Chapter 14 Elara's POV
The journey to the town took us two full days instead of one.
I had to stop every few miles to rest or to throw up in the bushes. Each time, Damian waited patiently, never complaining, never rushing me. He kept scanning the forest around us, alert and tense.
The symbols were everywhere.
Carved into tree after tree, sometimes fresh, sometimes old and weathered. Always the same three marks arranged in a triangle. They made my skin crawl, though I couldn't explain why.
"Do you know what they mean?" I asked Damian during one of our rest stops.
"No." He said, studying a nearby tree with the markings.
"But whoever made them wanted to mark this entire area that's not random."
"Are they following us?"
"I don't think so these older ones have been here for weeks, maybe months. But the fresh ones near the shack... those were recent."
I hugged my arms around myself. "I don't understand any of this. Why would someone mark those trees? What does it have to do with me?"
"Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. Until you remember who you are, we won't know."
By the time we reached the town, I was exhausted and nauseated. My legs felt like they might give out at any moment.
The town was small, just like Damian had said. A main street with a few shops, a diner, some houses scattered around. It looked peaceful and normal , exactly what I needed.
Damian found us a room at a small inn run by an elderly human woman. She asked no questions when he paid her in cash, just handed over a key and pointed upstairs.
The room was simple but clean. One bed, a small bathroom, a window overlooking the street.
"Sit.” Damian ordered, pointing to the bed.
I sat gratefully while he unpacked his medical supplies.
"You are dehydrated," He said, examining my eyes and checking my pulse.
"The vomiting isn't helping. I'm going to give you an IV, get some fluids in you."
"Is that safe? For the baby?"
"Perfectly safe. It's just a saline solution your body needs."
He was efficient and gentle as he inserted the IV into my arm. I watched him work, really looking at him for the first time since he'd found me.
He was handsome in a rough, weathered way. Strong jawline, sharp cheekbones, those intense dark eyes that seemed to see everything.
The scar along his jaw should have made him look dangerous, but somehow it just made him look more real. More human, despite being a wolf.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
"For everything. Most people wouldn't have done what you've done for me.”
He glanced up at me. "You've said that before."
"I know. But I mean it. You saved my life. You're still saving it."
"Just doing what's right."
We stayed in the town for three days. Damian wouldn't let me leave the room much, worried that whoever was looking for me might still be searching.
But when I did venture out, the townspeople were friendly. They accepted the story Damian told them that I was his cousin recovering from an illness.
I heard them talking in the diner, though. Whispers about rogues being found dead in the forest, burned bodies, strange symbols.
The news made my stomach turn, and not from morning sickness.
On the fourth day, my symptoms got worse. The nausea became constant. I couldn't keep anything down, not even water. My head pounded and I felt weak and shaky.
Damian checked me over, his expression growing more concerned.
"Your blood pressure is elevated," he said.
"And you're losing too much fluid. IV isn't enough anymore."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you need proper medical care. More than I can provide in a rented room with basic supplies."
"There's no hospital here?"
"There's a small clinic, but it's run by humans. They won't understand your condition. You're a wolf carrying a wolf baby. The pregnancy is different. You need someone who understands that."
I felt tears prick my eyes. "So what do we do?"
Damian was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, "I have to bring you with me."
"With you where?"
"To the Blue Moon Pack they have a proper medical facility. Healers who specialize in wolf pregnancies. I can make sure you're cared for while I'm working there."
Blue Moon Pack the name still meant nothing to me, but something about it made me uneasy, a feeling I couldn't explain.
"Are you sure that's safe?" I asked.
"Safer than staying here and hoping your condition doesn't get worse.”
“You need help, Elara, real help. And I can't give it to you here.”