Chapter 6
Flora’s P.O.V
Everything around me seemed to disappear, as if we were the only two people in the world. My heart was beating wildly inside my chest, but I didn’t understand why. I felt a pain in my chest, a strange kind of longing.
The red took a step forward and I instinctively flinched back, making it halt with its paw mid-step. My eyes once again connected with the red rimmed gold of its iris and I saw confusion swirl in them.
The wolf wasn’t just a rogue, but a powerful one. I could feel its strength by the way he held his body, even in wolf form. And the shove of power I got from him was very similar to Malachi’s…the power of an Alpha. But how could that be? How could an Alpha become a rogue?
Suddenly, I saw flashes of images dance in front of my eyes.
A red wolf chasing me across the forest. I was running away from it, as fast as I could. The sun was setting in the horizon but there was no sense of danger or fear. Instead I heard laughter in my mind…anticipation in my blood.
A second later, I saw a blur move past me and it caused me to halt abruptly, also causing me to stumble over my legs and soon enough, I was on the ground, skidding forward at incredible speed towards the sturdy trunk of a forest giant.
Something heavy fell on top of me, halting my skid and stopping me just inches away from the trunk of the tree I was about to collide into. I closed my eyes as adrenalin rushed through my body and my heart thundered against my chest. My breath came out in pants and I felt the weight of the wolf lift off my chest.
He didn’t move far away. He was still on top of me and when I opened my eyes, I saw the rich red fur of his wolf, the golden hue of his eyes. He was straddling me in wolf form and I suddenly realized that I was unharmed because of him.
A sudden shattering pain pierced my head and I felt like my head was about to split into two.
Clutching my head with a strangled scream, I fell to the ground and watched as the red wolf came running towards me. If this was death then I would gladly accept it, because this pain was unlike anything I had ever felt in my life.
But the wolf didn’t harm me. It sniffed at my hand and nudged me gently as a whining noise came from his throat. Surprisingly, it appeared worried about me.
“Flora! Samuel!”
The wolf’s head snapped towards the direction of the calls and I instantly forgot about my headache as a low growl came from its throat.
“NO!” I begged the wolf, making its eyes meet mine.
Another shiver went down my spine, both from fear and an unnamed emotion and I pleaded with my eyes for him not to attack. But I didn’t want him to get hurt either, because rogue or not, he had saved my life.
“Go…” I pleaded; my voice a breathless whisper. “Please, go before they find you.”
The wolf seemed to debate the option and when the voices neared, it bent its head and opened its jaws.
I closed my eyes instantly, thinking that he had ultimately changed his mind and was now going for the kill. But instead of a bit, I felt something wet fall into my palm. I opened my eyes the next instant but the red wolf was gone, leaving me alone in the forest with two dead bodies.
“Oh my God!” The horror I had witnessed a few moments ago returned with teeth-gritting force.
How could I have forgotten them? These soldiers belonged to my pack! They died trying to save my life!
Getting myself off the ground, I tucked the wet mess into a pocket in my dress, not bothering to look at what a rogue had given me before turning to the victims.
One look at Joshua and I turned to the tree and threw up. The scene was right out of my worst nightmare and I couldn’t bear to look at him. If Ricky’s bite didn’t kill him, the bullets had and they had torn him apart to the point where the bullets had gone through.
After getting my emotions in control, I turned to Samuel…saw the soft rise and fall of his back as he lay face down on the ground.
“Samuel!”
I knelt down beside him and put my hands over his neck wound. The gash wasn’t deep but Ricky had managed to bite into the carotid artery. Whatever happens, I could not let him die!
“Flora! Samuel!”
This time the voices appeared even closer, but I didn’t have the strength in me to call for help. So, instead I focused all my energy in closing the artery.
Blood gushed freely from the wound and he had already lost a lot, but I closed my eyes and focused on closing the artery, picturing the walls heal and the blood flow stop.
“Flora!”
Startled, I looked up at the terrified face of Ezra as she came rushing towards me, followed by the main healer, Mercy and another soldier I didn’t know. Ezra knelt beside me and took my face into her hands.
“Are you alright?” This was the first time I had heard her sound this afraid. “Are you hurt? God, you’re trembling! Let go! Mercy will take over.”
But I shook my head. “He saved my life.” I told them in a hoarse whisper. “I have to heal him.”
“There’s too much blood, Flora.” It was Mercy who placed a careful hand on my shoulder. “Let me help.”
“No! I’ll help!” I didn’t know why I was being so stubborn, but I felt like I couldn’t let go. I had to heal him!
They didn’t say anything as I continued to heal Samuel. The blood flow stopped after five minutes and then I saw black spots in my vision. I was almost out of energy, but it didn’t matter. I had to heal Samuel, no matter what. It was like an ache in my heart and the more I healed, the more the ache faded.
I felt myself sway as my vision blurred.
“Flora!” Both Ezra and Mercy caught me from either side, but I continued until I knew that Samuel was healed. I was almost there…just a little bit more…
Just a little…
“Flora?”
“Flora!”
Flora…
