Sores
ELENA
I was dreaming. I knew that. And I was struggling to wake myself up but I couldn't. I was standing on a cliff about to be pushed off it. My predators were in wolf forms, fangs stained with blood and eyes shimmering with animalistic hunger.
I was between a rock and a hard place — either I fall off the cliff or I go to them and let them rip me into pieces. I couldn't choose either, so I was standing there, begging that I wake up from this horror.
The tiny whimpering voice echoing in the woods made my insides churn. It was Claire's. What did they do to her?
The whimpering sound increased and then her tiny hand touched me. It wasn't just a dream anymore.
I jerked off the bed with a loud gasp, panting uncontrollably. Goosebumps were etched on my skin. God! What kind of nightmare was that?
“Mummy…” the whimpering voice behind me had me whirling.
“Baby,” she was really in my room, curled up next to my bed. She was in tears, holding her throat. And there were red rashes…on her face and arms. Sore rashes.
I jumped off the bed, picking her up into my arms.
“What's happening to you, dear?”
“Mummy…it hurts…” she whimpered and then she blacked out.
My heart exploded at her lifeless state. “Baby! Claire!”
I rushed out of the room, holding her firmly in my arms. Father was rushing out too. He probably heard my screaming.
“Elena. What's going on?”
“My baby. She's…I don't know. We need to take her to the hospital.”
“Sure.” We rushed down the stairs. Father stepped out first, probably to get the car ready.
“Elena!” Tracy called from behind, rushing down too. “What's wrong with her?”
“I don't know…” I was shaking. Tears were rolling down my face. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't even breathing properly. This has to be the most panicked I've ever felt in my entire existence.
Please don't die on me, baby. I beg you.
I stepped outside, waiting on the front porch.
Father's car pulled up in front of me. Tracy hurriedly opened the door to the backseat.
“No, Tracy. You stay here and take care of the house. I'll go with Elena.” Father said, stopping her from going into the car.
She nodded, stepping back. “Please make sure they save her.”
“Of course, we'll take her to the Pack hospital. The doctors there will definitely prioritize her…”
“I'm not taking my daughter to the Pack hospital. I'm taking her to Dr. Drake.” I stated firmly, looking at him through my blurred vision.
“Elena, you're not gonna make me set foot in Vince's Pack. You're not gonna do that…”
“Father, do I look like I give a shit right now about your fight with Vince? My daughter's dying! I'd diagnose her myself if I weren't freaking out this badly right now. Dr. Drake is the only doctor whom I can fully entrust my daughter's life in his hands. Now, if you won't take me there, I'll race myself there. I don't care. But I'm going there tonight.”
His hesitation didn't last a fucking minute before he nodded and moved away. I got into the backseat and he got in after me.
“Let me carry her,” he opted.
“No,” I shook my head, holding her tighter in my arms. “I'll hold her.” My heart was crashing down. My heart was begging her not to leave me. She needs to hear that. She needs to hear my motherly heart yearning for her.
We arrived at Vince's Pack hours later, and I alighted from the car with the speed of lightning. She's grown so cold I fear her heart might stop beating any second now.
Father pushed the revolving door and I went through. The nurses recognized us at a glance and they immediately provided the stretcher for my little girl.
She was taken to one of the vip rooms. The nurses had the oxygen on her. But she was still too damn cold.
“Dr. Drake…” I was finding it hard to keep my words coherent. “Where is he? I need him to come and attend to her.”
“I'm really sorry, Ma'am. But you're gonna have to wait a little while.”
“Why? Is he off-duty?” Father asked.
“No. He's busy at the moment. He's stitching up a boy. Alpha Leo's son.”
“What?” I hope I didn't hear that right. “Alpha Leo? Like…Alpha Leonardo?”
“Yes, Ma'am.” The nurse nodded. “His mate and his son were in a fatal accident. They lost a lot of blood and Dr. Drake is with them.”
I looked at Father and he was literally gawking at the nurse. I didn't miss the fluttering of his eyes and the way his fingers trembled, or how pale he'd gotten
The nurses left and I went to give him a consoling hug. He seemed to be on the verge of tears.
“They'll be fine,” I whispered, with my arms around him. “Dr. Drake will take care of them. He always does.”
“Of course,” his voice was shaky. “They have to be alright. Leo won't survive it if anything more tragic happens to them.”
I couldn't say any more words because I was silently tearing up too. The thought of Uncle Leonardo losing his family at once made my heart ache so badly. He's really not gonna survive it if that happens.
He might be goofy and warm, but he's equally fragile. I think that's why he hangs around Vince a lot. He gets his strength from Vince.
“You wanna go check on him?” I looked at Father's face as I asked.
He slowly shook his head. “No. You heard the nurse. Dr. Drake is with them. I'm sure he's handling the situation quite all right.”
“But Uncle Leonardo is definitely devastated…”
“I know. I know.” Watching him fight to keep back his tears was painful. He's just a big baby and a man who loves his friends dearly at the end of the day.
“So…?”
“I'll go check on him later. For now, let's stay with Claire. She needs us too.”
Right. My baby.
I went back to her bed and knelt next to it. I held her hand, it was getting a bit warmer. But the sores were still on her face.
“What do you think happened to her?” Father asked.
“It seems like an allergic reaction. Except she was already tucked in and fast asleep. She didn't eat anything.”
“But she has allergies?”
“Just nuts and strawberries. And I'm very careful about it. Her nanny is too. She personally checks her meals.”
“What if she didn't check it this time?”
“Then the reaction should have happened when she ate dinner. But it didn't. She was fine when I tucked her in. So I don't understand how she became like this in the middle of the night.”
“Do you think someone did this to her?”
The thought of that made me panic even more. “Why….why would anyone wanna hurt Claire? She's just a kid…”
“She's Vince's kid. Anyone would wanna hurt her.” Father added, brutally silencing me.
Brutal, but true.
“But Father, it happened in your house. That's the safest place for Claire. There are no enemies there.” It sounded like I was trying to convince myself. “Right?” I added, needing his support on this.
“I fear there might be.” His eyes held a huge dose of panic.
Oh God. I held her hand tighter.
So did someone in that house really try to hurt my baby?
“Should I tell Vince about this?” I asked between sobs. “I dread his reaction…”
“He needs to know. She's his daughter after all.”
“Right?”
Father didn't say anything more. I didn't either. I just held my baby's hand, praying that she'll be okay.
But my thoughts were running wild, trying to figure out what exactly happened to my baby.