Chapter 16
Kathy dropped to the ground, the rough soil scratching her knees as she fumbled in her bag. She found some cloth, but the blood, thick and crimson, was already seeping into her eyes, burning and impairing her vision. Staying awake was crucial, she knew, to survive the night. The ground felt uneven beneath her hands as she stood, the heavy backpack a burden on her back. In the shadowy forest, she imagined wild eyes watching her, drawn by the coppery tang of blood. Her blurry vision made it hard to see, and thirst clawed at her throat, while she gratefully felt the strength in her legs, unbroken despite the fall. Kathy repeatedly checked her phone for a signal, but to no avail; she must be deep in the woods. If she stops, she risks passing out, so she needs to keep moving.
Meanwhile, Anthony continues his search for Kathy, but despite his guards and Miles, he can't find her trail. They've searched everywhere until a guard's mind-link alerted them to a discovery: a car. Anthony ran toward his guards, noticing blood. He saw bloodstains on the ground and followed the trail. The guards noticed blood on the tree, suggesting Kathy had paused there before continuing. Following the trail of blood, Max reached a lake where they discovered Kathy's body. She had a head wound, and her wrist was bruised and swollen; Anthony transformed as he approached the scene. He flipped her over, the sight of so much blood made him realize he needed to get her to the hospital immediately; she was ice cold.
"Kathy, please wake up,"
Anthony rubbed his mate's cheek, desperate to wake her. He couldn't lose her after finally finding her; he nuzzled her and whispered into her ear.
“You must wake up. I cannot bear to lose you right now.”
Kathy heard someone call her name. She remembered walking, searching for help, but there were no houses. She saw a lake and walked slowly towards it to wash off the blood, but weakness overcame her, and she fell to the ground. Though she knew she needed to wake, she couldn't until she lost consciousness. As Anthony repeatedly touched Kathy's cheek, she felt warmth and slowly opened her eyes to see his blue ones; the stickiness of blood prevented her from fully opening her right eye.
“Anthony, what brings you here?”
“We were talking on the phone when the call suddenly dropped. I searched for you and found you. I'll take you to the hospital.”
"I am so sleepy," she mumbled, her eyelids heavy and her head drooping.
"Keep your eyes open," he warned. I'm not sure if you have a concussion, but my men is here and can drive us there.
Upon arriving on time, Anthony picked her up and then ordered his men to investigate Kathy's car and the person who had caused her to be run off the road. On the way to the hospital with his mate, Anthony was embarrassed to be without shorts. Before Kathy could see him, a man handed him a towel to cover his lap.
"Anthony," Kathy asked, "how did you find me?"
“My men found you injured on the ground and didn't want to risk moving you. Since you're in my car, I'm taking you to the hospital; a doctor can help you there.”
“Thanks, I'm so cold.”
“You can keep warm by wrapping the blanket around your body. Stay awake; let's chat about whatever's on your mind. Did you catch the look on that driver's face?”
“No, I didn’t see the driver with the window's heavy tint. I think someone is trying to kill me,”
“Don’t worry I will investigate of who did this,”
Kathy felt herself drifting off to sleep, despite Anthony's efforts to keep her awake. Her head injury made it difficult, and she was very sleepy. Anthony's men immediately rushed Kathy to the hospital for treatment.
Skye is in the car with the driver, on the way back home to reveal to her father that Kathy is pregnant with a man's child, using the test she retrieved from the trash. She also received a text from an unknown number. “It’s is done.” Switching off her phone, she smiled, knowing Kathy was in for serious trouble. The driver parked in the driveway, leaving the door open, and quickly went upstairs. The servant opened the door and saw Skye entering the living room where she noticed Mr. Crawford and her father looking at her.
“Did you see Kathy?” asked Edward
“Yes, and she says no and also she told me to tell you go to hell and she is not coming to home.”
“Edward you say that she will be coming home. I want my money,”
“Harvey please Kathy is a pure plus she can give you health son,”
“Um…. dad about that. I found something at Kathy job I think she pregnant,”
“Do you have any evidence?”
Skye showed her father and Mr. Crawford the pregnancy test, but they snatched it angrily from her. He gazed at Edward, who had promised him something regarding Kathy, then smashed the plate with both hands and hurled it to the floor before leaving the house in a rage. Seeing the broken test tube on the floor, Edward called a servant to clean up the mess.
“Dad what are we going to do?” asked Skye
“We must locate her immediately.”
“I'll make her get rid of the baby and marry Mr. Crawford.”
Desperate to get Kathy back, Edward used his cell phone to call in a favor.