Chapter 34 : A Wounded Heart 2

Selene

That night they were immersed in the darkness of the forest, lit only by a small fire that crept between the trees. Selene and Mike remained vigilant beside Elena, who was battling a burning fever.

Elena was pale and sweating profusely, occasionally mumbling incoherently. She was struggling to breathe, as if breathing was difficult. Though they had tried pouring cold water on her several times, her fever would not break.

Samuel lay down next to Felix to rest, seeking warmth in the wolf's arms. They both looked exhausted after the long and tiring journey.

Selene spoke softly to Mike, not wanting to disturb her friends' sleep. "I don't know if she'll recover," she said.

With a thoughtful expression on his face, Mike shook his head. "We can only hope that she survives. I have a feeling she's no ordinary she-wolf. I feel the power in her."

"Hmm, I don't understand what she's talking about. She keeps talking about 'Alicia' and 'why', it seems," Selene expressed her confusion.

"She's probably just delirious with a fever," Mike said.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm still curious..."

Suddenly his hand touched her shoulder, startling her. She turned her head to find his soft eyes staring at her. The small firelight played shadows on his handsome face and she felt her heart beat faster.

Selene wished he would say something, but he was silent, his eyes glued to her without moving.

His hands slowly tightened on her shoulders, then he took her in his arms. Selene felt warmth rise inside her. Unable to hold back any longer, she looked at his approaching lips and touched them gently.

Her eyes closed as he kissed her and he pressed his body against hers, holding her tightly. She gripped his shirt tightly as she returned the kiss. How something as simple as the touch of lips could evoke so many feelings, she had no idea. But she felt helpless as Mike looked at her and the world around her seemed to spin.

All thoughts of their problems and their role in Karenina's quest vanished as their lips met. They were both lost in the kiss, forgetting everything but each other's feelings.

His head slowly moved back, breaking the deep kiss. Unconsciously, she was searching for more. She was thirsting for that exciting touch. The fire in her blood flared and her whole body felt alive, she felt the pain in her chest as well as the sensation running between her legs. Only with him did she feel this way, feel like a desirable woman. They forgot where they were, Elena, and even their search for Karenina.

Mike's lips touched hers again, and she responded with a soft moan as their lips met again. Her lips parted on their own, welcoming his incoming tongue, creating an intoxicating touch. Their tongues play a tantalizing dance, caressing each other and battling for dominance for a moment before he finally lets her take control, thrusting his tongue firmly into her mouth, taking her breath and her mind.

But the tender moment is interrupted by a growl.

Selene and Mike snapped out of their intimacy and both turned toward the sound with obvious confusion on their faces.

Elena stared at them with bloodshot eyes, crouched on the ground and growled softly but fiercely.

They both knew exactly what those red eyes meant. The wolf inside Elena rose and took over her consciousness, approaching the surface. It was the most dangerous time and they had to be careful if they wanted to survive.

Mike tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. They could only watch in shock as Elena's transformation took place.

Elena was changing.

Her long black hair turned to light brown, her sharp and white face softened to a tan with softer features, even her clothes changed color and shape. Elena had transformed into a she-wolf completely different from her previous appearance, and it completely mesmerized them both.

As Selene moved away from Mike, her hand reached for the hilt of her sword, ready to act if necessary.

"Elena..." Selene tried to get the new she-wolf's attention, hoping to ease her anger and confusion.

But before she could speak further, Elena let out a startled growl. She saw that the wolf was wearing nothing but the green underwear and the bandage she had wrapped around her chest the night before.

Then the fierce expression on Elena's face vanished, replaced by green eyes full of sadness. The firelight caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes, and she was surprised to feel a tear fall on Elena's cheek.

*****

Maya

Meanwhile, Maya was caught in a painful flashback. The memories gnawed at her consciousness, making her forget that she had killed Alicia and her lover a few months ago.

"How could this happen? How could you let that man touch you when I promised you my love?" She asked herself in a voice that was very different from the cold and firm Elena. Her green eyes reflected sadness. "Why... why did you betray me, Alicia?" Tears continued to flow from her eyes, hurting the heart of Selene who had to witness this sadness.

She was almost choked by her own emotions, unable to speak any further.

Selene tried to explain, not knowing who Alicia was, but Elena cried, "Why did you betray me, Alicia?" Tears flowed from her eyes in an unstoppable stream. Seeing this sadness cut Selene's heart.

"I'm not Alicia," Selene tried to tell the newly appeared Elena, but before she could continue, Elena hugged her tightly, this time it was not Mike who hugged her, but Elena.

"I love you," Elena whispered softly, breaking Selene's heart.

She forgot about Karenina in her reverie. There was only Alicia, her lover, safe in her arms again, where she belonged.

Selene wasn't sure what Mike was doing when he caught a kiss from Elena. She froze, their lips touching, and never before had she felt another woman's lips like that. Their breasts touched, thighs met thighs and they were locked together.

Selene tried to gently pull away from the unwanted embrace, but a growl startled her as she felt the sound vibrate against her closed lips. Her eyes bulged as she tried to keep track of Elena's face, and those red eyes opened to meet hers.

Maya was furious. How could Alicia refuse her love? Were all her words of love and promises just lies? Then the pain in her shoulder revealed itself as Alicia tried to struggle out of her embrace. She snarled and tightened her grip on her woman, and as she turned her head to see blood staining her shoulder, her mind went back to the past when she was attacked from behind by Keith, Alicia's lover, and injured. Not only had Alicia betrayed her love, she had tried to kill her. Pain pierced her chest, and in her reverie, Maya felt as if she had been betrayed once again.

Selene's hand clumsily reached for the hilt of her sword. Although her movements were somewhat shaky, she managed to pull the sword out with her left hand, unnoticed by Elena.

Before she could pull the sword, Elena suddenly threw her backwards with tremendous force. Selene and Mike fell to the ground in a heap, but they quickly got up and assumed fighting positions. Samuel ran up to them and asked, "What's going on? Who is she? Where's Elena?"

"That's Elena," Mike explained, "and she's out of her mind."

Maya continued to look at them with angry eyes and vowed to kill them before she died.

"Die, Alicia, and live in hell with your lover!" Maya hissed angrily, then lunged at them.

Mike quickly stepped in front of Selene and created a barrier that hit Elena, knocking her backwards.

Elena reluctantly got to her feet, hampered by her wounds, but her fierce desire did not seem to have diminished. Tears still flowed from her red eyes, showing how strong the wolf inside her was.

"I love you. I really love you!" Elena cried, her eyes sparkling. "Alicia..." she whispered in grief and pain.

"Who is Alicia?" Samuel asked in a quiet voice.

"I wish I knew," Selene replied.

Selene's hand clumsily reached for the hilt of her sword. Her trembling movements went unnoticed by Elena as she drew the sword with her left hand. However, they had no intention of killing Elena under the circumstances. Mike quickly threw a few blades to temporarily immobilize her. Elena let out a shrill roar that filled the night sky.

"We can't kill her in this state," Selene said. "It's not her fault. She lost control and drowned in her hallucinations because of the fever."

Selene had no problem killing other she-wolves if they threatened her safety, but Elena was out of her mind, and Selene could not intentionally kill an innocent creature, even if that creature was trying to kill her.

"I agree, Selene," Mike said. "We need to get back to Rylan."

Selene motioned for Samuel to climb on Felix's back, and he himself climbed on with Mike in tow.

"What about Karen?" asked Samuel.

"We'll look for her later. Right now we need to get away from Elena before she hurts one of us," Mike said as Felix ran off at top speed.

Another howl came from behind them, but this time it was full of sadness. The sound was heartbreaking. Whoever this Alicia was, she seemed to have broken Elena's heart. Mike felt sorry for the wolf, but he also knew that they had to continue their journey.

"If it's Elena, why does she look different? Even her scent has changed," Samuel asked, disappointed that they wouldn't be finding Karen anytime soon.

"I don't know either, Sam. In fact, I'm kind of surprised. She just changed," Selene replied.

"I guess we'll never know the secret of Elena," Mike said.

"But what if she continues to hunt Karen?" asked Samuel worriedly.

No one could answer that, so they continued their journey in silence on Felix's back, hoping to use their senses of smell and sight to find Rylan's trail. But first they had to find a safe place to rest, away from Elena, in case she tried to chase them again.

Little did they know that Mike's attempt to stop Maya had knocked her unconscious.