Episode 15

Narrated by Elisabeth

When I realize I'm not falling, I slowly open my eyes to see who has saved me, and I see Samuel.

"You shouldn't be walking around; you still need to rest," he tells me with a mischievous smile on his face. When I notice he's still holding me securely, my cheeks flush with color.

"T...Thank you," I stutter, a shiver running through me at his touch.

"Shall I take you back to your room, or would you like to go somewhere else?" he asks. For a moment, I forget what I was intending to do.

"I wanted to speak with my father; can you take me to his office?" His smile is sweet, and I can't stop staring at him. He lifts me in his arms and we head toward my destination. We arrive, I knock on the door, and no one answers. I open the door and confirm.

"Hasn't he returned yet?" I'm too sleepy to want anything other than my bed at this point. Samuel notices I'm almost asleep in his arms and takes me back to my room.

He places me in bed, tucks me in, and leaves a kiss on my forehead.

"Please rest, I want you to recover soon," he says. I close my eyes, not that I want to, but the fatigue has won this fight.

Narrated by Samuel

I watch her as she falls asleep; she's so beautiful with her fair skin, her straight black hair, and those green eyes, not to mention her curves taking shape. She's going to be a traffic-stopper with all these attributes, yet she'll still be petite. In any case, she will be mine; I know I'm selfish for wanting her by my side, for me alone.

I leave her room to finally deal with the nuisance Athos is in my life, and tonight, during our hunt, he will suffer a small "accident." I have everything planned - I'll drug him with "Hemlock L." for humans it's lethal, but for wolves, it causes disorientation and partial loss of night vision. It also hampers regeneration and will only take effect once he shifts to his wolf form. In the darkness of the night, he'll be easy to fool.

As we use the forest behind the Supreme's house as our territory, we gather in front of the house. Athos, being very close, is always in the kitchen. He's preparing the snack, and I, as a good friend, am helping. As soon as he's distracted by making toast, I slip Hemlock essence into his coffee.

Once he's done with his toast, he sits in front of his mug. I watch him drink the spiked beverage, trying to contain myself so as not to give any hint that I put the herb in his drink. It's 8 PM, and all the young ones in the pack are gathered for the hunt, usually setting out in groups of four; there are about 20 of us. I hurry to offer to be in Athos's group.

"Athos, I'll join your group," I say as though pleading.

"Okay, Samuel, with you, my group is complete." Now I just need to get him to stray from the other two.

We head into the woods, gradually distancing ourselves from the other groups. I pretend to hear something and get Athos to stop with me. The others don't notice, take their wolf forms, and move on. I shift, and soon Athos does too, but it's clear to him something is amiss.

"My vision is strange," he says while blinking, trying to maintain his focus.

"Come on, Athos, it's probably nothing. I'll guide you," I say, trying to sound calm and confident.

"Okay, I'll follow you," he squints and nods.

"Follow close," I say, now all I have to do is lead him to his 'accident'.

"Athos, a deer, let's go," I lie, leading him further away from the two interlopers.

"Then let's chase after it," he replies eagerly, unaware of where I'm taking him.

I speed through the trees; he follows close behind. I'm going to make him tumble down the steep hill. I pick up the pace, and he doesn't hesitate to match my speed. When we're close to the edge, I dodge aside, but Athos can't see where he's going and continues straight, rolling down the slope. He tumbles for more than 20 meters, hitting everything on his way down. I consider descending to check if I've really gotten rid of him, but the hill is too steep, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to climb back up. So I simply watch from above. I can't see him moving, and with the effects of the herb, even if he's alive now, it won't be long before he's not. I make my way back to join the others without them noticing my sudden reappearance.

Narrated by Elizabeth

I wake in a start with a tightness in my heart, knowing something bad has happened to someone I love; I just don't know who it is.

I spring up abruptly and stagger through the hallways. First, I check on little Matheus, entering his room to find him sleeping peacefully in his bed.

As I step out faster than I entered, I rush to check on my father, who is not in his room. I nearly trip over my own legs as I dash downstairs, bursting into his office without knocking, nearly falling over inside. I find him amid paperwork. I don't give him a chance to speak and, with tears brimming in my eyes, I barrage him with questions.

"Father... Father, are you alright?" He looks at me with concern, not understanding the reason for my question, and puts aside his work to embrace me tightly. As soon as he holds me, I let the tears flow.

"What happened, darling?" he asks, holding me still.

"I had a bad feeling and didn't want to lose anyone important to me," I spill, ensuring he's truly there.

"And the boys, where are they?" I ask about Athos and Samuel. He sighs before responding.

"They're on the weekly hunt; they should be back soon." The unsettling feeling only worsens, my heart feels like it might break at any moment.

I decide to wait at the back of the house, seated on the porch, looking out to where they would emerge from the woods. I see the first ones leaving the forest and stay alert, but the agony grips me when I spot Samuel emerging with two rabbits in his hands. On one hand, I'm relieved, but when I can't find Athos, my heart nearly stops.

"WHERE IS ATHOS?" I shout, scanning the faces for him. Samuel approaches me with a curious look.

"Have you seen Athos? I can't find him and have a bad feeling."

"We went out, but he chased a deer and we separated, and I haven't seen him since," he speaks as if unworried that Athos has disappeared. Once I realize it's about Athos, I begin to feel ill, my vision blurs, my legs go weak, and I look beseechingly at Samuel to search for Athos.

"Please bring Athos back," I whisper in a thread of voice. He turns and heads into the forest, but before vanishing into the dark trees, he turns back to say:

"I'll go back and look for him." His gaze puzzles me; I can't decipher it. I watch him disappear into the woods.

Inside, with assistance from one of Athos's friends, Marlon tries to calm me. "Don't worry, Athos can take care of himself; he'll be back soon," he reassures me.

Once I feel a bit better, I want to go out and search for him myself, but still in recovery, my father thinks it best to send me to rest. All I want to know is if Athos is safe. Amid my agitation, my father brings strong sedatives. Without them, I wouldn't have returned to my room and would have gone to look for Athos despite my weakened state. As soon as I lie down, I fall into a deep sleep.

Dream on

I see myself walking among the trees, knowing it's night because I see the moon, yet the path is clear to me. I reach the edge of a ravine and lean over to look down; something catches my eye. It seems to be an injured animal, but it's too far to see which one. My heart clenches.

"I have to get down there," I scan for a safe path to descend. Once down there, I witness a horrific scene. At first, I can't make it out, but as I see his fur, I confirm it's Athos.

I'd recognize his lupine form anywhere. He's severely wounded, his coat matted with dirt and dry leaves, indicating he rolled to this spot. His hind legs are broken, one with a compound fracture, and his head is bleeding. I hurry to get closer to him.

"H...he...help me," he murmurs faintly, struggling to speak. The agony of seeing him like this overcomes me, and I embrace him, almost feeling him.

Dream off

I awake, and it's 10 AM. I leap from bed and rush out, feeling lighter, as though I've already healed.

"Father... father... father..." I scream through the house. My dad emerges from his room, startled.

"What happened?" he inquires. All I can say is "Athos," and I run from the house, with my father following me. On the way, he calls an omega from security to accompany us. After a 30-minute run, we reach the edge of the ravine. I peer down and spot him in the same place, still in his wolf form. I remember how I descended in my dream and go down.

The sight of him unconscious and badly hurt is overwhelming; tears I can't restrain flow freely. I long to embrace him but can't touch him, for fear of worsening his condition.

"Is he alive?" my father calls from above.

"He is, but it's bad," I reply, wiping tears away.

"Eliz, we'll call a rescue. Wait there with him," I see them go for help.

"Please wake up, Athos," I plead amid tears, wanting nothing more than for him to open his eyes. I sit by his side and gently brush his fur, removing the trapped debris.

"Wake up, please; I can't bear it if you leave me," I finally realize I love him more than anything in the world.

The rescue team arrives with my father, and I feel a momentary relief. Athos is carefully treated, immobilized on a stretcher, and then lifted from that place. He's taken to the hospital in the center of the village, straight into surgery.

In the waiting room with my father and Alec, I'm so nervous I can't stop pacing. It's been over 5 hours of surgery with no update. I'm on the verge of panic.

The doctor finally emerges, and my heart tightens.

"Hello, Supreme, Alec, and young lady, the surgery was successful. Apart from the fractures in his legs, he had a cranial trauma. We've stabilized him, and he's now in a coma. It's up to him to wake up. Moreover, his healing is slower than a human's. We ran some tests and found he's under the effect of a herb called 'Hemlock L.' This explains how he could've fallen from the ravine."

"Can I see him now?" I cut off the doctor.

"We had to use medication to force him back into his human form," the doctor ignores me again, which infuriates me, and I lash out.

"I just spoke to you. I want to see Athos, and I want it now." Before I know it, he bows in deference, his head down.

"Nurse, please escort the young princess to Athos's room." Everyone watches as I go to his room. I enter and sit by his bed. The sight of him like this pains me.

"Moon Goddess, please bring Athos back to me," I whisper, staying for 15 minutes before being told to leave. I lean down and whisper in his ear.

"I just discovered how much I love you. Please don't abandon me now." I kiss his cheek and return to my home...

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