CHAPTER FOUR
- Tallulah -
Not sure how much time passes before Theo returns to the clearing in human form. Only covered up with a pair of boxers, his chest and arms glisten with sweat. Numerous scratches and a large gash pepper his body, but I know by tomorrow they’ll be healed.
He stalks over to me and kneels, barely out of reach of me being able to run my hands over his body. Without realising, I grunt in frustration.
Theo chuckles for the barest of moments, but becomes serious again as he checks over my body. His gaze, checking for injuries, feels like a caress. Before I can stop it, a soft sigh escapes me.
“Do you know who they were?” Authority drips from his tone.
A shudder goes through my body when I think of the wolf who almost killed me. Sweat breaks out on my body from the pain, and I nod mutely.
He rubs a hand down his face. “Do you know what they wanted?”
I immediately shake my head and force the words out. “I didn’t see their faces properly, they used some sort of white smoke which smelt weird.” I think back to when we were in the house. Their voices were loud, but because I was upstairs and they were downstairs, I couldn’t make out their words. “I heard their voices, but they were too far away to be clear, and I didn’t want to hang around to find out. Do you know what they wanted?”
Theo’s jaw clenches painfully while he takes in the blood-soaked ground around me, and the still gaping wound on my leg. His hands repeatedly make fists, they squeeze so tightly his knuckles turn white.
What the hell is he so pissed about?
My body trembles from the cold and the wet clothes, and I wrap my arms around myself in a bid to stop the shakes. My teeth chatter instead. Theo growls in frustration or disappointment, I’m not sure which, and hurriedly stands back up.
Spinning on his heel, he walks away. A tattoo on his back catches my attention. The head of a wolf covers his whole back like a masterpiece. Argent is written from shoulder to shoulder in a beautiful font. Offering an escape from the pain, the daydream of running my hands over his beautiful back and sculptured muscles is easy to drop into.
He barks out over his shoulder, anger unmistakable in his voice, “Carry her, and take her to the medic centre, Blaise.”
This catches me off guard and brings me out of my daydreams. I huff in exasperation. My body is at war with my head, and I’ve no clue why.
The one who I presume is Blaise stutters nervously, “But, sir—”
Theo immediately cuts him off from whatever it was that Blaise was about to say by roaring, “Now!”
My body flinches at how animalistic his voice sounds, and I instantly regret it. A hiss escapes between clenched teeth as the pain shoots through my leg. Holy cow, that hurts! Theo briefly stares down at me, his face murderous, before he storms away in mid-shift. If I wasn’t so confused over why he’s acting more of an ass than usual, I’d be impressed at how fluidly he shifts into wolf form while still managing to walk. It’s only when he disappears I realise he didn’t answer my question.
A pair of legs comes into view, breaking my line of sight at the now empty woods. Straining my neck, I look up into Blaise’s face. He looks everywhere but at me. I try to make him more comfortable. “If you can help me up, I should be able to walk,” I suggest in an effort to make things less tense.
His messy hair flips across his face as he shakes his head. He grumbles, “The future Alpha said I must carry you, I have to follow orders.”
As my frustration builds, I turn away, but silently hold a hand out for him to help me to my feet instead.
His eyes finally move to me and shoot daggers into the side of my face, annoyed at my blatant refusal to follow the Alpha-wannabe’s instructions. “I have to carry you, you’re—”
My anger takes full force and I snap not allowing him time to finish. “I’m what? A half-breed? A mutt who doesn’t heal as quick as the rest of you?” Regret and shame rush through my body at my outburst. I scrub a hand down my face. “Dammit, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t snap at you.”
“Come on, let’s get you to the medic centre.” Bending down, he scoops me up, and I whimper at the scalding heat that rips up my leg with the motion. I still haven’t looked at it properly to assess the damage. I close my eyes and wrap my arms around his neck to support my weight more.
“What happened to the other wolves who were chasing us?” They told me the babies were safe, but I need to know they weren’t harmed because of me.
Blaise readjusts his hold on me, and I’m thankful when I don’t feel the bite of the leather cuffs on my back. He quietly explains, “Some of the other security caught hold of a couple of them. The pups made a big circle back, and the intruders were stupid enough to follow them right up to the house. We made short work of them before Theo realised you weren’t with the little ones. He charged into the woods for you.”
I remember the guard who was set up outside and immediately ask, “What happened to the security guy who was outside my house? Why didn’t he help?” Without meaning to, my tone comes out accusatory.
His glare burns into the top of my head. Just when I expect him to drop me on my ass for accusing another wolf of foul play, he doesn’t. “The white smoke you described has likely knocked him out. I’ve no doubt that’s where Theo ran off to. He’ll see if they’ve left anything behind and check on Eyolf.”
By the time we make it to the medic centre, sweat soaks through my lightweight clothes. Every shift brings a new wave of pain. Fog covers my mind by the time we walk down the hallway, and I swear Theo’s brothers, Kenji and Quimby, are here. But, why would they be? My head flops back, and I shut my eyes to block out the lights above. My head throbs.
Distant sounds of growls and crashes can be heard, but I can’t make out who or why. Everything sounds like it’s under water. Something cool touches my back, and the arms that restrained me release. Pleased, I begin to drift off.
Dreamlike, I see the waterfall with Kenji, Quimby, and Theo all together as pups. They laugh as they splash each other. It’s a peaceful, happy image. Then, the image changes abruptly, and it morphs into a vision of me in my bedroom, except it’s not my bedroom. It’s dark and cold, and I don’t like it. I try to get up to leave the room, but I’m stuck. Heavy pressure weighs down my arms. When something else touches my legs, I choke on an agonized scream. Searching, to understand why it hurts, I see thousands of fire ants crawling over my legs. I kick and thrash in a panic to get them off, but it doesn’t get me free.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Come back to us, Tally,” a distant voice calls out. I recognise the voice, but I don’t know where the fuck I know it from.
I growl in frustration, pissed off when I can’t figure out who speaks to me. Suddenly, I remember the words that were spoken to me, and I try to scream and shout at them. It’s not okay! They need to help me. I beg and plead for them to help me, but they don’t.
My tongue feels thick and heavy. Did I get the words out? I look back at my legs, and the ants continue to move up my body and onto my thighs. In a last-ditch attempt to get them off, I kick and struggle against whatever pins me down. In horror, I watch as the ants climb. They expose where my feet and ankles are supposed to be, but instead, all I see is bone.
In desperation, I choke back the cries. I don’t have my legs anymore. Please, I want to die. Tears and whimpers escape me; I just want it to end. Please, make it end.
My left hand becomes cold, like ice runs through my veins. I try to snatch my hand back, but it won’t move. Why can’t I move? The ice moves higher, and my head starts to swim even more. I gasp and fight the ice as it creeps through my body.
A voice finally breaks through. “Shh, baby. It’s okay. They’ll make you better.”
“Dad,” I barely manage to whimper before my head swims. My vision goes fuzzy, and the world goes dark.