Chapter 52
Chapter 54
Lylah’s POV
(POV switch in this chapter)
I stumbled forward, my legs wobbly beneath me. It would take some time getting used to being in my form rather than in the head of my human.
Everything was heightened, my smell, vision and my sensitivity. I felt free, a feeling I’ve always craved but couldn’t mention to Kaia because she gets dmsad at the thought of not being able to shift when it wasn’t her fault to begin with.
With each step I took, the more confident I felt as I navigated through the forest. I could hear King calling us for help…he was calling us to be close to him. I knew what he was talking about, the days we spent away from them were torture. But Kaia can be stubborn.
As I ran, my mate’s smell became concentrated, telling me we were getting close.
“Please be okay!” I begged.
“Are we there?” Kaia asked, tears streaming down her face.
I’ve always hated it when she cried and always wanted to tear apart those people responsible for her tears. And it was only a matter of time before I do it now that I have my form.
“We’re almost there.” I told her and she nodded.
My body was growing tired but it wasn’t time to give up, so I increased my speed, running like my life depended on it…it does. I finally slowed down when I could tell that I was close, but where was he? King wasn’t responding anymore, adding to my worry.
“Let me out!” Kaia begged.
“I haven’t seen him yet. I’ll do that once I find him p>
Moving as slowly as I could, I tried to sniff out his location. But alongside his own smell, there was a weird smell I couldn’t place. But finding King was important so whatever the smell was it would have to wait.
Then I saw him, and I saw red!
Kaia’s POV
Kieran was sprawled on the ground, motionless. The slight rising and falling of his chest was the only indication that he was alive.
A loud gasp left my lips when my eyes landed on his bloodied leg and side. I rushed towards him and knelt down beside him.
“Kieran, please wake up!” I cried, tears streaming down my face and it wasn’t pretty. A rotten smell was coming from his leg. It definitely wasn’t wolfsbane but I
didn’t know of anything that could cause such damage.
“Kieran I called again, but there was no response.
I tried calling for help, but there was nothing and we were in the middle of
nowhere. I couldn’t mindlink anyone else.
Placing his head on my lap, I gently caressed his face. He looked so much different and a pang of guilt hit me. I was responsible for this.
“I’m so sorry Baby…I sh-shouldn’t have left.” My voice was breaking as I held him closer. “Please don’t leave me p>
With each second that passed, his situation became worse and I felt helpless. I wasn’t strong enough to carry him and Lylah was still weak. This wouldn’t have happened if instead of listening to other people, I spoke to him directly. But all that wasn’t important, nothing must happen to him.
Wrapping my arms around him and careful not to touch his wounds, I held him, begging and praying to the moon goddess to make him okay.
She has never given me anything I wanted, but she wouldn’t be so evil to let him die.
“Please, don’t leave me.” I sobbed, “I’d be a better mate, I promise p>
A gasp left his lips, which made me pull back to be sure I wasn’t imagining things. But his eyes held so much pain, making my heart ache. He didn’t deserve this.
“Are you okay?” I asked, but the moment the question left my lips, I felt dumb.
“Bella he called softly, his lips curving into the semblance of a smile. “I found you.” He said. His voice was barely audible.
I nodded profusely, “you found me. And I’m not going anywhere again p>
“Promise?” He coughed, even that sounded strain.
“Yes, I promise.” And this time, I wasn’t just saying it to put his mind at peace or anything.
He was home, and running away from my problem wouldn’t solve it. Times without number, he’d repeatedly proven that when I run, he ran. And that he would choose me over and over again, but something within me just couldn’t process his love but that was changing.
“Are you okay?” He asked, and I resisted the urge to groan. He was the one in pain, not me. Yet he was asking if I was okay.
“I’m fine p>
He nodded, “you look beautiful.” his eyes were slowly slowing, increasing my worry.
“Where was everyone? Why was he alone?” I thought.
“Kieran, baby, why aren’t you healing p>
“Can’t…there’s he coughed, this time it was accompanied by blood. My eyes widened in shock.
I hated that I didn’t know what to do. “Lylah!” I called, and her response although it was immediate, it was weak.
“Kaia p>
“Why isn’t he healing? He’s a Lycan, his healing is supposed to be faster. What’s going on?” I asked her.
She sighed, “King is gone p>
I froze, “no, no…that cannot happen?” My chest was beating fast like it was going to beat out of my ribcage. “That’s not possible.” I cried. “Why did this happen to him?” He was always the strong one, always coming to my rescue, now that it was my turn to help him, I was clueless on what to do.
Taking off my shirt, I moved to tie his leg. He was losing so much blood and sitting down wasn’t helping.
“There’s poison…it’s mixed with wolfsbane.” Lylah said.
Poison? Why?
Once I was done tying it…it wasn’t much help and I stood up to go look for help, but his hand stopped me.
“Don’t go.” He called weakly.
“I have to get help, you’re not getting any better.” But he shook his head and
reached for my hands. “Let me hold you…I love you, Bella.” He said.
My hands trembled as I held him, my eyes remained fixed on his face that was
pale. A sad smile reached my eyes, “I love you p>
His eyes snapped open, “You do?” Even with his pain, I could tell he was surprised by my confession.
“Of course I do, how could I not p>
When I imagined confessing my feelings for him, it wasn’t like in a place like this.
I’ve known for a long while that I loved him, but the timing was never right.
“Tell me again.” He demanded.
“I love you…I love you so much that it hurts. You are the best thing that happened
to me, and I’d be crazy not to p>
His eyes closed again, and it was followed by shortness of his breath, “I’m sorry, Bella.” He murmured, before his breathing finally stopped.
I let out an ear piercing scream, “wake up, baby. Please.” I cried, reaching out to touch his side and his leg.
“Do something!” I screamed, “you didn’t save my mother, don’t take my mate too p>
I begged the moon goddess. “Even if you hate me, do it for him p>
Nothing happened, the sharp pain at my side only intensified. And so did my tears.
All of a sudden, I felt a strong sense of energy that I never knew I possessed, surge through my body and then to my hand, and a tingling sensation spread through my palm.
“What’s going on?” I asked Lylah but there was no response.
It went on for a while before my vision began to blur and then everything went
black.