Chapter Thirty-Five – The clinic

“Thank the heavens I was here” A voice spoke as the bright light faded and gave away their new surroundings. The pack clinic. Adam was helped by Devan and another wolf into a room where a doctor stood with a frown on his face.

Talia sat on the floor. Her legs no longer able to carry her weight. She'd gone through the portal, and like magic adrenaline had left her. Leaving her feel weak and xhausted. She felt deflated, like a balloon that had lost all its air.

“Come with me” Monica’s arms found her and lifted her up, helping her over to one of the chairs. She didn’t know what to say or do. She felt so helpless, her hands still covered in Adam’s blood from when she had tried to pull the arrows out. She’d tried to help him, but it wasn’t enough.

“He’ll be fine. Trust me. He will be fine” Devan said as he got seated on the other side of her, his hand finding hers, entangling their fingers together as he gave it a soft squeeze.

“I know” Talia whispered, silent tears streaming down her face. She had been so scared. Not for herself, but for Adam. And for every other member of the pack.

“She’s lost it” Talia continued in a whisper. “She attacked out of nowhere. One moment he was kissing me, the next howling out in pain. And I just…” More tears streamed down her face as Monica wrapped her arm around her, pulling her to rest her head on her shoulder as she wept.

Tears streamed down her face as she wept in silence, her eyes focused on the now closed door in front of them. He would be fine. It was just arrows. All they had to do was pull them out and Damir would do the rest, help him heal like from any other fight. It would be fine, yet she couldn’t keep herself from shaking like a leaf in the wind. Her entire body trembled as she cried herself dry.
–
It took a full hour before the door opened again, the doctor coming out with a relieved look on his face. “He’ll be healed in no time” The man said. It was the words she needed to hear. “He’s asking for you. Insisting that you get a checkup”

“I’m fine. This – this is not my blood. She – she didn’t hurt me. She could have, but she didn’t” Talia tried to sound assuring, but she didn’t. She probably looked like a mess.

“You can go see him, I’ll give you that checkup later” The doctor took his leave, and Monica helped Talia to her feet.

“Who was it?” Devan asked, still holding Talia’s hand. He had come through the portal with the other wolf, but they had been shieled from the hunter with the strong light. He hadn’t been able to see anything but his wounded alpha.

“It was Ariel” Talia said. “I trust you to do the right thing” She looked him into the eyes and gave his hand one last squeeze before releasing his hand, allowing Monica to give her support as she walked into the room to see Adam, and Devan disappeared out of the clinic, no doubt on his way to call for a search party to find the huntress.

Talia tried not to think about what would befall Ariel if they wolves found her. She knew they wouldn’t just up and kill her, it wasn’t their way of living. And her father was a big figur in the community, it made everythign a little more complicated. Killing or badly injuring here in any way would surely be a declaration on war, even though she started it. No, Talia had to focus on other things, like the wounded Alpha lying in the bed before her.

Once inside Talia let go of Monica and crossed the room in few steps, flinging herself around Adam’s neck and crying into his shoulder. His whole upper body was covered in gauze and bandages, the sight making Talia cry again.

“Sshh, it’s okay now. We’re safe. Nothing can hurt us here” Adam said soothingly as his hand started to stroke the back of her head.

Monica took one look at the scene before her, making sure they were both as fine as they could be after such an event before taking her leave, closing the door behind her and sitting down in the chair. No one was going to disturb the two of them anytime soon, Monica would make sure of it.

“It’s not okay” Talia’s voice was horse from crying. “Nothing is okay. She just shot an arrow at you for no reason. And then continued to shoot. And you – you didn’t do anything. She just attacked, and you didn’t do anything” She wasn’t sure if she was accusing him for not fighting back or if she was relieved that he hadn’t.

“She had no reason – yet she…” Words failed her. The Ariel she had seen that night was not the same as the one she had met just a few days ago. No, this Ariel was angry and hellbent on revenge.

“I thought no one knew” Talia continued. They had all been so careful, kept out of sight, blended perfectly with the environment. Even she who everyone took for anything other than a fragile woman knew the importance on blending in. She did it every time she was traveling, taking on the role as nothing but a tourist time and time again

“So did I” Adam answered her, still stroking her hair. It was a deal he had made with the old mayor, and later with Anthony. They and Lilith were the only ones who knew about the true nature of the people who lived on his property. Of his new nature.

Old mayor Bell had moved to France, and though the Bell family had turned out to be a rather twisted lot he didn’t expect the old mayor to leak this kind of information. He had nothing to gain from it. Lilith was a human werewolf, part wolf and part human, but with none of the abilities. And her boyfriend was one of them, she would never risk it. Which left him with one option – Anthony.

“That son of a …” His words were interrupted by a loud growl that spread from his chest, making his ribcage vibrate. Talia sat up, looking at him with a worried expression.

“He told her. And she no doubt will tell others. If they are all like her, none of us are safe” Talia finished his thoughts. That despaired look on her face making his stomach knot and heart break. She didn’t worry for herself, she worried about everyone else. He could see it in her eyes.

“I’m not going to let that happen” Adam said confident. The moment he was out of the hospital bed he would march over to the mayor’s office and demand an explanation. Why would he risk the safety of so many people? He just hoped Ariel hadn’t acted under his command. Anthony was many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them. And he didn’t want to wage a war on creatures he couldn’t fight.

“I know. And neither will I. You and I, we’re a team. I got your back, and you got mine” There was no way she would leave Adam out of her sight for more than a second the coming nights. Wherever he went she would follow, didn’t matter if he agreed or not.

Adam was strong, he could fight back, but he chose not to. He chose to give them a reason not to attack. And he still got attacked, over and over again. And if he wasn’t going to fight back, she was sure as hell was.

“I like the sound of that” Adam smiled at her, scotting over to give her some room to climb fully into bed with him. Both him and Damir felt more content with her body curled up next to them, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm draped around her, pulling her close and breathing in her scent of morning. His heartbeat slowed and it didn’t take him long to drift off to sleep.

And while Adam was sleeping Talia laid resting against his body, her hand gently laid on his chest, feeling how his heart beat under her palm, how his chest rise and fell under her. It was reassuring, knowing that he was fine. He was sleeping, the best way to heal. But she couldn’t rest.

Every time she closed eyes she saw Ariel. The crazy look in her eyes, how she was trying again and again to hurt the person she loved only because of her. She believed that Adam had taken Talia away, that he had some sort of fault in what had happened all those years ago. And it worried Talia. Because one person is rarely alone in their opinion. And fear is the strongest weapon against anyone. If Ariel were to spread the word, plant seeds of fear into the community they would have bigger problems than just that one huntress. And now that everything had finally started to come together.