07

Ryker cuts in, « This is ridiculous Alpha. She’s just a little girl, take the gun from her. »

« I am not a—«

Ryker abruptly lungs towards me and grabs onto the arm holding the gun, pulling it down. The weapon almost slips from my grasp, and I fight to hang onto it. Then a shot rings in my ears.

« Evangeline ! »

I let out a bloodcurdling scream and drop the gun to the grass. My hands spring up to my head, and I examine them, seeing small amounts of blood stained on my palm. The sight of the red liquid sends my head into an inevitable spin, as the sight of blood has always made my stomach rise. This blood though, this blood is my own and caused by my own frantic actions. I swallow and try to steady myself.

Unexpectedly, a comforting feeling comes over me as two arms wrap around my swaying body, stopping me from tumbling to the dirt. This soothing feeling is like no other ; this feeling has my nerves in a frenzy. Oddly, my mind is taken from the frightening wetness on my hand.

When I was little, I thought I would die of old age. I thought one day I would just naturally not wake up. It was a peaceful idea, yet unrealistic. Though dying from plainly being wrinkled and weak was likely not going to come true, never did I think I would die because of my own accidental, panic-stricken actions. Not only have I managed to kill myself, but I also am not sure if those people are going to be released. Please, do not let me die without a purpose.

I swear if we die because of your idiotic choices I’m going to kill you—again, my wolf hisses at me in pain.

« Find out what the rogues did, and see if we can let them go, » he commands Ryker while holding onto me for dear life. My hand again lightly pats the back of my head, sending a horrific, sharp pain to strike me harshly. I wince and drop my hand to my side.

« What were you thinking ? »

I do not notice that I am crying until he wipes the salty tears from my flushed cheeks. The softness of his touch eases the throbbing of my unintentional wound. Will I die in this stranger’s arms as if we have known each other for decades ? My mate’s touch, though new, makes me feel like we have been together for many years, like I know him better than I know myself. It is a funny feeling, the mate bond.

My eyes drift to the field, almost in the direction of grandmas house. If I am correct, if I am dying at this moment, I will never get to say goodbye, and she may never know what happened to me. To her, I just disappeared one day and never came back.

« I have to get a doctor, » my mates voice comes to me again.

I want to say something back, but my lips stay shut. My body is too focused on the pain and the bond. Oh my poor mate, though he seems rather dark and ruthless he has lost his mate so soon. Somehow I have managed to do something selfless and selfish at the same time.

He lifts me up the porch steps, as my legs are not much help, and he brings me inside. Reality no longer feels real, everything around me is fuzzy and dream-like. I lay down on the couch and stare up at the ceiling, thinking about all the time in my life that I have wasted, how I could have done more to prepare myself for the end. Should I have never told my parents about the Moon Goddess ? Should I have listened to Grandma when she said not to climb that tree ? Should I have crossed the stream ? How much can more blood pour out of me ? Surely my blurry surroundings must be a sign that my body is running low.

« Marina, call the doctor now, » he calls.

It does not take long for her to come scurrying into the room with the phone in her grasp. « I just called him, what’s the matter ? »

« There was an accident. A bullet skimmed the back of her head. » I could tell by the sound of his voice that he hated to say it. It is unusual to have a stranger care for me so strongly.

The bullet skimmed me. That does not sound as severe as I thought my injury would be. Is it possible that I could survive, that I could live just a little longer before I play goddess once again ? My dizzy head makes my stomach rise and threatens to spill all it is holding. Maybe this is all a dream ; maybe I will wake up in my cozy bed. The sun will shine on my cheeks and blind me slightly when I open them at first. I will roll over, avoiding the intense rays, only for grandma to peek inside and tell me that she has made breakfast. Oh, she makes the yummiest hash browns.

« How could this happen ? » Marina asks and hurries closer. « I’ll get bandages and whatnot until they arrive. »

My eyes slowly open and close, tempted to stay shut and pull me into a much-wanted slumber. A sudden squeeze of my hand sends a jolt through my body, ridding my tired bones of the encumbering exhaustion. My mate tugs me forward and places a pillow in my place, forcing me to sit up, making it harder to float away to dreamland. « Am I going to die ? » I mumble while fighting myself to stay awake.

« I don’t think so, » my mate murmurs.

« If I do… Those people—the girl. My grandma needs to know. » I do not say anything else.

He squeezes my hand again.

« Take the antibiotics, change the bandage, and you should be fully healed in about a week, » the doctor says and starts to collect his things, and I watch him as he does so.

My mate stayed by my side the entire time, which made me quite nervous, as he has an intense aroma that makes my heart beat a bit faster than usual.

Speaking of heads, you almost killed us !

It was not wholly my fault, I argue back. It was a complicated situation.

Suddenly, my mate’s brother, Henry, walks into the room and observes the doctor, most likely confused by his presence. « What happened here, Sebastian ? » Henry’s eyes turn to my bandaged head.

Sebastian. My mate’s name is Sebastian. I could go on and on about how perfect it sounds. Through all this time I never thought to ask my mate his name, which seems very odd by now. I suppose his name could be anything that my imagination can shove together and I would still find it utterly flawless.

My mate, now known to me as Sebastian, lets out a low grumble. « Henry, not right now. »