“What do you mean by that? You know I can’t hide anything from Zaia, I will tell her!” I exim as he
stands up and I stand up myself, blocking his path as I push him back, but he doesn’t even budge.
“I mean what I said, If you don’t do as I say, it will only hurt Z. So keep this between us because I’d
rather she be angry than…”
“Than broken?” I finish, ring up at him usingly, my heart thundering with
anger.
She’ll break if I don’t!
“Yes, I will get you the antidote, and you are not to tell Zaia where it came from.” He replies quietly.
I swallow.
He’s going to do exactly what I know is Zaia’s deepest fear.
He’s going to join them… the Sable…
No. No. “NO!” I shout.
He nces upwards, mping a hand over my mouth, his eyes zing.
“The children are asleep.” He says coldly. “You have no option. Tell Zaia and she will only be
weak. They need to know and believe that I have chosen without an incentive to be one of
them… Zaia’s reaction needs to be genuine.”
N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.
There’s an urgency in his voice as if he needed me to understand that.
“This is for my little girl. She’s barely lived… she deserves to experience life to its fullest. She doesn’t
deserve to be pulled away from this world so soon. Do you understand?”
He releases my mouth, but I’m unable to reply.
I know what he means…
She won’t live long… we all know that even if Zaia is trying her best…
Sia… our little princess….
“I can’t lie to her.” I plead once more, but there’s no power behind my words any longer.
I understand him…
AREE
“You will.” His eyes sh as his alphamand rolls off of him. I frown and although I feel strong
enough to defy it to an extent, it still weighs upon me. “I’ll leave it to you to decide what you will do…
but remember this can cost Sia if anything happens to my little girl….
He leaves his threat open, and I know I can’t risk it.
I too have found nothing. We do need the antidote…
I’m about to reply when we hear the door open and instantly, we both step away from one another.
“Anyone there!” Atticus shouts, and 1 quickly rush to the hallway.
“Valerie!” Zaia’s panicked voicees just as I round the bend and the sight of both her and Atticus
supporting a bloody Jai makes my heart stop.
Fear washes over me and for a moment, time stands still.
No.
“Jai!” I rush to his side, cupping his face. His eyes flutter, sweat coating his forehead as he looks at me
through half–closed eye
eyes.
Please be ok!
He’s bleeding a lot, there’s a makeshift bandage around his chest and waist and it’s drenched in blood.
“Why didn’t you take him to a hospital?” I ask, my heart thumping..
“We were followed,” Zaia exins, helplessly.
“You can do this,” Sebastian says to me and I nod despite the fear inside. I don’t have much here!
“Bring him to the dining table!” Imand. “I need clean water, bandages and I need to stitch him up!”
rush to get some supplies, my heart beating as everyone rushes to get me what I need..
Goddess! Let him be ok!
I return to his side as they bring everything I need.
“How did he get hurt? What happened?” I ask as Zaia stands beside Jai’s head, her aura swirling
around her as if she’s concentrating on something. Sebastian is watching her intently, but she’s too
focused on what she’s doing.
“He was shot, and as you can see, a wolf managed to get his ws into him,” Atticus says, running his
fingers through his hair.
Sebastian rips open Jai’s shirt for me fully and I begin wiping the blood so I can take a better look.
My breath catches in my throat as I stare down at the three deep gashes along his nk, but there are
also two other wounds.
Focus Valerie, Jai needs you to be in a proper mindset right now. You are the only one who can help
him!
“I will need to remove the bullet first,” I say, having no other option, the table is already a bloody mess.
“I don’t have anaesthesia, give him something to bite down on.”
Sebastian puts a thick strip of cloth in Jai’s mouth. I pull my gloves on and begin probing for the bullet,
making Jai groan.