Created (Talented Saga) by Sophie Davis

dropped to his knees, gulping air by the lungful. Erik’s adrenaline was pumping so fast that my hands started to shake as a result. His heart pummeled his ribs from the inside, as if demanding to be set free. I began siphoning his panic, drawing more and more of it into me until I felt his emotions start to go numb. My own pulse spiked. I allowed my canines to lengthen until their tips pierced my bottom lip. The sharp burst of pain, mingled with the iron tang of my blood, helped me to remain focused.
    Meanwhile, the female doctor had freed the needle from the medic’s hand and was fixing to stab Erik with it. Trembling from nerves, she tried to maneuver the syringe into position over a vein in his arm. She met my gaze over the stretcher, silently asking whether he was going to attack her too. I shook my head and moved closer to the stretcher and Erik’s side. His turquoise eyes were cloudy with confusion, and when he repeated my name, it came out as a question.
    “I’m right here,” I assured him, my voice choked with emotion.
    His eyes darted frantically from left to right and back again, never lingering on any one thing for more than a nanosecond. Strong-willed and prideful as Erik was, he began to fight me for control of his mind. Agitation and anger over being stripped of his free will caused him to emit a guttural growl that sent the female doctor scurrying backwards. While I was fairly confident that Erik was no match for me mentally, I didn’t want to test that theory.
    “Do it,” I hissed at the female doctor, nodding towards the needle she had clutched in her fist.
    Mustering a smile for Erik’s benefit, I leaned down and smoothed back the dark hair clinging to his forehead. “It’s okay,” I soothed. “You’re gonna be okay.” With my touch, I willed him to relax further.
    “You came,” Erik murmured, the two words slurring together to become one. “He said you would.”
    I had a good idea of who “he” was. And I hoped “he” was kicking himself now. Despite Mac’s best efforts, I’d still rescued Erik. The smug satisfaction I felt was lessened when I recalled the lack of security surrounding Erik’s cell. I had a bad feeling that I might be the one kicking myself soon.
    “I’ll always come for you,” I sent Erik.
    I held his gaze, wanting my face to be the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness. Erik’s eyelids began to droop and like a child fighting bedtime, he tried to hold them up. The doctor inched forward and with a practiced hand, and finally, inserted the needle. Erik winced slightly as she depressed the plunger, injecting a strong sedative into his bloodstream. The drug took effect instantaneously. I’d become so immersed in Erik that warmth seemed to spread through my veins, followed by a leaden sensation that made my limbs feel heavy and my mind sluggish. Erik and I both welcomed the chemical haze and the brief moment of drug-induced euphoria that occurred just before his eyes closed and the connection severed.
    My knees buckled, and I had to grip the stretcher with my free hand to stay upright. My brain ricocheted off the sides of my skull like a ping pong ball. I clenched my teeth as a powerful wave of dizziness crashed over me. The mental energy it had taken to control Erik was more than I’d realized. Being strong-willed, Erik’s barriers had been harder to break down than most. All I wanted was to sit and make the room stop spinning.
    “Talia! Are you okay?” Crane exclaimed, coming to my aid. He looped his arm around my waist to support me.
    “We’ve got it from here,” the female doctor added, nodding encouragingly.
    I let Crane drag me back from the stretcher, but I refused to turn my gaze from Erik’s bruised face. Pain caused my stomach muscles to spasm uncontrollably. I doubled over, crying out. Crane’s grip on me tightened, and I leaned against him.
    I watched as the medics began peeling away Erik’s remaining clothes – if you could call