Chapter 24

Flora’s P.O.V

Garrick didn’t say anything but he put his hand on the small of my back as he led me deeper into the pack house and down a flight of steps into a large all-white room with several beds inside, some of which were occupied, the white sheets stained red.

The pack house was packed with people tonight, but they weren’t running around in awe or making trouble. Everyone was huddled together with the remaining members of their family that wasn't in the battlefield, giving and receiving strength from the bonds they shared. Some had volunteered to help while others looked too scared to do anything but huddle together in the corners.

“Flora!” There was relief in Jessica’s voice as the older healer came over to me. Her naturally wavy bronze hair was tied up into a tight bun at the top of her head and the teal coloured dress she had on had dark brown patches of dried blood in them. “I’m so glad you’re here! Come on, we need as much help as we can get.”

“Tell me what you need.” I told her immediately. I had to do something to help or I’ll lose my mind.

“You’re not under healer training yet but I think you did a course on primary level nursing in your first semester in college, right? Under Nurse Minkhwan?” On my nod, Jessica continued. “Then I’ll be making you in charge of the smaller, minor injuries that don’t require you to use your healer strength too much and can mostly be healed with bandages and medicines. I’ll need to preserve my strength for the more serious cases.”

“I’m fine with anything as long as I can help.” I told her as she led me to a few people who had gotten hurt during the evacuation process. Their injuries were minor, a few deep cuts, a fractured rib and a dislocated shoulder when a submissive had been hauled out of the danger zone by a senior soldier who had underestimated his strength. They were all fixable wounds that will require a minimum amount of my power.

Jessica left me with the group as she went to attend another soldier who had just been brought in with deep gashed across his stomach and chest. He’d been one of the first people to fall victim to the rogues but had been recovered later on from the battle field because his unconscious body had fallen into a pond. As I watched, Jessica leaned over the fallen soldier with intense care and placed her hand over the wounds on his chest gently. Golden light appeared on her fingertips, just like they did with mine when I healed, but her powers were stronger, the strength of her alpha backing her up and the wounds began to heal much faster.

Finishing up on the person with the fractured rib, I went over to my last patient, the girl with the dislocated shoulder and knelt down beside her trembling form. I recognised her from high school, Aria Kenner. She’d been a freshman when I was a senior, so I was guessing she was now a senior in high school. Her mother sat beside her, wiping her face of perspiration and tears with gentle hands while she fought back her own tears.

“Hello Aria,” I gently touched my fingers to her cheek, letting some of my healing power seep into her skin so she didn’t feel the constant stab of pain. A shudder of relief washed over her and the petite little girl opened pale green eyes to look at me through long dark lashes.

“I know you’re scared sweety, but you have to believe in our pack. They’ll never let anything bad happen to us.” I touched my fingers to her damn brunette hair that was plastered to her head as I smiled encouragingly at her. “Now, I’ll need to get your hand back into place before it starts healing wrong. It’s going to hurt but it’ll be temporary. You’ll be fine soon enough.”

“Okay.” It was a soft, almost inaudible whisper. If I didn’t have wolf hearing, I wouldn’t have caught the words either.

Shifting closer to the girl, I motioned for her mother to hold her tight as I placed my hand gently on her injured one. Aria winced but stayed quiet, the sound of her teeth gritting together reaching my ears a second later. So I gripped her hand tighter in both of mine and twisted it in the right direction, snapping the bone back into place.

Aria yelled loud enough to startle a couple of the healing soldiers, but I used my powers to lessen the pain and soon she was blinking back her tears as she lifted her now working hand off the floor. I caught her arm before she lifted it higher. “Let it rest for a couple of hours.” I told her as I used a piece of cloth to make a makeshift sling for her arm. “You’ll be fine now.”

“Thank you.” Aria’s smile lit up her whole face and her mother sighed in relief before mouthing ‘thank you’ to me and cuddling her daughter close to her side.

Smiling, I got up from my crouched positing beside the duo and stood up to go see if anyone else needed my help. But I almost ran into Garrick as soon as I turned the other way. His arms came around to steady me, held me a bit too long for my comfort before letting go and the wrongness of the situation felt like a physical slap across my face.

I hadn’t trained with Garrick since that day Clay nearly chocked the life out of him and I had never explained or called him back to tell him why I couldn’t train with him anymore. I’d obeyed Clay’s orders even though I’d told him he didn’t have the right to make decisions for me, because the events that had followed had changed me forever. But it wasn't fair on Garrick. He’d always treated me with care, always looked after me even though he had no need to go beyond Riley’s command. And also, I had no idea what Clay had told him either. It was my fault. I should’ve kept in touch with Garrick. But I guess I could still try and salvage whatever was left of our relationship.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” I asked him hopefully, looking up into his dark green eyes as he stared at me unmoving.

“This way.” Garrick said after a few moments while I waited with my heart in my throat, before he began leading me in another direction.

I glanced around quickly to see if anyone needed my help at the moment. Jessica was still treating the injured soldier with the claw marks, Victor; I think his name was, while the others lay in their beds unmoving. They were put to sleep by Jessica as she healed them to make sure they didn’t feel any pain. Satisfied that the rogues didn’t get anyone else in the interim, I headed out of the infirmary and down the corridor to a quieter part of the pack house so no one could over hear us.

“I’m sorry for not calling you later.” I told him outright. There was no need beating around the bush and acting innocent when I knew that I was at fault. “I can blame it on Clay and Riley’s over-protectiveness but I didn’t explain myself either and for that I’m extremely sorry.” I bowed my head as I spoke to him.

“There’s no need for you to apologize,” Garrick sighed as he leaned back on the opposite wall, his white tee-shirt stretching taunt over his muscles, but I didn’t feel anything towards this male who was darkly beautiful in his own right. “I knew the day would come sooner rather than later.”

Yes, we had suspected it, but I hadn’t expected to forget all about Garrick the second I laid eyes on Clay.

“I also wanted to apologize for something else,” I swallowed before I continued. “I had been practicing with Clay.”

“Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

The unusual humour in his voice had me looking up in shock to find Garrick’s lips tilted up in a smirk. A blush crept up my cheeks as I realized that Garrick might have just realized what had been going on between me and Clay.

Garrick laughed out loud at my horrified face, the sound deep and warm and inviting. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. And I appreciate that you took the time apologizing to me. But be careful, Flora. Clay’s almost twenty eight. As much as I wish that you’re his mate, I’ve seen far too many dreams shatter to know that not all mating bonds go as planned.”

And his words brought a renewed fear back into my mind, a fear that had nothing to do with the war raging outside.

Three months. The countdown had already begun and I hadn’t even noticed it.