Chapter 21 Try not to die
~Taren’s POV~
After hours of lying completely still, unable to move even the tiniest part of my body, I finally felt the very first hints of life returning to me. The sensation started as a faint ripple under my skin, almost like a soft whisper spreading from deep within my muscles. Relief flooded me so powerfully that I could have cried. I had never felt such gratitude for something as simple as being able to feel my own limbs again.
In that moment I gained a new level of respect for people living with paralysis. They were true warriors in a way most of us would never fully understand. The last six hours had been the worst six hours of my entire existence. Being fully conscious yet trapped in a silent, immobile shell, unable to move or speak or even blink when I wanted to, had been a form of silent torture that pressed down on my mind. It was a frightening kind of helplessness that felt like a slow drowning.
A soft moan escaped my lips the moment sensation returned to my vocal chords, and the sound carried so much relief that it almost startled me.
Kaitlyn rushed to my side immediately, her eyes wide with concern as she hovered over me.
“Are you okay? Can you speak now?” she asked quickly.
I attempted to form words just to see if my voice would obey. “I think I can,” I managed, and hearing my own voice again hit me with a fresh and overwhelming wave of relief that filled my chest with warmth.
I smiled instinctively, and the simple fact that my lips stretched comfortably, without resistance or stiffness, felt like a miracle. I had been unable to do something as natural as smiling for hours.
However my smile vanished just as quickly as it had appeared when a sharp and unexpected pain shot through my shoulder. Kaitlyn had pinched my skin so hard I instantly knew it would bruise once she let go.
“Aww. What did you do that for?” I asked with a wince when she finally released her grip.
“That is for ruining my friendship with Xavier,” she replied. My irritation dissolved immediately, replaced with a heavy wave of guilt that tightened something inside my chest.
“I am sorry, Kaitlyn. I did not mean for any of that to happen,” I said. The image of what had unfolded in the cave between Xavier and us flashed through my mind, bringing with it a painful twist in my stomach.
“I know. I am just sad, and I needed to pour all that emotion somewhere,” she sighed as she began checking me all over to ensure I was truly alright.
“He really did not accept your apology?”
“No. He said I should never show my face to him again.”
Her words crushed something inside me all over again. Xavier was a good witch and a good friend. For him to say something that severe meant he felt deeply hurt and betrayed. The thought of it stung more than I wanted to admit.
“I am sorry,” I murmured softly.
“It is fine. You still need a few minutes before you will be good to go,” she said before turning her attention to another patient.
I let out a long sigh and turned my head to the left, only to find Fin sitting there with an exaggerated grin spread across his face and all his teeth on display.
“Welcome back to the land of the unparalyzed,” he said cheerfully.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. I had not expected anyone else to be beside me, and certainly not him. Fin and I had never been particularly close.
“I am providing you emotional support. You looked like you needed it,” he replied with a shrug as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
I flexed my toes and fingers carefully, then bent my knee to test its response. Everything moved with ease, and once I was confident that my body was finally functioning normally, I pushed myself up into a sitting position.
“I am glad you are functioning properly again,” Fin remarked, his eyes studying me from head to toe.
“Thank you, Fin,” I said with a small smile, even though something about his presence still felt unusual. We had never shared a bond strong enough for him to sit through my paralysis episode, yet here he was. It made me wonder what had truly brought him here.
By the time Kaitlyn determined that I was fully fit to go, I stood up and walked out of the treatment center. Fin immediately fell into step beside me, walking so closely that I almost bumped into him. Before I could ask why he was following me, he hit me with a question of his own.
“Did she curse you?”
I blinked in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“The witch. Did she curse you? Is that why you became paralyzed?” he asked again, his tone serious now as he attempted to clarify his line of thought.
“What? Where did you get that from?” I asked, brows pulling together in confusion.
“Well, Kaitlyn refused to tell me what happened to you. She said that information was for you alone to share,” he confessed.
“And your first conclusion was that she cursed me?”
“Did she?”
“No. She did not,” I corrected firmly.
“Oh. Sorry for the assumption.”
“How did you come up with such an assumption in the first place?” I asked, genuinely baffled and needing some clarity.
“Well, she promised to make my life miserable both in this life and the next,” he said, and that revelation stopped me cold. Lyra did not strike me as someone who would dish out threats like that for no reason. He must have provoked her in a way I did not yet understand.
“How did that even happen?” I asked.
“I have to go. Take care of yourself and stay out of trouble,” Fin said abruptly, refusing to answer my question. He hurried away as though something was chasing him.
I continued my walk toward the house and then toward the kitchen. However, before I could reach my destination, another voice stopped me.
“How did it feel being paralyzed for six hours?”
I turned around and saw that it was an Elder who had spoken. I immediately placed a polite smile on my face.
“Elder Cross,” I said with a respectful nod. I attempted to answer his question. “I do not know how to describe it. It is… well, I did not feel anything throughout.”
“Mmm. And what if you had died in the process? What would you tell the moon goddess?” he asked. This time his question carried an edge that made me realize his concern was not genuine.
“The moon goddess is not mortal. She would understand that I did what I did for the benefit of the pack, and to show my unwavering loyalty to my Alpha and to his cause,” I answered carefully. I knew better than to sound disrespectful in front of a respected elder.
Elder Cross had always been held in high regard within the Ironfang pack. I had never seen him as anything less, although I had never had much reason to interact with him either.
“People who are truly loyal do not go around announcing it,” he said. The statement made my brows knit together in confusion. “Those who show off with their loyalty are the ones we should be careful about.”
“Show off?” I repeated. “I am sorry, Elder Cross. Do you have a problem with me?”
“What if I do?” he replied with both brows raised.
Before I could speak again, Alpha’s voice cut into my mind.
“Taren.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I responded immediately. He had been checking on me through the mind link even before I regained the ability to move.
“Are you good now?”
“Yes. I am on my feet currently.”
“Good. Lyra is in my quarters, the room next to mine. Take her food there,” he said.
The command shocked me deeply. Why was Lyra in the Alpha’s private quarters?
“Okay, Alpha,” I replied without questioning him.
“And Taren, make certain the food is safe for consumption before you take it to her,” he added.
I nodded instinctively, even though he could not see it.
“Will do that, Alpha,” I said, and the link closed.
I turned and continued toward the kitchen, deciding it was better not to engage Elder Cross any further. Unfortunately he was not ready to let the matter go.
“A word of advice, Taren. Try not to die the next time you willingly offer your blood to a witch,” he said before walking away.
I reached the kitchen and retrieved Lyra’s food. While waiting for the safety tests to be completed, I thought about everything that had happened. I could not wait to see her again, but I needed to wait. Her safety came first.