Chapter 621 Snake
Natalie blinked, visibly shaken by Oliver's revelation. It was the first time she understood the depth of his feelings.
"I often wonder, if another man were to reach you before I do, would your heart find space for him? And I can’t even hold a grudge... I would have to be thankful to him for saving my most precious treasure."
"Oliver..." Natalie attempted to respond but felt a lump in her throat.
"Do you need water?" Oliver, noticing Natalie's discomfort, retrieved a bottle of water from the first-aid kit, unscrewed the cap, and offered it to her.
After taking a small sip, Natalie found herself at a loss for words. She did not know how to return to their previous conversation or explain to Oliver that gratitude, while significant, was not the same as love. It would not have mattered if another man saved her. She could not fault him for not being there when she needed him the most, and it did not mean she would develop feelings for someone simply because they played the role of a savior.
Love often brings a sense of inadequacy, along with grievances.
"What else do you have in that bag?" Natalie asked, her attention now on the bag from which Oliver had taken the water.
"Just a few emergency supplies, some medications, and glucose," he replied.
"Then you should attend to that wound."
Oliver procured some antiseptic and gauze, then asked, "Where are you hurt?"
"I’m talking about you. Take care of your injuries."
"It’s just a superficial scratch," Oliver remarked, downplaying his own injuries. They seemed minor compared to the hardships he had previously faced.
"You’d deserve it if you ended up disfigured," Natalie remarked, half in jest, pointing at a cut on his forehead.
Oliver raised an eyebrow but smiled. "I’m already taken, so my appearance is of little consequence."
Natalie was left speechless, saddened by Oliver's decision to keep their marital status a secret. She changed the topic.
"How do we get out of here?”
"Wait for rescue."
Oliver checked his phone, but there were no updates from his team. They were off the usual path, and it would take time to send a message to Richard and then wait for assistance to arrive at their location.
Suddenly, a loud crash startled them as rocks from the cavern walls fell to the ground.
Oliver quickly wrapped his arms around Natalie, protecting her in his arms. Instinctively, Natalie covered his head as they moved away from the falling debris, narrowly avoiding it.
Nearby, the ground showed minor cracks.
Shadows of creatures darted within the pit.
Natalie's face turned pale. "What's happening?"
"Earthquake," Oliver stated, helping Natalie to her feet, "I’ll carry you. We need to find a safe place."
"I can walk by myself," Natalie protested, her voice shaking. She was aware of Oliver's injuries, hidden though they might be, and feared he might be more hurt than he let on.
"Your ankle is swollen, and your pants are torn at the knees. Are you indifferent to the pain, or do you plan to lose your legs?" Oliver's expression showed concern. He did not wait for her reply before lifting her onto his back.
Natalie's leg injury was a sensitive issue for Oliver; it had once been a source of distance between them, a rift they had only recently begun to bridge. Any aggravation of her injury was bound to frustrate him.
His sturdy back provided a comforting warmth.
Gradually, Natalie wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck, leaning on him entirely for support.
The sky thundered ominously above them.
The weather in Silvercrest was unpredictable, changing from clear skies to thunderstorms in moments, almost as if signaling the end of days.
As the rain began to fall, drenching them, Oliver and Natalie looked for shelter. They found a lone tree offering some protection from the rain, but it was hardly sufficient.
Common sense dictated that standing under a tree during a lightning storm was dangerous.
"Oliver, watch out! There’s a snake!"
A red and green snake, startled by the thunder, emerged from the underbrush in a state of panic and immediately lashed out at the unfamiliar intruders. Accustomed to a lack of human presence, the frightened serpent attacked on sight. As it launched itself at Oliver, Natalie instinctively raised her arm to protect him.
Oliver's focus intensified as he supported Natalie by the hips with one hand while stepping back to free his other hand, catching the snake mid-air by its neck and forcefully striking it against a nearby rock. The impact of the rock was severe.
"Oliver!"
To Natalie's horror, just as Oliver seemed to have the situation under control, the snake managed to bite him before he could fully secure his grip.
Two deep red marks from the snake's fangs appeared on his palm, from which blood began to emerge, only to be quickly washed away by the torrential rain.
"Oliver! You've been bitten! Put me down, quickly," Natalie urged, her voice trembling with fear. Her lack of knowledge about snakes only intensified her fear, especially given that bright colors on a snake often indicated venom.
If the snake was venomous, it was crucial for Oliver to remain as still as possible to slow the circulation of his blood and prevent the spread of the venom.
However, Oliver, either unaware of or choosing to ignore his injury, looked around for more snakes or other dangers. With Natalie still on his back, he continued to move forward.
"Oliver! Put me down!" Natalie's plea, now filled with panic, echoed through the valley.
"Stay calm," Oliver commanded, his voice firm.
He spotted a large boulder a few meters away, which appeared to be a safer place to set Natalie down away from any potential threats.
The relentless rain soaked everything, making each of Oliver's steps produce a squelching sound.
Both thoroughly soaked, the temperature dropped sharply, leaving Natalie feeling an intense cold that seemed to penetrate to her very core. Her gaze remained fixed on the bite on Oliver's hand, unblinking.
Once he had placed Natalie on the large rock, shielding her from the rain with his body, she immediately took his hand, examining the wound as though her intense gaze could make it vanish.
"Natalie, what was going through your mind earlier?" Oliver, ignoring both the rain and his injury, demanded an answer from her.
Natalie blinked, trying to gather her thoughts.
"I... I wasn't really thinking about anything specific."
“How could you have done that?!” Olive had clearly seen Natalie's instinctive attempt to shield him from the snake with her arm.
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