LORENZO

Everyone gazed at me with horror, Martina narrowing her eyes and glaring at Paula, folding her arms over her chest.

"How do we know you aren't just saying that to try and ruin their bond? We know better than to trust a witch," Martina questioned with a hoarse voice, and I ran my tongue along the front of my teeth, gulping.

Martina was right.

Although Paula had freed Mia from her chains, there was still a chance that she was playing us, trying to break the bond between Mia and I. But, if she was working with Ophelia, she wouldn't want our bond broken.

She would want it as strong as possible to hurt me through my mate, so I didn't see a reason for Paula to lie.

"If what you're saying is true, do you think there's a chance Mia will wake up?" I asked, causing Paula to purse her lips, shrugging.

"Every situation is different, so I wouldn't be able to tell you." Paula kept her gaze on me, ignoring everyone else. It seemed that she wasn't bothered by everyone's sceptical glances. "I just don't see your mate getting better unless you match your marks. Is there an option to remark her perhaps?"

I shook my head, releasing a sigh. "It doesn't work like that. Her body already has a mark on it so it won't accept another, even if it's by the same person."

"Then matching your marks seems to be the only option I'm afraid."

I nodded once, grinding my teeth together in angst.

I didn't know what to do. There was no way of knowing what the best thing to do was.

"I don't wish to get too involved," Paula shrugged, holding her hands up defensively, and I noticed how she wobbled on her feet, her knees almost buckling underneath her. "I have done what I believe is the right thing, but I don't want to be held accountable for anything. Whatever you decide to do with the information I have given you is completely your choice."

"I understand," I told her, turning towards Doctor the doctor, her grimacing at me as she battled with her own thoughts on what to do. She didn't want to advise me just in case it was wrong. "Thank you Paula. We appreciate it."

"I'll drive you home," Lily spoke up, moving forward to take the keys from me, Paula offering us all a small smile before turning on her heels and making her way towards the car, Lily having to help her along as her walking stick shook under her weight.

"What the fuck," muttered Martina as she inspected the chains that had been thrown onto the ground, prodding at them with her foot. "You're going to cut out your mark? Do you really think that's a good idea?"

I huffed, Mia taking up all of my attention, and I sighed as I caressed her cheek, feeling frustrated.

"I don't know, but she's not getting better, Martina," I said morosely, my gaze settling on my sister. "This might be the only way to make sure she does."

"What does that mean for your bond?" asked Doctor Pia, her voice hushed slightly, and I could tell she was frightened about speaking out.

"I don't know. We aren't even sure it's intact now. If cutting out my mark is going to help Mia, then I'll do it."

"It will be irreversible, Alpha Lorenzo," Pia warned me, and I nodded.

"I understand. I'm willing to give it a try."

Martina began to speak again, but I shot her a seething look, causing her to clamp her mouth shut. She knew better than to test me in a situation like this, and I believed she was getting the point that I wasn't going to listen to her.

I didn't want her input.

I nodded at one of the guards to get into the car with Lily and Paula before they disappeared, rounding the corner, the roaring sound of the engine dissipating. I didn't want Lily going alone just in case something happened.

The rest of the guards dispersed, and we began to make our way to the hospital. I took a hold of Mia's gurney, pushing her along and keeping my eyes on her for any signs of movement, frowning when I found none.

I could see that Martina wanted to speak, but, she remained quiet, keeping her eyes glued to the ground as she trudged behind us. Doctor Pia was twiddling her thumbs as she led us across the clearing, and I was relieved that nobody was around.

I had gathered that Martina and her had told everyone to stay away. I wouldn't want a crowd looking at my mate as if she was some sort of spectacle.

The hospital was quiet, and the electronic doors beeped and opened for us as we approached it. A few nurses smiled at us as we entered, but, we rushed past them, making our way into Mia's room, shutting the door behind us.

"Right," said the Doctor as she hovered in the centre of the room, watching me as I picked up my mate from her gurney, cradling her to my chest for a few seconds before placing her in her bed.

I pulled the covers up to her mid section, relieved that we no longer had to spread her legs a little too much to make room for the heavy metal chains. I was worried it was going to have a lasting effect on her hips.

I would need to get somebody to dispose of the chains. The spell had been broken and they were now just regular old pieces of metal. They were of no use to us, and I didn't want the reminder.

Doctor Pia didn't speak again, and she pulled up a steel chair, its legs scraping against the tiled flooring, causing me to cringe, gesturing for me to take a seat.

"I think I'll have to get Doctor Tony to do this," she said, furrowing her brows as she gazed at me. "She would be the best person for this job."

I nodded, watching as she disappeared out of the door, and I took a seat in the chair, the metal cold and uncomfortable against my skin.

I tapped my fingers against my knee as I waited anxiously, a thin layer of sweat beginning to coat my forehead. Every second felt like an eternity, and I gulped as I prodded at my mark, my fingers tracing over the slightly raised skin.

It was sensitive to the touch, and I winced as I imagined slicing through the thickened scar, my heart beating erratically just thinking about it.

I knew it was going to hurt like a bitch.

I snapped my head to the door as Doctor Tony strolled in, her short auburn hair pulled back into a neat braid, and she scowled at me sadly as she noticed my body language.

I could tell that she didn't really want to do this.

"Alpha Lorenzo," she spoke clearly, straightening herself up as she fiddled with a trolley in the corner of the room, wheeling it over to me and pulling up a seat for herself.

"I've been informed that we need to match your mark to Mia's. I've been given a scan by Doctor Pia of how deep Mia's wound is, so we will try and do the same to you."

"We don't need to 'try'," I grunted. "We need to ensure it's exactly the same."

"Will do, Alpha."

Martina gulped as she eyed up the needles Doctor Tony was setting up, flicking at them.

"I'm going to numb the area as much as I can," Tony spoke, and I nodded, but, I knew that numbing the area wasn't going to do a whole lot.

It was going to cause agony either way, a part of me concerned that my body would give out, but, I knew we would be able to control the bleeding and they would stitch me up as soon as possible.

My body was going to react badly to the fact that my mark that my mate had placed upon me was being attacked, and I would have to fight against every instinct of mine to not rip Tony's arm off.

I hissed in pain as I felt Tony slide the thick needle into my neck, injecting in as much of the numbing fluid as she could, mumbling an array of apologies as she noticed me flinch.

It was already burning immensely.

Martina averted her gaze as she clicked her knuckles, the room silent, and I clutched onto the sides of my metal chair as Tony stepped away. She turned back to the trolley and picked up her scalpel, her hands shaking slightly.

"Can you feel that?" Tony asked me, prodding at my mark, and I cringed at the fact that another woman was touching it, but, it was pretty much numb already, the fluid running through my veins and taking immediate effect.

Martina sent me one last pleading look, and I could tell that she thought this was a bad idea, but I shut my eyes. I could hear the rustling sound of the pieces of paper Tony was studying in her hands, humming as she eyed up the scans of Mia's wound.

Nausea wafted through me, and I began shaking as I felt the scalpel slice through the skin of my mark. I let out a loud grunt, grinding my teeth together as I tried to stop myself from lunging away from Tony.

I felt blood trickle down my neck, and a part of me thought I heard Martina gag, but, I was unsure whether it was my imagination or not.

"Fuck," I hissed in immense pain, squeezing my eyes together tightly, my heart feeling as if it was about to explode, a pounding headache setting in already, causing me to almost topple over.

"Martina, I need some help over here," Tony said with panic, and I felt my sister's arms wrap around my shoulders as she tried to prop me up, pushing me back against the chair as I groaned, my head limp.

"Just hold on, Lorenzo," Martina encouraged me, her voice sounding strained, and I could tell she was holding her breath, the scent of my blood filling the room, pungent and bitter.

I grunted in pain again, my muscles tense and taut, and I felt as if I was about to throw up, my stomach lurching.

I was frozen as my neck pulsated, tongues of fiery flames taking over and lapping against my skin. It felt as if every beat of my heart was pumping lava throughout my body, my ligaments and tendons screaming when I tried to move, making me feel dizzy.

My eyes watered, Martina tightening her hold on me and running her hand down my back comfortingly, her breathing rapid as she gulped.

"This is the final cut," Tony muttered, almost to herself as I felt her stop for a few seconds to take another glance at the scan.

I clamped my mouth shut to stop myself from yelling out, and images of Mia having to go through this filled my mind, but, she would have had no numbing medication and would have been incredibly frightened.

The thought made me sick.

My head was limp as Tony sliced deeper into my skin, the searing pain coursing throughout my entire body, feeling relieved when I felt the scalpel leave my skin.

Tony took a few deep breaths as she studied my neck, and I peeled my eyes open to see a pale looking Martina, her hands coated in a thick layer of my blood, making me cringe.

"I'm just going to stitch it up," Tony told me, and my sister slapped at my face, calling my name.

"Stop hitting me," I grunted at her with clenched teeth, turning my head away, causing Tony to tell me off, moving my neck back so it was in a better position for her.

My whole body was weak, and I felt as if I couldn't move.

"He's going to need to rest for a while," Tony told Martina as she worked on my wound, causing me to curse as she disinfected it, blood still seeping from it, my mind blank and filled with nothing.

The only thing stopping me from collapsing onto the cold tile floor were Martina's hands wrapped around me, and I breathed shakily into her shoulder as she moved herself closer to me, grunting as she did her best to stop me from falling.

"Is this going to work?" Martina muttered, looking up at Tony with a grimace, snapping her eyes back to me with concern, frowning.

This had to work.

•••

We are getting Mia next chapter!

I've been missing her.

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