“Look at you!”. I cooed as I pulled back to look at her. “Welcome back to the land of the living”. “It’s so good to be back”. She said, managing a light chuckle.“How do you feel?” I asked as Dante pulled up another chair for me to sit on.“Well, we’re all alive and we’re here, so, I couldn’t be happier”. She spoke in a croaky voice. “Thank you for everything”. She said with a tender look as she put her hand on mine.“You don’t need to thank me”. I told her, still feeling like I could have avoided this for all of us.“Raven, you got us out of there!”. She said insistently. “You are the reason why we’re all here and safe now. We owe you our lives”. “Too right!”. Dante chimed in.“You owe me nothing! I should have been able to see past his façade”. I replied remorsefully.“Don’t you even dare start with that”. Izzy spoke firmly. “I knew him longer than you, and I didn’t know who he really was either. So if you’re going to blame yourself for not seeing his true colours, then we’re all
After I had seen Izzy and Dante, I went straight to Leo’s room, and I didn’t leave all night. I had pushed the small armchair that was in the corner of his room and positioned it right next to his bed. The nurses made sure I ate, kept telling me to be positive that he’d make a full and healthy recovery and at some point whilst I slept, they had draped a woollen blanket over me.I held his hand, I kissed his cheeks and his forehead, and ran my fingers though his now fresh and clean hair. I kept whispering in his ear that I loved him and that we were all safe, whether he could hear me or not, It was the only thing I could do to not fall apart every time I looked so longingly at his face.I had only left him this morning to take a shower and change into another set of fresh clothes that the omega’s kindly set out on my bed. Whatever they used to wash the clothes with, smelt of Lavender and Pine, like a blossoming meadow in the summer. I inhaled both the top and shorts before I put them o
I hadn’t visited Leo for two days, taking my father’s advice to give Caleb and Addison time alone with him and to wrap their heads around how close he had come to dying. Alpha Wayne was kind enough to update me on his recovery, but so far, apart from his wounds slowly healing, he still hadn’t woken up, not even a slight twitch in his fingers or movement from the sounds of anyone’s voices.I scrubbed my hair in the shower, deep in thought. The anger and impatience to end this whole nightmare once and for all. While we were steadily trying to take one day at a time, hiding behind alpha Wayne’s walls, Zach was still out there, and every night that I led in bed alone, my mind would race through all the scenarios of what he could be attempting to do next. He no longer had the nightwolves, which was a huge relief, but I couldn’t see Zach giving up on his revenge, just like that! Did he have a secret army, or another secret hideout? Did he have a plan B or a plan C if things didn’t go as he
“Raven, it’s so good to see you up and about”. Nurse Caroline greeted with a kind smile. “Such a vast difference from when I saw you last”. “Thanks Caroline. I’m guessing you saw me when I arrived with a bunch of new patients for you to take care of!” I replied with a chuckle.“I think you took us all by surprise. I did help look after you for the first hour, but then they whisked me away to look after the nightwolves. I couldn’t believe I’ve had the privilege to care for such a legendary breed. I thought I’d never lay eyes on one, and now I’ve seen nine!” She exclaimed, looking a bit star struck. “They’re right this way, follow me”. She added as we walked through Wayne’s palace to his secluded gardens.“Well, I’m just glad they’re in safe hands now, but no wonder they went into hiding for so long, it just seems like someone’s always wanted a piece of them”. “Well, as much as your breed is respected, you’re also feared for your strength and capability of tearing through an entire pa
I stood outside of Leo’s room, my hand resting on the door knob as I gulped down the regret and woeful misery of having to leave him behind. I inhaled a deep breath and opened the door, and my heart fell just a little bit more to see him lying so still, so unaware in the hospital bed. Fresh new bandages wrapped around his slow healing wounds, and his cheeks weren’t as sunken and bruised as they had been. His breathing was regular and steady as I sat on the edge of his bed and scooped his hand into mine, fondly admiring each finger as I grazed my thumb across them and brought them up to my lips to leave a lingering kiss and feel the warmth of his skin on mine.As the humid breeze flowed calmly through the open window and the sun lit up the room, I closed my eyes and imagined us walking together outside, hand in hand, laughing and smiling as he pulls me in for a loving kiss. Although we were alone, with Caleb whisking Addison off for breakfast to give me some peace with Leo, oh how I wi
It took us a full day and night to move the carts through the forest, with the sun beaming, holding back the rain, the journey wasn’t as gruelling being able to pull them along on dry ground. With the little pathway now in view of the camp, we all passed a little thankful chuckle between us, that we had made it all the way without any curious rogues in our way, or Zach! The moment we passed the tall line of trees and saw the cabins, the cooking areas, the water well and the lookout bridge, we all simultaneously dropped the straps and looked around us with mixed emotions of being back in our old home, but being here after all this time, with it completely empty and uncomfortably quiet. You could hear the creaking of the trees as they gently swayed in the breeze and the flapping of the birds wings as they bounced around their nests. It was a comforting but odd feeling. No chatter, no hustle and bustle as everyone gathered food, water, and roasted our catch of th
My body jolted itself awake under the brightness of the sun and my attention fell straight on the wolves, realising I dozed off when Izzy and Dante took over patrolling last night. I sighed with relief, thankful that nothing had happened whilst I was sleeping. My body and neck ached from resting on the hard ground with my head against the log. Izzy and Dante were busying themselves, cooking and pulling up fresh water in the well bucket for our breakfast. I got to my feet with a stretch and scanned each of the wolves, checking their medicine and moving the carts under cooler shade. “Good morning sleepy head”. Dante chuckled as he roasted more fresh rabbit. “When did you hunt for that?” I asked curiously as I finished moving the third cart. “I went out this morning while Izzy watched over the camp. I figured you’d be asleep long enough for me to hunt and get back, that way
It didn’t feel as lonely and cut off for me Dante and Izzy with grams, mother and the guards now with us. All the guards took a break from their duty to sit with the rest of us when we all ate supper last night. There were more voices, chatter and conversation around the camp fire, and many questions for grams about the camp she was seeing for the first time. I had slept outside again, right next to the wolves with Izzy and Dante patrolling whilst the guards had their rest, and I woke up this morning to the smell of cooked fish that two of the guards had caught from the stream. Having them all here seemed to lighten our moods as Izzy and Dante laughed hand in had to their cabin after eating to get some sleep, and grams and mother were talking so intently as they set to making more of the concoction to last the rest of the day.Under the shade of the trees I carefully tended to each wolf, sponging down their paws and snouts, cleaning their wounds and applyi