my non existent authority. “Matt,” I asked the chief medic “What are their odds?”
“I am doing my best,” Matt hurriedly replied.
“Matt what are their chances of survival?”
“We are doing everything possible,” he again avoided the question.
“MATT,” I grabbed his head and turned him to face me. “Should extraordinary measures be tried on one of them?” his eyes flicked to Nathan but the pathetic bastard didn’t say a word. It was all on me and Lachlan. I am too young for this. Surely someone else can make the decision. I looked around, those who weren’t working on the wounded were looking back at me. They were no help. I finally looked into Lachlan’s eager eyes and asked myself did I trust him?
Hell yes. “Lachlan one-third of an ounce of magic pumped into that wound,” I pointed. Unfortunately Matt didn’t overrule me.
Lachlan took out his silver bar and the rumble of his magic started as he presumably reduced the magic in him to one-third of an ounce. He carefully looked back and forth between my arm and his to get it right. Susan momentarily released pressure on the wound so Lachlan could put his fingers into Nathan. I handed off my half filled blood bag and got ready to catch Lachlan as he concentrated like I had seen thousands of times before but this time it would work. I held my breath as he strained, shuddering with effort, sweat bursting out all over…
Nothing! DAMN! Undiscouraged Lachlan put the wafer thin silver thimble on his finger as a conductor and tried again…
Nothing! DAMN! Lachlan withdrew his fingers from the wound and slammed his fist into his palm, splattering blood around the room, “I can see the wound is receptive to magic,” he stormed, “why the fuck won’t it accept it?” he paced back and forth before stopping and looking at me, “Maybe I should try more than one werewolf worth of magic?” he asked me. ME! How the fuck should I know? I plaintively asked the uncaring world. If it all went in would it kill Nathan? What should I do? HELP! The smell of my uncertainty was fighting with the odor of blood.
“Matt what are the odds of Nathan living without Lachlan’s help?” asked the commanding voice of the Alpha as he came into the room. THANK GOD. I almost melted in relief at the arrival of my father.
“He will die,” said Matt with certainty. Whatever happens today I have a new enemy, why didn’t he fucking well say that to me.
“Two werewolves worth of magic,” decided the Alpha.
“Can someone please get me a supply of silver bullets?” Lachlan asked as he withdrew his silver bar and drew magic from it while comparing his arm to mine, “Eyeballing things will soon get difficult.” Lachlan put his hand back into the wound, braced himself then strained…
Nothing. “Four werewolves worth of magic,” ordered the Alpha, measured with silver bullets…
Nothing. “Six werewolves worth of magic,”…
Nothing. “Nine werewolves worth of magic,”…
BOOOOOOOOM as if a plane slammed to the ground Lachlan’s magic released, the power went out, Lachlan collapsed into my arms and Nathan started squealing in agony, sounding like the brakes of a tortured train.
Aidan burst into the room, saw the agony of his best friend and snarled as he reached for Lachlan—
GRRRRRRRR
the last warning of a maddened werewolf ripped through the room It meant STOP OR DIE! It came from me.
EVERYTHING stopped. Nathan may have been dying in excruciating magical agony but he was still a werewolf so his squealing stopped for a time. Aiden stopped dead, frozen in fear, he couldn’t move his hand the couple of inches to Lachlan if his life depended on it. I just stared at my enemy desperately trying to figure out how to kill him while I was holding something incredibly precious to my chest. The Alpha was of course the first to move, he stepped forward, grabbed Aiden by the pants and threw him straight through the door. It had latched. It didn’t matter. Kicking, kicking would work I decided and I started stalking after my enemy cradling my precious.
“Katrina,” someone said as they stepped in front of me, I peered around their head so I didn’t lose sight of the door where my enemy was, “Katrina take care of Lachlan.”
Lachlan. What is a Lachlan? LACHLAN I finally regained my reason as my instincts receded. He was in my arms, completely unconscious but with no other visible harm from his effort. He had finally been able to pump some magic into Nathan but obviously too much going by Nathan’s renewed squealing. I lay Lachlan gently on the blood stained floor as the Alpha, under directions retrieved some smelling salts and went to put them under Lachlan’s nose—
GRRRRRRRR
the final warning of a maddened werewolf ripped through the room It meant STOP OR DIE! It came from me. The Alpha simply stared down my defiance as he jolted Lachlan awake.
; “Lachlan how much magic is in Nathan?” asked the Alpha
Lachlan woozily peered around the room as I grabbed the chest of his shirt and lifted him to standing height, his feet were touching the ground but I was holding him up. “Lachlan,” I asked sweetly,“how much magic is in Nathan?”
Lachlan obligingly looked at his own arm and said with soporific delight, “No magic.”
“No Lachlan,” the Alpha held Lachlan by the armpits as I pointed to Nathan, “How much magic is in Nathan?”
“Lots,” he informed us with a smile. Very helpful.
“Is there more magic in Nathan or me?” I asked him, pointing profusely. Lachlan pointed to Nathan like a proud 2-year-old with the answer.
I grabbed a silver bullet with some forceps, hopefully it was empty of magic but I wasn’t going to touch it to find out. I quickly swiped the silver bullet against Nathan’s furry shoulder and winced at the burning hiss I caused and the smell of charred flesh and burnt hair.
“Is there more magic in Nathan or me?” I asked him pointing.
“Nathan,” Lachlan replied. Ah ha he is coming back. I smiled at Lachlan as I once again tortured the squealing Nathan with more silver burning.
“Give it here,” Lachlan asked as he unsteadily put his hand out for the silver bullet. I dropped it in his hand and he pressed it against Nathan’s flesh until it stopped sizzling. After the next bullet stopped sizzling Nathan had stopped squealing. With a bone saw someone cut the last bullet into fragments. Lachlan was happy once two and a third bullets/werewolves of magic had been removed from Nathan.
Lachlan was too weak to stand and there were no chairs in the surgery so I squatted down with my thighs forming a horizontal seat. Lachlan was carefully lowered to sit across my lap with my arm as a backrest and his arm around my shoulders. I found the position immensely gratifying, the highlight of my month. I beamed my best smile at Lachlan and kissed him on the cheek in congratulations, “You did it!” he just closed his weary eyes and rested his head against mine as Matt examined Nathan.
“The wounds are starting to heal’" Matt said with surprise to the subdued joy of everyone except drained Lachlan. “When can we do Ethan?”
Bastard I will kill him I thought as fear spiked from Lachlan’s pores, “We are not doing Ethan!” I told them.
“Yes we are,” I heard Lachlan murmur through my bones as much as the air.
In consternation I exclaimed, “No Lachlan, you’re too weak.”
Lachlan lifted his head, opened his eyes, smiled down at me and feebly said, “I am weak, he is dying, there isn’t even a decision to make.” GODAMNIT there is such a thing as too much nobility.
“Is he dying?” asked the Alpha.
“I can’t save him,” said Matt.
“How quickly must Lachlan do something?” Asked the Alpha.
“As soon as possible,” said Matt. BASTARD.
With menace the Alpha commanded, “You will let us know the last possible moment when Lachlan may act.”
“You have done enough.” I gently told Lachlan
“No shit,” he snorted, “except no-one else can do this.” He said helplessly.
“Ethan hates you, bullied you, fuck Ethan.”
“Fuck Ethan, lowlife scum.” Lachlan agreed, “Its not about him.”
“The world can’t afford to have people as good as you risking your lives for people like him.” I almost cried.
Lachlan snorted in laughter, “So I should only risk my life for people like you?”
Intensely, “YES!” we stared into each others eyes for breaths.
I looked at the Alpha, “Lachlan’s knowledge and talent are far too valuable to the Pack to risk. He will save many lives in the future if we don’t kill him now.” I asserted.
My dad just smiled sympathetically at me and said gently, “Kat you can’t tell a real man what to risk his life for,” as Lachlan started dictating his precise thoughts at the time of success to a nurse. Just in case he didn’t make it. It was babble to me but maybe some other witch would understand. I don’t want some other witch, I WANT LACHLAN!
“How can you have the courage to do this yet you can’t even bring yourself to kiss me?” it was the perfect opening, impossible to resist, I pursed my lips for him but Lachlan just smiled crookedly down at me.
Lachlan’s fear was the only thing I could smell, “Lachlan you are afraid. Listen to your fear. Fear keeps you alive,” he had to listen.
Lachlan bowed his head and with tears in his eyes pleaded, “This is hard enough as it is. Can’t you just support me?”
The man I want is weak, terrified and crying, how could I say no? “You will KILL yourself, trying and FAILING,” I told him, “You will BOTH die,” I cruelly sneered as tears flowed down my cheeks.
Lachlan broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably as he tried to curl into a fetal position in my lap. I caught his head in the crook of my arm and buried my streaming eyes in the back of his neck and we cried together. My sobs shuddered through us, Lachlan’s weak sobbing barely shivered us. Before we had finished crying we toppled slowly onto my back, my legs had had enough. A bench was brought in and we sat shoulder to shoulder, our emotions exhausted, and waited for the start of Lachlan’s suicide attempt.
“Now or never,” said Matt.
Lachlan’s fear burst into the air as he got slowly to his feet, without my offered help. He gingerly walked to the silver and slowly, terribly slowly, he was so weak, drew six and two-thirds bullets worth of magic into himself. Lachlan stood above Ethan and I pressed against his back as I wrapped my arms around him, ready to catch. “You will do this then you will fucking apologize for putting me through this,” I whispered into Lachlan’s ear. Lachlan inserted his fingers into a wound, took a deep breath and flexed and grunted like an olympic weightlifter. No thunder. No effect.
Lachlan sagged into my arms as everybody showed their disappointment. I barely managed to suppress a smile, a few more failures and Lachlan would be too weak to do the slightest magic, he would no longer be a risk to himself. He got his feet back under him and then, deliberately went limp, saving all his strength, all his concentration for one task, pumping magic into Ethan. He took one final breath and then the world stopped except for Lachlan’s racing heart as he strained with all his might. This will kill him. I won’t let him die. To withdraw Lachlan’s hand from the wound I leaned bac— to be stopped by my father.
I angrily said, “He is—" BOOOOOOOOM Lachlan’s magic roared, his body didn’t even twitch as he died or went unconscious.
Lachlan’s heart didn’t stop racing and he started breathing again, and so did I. With a murderous glare at everyone, I held Lachlan steady while I lowered myself a bit. I held him against me with one of his legs between mine and braced his head as I lifted him up and slowly walked us back to Lachlan’s room.
I lay Lachlan gently on the rug on his floor and stripped off my clothes. Without taking my eyes, nose or ears off Lachlan I roughly scrubbed myself clean of blood at the basin with a washcloth. His breathing and heartbeat did not change as I did so. I filled a container with warm, soapy water and knelt down beside the unconscious hero who refused to admit we were perfect for each other. I cut off his outer clothes. I am just a mother washing her child, there is nothing sensual about it I told myself. Yet for the life of me I couldn’t pick up the washcloth. I soaped up my hands and lay them on Lachlan’s chest with a shuddering exhalation, his chest was too fat and was pounds of muscle short of being sexy so why did my hands feel like they were being kissed by the lips of a God while I cleaned, would you believe massaged? OK caressed Lachlan’s chest. I really liked Lachlan before but add in deliberate, terrified heroism (I moaned with desire) and I was in LOVE.
GODAMNIT woman, the man you love needs to get to bed! With a wrench of effort I forced my hands to leave his chest and rubbed just once up and down his soft belly. Would you believe twice? How about many times? GODAMNIT woman! Once he is clean you get to lay on the bed with
him with your hand on his heart, purely to monitor him and share body warmth of course.
I ran my hands just twice over every exposed inch of Lachlan, it was very strenuous work as I was breathing rapidly well before the end. I dried him off and put him in his bed. I reluctantly put some of Lachlan’s clothes on myself and crawled in beside him. Lachlan was on his back so I cuddled up against him on my side with my elbow on his stomach and my hand on his strongly beating heart. Upon it’s own volition my leg reached itself across Lachlan and refused all orders to return to it’s rightful place.
Lachlan stirred, it would be soon now, my heart started racing. Eventually Lachlan reached for my hand on his chest and opened his eyes and looked at me.
“How are you?” I sweetly asked him as I removed my hand and leg from him.
“How are they?” he replied.
DAMNIT! OBSESSIVE FUCKING WITCHES! The last report through the door had Ethan and Nathan as serious but stable and out of magic. If I didn’t sell a lie my monomaniacal witch would literally get out of his sick-bed to help them again. I smiled like Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca and said warmly, “Fine thanks to you,” and leaned over to kiss him in congratulations. I planted one chaste kiss on his lips, pulling away was the hardest thing I had ever done but I couldn’t afford to be caught trying to distract him. Lachlan smiled, closed his eyes and sighed in relief. YES! I sagged in relief as Lachlan breathed deeply.
Lachlan’s eyes snapped open and he turned to stare at me. “Oh no,” said a little girl in my head, “YOU DIDN’T FOLLOW UP ON HOW HE WAS!” screamed a hysterical woman in there with her.
“I think I will go visit them,” said Lachlan with unconvincing casualness and started to get up.
My heart broke and my eyes started to fill as I grabbed his arm with a vise like grip.
“Let me go Katrina,” Lachlan ordered angrily as he pried at my hand.
“Like hell I will,” I snarled in defiance at my greatest chance for happiness.
“I can help them,” he begged me.
“I need you to just stay alive. Is that really too much to ask?” I begged him.
“Just staying alive is what cowards do,” he growled at me.
“No-one thinks you’re a coward”
“And no-one will!”
“I don’t just like you, I love you.” I cried, “Stay with me.” I begged.
“If you don’t let me go I will never come near you again, let alone have a relationship with you,” he furiously threatened.
“If you will have a relationship with me I will let you go.” I said hopefully. YOU PATHETIC BITCH! The whole idea was to sacrifice the relationship to keep him safe. Lachlan please say no. Say yes. Say No. Oh God. Please Lachlan say something.
Lachlan wrenched his arm again and I broke down in joy and despair, sobbing uncontrollably and cradling my head in my arms despite Lachlan’s jolting, swearing attempts to free his arm from my hand.
“Katrina you can let him go now,” came through the wall. I wasn’t going to let him go for anything. “Katrina, its alright, we’ve got this.”
I let Lachlan drag us to the door and open it. I broke down yet again and fell to my knees as I released Lachlan. I am sure it was laughter and not sobs that shook me. I smiled so hard my cheeks ached as I watched a befuddled Lachlan stare at a wall of Pack members standing calmly shoulder to shoulder several rows deep. Two wolves may be sick but they weren’t going to let Lachlan risk himself again I sobbed or laughed happily.
Lachlan tried to barge through the wall with the expected results.
Lachlan had to forgive me I bawled with relief.
“Get out of my way,” Lachlan demanded and everyone just smiled at him. “Katrina tell them to move.”
“MOVE!” I laughed without the slightest effect.
Lachlan reefed one person out of the wall only to have another replace them. More and more wolves were coming along, Lachlan wasn’t going anywhere thank you God.
A teenager did a somersault when pulled out of the wall by Lachlan to murmurs of appreciation.
“I can help them,” Lachlan shouted as kids squirmed to the front for the fun.
“Its not a game,” screamed Lachlan as people clutched themselves in pretend agony or died at Lachlan’s feet when he touched them.
It would be interesting to see who would give up first, the obsessed mage or the wolves rapidly turning the confrontation into a party. Lachlan was weak, the wolves should see him back to bed.
Unexpectedly Lachlan stopped and said, “You’re a pack of assholes,” before slamming the door upon said proud assholes.
“Are you all right?” I asked Lachlan in alarm, it is not like him to give up in hundreds of hours, let alone a few minutes.
He laughed at my concern, “You think I am obsessed don’t you?”
Well he obviously is obsessed but I didn’t know a nice way to say it so I said nothing.
“Katrina I just focus when necessary,” he smiled at me, “no mental illness involved.”
I gathered all my courage and walked to Lachlan, passed human friend range, passed werewolf friend range all the way to kissing range and said tenderly to him, “I loved you even before I knew that.”
Lachlan smiled… sympathetically and as I crumpled to my knees Lachlan crouched down and said gently. “I’m sorry Katrina. We all know unrequited are the four most vicious syllables on earth.”
THE END
Afterword
I found this story hard to write, Katrina’s expression of love and affection for Lachlan through words and deeds with nothing returned was literally depressing.
I enjoyed imagining it more. A highlight was crying in the shower as I thought up the emotional confrontation before a weakened Lachlan transfused magic again.
I was surprised Katrina said “If you will have a relationship with me I will let you go.” I really thought better of her but apparently she is willing to risk Lachlan’s life for her affection to be returned.
If you didn’t recognize the tribute to “Get Smart,” then shame on you. It is one of the all time great TV comedies.
"“I loved you even before I knew that.” Lachlan smiled… sympathetically and as I crumpled to my knees " really cuts straight through me and came to me while writing, not while imagining so writing isn’t all bad.
“We all know unrequited are the four most vicious syllables on earth.” comes from the second oldest scene in my head but as it will probably never get written Lachlan gets to steal it.
About Sean Eddings
Sean Eddings is a lonely Australian man with an empty life. Occasionally he likes to feel as if he has a better life by imagining the emotions, thoughts, words and interactions of characters in a scene. At least eight times he wrote the scene down.
Contact Sean Eddings https://seaneddings.wordpress.com/contact/
Other books by Sean Eddings
Please visit your favorite ebook retailer to discover other books by Sean Eddings:
Katrina and Lachlan series
a Decent Proposal
Accidental Betrayal
Magic Transfusion
Romantic Scene series
Romantic Scene 1
Romantic Scene 2
Romantic Scene 3
Fanfiction Scene series
Jean and Scott fanfiction from X-MEN Apocalypse
Declaration of Love - The Catch fanfiction scene rewrite
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